Washington to speak at First Pitch Banquet
December 19, 2018
Snapper season is both closed… and also open…
December 19, 2018
Nicholls baseball coach Seth Thibodeaux’s full attention is on the 2019 season — a year he hopes will be a successful one for he and his Colonels.
But while waiting for opening day, Thibodaux and the Colonels’ staff have also made moves to secure the team’s future for upcoming seasons.
The Colonels announced a seven-player signing class — a group of signees who will not be eligible to join the team until the 2019-20 academic year and the 2020 season.
Thibodeaux said the class, which consists of four position players and three pitchers, fits a lot of the needs that the Colonels have going forward into the future.
“(Assistant coaches) Zach Butler and Walt Jones worked really hard to put this class together,” Thibodeaux said. “We focused on athleticism and physicality and great makeup (in this class).”
The Colonels got some power arms in the class.
Nicholls signed Andrew Lambert, Jordan Lansford and Turner Toms to try and continue a legacy that the Colonels have enjoyed in the past several seasons as being a club that always ranks near the top of the Southland Conference in pitching.
Lambert and Lansford are righties with collegiate experience.
Lambert signs from Coastal Alabama Community College — the same program that housed former Colonels Chet Niehaus and Jarred Scott, as well as current Colonel senior Brady Bell.
Lambert was an All-District performer at Booneville High School and has been part of a Coastal Alabama staff that competed in the Regional Tournament.
Lansford also has collegiate experience — a signee from Galveston College in Texas. A 6-foot, 4-inch righty, Lansford is expected to be a contender to pitch in the weekend rotation in 2020.
Toms is a high school arm who lands in Thibodaux with a decorated resume.
A lefty, Toms led Benton High School to the 2017 Class 4A State Championship. He was named the Most Outstanding Player in that game. A 6-foot, 6-inch hurler, he was named to the Perfect Game Super 25 All-Tournament Team, as well as his high school accolades.
“The pitchers are big and physical with some velocity,” Thibodeaux said. “I expect them to come in and compete and impact our team right away.”
Around the diamond, Nicholls also added depth, inking two infielders, a catcher and an outfielder.
Catcher Erick Hernandez lands with the Colonels out of Galveston College — a teammate of Lansford.
The scouting report provided by the Colonels says that he’s a defensive catcher who handles pitchers well. Thibodeaux said that’s an asset the Colonels need.
“He’s the defensive catcher we need here,” Thibodeaux said. “He’s very physical and can really catch.”
Joining Hernandez on the infield will be infielder Hunter Gotreaux from Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles and first-baseman Brayden Jobert from Northshore High School in Slidell.
Gotreaux is a gritty, tough-nosed player who fits the mold that Thibodeaux likes for his middle infielders. He was ranked No. 13 at his position by Perfect Game, playing shortstop for a high school team that set the school record in wins.
“(He) comes from one of the top high school programs in Louisiana,” Thibodeaux said. “He has been extremely well-coached and will be ready to play right away. He’s a tireless worker and will fit in well with our mindset here.”
Jobert is ranked as the No. 2 corner infielder in Louisiana for this recruiting class. He has pop. He’s expected to be a middle of the order hitter for Nicholls during his career.
His father, Jacques Jobert, was a Colonel in the 1990s — helping the team win the Southland Title.
“He is a physical left-handed hitter that can play the corners,” Thibodeaux said of his new signee.
In the outfield, the Colonels added depth, signing Grandview High School standout Caleb Hill — a Midlothian, Texas native. Hill was a two-time All-District honoree at Grandview High School and an Honorable Mention All-State winner last season.
“He is left-handed and very athletic,” Thibodeaux said. “He has a good pedigree as his father played pro ball and is now a high school coach in Texas.”
The Colonels open their 2019 season on Feb. 15 with a weekend series against Southern Illinois.
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