For many Nicholls athletes, south Louisiana is a long way from home. For these athletes’ families and friends, thibodauxonline.com offers them a chance to keep up with the Colonels when they can’t make it to Thibodaux for a game.Joe Fakier, who does play-by-play for the Colonels, offers parents, alumni and fans the opportunity to follow the action.

“I started announcing baseball games, and in the middle of the 2007 season, Ken Berthelot asked if I would like to do radio, and I ended up doing radio for a year and a half,” Fakier said. “Then in 2009 Ben Harang asked if I wanted to do it on ThibodauxOnline, and that’s where we are today.”

Harang started the Web site thibodauxonline.com, which covers Nicholls men’s basketball, baseball and softball. Most home games are covered on the Web site as well as a few road games that Fakier is able to make.

“I really do enjoy traveling with the team because I get to see towns and college ballparks that I would not see if I weren’t doing play-by-play,” Fakier said.

With the live action also comes preparation, as Fakier usually checks the opposing team’s Web site the night before and collects the information he needs.

“The sports information directors provide me with all the offensive, defensive and pitching statistics for game day,” Fakier said

ThibodauxOnline offers listeners the chance to talk to Fakier during the game as well as let him know if the Web show is working.

“The hardest thing about being live is making sure we are always on,” Fakier said. “In the past, we would lose contact for some reason or another, but hopefully we’ll have that corrected for the remainder of the season. Mr. Harang changed some setting, and the last two softball games went without a glitch.”

Fakier, who does most games by himself, has learned a lot since becoming the voice of the Colonels.

“I’ve learned not to drink as many Diet Cokes as I once did,” Fakier said. “If the press box has a restroom, I usually go between innings while a commercial plays, but if not, I usually use the excuse that I’m going to get hot chocolate.”

For fans that are unable to make it to games, they can check out thibodauxonline.com, as Fakier explains the live action of the Colonels’ games.