The Nicholls softball team traveled to Houston to participate in the Spring Klein College Classic where the team finished 2-1 during the weekend series. The Colonels’ two wins were against Galveston College and Oklahoma St., with the weekend’s lone loss to the Texas Longhorns.
Head Coach Jenny Parsons said she was pleased with her team’s play, and her younger players’ chance to perform in actual game situations.
“We were able to get a lot people playing time throughout the weekend, especially some of the players that had either little or no playing time last year,” Parsons said.
In the first game of the Classic, the Colonels defeated Galveston College 15-3 and had home runs by freshman Ashley Martin, senior third baseman Leah Peterson, sophomore outfielder Kodi Butler and junior second baseman and outfielder Rachel Pugh.
Big 12-member Oklahoma St. was next for the Colonels. A combined two-hitter from junior pitcher Jessica Barksdale and Butler helped defeat the Cowboys 4-1. Sophomore outfielder Danielle Clayton and Peterson each had a home run in the game.
In the last game of the Classic, the Colonels fell to Big 12 power Texas 6-2 but still had offensive production in the form of home runs by Peterson and junior first baseman Amy Thibodeaux.
Nicholls outscored its opponents over the weekend by a total of 21-10 and hit eight home runs by six different players. Peterson led the team with three, having a home run in each game of the tournament.
“I know there are areas we need to work on, but overall I was happy with the effort the team showed against some quality opponents,” Parsons said.
Parsons said hitting is an aspect of the Colonels’ game the team takes very seriously. They have been working to improve the skill during the off-season.
“My players like to hit, and we pride ourselves on hitting the ball well,” she said. “It proves that all the work we’ve put in is paying off and will continue to pay off.”
With fall tournaments such as the Spring Klein Classic, Parsons uses this time to evaluate her team before the regular season begins.
“Every team is doing what we’re doing, and that’s finding the pieces to put in place to win championships,” she said. “We may be short on numbers this year, but if we can hit off of Texas’ top pitcher, I think we are in good shape.”
The regular season begins for Nicholls Feb. 9 in Las Vegas, but before then Parsons said she plans on using the next couple of months to better her team in all areas.
“We’re still going to hit, pitch and get our defense work to keep them focused on what we’re trying to accomplish,” she said. “When we come back in the spring, this may be the most conditioned team I’ve had in my three years here.
