Robert Gary Ingram
June 9, 2008
Marilyn Chapman Moore
June 11, 2008
Success offers great rewards. At least that was the case for the Nicholls State Lady Colonels softball team this season.
After a solid performance in the Southland Conference tournament it was announced that four players – Kat Harrell, Amy Thibodeaux, Audrey Wood and Lacey Gros – won Louisiana Sports Writers Association Awards last Sunday.
Harrell, Thibodaux and Wood brought home All-LSWA Second Team Honors, while Gros won Newcomer of the Year.
Harrell closes out her collegiate career as the all-time hits leader at Nicholls State, finishing with 248. This season, she led both the team and the Southland Conference in batting average with a .395. The 2008 season marked the third straight year Harrell has led the conference in batting average.
Thibodeaux was honored for the second consecutive year. She hit a single-season record 14 home runs and finished with a team-leading 35 RBIs in the process.
Wood was honored as a utility selection. She was the only player in the conference with over 100 at bats and 100 innings pitched. The sophomore batted .228 with four home runs and 25 RBIs.
Perhaps Wood’s greatest achievement wasn’t for her performance on the field. It was announced last Monday that Wood was named to the SLC All-Academic Second team after finishing the season with a 4.0 GPA. The nursing major was the only athlete on either the first or second team to garner a 4.0 average.
As for Gros, she edged Southern pitcher Lanaya Jenkins by one vote. Gros finished her sophomore recording a 9-3 record with one save, a 2.43 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 92 innings of work.
Opponents batted a Southland Conference-low .183 against Gros.
“Lacey was big for us this season,” Nicholls State Head Softball Coach Jenny Parsons said. “There were times that she would get frustrated, but that’s normal. Once she settled down, she did some great things for us on the mound. She gave us some solid starts on the process.”
The Lady Colonels finished 31-28 overall and 15-14 in the conference in 2008. The team earned the sixth seed in the conference tournament, advancing to the championship game before losing 2-1 to Stephen F. Austin.
“We set a goal every season of winning the conference tournament,” Parsons said. “We were one game away from achieving that this year. Despite struggling early, the girls came together and realized what it took to make a run. It was a special season, and I think we can use this to build upon.”
Parsons added, “We loose a lot of talent with our outgoing seniors but we also have a great incoming freshman class. I’m excited about the possibilities for this team in the future.”
Lacy Gros edged out Southern University pitcher Lanaya Jenkins as LSWA Newcomer of the year. * File photo • Tri-Parish Times
