THIBODAUX, LOUISIANA – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team goes on the road this weekend to face Nicholls in a three-game Southland Conference series. Both Friday's and Saturday's games start at 6 p.m., while the series finale will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. at Ray E. Didier Field.

The Cardinals (11-16, 2-7) are coming off a 7-3 victory over UT-Pan American in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday.  Ethan McGill (Penn Valley, CA/Nevada Union HS) leads the team among qualifying hitters with a .319 batting average, while adding nine doubles and 11 RBI's on the year.  Matt Morris (Scottsdale, AZ/Saguaro HS) is hitting .280 and leads the team in hits (30), doubles (10) and walks (15), and is second with 17 RBI's behind Austin Hoffman's (Goodyear, AZ/Millenium HS) 18.

The Cardinals pitching staff has a 6.07 ERA with Garret Cooper (Round Rock/McNeil HS) leading the way with a 4-2 record and a 3.21 ERA in 42 innings of work.  Geno Encina (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) has two starts on the year and is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings.

Nicholls (15-12-1, 5-7) ranks seventh in the Southland Conference after dropping the series, 2-1, against Southeastern Louisiana last weekend. They are coming of a 14-3 win non-conference win over Alcorn State on Tuesday. The Colonels beat LSU 6-3 earlier in the season at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA.

Kyle Reese leads the Colonels in hitting with a .333 batting average while adding nine doubles and 12 batted in.  Justin Holt is hitting .288 and leads the team in runs scored with 18 from the leadoff spot.  He is 8-for-12 in stolen base attempts.

Nicholls pitching is the best in all of the Southland Conference. Their 2.20 ERA ranks first in the conference as well as their opposing batting average at .235. They have four shutouts on the year, which is also tops in the SLC and nine saves is second best.

Ryan Deemes is 3-0 in 37 innings pitched this season. He has a miniscule 0.97 ERA, allowing 31 hits, walking seven and striking out 38. Justin Sinibaldi is 5-1 and has a 1.15 ERA in 47 innings this season. He has given up 41 hits, seven walks and has struck out 35. Grant Borne is 1-4 despite a 1.48 ERA in 42.2 innings. He leads the team in strikeouts with 44.  Four of the Colonels' relievers have an ERA under 3.00.   
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