LSU tops Nicholls in pitcher’s duel
March 5, 2013
Tracking Glory with Hal Martin
March 5, 2013
Last season, Nicholls State center fielder Matt Richard was straddled with a bum back – an injury that kept the Gonzales native out of the lineup every couple of days with excruciating pain.
“He didn’t want to come out,” Nicholls State coach Seth Thibodeaux said. “But there wasn’t a whole lot we could do. By the end of the week, he could barely pick up the bat, much less swing it. He was like an old man.”
After a summer of rest and rehab, Richard is near 100 percent health.
That means the beast is unleashed in Thibodaux.
In the first two weeks of the young season, a healthy Richard is inspiring teammates with his tough, gritty personality and deep passion for the game.
Richard is currently hitting .319 out of the leadoff spot in the lineup. He’s firmly established himself as one of the main cogs in the team’s offensive arsenal.
“Matt is an extremely tough, hard-nosed competitor,” Nicholls State baseball coach Seth Thibodeaux said. “I have to say, he’s one of the favorite guys I’ve ever coached because of how tough he is and how he rubs off on everyone around him.”
“He’s a grinder,” Colonels junior infielder Philip Lyons agreed. “He’s a tough player – one of the toughest I’ve ever been around. And I know as a team, we definitely feed off that.”
Both Thibodeaux and Lyons mentioned the word tough.
Richard’s toughness was displayed to the entire Southland Conference last season.
The senior centerfielder was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back in his final season at LSU-Eunice in 2011.
He enrolled at Nicholls last season and played through the injury.
Richard said he wore a brace to try and ease the pain.
He experienced limited success, hitting .278 in 48 games. Richard also finished second in the Southland Conference with 23 stolen bases.
But even with the statistics, Richard said the season was one of the most frustrating of his life.
He said the brace limited his mobility in the outfield and forced him to alter his swing at the plate.
“My back just wasn’t allowing me to play to the best of my ability,” Richard said. “I’d have to sit out during the weekday games to rest and it was just tough. It’s always tough to sit. And it’s even tougher when you’re playing and you’re not doing as well as you know you’d be doing if you weren’t hurt.”
“The pain that he went through last year – I just can’t even imagine,” Thibodeaux added. “I knew he was in pain and I knew it was painful for him to not be himself. But he still pushed through all of that and he still was very productive.”
Following the completion of the 2012 campaign, Thibodeaux said Richard met with back specialists and started working to rehab the injury.
Whatever he did was apparently successful – Nicholls is now seeing its senior outfielder in full force.
Now feeling healthy, Richard is playing at a new level.
Richard opened the season on a seven-game hitting streak, hitting for a .370 average in that span with a double, a home run and two triples under his belt.
Because of that success, Thibodeaux said opposing teams have adjusted and have begun pitching Richard like he’s a three-hole hitter.
“When you start the season on fire and you’re hitting triples and doubles every game, other teams take notice,” Thibodeaux said. “He’s seeing a lot more breaking balls out of the leadoff spot that other players wouldn’t see. That’s respect.”
“I just feel better,” Richard said. “We’re approaching things smarter than we did before – choosing when to rest and when to push myself. I’m pacing myself better this year and it’s making a big difference.”
On defense, Richard is also having a major impact.
No longer anchored with the pain, Richard is able to attack the baseball with the same aggression he attacked receivers as an acclaimed defensive back at East Ascension High School, where he also received collegiate interest.
“He can go get it,” Thibodeaux said. “When balls are hit out there from right-to-left, we know that we have a chance for it to be caught.”
But coach and teammates say that what is more important than the hitting and fielding are the intangibles and passion that Richard brings to the Nicholls clubhouse.
Thibodeaux said Richard is one of the most aggressive players he’s ever coached.
The coach said the Gonzales native perfectly embodies what he wants Nicholls baseball to stand for.
“The last inning on Sunday, that guy is giving every bit of the same effort as he did the first inning on Friday night,” Thibodeaux said. “He’s always dirty. His uniform is always filthy. He’s always covered in dirt and sweat and blood. That’s who he is. That’s who we want to be as a team.”
Lyons agreed with the coach’s assessment and added that having a teammate with that level of hustle inspires everyone else to do the same.
Having so many players willing to sacrifice for the team is a large reason for the Colonels’ strong start, according to Lyons.
“He’s pretty inspiring,” Lyons said. “He motivates our guys to play through injuries. He motivates our guys to push hard to make that diving try at a ball or to do whatever it takes to win. Having someone like that is awesome on a team. He’s a great leader.”
“I don’t really know where it comes from,” Richard said with a laugh. “But I do know this is my last year and no one wants to have any regrets as they go out, so I’m just going to do the best that I can to make a mark in my final season.
NSU’S FUTURE SCHEDULE
Today: @ Southern – 6 p.m.
Friday: vs. Sacred Heart – 6:30 p.m
Saturday: vs. Sacred Heart – 7 p.m.
Sunday: vs. Sacred Heart – 1 p.m.
March 13: @ LSU – 6:30 p.m.
March 15-17: @ San Jose State
Nicholls State leadoff hitter Matt Richard jogs to first base after drawing a walk this season. One year removed from a back injury, Richard is now healthy and is proving to be a force in the team’s batting lineup.
