Colonels round out coaching staff

Nicholls State University head baseball coach Seth Thibodeaux has completed his coaching staff for the 2017 season.

Thibodeaux announced this week that he’s hired Ford Pemberton and Erik Schoenrock as volunteer assistant coaches – a duo that will join hitting coach Walt Jones and pitching coach Zach Butler on the Colonels’ baseball staff.

Thibodeaux said the duo will add knowledge and energy to the Colonels program in 2017 – a year the coach said can be filled with big-time victories if the team comes together in preseason practices.

“We think our club will be better in 2017 – that’s what we’re building towards,” Thibodeaux said earlier in the offseason. “We think our guys are committed. They’ve put in the time throughout the offseason in the weight room and doing all of the things that they have to do to be better. We think this will have a chance to be a really good year for us, and we can’t wait for it to get started.”

In Pemberton, the Colonels will be getting a young coach that has experience in professional baseball.

A native of Bossier City, Pemberton joins the Colonels after two seasons as a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Before that time, he was an accomplished coach at the prep level, serving as the pitching coach at Zachary from 2012-13. He broke into coaching at Parkview Baptist from 2010-11 – helping lead one of the most accomplished prep baseball programs in the state.

In both high school jobs, his teams made it all the way to the state championship game.

With Nicholls, Pemberton will be Nicholls’ director of baseball operations. He will also serve as Nicholls’ camp coordinator and will work with the team’s pitchers during the season. In addition to that, he will assist the Colonels in their recruiting efforts.

“Ford is a hard-nosed ball coach,” Thibodeaux said. “But he’s an even better person. He’s young, full of energy and is great for our players. He has coached at some big-time high school programs and is a great liaison for us with the outstanding high school coaches in our state. … He and his wife Sarah are a great addition to the Colonel family.”

While Pemberton has spent his time around the prep and professional games, Schoenrock comes to Nicholls after a decorated career – both as a player and as a coach at the college level.

Schoenrock joins the Colonels after spending the past season as a student assistant at his alma mater, Memphis. In that role, he worked with the Tigers’ first basemen during infield practice, while also assisting with all of the team’s hitters.

With Nicholls, Schoenrock will be the Colonels’ field coordinator, and he’ll help with the team’s pitchers.

Prior to his time at Memphis, Schoenrock was a pitching coach for Licking County in Ohio. During that stint, he helped the team finish third in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. In that season, the team led the league in both ERA and strikeouts.

Before getting into coaching, Schoenrock was a top-notch pitcher who once had big-time professional aspirations.

At Memphis, Schoenrock was the 2013 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year and a First-Team All-Conference honoree. He finished that season with a 7-4 record and a 3.02 ERA, finishing the season with five complete games.

For his efforts, Schoenrock was picked in the 11th Round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. In a short minor league career, he was named the Northwest League Pitcher of the Year and also a Minor League All-Star.

Thibodeaux said all of that knowledge will help the team’s pitchers throughout the season. Thibodeaux noted that Schoenrock’s first coach was his father, and that baseball has been part of his entire life.

“I’m proud to add someone like Erik Schoenrock to our staff,” Thibodeaux said. “He brings a lifetime of knowledge to our staff and our players. He grew up with a great baseball coach and man as a father. He’s going to bring a lot to our program.”

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