The Colonel baseball team opens their season of play this Friday against the Chicago State Cougars at home on Ray E. Didier field at 6 p.m.This home-opener is the first of a three-game series this weekend for the Colonels, all against Chicago State.
The team, which hopes to improve last year’s record of 10-44 (5-25 conference), is made up of a majority of new players. Seventeen of the 30 players are new, which means the players have to fight for starting positions.
Both of the catchers for the Colonels are new to the team and are juniors coming from junior colleges. Kevin Schlegel comes from Northeast Texas Community College and Jason Dennis from Alabama Southern Community College.
“While still battling for the starting position at catcher, both Schlegel and Dennis offer outstanding defensive skills,” head coach Chip Durham said. “This will put us in a situation to have solid depth at catcher.”
The pitching team welcomes back starters Jake Parrish and Lance Dupuis, both seniors, and sophomore Seth Webster. The team also welcomes two junior college newcomers, Tyler Minto and Jarret Dunnam from Alabama Southern Community College.
The team’s middle relief pitchers are seniors Ross Larson, Lance Guidroz and Ryan Harding as well as sophomore Drew Erwin.
Junior Dale Dickerson will serve as the Colonels closing pitcher this season.
The team also welcomes newcoming pitchers freshmen Zephan Rochelle, Brad Delatte, and Ryan Cooper.
“I’m extremely excited about our pitching staff this season,” Durham said. “With the talent that we have competing for starting and relief roles there is no reason for us not to be in the top of our conference in pitching. If we can throw strikes and limit our walks this pitching staff has a chance to do something special.”
Serving as the only returning outfielder is senior Josh Swenson. Swenson plays leftfield and is joined by junior newcomers Eric Douglas from Hinds Community College and Adam Miley from Bossier Parish Community College.
Serving in center field are new coming juniors Chris Murrill and Drew Snider; Murrill from Alabama Southern Community College and Snider from Meridian Community College.
Seeing time in right field is freshman Jacob Knight from E.D. White and junior Scott Moseley who is from Meridian Community College.
“Our outfield is probably the area that we have a great deal of depth,” Durham said. “We are in a position to platoon some guys if we need to depending on the pitching matchups that we will face. We are very athletic and have some players that can hit. Defensively, all of our outfielder’s are solid. I’m expecting a great year from our outfielders.”
The Colonels have only two returners, sophomore first baseman Kevin Persick and junior shortstop Keith Kulbeth. Persick, however, will be set back in the early part of the season due to a football injury.
Battling for first base is Minto and redshirt freshman Blake Bergeron.
“I’m excited about the depth of talent we have at first,” Durham said. “All three of these guys have a chance to be good hitters. Good defense is important at first base, especially when it comes to receiving throws from across the infield, so our infielders can only be as good as these first basemen.”
Although Kulbeth has played his last two seasons at shortstop, he will move to starting second base position. Junior Zach Tisdale from Pearl River Community College will see time both at second and first base.
Junior transfer from LSU-Eunice, Brady Bourque, will play a variety of different positions for the Colonel infield.
“We are athletic and have depth at second base,” Durham said. “Kulbeth is a proven hitter and the move from shortstop to second will allow him to relax and hit. Both Tisdale and Bourque are extremely talented defenders who provide back-up options for us.”
Starting at shortstop is junior Steven Gauthe from Copiah Lincoln Community College.
“I’m very excited about having Gauthe at shortstop,” added Durham. “He is a very solid defensive player who is athletic. Having him at short will give us a chance to win a lot of games. Along with Gauthe, Kulbeth, Bourque and Tisdale, we have quality depth through the middle infield.”
Competing for third base will be junior Josh Labiche and redshirted freshman Beau Faulk. Faulk could also see time at first.
“Labiche is a very athletic player with good arm strength,” Durham said. “He is solid on defense and has a chance to be powerful on offense with his speed. Faulk has a chance to develop into a very good player for us. He’s still in the process of learning how to play that third base position, but he has some pop in his bat that will give him a chance to see some quality playing time.”
After the Colonels three-game series against Chicago State, they travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to play a two-game series on Feb. 24 and 25 against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide followed by a three-game weekend series in Starkville, Miss. on Feb. 27 through March 1 against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State.
