Nicholls softball mops up postseason awards

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June 13, 2018

No Fast Fiscal Fix to Be Found

June 13, 2018

The accolades just keep piling up for the upstart Nicholls State University softball team.

Colonels coach Angel Santiago was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Softball Coach of the Year for the second time in three years, according to a press release issued by the organization last weekend.

Santiago has been Nicholls’ softball coach since Sept. 2011. In his time with the team, the Colonels have transformed from one of the bottom teams in the Southland Conference to one of the top.

The team has finished as the runner-up at the Southland Conference Tournament in two-straight seasons, including this past season when the team won the regular season crown with a mostly underclassman roster, finishing with a 40-15 record and a 21-6 mark in the league.

Santiago won the honor, despite stiff competition. LSWA media members and sports information directors in the state voted him as Coach of the Year by a single vote over Louisiana-Lafayette coach Gerry Glasco, who led the Lady Cajuns to the NCAA Tournament.

LSU coach Beth Torina and McNeese coach James Landreneaux also were on the ballot, as well as Southeastern coach Rick Fremin. The Lady Tigers made the NCAA Super Regional Round under Torina, losing to eventual national champion Florida State. Both McNeese and Southeastern had success, as well with the Cowgirls making the NCAA Tournament and Southeastern earning their best season in program history.

But voters tabbed Santiago because of the continued work he and his staff has done at turning Nicholls into a winner – even after having just one senior starter this past season.

The Colonels’ 40 wins in 2018 were their most since 1998 and the team now has had three-straight seasons in the Top 3 in the Conference.

With the honor, Santiago is now the sixth coach to win multiple LSWA Coach of the Year awards, joining former Colonels coach Cathy Compton, who won the honors in 1992 and 1995.

The Colonels’ youth was never a problem in 2018 because the team had talent galore on the field.

In addition to taking home Coach of the Year honors, Nicholls softball also had five players named to the All-Louisiana Team for the past season.

Senior catcher Moriah Strother and junior utility player Kali Clement were First-Team selections, while juniors Megan Landry, Amanda Gianelloni and Kasey Frederick were named to the second team.

Jewel Lara and Kelsey Miller were also honored and were named honorable mention selections.

Strother was the only Nicholls senior starter and she was monstrous behind the plate for the Colonels. She hit .383 for the season with 27 RBI and nine home runs with a slugging percentage of .900. Strother was a mainstay on all the postseason awards teams, earning First-Team All-Southland Conference and also a spot on the Southland Conference All-Tournament Team. She had a flare for the dramatic with two grand slam home runs on the year.

Clement was a first-year Colonel after starting her career at Spring Hill College. But she had a huge impact, earning starts at catcher, third base and designated player. Clement ranked in the Top 15 in the Southland in batting (.321), slugging (.528), runs (37) and home runs (8). For her efforts, she, like Strother, was part of all of the major postseason awards, earning Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year and All-Southland Conference Second Team honors.

This is the first time in 10-plus years that Nicholls has had two players on the All-Louisiana First-Team list.

Frederick was one of the best sluggers in the state this past season, posting a .377 batting average with 42 RBI and 7 home runs. She had 17 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI efforts for Nicholls – one year after earning honorable mention All-Louisiana honors last year.

Gianelloni started all 55 games at shortstop for Nicholls and continued to be a mainstay for the Colonels, posting a .349 batting average with 34 RBI, while providing the team with a great glove.