The Nicholls softball team returns a mixture of experience and youth to the outfield for the 2010 season.Sophomore Megan Gaspard anchors an outfield that includes senior pitcher Audrey Wood. Sophomore Laine Strickland will see more playing time this season as she claims the starting right field position.

“Our outfield is deep and they understand the game,” head coach Jenny Parsons said. “Megan Gaspard can play any of the outfield positions, and she does a really good job of leading off for us. Laine Strickland is a returning sophomore and is playing some right field for us right now, and we have two or three pitchers who can play outfield as well. We have good solid outfielders.”

Gaspard started and played in all 55 games last season. The sophomore led the team with a .272 batting average from the leadoff spot and was atop the team in 184 at-bats, 51 hits, 20 stolen bases and 22 stolen base attempts. Gaspard not only led the team in stolen bases but also the Southland Conference.

Strickland played in 20 games for the Colonels last season, garnering two starts in the outfield. Strickland recorded one hit, one run and one runs-batted-in in 11 at-bats, along with a .333 on-base percentage.

Wood has already seen a lot of key playing time in the outfield this season.

Wood started 50 of the 51 games that she played in last season, while also making 27 circle appearances. Wood led the team with four homeruns and tied for a team-best 25 RBI, while leading the team with 61 total bases and a .394 slugging percentage.

Parsons said that communication is a big part in the success of the outfield.

“Understanding different situations and making sure that each player is on the same page is a big part. They do a really good job talking to each other between each pitch about what’s going on and what happened,” Parsons said. “They’re able to understand what’s going to happen before the ball’s pitched.”

Sophomore Kara Harrington will bring her share of experience to the squad after playing in 38 games last season, while receiving six starts in the outfield. Harrington had a .158 batting average, recording three hits on 19 plate appearances last season.

Wood will not be the only pitcher seeing time in the outfield as freshman Ashton Bennett will get some playing time as well.

Bennett was named All-District all four years at Doyle High School, while also taking home District MVP honors in 2008 and 2009.

New additions to the Colonels’ outfield include freshmen Lauren Baitz, Maddie Lock and Maci Richard.

Baitz was an important piece of the Mount Carmel Cubs High School’s 2008 State Championship squad and led the team to a 29-5 regular season record, Lock batted .363 her senior season with a .425 slugging percentage in 2009 as a senior for New Braunfels and Richard was named All-District in 2008 and 2009 at Church Point.

Nicholls will welcome McNeese State this weekend for a three-game series.