On a typical weekend game, a Colonel softball fan can catch a sniff of jambalaya or some other Cajun dish being cooked right outside the field.The intriguing odor of the food is more than likely coming from the tent where the softball booster club called the Bayou Bullpen is cooking meals.
The organization, which began only two years ago, has taken steps to show their appreciation for all the softball team has done.
Gussie Hahn, father of Lady Colonel junior second baseman Brandi Hahn and member of the Bayou Bullpen, said this group was designed to simply show support.
“This organization was formed as a way to show support to the softball team,” Hahn said. “Most universities have one, so we went and got both the administrators’ and coaches’ support with this.”
Although the Bayou Bullpen consists of many of the players’ parents, Hahn said anyone can join, and merchandise is given to those who are part of the Bayou Bullpen. The organization currently has numerous members, from corporate sponsors to parents.
“We’ve got alumni, parents, grandparents and even just supporters of Nicholls softball in the organization,” Hahn said. “It’s people who support the softball team and who want to see them succeed.”
The membership levels for the Bayou Bullpen vary, and the membership levels and merchandise given are based on how much is donated per season.
A bunt is a $50 donation and consists of a newsletter, media guide and T-shirt.
A donation of $100 is classified as a single and consists of a newsletter, media guide, T-shirt and a hat or visor.
A $150 donation is a double, and the merchandise includes an extra T-shirt.
At $200, which is considered a triple, donors receive an extra hat or visor and two passes to a weekend three-game series to go along with the newsletter and media guide.
A home run is a donation of $250, and a polo shirt is added with the already long list of merchandise given.
The grand slam level consists of a $500 donation and includes two polo shirts, two sweatshirts, two T-shirts, newsletter, media guide and four passes to a weekend three-game series or two separate passes to two separate weekend series.
The final level is a perfect game, and with a donation of $1,000, an autographed team ball and a golf umbrella are added to the merchandise given in the $500 package.
The money collected goes to the softball team, and the coaches decide what the money goes for, Hahn said.
“We’ve gotten field maintenance equipment and various other equipment for the softball team,” Hahn said. “We do things like cook meals for the team, coaches and parents for both home and away games.”
One of the biggest projects for the Bayou Bullpen was the “locker room project” which they took on this past year.
“We went and got administrative approval and renovated the locker rooms,” Hahn said. “We took out all of the old lockers and replaced them with brand new oak lockers. We made an entertainment center for the coaches to view tape and for the girls to go in and relax. We also put in computer stands so the athletes can go in and do homework. We know being a student-athlete isn’t always easy, so we try to do all we can to make their experience a little easier for them and show them that we appreciate all that they have done.”
Besides the Bayou Bullpen, Nicholls is also home to numerous other booster clubs that support various sports on campus.
The Coaches Committee supports the baseball team while football is backed by the Gridiron Club. Both are individual booster clubs.
The main funding arm for Colonel athletics is the Colonel Club, which consists of nearly 200 members.
“All of the booster clubs are branches off of the Colonel Club,” Associate Athletics Director Gary Gallup said. “Our main goal at the Colonel Club is to generate outside funds in order to support Nicholls athletics.
