The Colonels’ baseball team completed its best season in years despite not making it to the championship game of the Southland Conference Tournament.After defeating the regular season champs and number one seeded Bobcats of Texas State in the eighth inning due to the 10-run rule in the first game of the tournament, the eighth and last seeded Colonels did not capitalize in any other game and were eliminated by the Bobcats in a rematch in the losers bracket.
However, the Colonels proved the critics wrong by finishing in fifth place in the conference after placing last in pre-season polls.
The 2010 team led by head coach Chip Durham held players who reached superior stats and recognition who updated Nicholls’ record books.
The Colonels’ 27-29 overall finish and 15-18 conference record mark the first 20-win season since 2005, the first 25-win season since 2003, the first 10-win conference season since 2002 and the first 15-win conference season since 2000.
Junior pitcher Clint Dempster was named to the Southland Conference All-Tournament team with his performance in the 13-2 upset victory against the Bobcats in the first game of the tournament.
Dempster allowed only two runs on four hits and struck out two in the Colonels’ victory. Earlier in the season, he struck out 16 Southeastern Louisiana batters in nine innings of play, helping the Colonels to a 5-3 victory.
Dempster is the first Colonel to receive this honor since 2000 when Rondon Anderson was named to the Southland Confernce All-Tournament team.
Senior outfielder Keith Kulbeth hit a career accomplishment, recording over 200 hits for the Colonels and accomplishing three 50-plus hitting seasons.
The Colonels will lose eight seniors who have exhausted their eligibility: Brady Bourque, Jarret Dunnam, Steven Gauthe, Keith Kulbeth, Josh Labice, Adam Miley, Tyler Minto and Kevin Schlegel.
Despite losing eight seniors, the Colonels have added 16 new players to their roster for next season. Out of the 16 newcomers, eight are junior college transfers and eight are true freshmen straight from high school.
