Feb. 22
February 5, 2007
Bernice Hughes
February 7, 2007
In 2000, the Nicholls State baseball team achieved the goal it sets before every season — reach the Southland Conference Tournament.
That was seven years ago. Since then, it has been a struggle for the Colonels to get back to that point. This year, head coach Chip Durham hopes to reverse the team’s fortunes and get back to the tournament.
And from there?
Anything can happen, Durham says. “We’ve got 12 teams now in our conference,” said Durham. “The top six go. That’s the key — getting in the top six. The history of the Southland Conference Tournament, the No. 1 seed has only won the tournament one time in Southland Conference history. The five and six seed have won the tournament more than the one and two seed.”
To get to the tournament the Colonels will rely on key holdovers from last season, as well as a host of new players. In all, the Colonels 42-man roster includes 29 newcomers. Durham says the team might not have the most gifted players in the conference, but the team’s collective personality is an advantage for his squad. “That’s the biggest part of our club,” said Durham. “I think this club is a club that it’s made up of make-up guys. Guys that get out and they play the game hard, compete and put their nose down and get after it.
“I call them dirt bags. That’s kind of our make-up. We’re not blessed with guys that are overflowing with talent that … go out and just dominate people offensively, defensively or on the mound. The personality for us is to go out and play the way these guys know how to play. And I think over the long haul, that’s what’s going to give this team a chance to win.”
Leading the way for the Colonels will be returners Thomas Bourne and Justin Breaux. Bourne will be the team’s position captain, while Breaux takes the role of pitcher’s captain. Durham said that Bourne, a fifth-year senior, typifies the attitude he hopes to see from the rest of the team. “He’s been here for the last four years, and Nicholls has been on the bottom. He’s in a situation where he wants to go out on a good note,” explained Durham. “Finish up strong here at Nicholls and help take this team to the tournament.”
Breaux, a redshirt junior, is being counted on as a team leader. “I think both of those guys, there’s got to be some leadership qualities from them.”
Newcomers that Durham said are expected to be key contributors are transfers Brett Hoeflich, Ryan Bledsoe, Whitney Dawes and Walter Jones. “Brett Hoeflich has got a chance to come in and hit in the middle of the lineup and possibly play first base,” said Durham. “At shortstop you’ve got Ryan Bledsoe. I think he’s got a chance to come in and help us do some things.”
Because of the overhauled roster, Durham is hoping a change in attitude will help the team rebound from its 13-40 record in 2006. “The biggest thing for this club is we bought guys in that we felt like would fit into our system,” he said. “Last year was a new coach coming in. You had guys here that had been here for a while. It was kind of tough for them to adjust to change.”
The attitude change Durham speaks is one of confidence. “It’s easy to have guys that like to win, but I think we have a group of guys that hate to lose,” he said. “I think our program this year, we have a chance to take it right in the mouth a little bit at some point. But if something bad happens in the season, and we’re losing games, I think they’re going to come back and respond and get back on track.”
And according to Durham, if the Colonels are to qualify for the conference tournament, that is the attitude the team will have to take. “I can see this club — about halfway through the conference season—and we can be three or four games out of the sixth spot. I feel like if we can be there through that point of our conference, this club will make the tournament. We’re going to better later than we will earlier.”
Photo by Doug Keese • NSU * Nicholls’ baseball coach Chip Durham says that Thomas Bourne will be a key player for the Colonels this season. Nicholls opens the season on Feb. 13 at UL-Laf.
