HAMMOND – Off to the best non-conference start in the Southland Conference, Southeastern Louisiana opens conference play with a split-series Friday at Nicholls State.

First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Ray E. Didier Field in Thibodaux, La. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and live statistics, courtesy Nicholls State, will be available at www.LionSports.net.

Southeastern (10-3) became the fastest Southland team into double-digit wins Wednesday as the Lions defeated Alcorn State, 12-1. Jonathan Pace homered and drove in four runs to power Southeastern at the plate.

Starter Buck Bernard tossed a season-high six innings and allowed one run on three hits. He walked a pair and stuck out three for the Lions to earn his first win of the season.

Brock Hebert (.432), Jonathan Pace (.395) and Ladd Rhodes (.321) lead Southeastern in hitting. Pace and Harry Slade have driven in 11 runs apiece and Hebert has stolen nine bases in 10 attempts. The Lions are hitting .267 as a team.

Southeastern will send senior right-hander Joseph Koon (2-0, 2.50) to the mound to counter right-hander Seth Webster (1-2, 5.12) for Nicholls State.

The Colonels (7-6) defeated South Alabama Wednesday, 8-4. Nicholls State came from behind with a pair of runs in the seventh and tacked on three more in the ninth for the victory.

Jeremy Hill (.383), Philip Lyons (.354) and Michael LeGrange (.346) pace the Colonels at the plate. LeGrange leads the team with 13 RBIs and Nicholls State is hitting .259 as a team.

Game two of the series will be played at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field in Hammond before returning to Thibodaux for the finale of the three-game series. The Since 1981, the Colonels lead the series 66-45.