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February 26, 2013
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February 26, 2013
Nicholls State is the Rodney Dangerfield of Southland Conference baseball.
They just can’t get any respect.
Despite being just two years removed from a semifinals bid in the Southland Conference Tournament, the league’s coaches and sports information directors have picked the Colonels to finish dead last in the 10-team conference.
That’s OK by Nicholls coach Seth Thibodaux.
Proving people wrong is one of his favorite things about coaching an underdog.
With a talented group of returnees and a slew of freshmen ready for action, the Colonels will aim to silence their naysayers as they attempt to win the Southland Conference Tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re playing with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders this year,” Thibodeaux said. “We don’t practice to come out second. If we do come out second, then that’s where the good Lord wanted us to be. But I can promise you we’re fighting our tails off to be the best team that we can be – no matter what anyone else around the league thinks or believes.”
Offensively, the Colonels will have a lot of options in both the infield and outfield – Thibodeaux said the team would likely rotate several of its players in and out of the order based on the opponent’s pitcher.
Despite the versatility, expect senior shortstop Ray Eureste, junior infielder Philip Lyons and senior outfielders Matt Richard and Mike Barba to anchor the team’s lineup.
Eureste paced the team’s attack in the first week of the season, hitting .500 in the first four games.
Lyons and Richard also got off to quick starts, recording big first weekends.
Barba missed action early in the season after being diagnosed with Mononucleosis.
Thibodeaux said he expects Richard to establish himself as one of the most explosive players in the Southland Conference
The Gonzales native hit .278 in 48 games last season, but was hampered by lingering injuries.
“He had a bulging disc in his back that plagued him all of last season,” Thibodeaux said. “Through meds and rehab, he’s finally healthy and that will make a huge difference for him because when he’s right, he’s a very exciting player. He can really run and I think he’s going to lead the league in stolen bases this year.”
If the Colonels opt to turn to their bench, one player who could provide pop is former South Terrebonne slugger Zachary LeBeouf.
The Nicholls true freshman hit a home run in his first collegiate game and posted multi-hit games in both of his first two games.
“He isn’t afraid of anything,” Thibodeaux said. “He plays the game with that middle linebacker’s mentality. Sometimes that’s a bad thing, but with him, it’s a good thing because he’s aggressive and he believes he belongs. … He’s a really, really talented player.”
The Colonels also have other options off the bench – both left and right-handed, as well.
Thibodeaux said being able to play situational baseball late in games will be an asset he’s never had – a strength that will allow the team to win close games.
“People think that doesn’t make a difference – it does make a really big difference,” the coach said. “Having that depth is important. It’s something we think will be one of the big keys to our success here.”
Like the hitters, Nicholls also plans to keep its options open on the mound.
Senior Michael Suk started the season as the team’s Friday night starter. Junior lefty Taylor Byrd and senior Kory Delange opened the season as the team’s Saturday and Sunday pitchers respectively.
But Thibodeaux stressed that those plans are currently etched in pencil and could change as the team heads toward Southland Conference play.
One of the biggest reasons for the question marks is the return of junior college transfer Brandon Jackson, who will immediately be one of the team’s “better arms” when he returns in a few weeks from a preseason injury.
Upon his return, Thibodeaux said Jackson could either join the weekend rotation or be a mid-week starter and key piece to the bullpen.
Jackson is also a solid hitter and infielder.
“Everything is wide open,” Thibodeaux said. “I like our weekend starters right now, but they all know that they have to keep performing because they have guys right on their tail breathing down their neck. … We’re probably going to be 12 or 13 deep on the mound in terms of the number of guys we can reliably run out there.
“We’re not afraid to use any of those guys in any situation because we believe that they all have the ability to help us win games.”
In the bullpen, the Colonels will benefit from an experienced closer.
Senior Jordan McCoy will return for his final go-round in Thibodaux.
The clutch righty hammered home seven saves last season for the Colonels.
Thibodeaux said he expects the same scenario to play out again in 2013.
“He’s going to get more chances this year,” Thibodeaux said. “We’re confident with him back there. When the ball is in his hands in the ninth inning, our entire team feels really good about where we’re at.”
So with apparent depth in both the lineup and on the mound, all that’s left is the respect.
The Colonels have done a good job so far this season showing that they mean business.
The team won three of its first four games to open the season.
They followed that up taking a home series with Towson – a team that had swept McNeese State to open its season.
In that series, Nicholls’ pitching was white hot, allowing just six runs in the entire slate of games. That included a 1-0 shutout in Sunday’s game.
But the schedule will stiffen with meetings with LSU, Tulane and UL-Lafayette looming in the coming days.
Thibodeaux said the team is aware of where they were voted in the preseason.
They aim to prove those prognostications false.
“There’s nine teams in our league that picked us to finish at the bottom of our league,” Thibodeaux said. “We can’t wait to face them. We’re ready for that. And we’re ready to prove them all wrong. But we’re ready for it with perspective knowing we need to just take it one game at a time and focus on being the best team we can be in the first inning of our next game and going from there.”
Nicholls State baseball upcoming schedule
Today: @ UL-Lafayette 6 p.m.
Friday: vs. Brown* 2 p.m.
Saturday: vs. Brown* 11 a.m.
Saturday: @ LSU* 3 p.m.
March 5: vs. South Alabama 6 p.m
*Denotes games at LSU Tourny
Nicholls State slugger Philip Lyons hits the ball during a game last season. Lyons is one of several returnees that have the Colonels excited about their season. Nicholls has started the season 5-2 with series wins against Towson and Houston Baptist.
