Skains leaving Tarpons for Cecilia
April 5, 2016
Annette Charpentier
April 7, 2016
Angel Santiago would be the first person to admit that he’s experienced a lot of long, frustrating days in his five years as the Nicholls softball coach.
But lately, those difficult days have been few and far between.
Today, the Colonels have been scoring runs, winning games and solidifying themselves as one of the top feel-good stories in the Southland Conference.
When Santiago took over the program five seasons ago, Nicholls was talent-depleted and far behind the top tier of the conference, which is one of the South’s best for college softball.
But after several seasons of rebuilding, Santiago has the Colonels prime for success and ready to make a run. Nicholls softball started the season 22-12, which included a glistening 9-2 mark in Southland play.
The Colonels recorded a three-game Southland sweep of Texas A&M – Corpus Christi two weekends ago – a three-game run that was the first career sweep for a lot of the team’s players. They followed it up with three wins over Central Arkansas.
For players, the success is a breath of fresh air – their first real shot to win a conference title.
For Santiago, it’s all a relief – a sign that seems to indicate that the final stages of his rebuilding process are here.
“It’s certainly not been easy. I’m a competitive guy, and I love to win and be in the postseason and all of the things that go into being a softball coach,” Santiago said. “But when you’re in this situation, you need support from your athletic department and you need commitment from your players. We’ve always had that. The AD has always backed me, and the team always has, too. We have a long way to go, but it feels good. It feels like we’re coaching again. It feels like we’re playing for trophies again. We like that feeling.”
For Nicholls, the 2016 team is balanced – blending dominant pitching and defense with a scrappy offensive approach that focuses on scratching home runs however it can.
In the circle, the Colonels are solid, possessing several pitchers capable of getting outs in high-stakes games.
Nicholls has two, top-tier starting pitchers in Hannah Haydel and Megan Landry, and each has had large-scale success on the season.
Haydel is 10-6 with a 1.55 ERA in 108.2 innings, limiting opponents to just a .184 batting average on the season.
Landry isn’t too far off that pace herself, owning a 9-5 record with a 2.13 ERA in 12 starts.
Haydel said Nicholls’ mix is effective, because it allows Santiago an opportunity to mix and match his pitchers to keep offenses off balance.
Both Haydel and Landry are starters by trade, but both have entered games in relief of the other when advantageous situations have presented themselves.
“We have a lot of good combinations between Megan, myself, and some of the other great pitchers we have,” Haydel said. “We have a nice mix. It breaks up the innings we throw in a season. It also lets us keep the opponents out of rhythm. When they get used to someone, we switch it up.”
Santiago agreed, adding that having two top-flight pitchers is a huge luxury.
But having three is even better, and that’s a luxury Nicholls is about to have, because last season’s No. 2 pitcher Jackie Johnson is about to return from an injury.
Her return, the coach said, will be a big coup to the team.
“Our pitching staff has really stepped up this year and has taken that next step,” Santiago said. “And when Jackie gets back, it’s only going to be better. She was our No. 2 pitcher last year, and is a quality player. We’re good now, and we’re excited, because the potential is there to get even better.”
With the Colonels’ pitchers keeping opposing offenses off the scoreboard, Nicholls’ offense has a simple job: get on base, put pressure on opponents and record timely hits to score runs.
So far this season, Nicholls’ hitters have thrived in that role, averaging 4.3 runs per game at the halfway point in the season.
They are led by Amanda Gianelloni, Alexis Huss and Danielle Phillips – all mainstays in the lineup, who have a batting average above .300 on the season.
Santiago said recording solid contact for the Colonels is key, because they lack the big-time power hitting that some of their rivals possess.
Nicholls has stroked just 10 home runs in their first 31 games, while having allowed 13.
But Nicholls has a team-wide on base percentage of .343 with 33 stolen bases, 31 doubles and five triples – all marks that outpace their opponents.
“We’ve done a good job of moving runners over and finding a way to get them in,” Santiago said. “We’re not a club that’s going to hit a lot over, but we take pride in doing a lot of the little things. That’s how we go about having success in getting runners across and on the board.”
A big reason for that mindset’s success is chemistry – something Nicholls has in abundance, according to junior infielder Brooke Morris.
She said the team is a united family – a statement that Santiago backs, as well.
“We’re close. We push one another, and we all want everyone else to thrive,” Morris said. “That unity, I think, inspires us. That allows us to keep getting better.”
“We’re more of a family this year than we’ve ever been,” Santiago added. “There’s no doubt about that.”
And it’s a family that now has eyes on the gold.
Nicholls opened the season with six wins in eight Southland tilts – a successful run that positioned the team second in the standings.
Santiago said the Colonels’ first goal is to reach the Southland Tournament, then make a push to win it all.
Morris agreed and said she thinks that Nicholls has what it takes to rise up and complete its comeback story.
“My freshman year, we were very young, and we struggled,” Morris said. “Last year, it was better, but now, we’re taking the next leap. It’s so amazing how good it feels both on and off the field to know we’re getting the job done. We have the fans behind us, and now, we just want to do it – for us and for them. We think we have what it takes.” •
