As the regular season winds down, four Colonel softball players will say good-bye after a possible long post-season. “The seniors’ desire to win and desire to play softball makes them a special group,” softball head coach Jenny Parsons said. “Lacey Gros has been with us for four years, while Audrey Wood has been here for three years, and Lyndsay Mesh and Natalie Travasos haven’t been here as long. Their desire to compete well with each other separates them as a special group.”

These Colonels will look to venture off into a new playing surface: the real world. Mesh and Wood will search for nursing jobs, Travasos will look for a job and Gros will attend graduate school for physical therapy.

“Nicholls’ softball has made me a better person by giving me focus, determination and drive to do well in school and other parts of life,” Gros said. “I’ll miss playing with my teammates the most. They are like family now.”

“Playing college softball is something I’ve always wanted to accomplish since I was a kid, and it has built character,” Wood said. “I’ll miss my team and the college life because of the atmosphere, and I’m a competitor.”

Wood and Gros have pitched for the Colonels since they were sophomores. Replacing two senior pitchers that have meant as much to the team as Gros and Wood will be no simple task, Parsons said.

“I have been thinking about having to replace Gros and Wood for a long time now,” Parsons said. “Both are very good at what they do. I don’t know if they are replaceable. We’ll just have to hope we have another gem come along.”

Travasos and Mesh said they will miss the unity of the team. “Playing softball has really challenged me to be the best athlete I can be and helped me work better together as a team,” Travosos said. “I will miss my teammates the most.”

“Playing softball here at Nicholls creates a new family,” Mesh said.

The Colonels’ season isn’t over just yet, as Nicholls will face Northwestern State in a three-game series starting Friday at 2 p.m. The seniors will participate in their last conference championship tournament beginning May 13.

Senior shortstop Lyndsay Mesh gets set to make a play during the April 14 game against the Louisiana State University. (Katelyn Thibodeaux)

Senior Lacey Gros pitches during Saturday’s game against University of Texas-Arlington. (Katelyn Thibodeaux)

Senior pitcher Audrey Wood makes a throw during the April 14 game against Louisiana State University. (Katelyn Thibodeaux)