Leah Peterson, Jen Campbell and Jackie Pacheco will play in their final game at the Colonels Softball Complex against Texas-Arlington on Sunday, May 6 at around noon. Not including conference tournament play, these players will have played in a combined 437 games totaling over 715 hours of play, not to mention the countless hours of practice and off-season workouts they put in before the season even begins.
Although the Sunday finale against UTA is over a month away, each player has had countless memories and experiences bringing them to the point where they are now, as competitors and individuals.
Even though Pacheco has been at Nicholls the shortest amount of time, the catcher capitalized on her opportunity to contribute right away to the team in her first year in 2006, playing in 31 games and starting in 30 of them.
The Albuquerque, N.M. native had a .222 batting average, nine RBI’s and two home runs during the season, proving that she could be a proven bat in the lineup.
Head coach Jenny Parsons said Pacheco is the type of player who can spark a team at the plate and on defense just by her actions on the field.
“Jackie is the kind of player that will get in your face and get you going because her desire to win is so great,” Parsons said. “Sometimes I see her after a loss and I believe she takes the losses harder than I do at times.”
As a transfer from Florida Community College, Pacheco said the softball team resembles more of a family, rather than 17 individuals.
“We are very close as a team, and sometimes that aspect is hard to come by,” Pacheco said.
Balancing the lifestyle between athlete and student has never been an obstacle for Pacheco, and she believes having a grasp of both can be beneficial for a team to succeed.
“I believe a reason we’re so successful is because we know how to balance what we need to do on the field, with what we need to do off the field,” she said.
The second senior that has become a focal point on both sides of the plate is the third baseman Peterson, but her origins as a starter came about during her freshman year on the team.
Peterson started her career at Nicholls in 2004, earning her place as an everyday player at third base and started in 46 games that year.
“She worked hard that year and got into the starting lineup because she showed how dedicated she was to winning and becoming a better player,” Parsons said.
That year, Peterson had a .212 batting average, and a .944 fielding percentage. Since that year, Peterson’s batting average has increased over 100 points and led the team in doubles last year.
Peterson said her confidence level has grown considerably since her freshman year, which she believes has made her more of a complete player on the team.
“My first two years, I wasn’t really comfortable in college yet and I could tell it was showing in my play,” Peterson said. “It wasn’t until last year when I felt that I was ready to make a real impact on the team and become a player that I knew coach could count on.”
Last but not least is Campbell who has the most tenure on the team, since she is the only player left from the 2003 squad that made it to the conference championship game.
Campbell’s journey however has had its share of bumps in the road due mostly in part to injury. Her freshman year, Campbell received a medical red shirt due to a leg injury, along with having shoulder surgery two season’s later.
“Although those two injuries could have kept me back from becoming a better player, I used those moments to make me stronger, and I worked as hard as I could to get myself back into playing shape,” Campbell said. “Now I’m much stronger than I was before, and I am better because of it.”
Even though her batting average had not risen above .250 her first three years on the team, Campbell is now batting just above .250 and has started in all 29 games the team has played so far this year, along with a .966 fielding percentage.
Campbell said the team has a slightly different feel than the 2003 team that made it to the championship game, but has the right group of players to make a deep run in the playoffs.
“The way we gel as a team is definitely an advantage that I believe we have over most of the teams in conference that may not have the same cohesiveness that we do,” Campbell said. Right now the Colonels are sitting in third place in the conference at 8-3 with an overall record of 17-12 heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Each player has a different viewpoint as to why the team is able to succeed so early this season, but all agree that continuing the trend will not be an easy task the rest of the season.
“We started the conference schedule doing so well that we didn’t get too cocky, but the last series against Texas-San Antonio really showed us that keeping up that early pace we had will not come that easy every week,” Campbell said. “Every series from here on out will be a fight to the end.”
From Pacheco’s three-run home run against Texas State, to Peterson’s home run in the 7-6 win over UTSA, to playing on a conference tournament runner-up team as Campbell has, each will leave with fond memories of their moments on the Colonels softball team.
“We’ve done things here that some previous teams couldn’t do, and it makes the experience that much more enjoyable,” Peterson said.
Parsons believes you can replace players at certain positions, but it is the leadership and experience that cannot be replaced.
“When you look at the situation, of course you lose confidence and leadership whenever seniors graduate, because those players have become accustomed to performing at a high level,” Parsons said. “I’m hoping that the rest of my team is picking up what those players are leaving behind and will continue to use that.”
Although each player will be moving on from the team at the season’s end, both Peterson and Campbell will both still have a hand in the game of softball. Peterson plans to stay on with the team as a coach and continue with it as a career, while Campbell, who has two older sisters who also played softball, plans on passing the tradition on.
“I have a niece that is only a couple of months old and I already told my sister that I’m going to get her a little pink Jenny Finch glove to keep the tradition going,” Campbell said.
Pacheco finds it hard to talk about the end of her softball career, and for the time being, she does not want to think about her very last game.
“I don’t even want to think about it because it brings tears to my eyes,” Pacheco said. “I love the game so much and this team, it’s hard to think about me not playing it, and for right now, I don’t want to.
Leah Peterson, health and physical education senior from Patterson, plays the field during a Colonels softball game. (Ashley Falterman)
Jackie Pacheco, business administration senior from Albuquerque, N.M., catches during a Colonel softball game. (Ashley Falterman)
