Nicholls baseball team sits on top of the conference following a three-game sweep of the University of New Orleans Privateers over the weekend.
The Colonels (25-20, 15-6 in the Southland Conference) are in the midst of a five-game winning streak that has seen them rise to the top of the conference with nine Southland games remaining on their schedule. Since the beginning of the season, Nicholls has been buoyed by the strong play of their pitching staff.
Senior Taylor Byrd is leading the way with a record of 7-2 and an ERA of 1.54. Senior Brandon Jackson has the second-best ERA on the team at 1.80 and a 3-1 record. Sophomore Grant Borne’s record is 6-2 and an ERA of 3.06.
“At this level, when you can pitch, you have a chance to win every single game you play and we’ve had a chance to win every game we’ve played,” Coach Seth Thibodeaux said. “Our bullpen and our weekend starters have been really good and we’re looking forward to seeing more out of our guys. Pitching has been there for us all year long. It has really been a strength for our team. Coach Prothro has done a phenomenal job with our staff.”
The Colonels have also been getting a contribution from their hitters. Senior Keith Cormier is currently batting .305 with two home runs and 37 RBIs.
“I’ve been hitting pretty well but it’s easy when you are a part of a group of guys like I am. They make everything so easy for me,” Cormier said. “The guys I have in front of me and behind me in the lineup, it’s just a pleasure to be there.”
Coach Thibodaux said that the team is playing with higher expectations now that they have proven that they can string together wins.
“There’s a lot of expectation from our players to win every game they play now. They’re playing good baseball. We’ve got our eye on a big prize. We’re working hard towards our goals. Nothing has changed for us since we got here in August from summer break,” Thibodeaux said. “We’re looking forward to getting back on the field against a good Tulane team and we’re looking to every single game we play because it’s a lot of fun right now.”
With nine games remaining in the season, the Colonels know that they are close to winning a conference championship.
“We control our own destiny to win a championship, we’re excited about it. We want to finish first. This is something that we’ve worked really hard for but, like I told the players, we’re just going to enjoy each and every game that we play because it’s a fun ride and we want this season to last for a long time,” Thibodeaux said.