Theatre
March 3, 2008March 5
March 5, 2008The Colonels’ 2008 football season will get under way with spring drills on Monday, March 31, and will end with the annual spring game at John L. Guidry Stadium tentatively set for Saturday, April 19, at 7 p.m.
“This time of year is always exciting. Every season brings a lot of anticipation and spring ball is our first chance to really evaluate our team,” said head coach Jay Thomas.
“We are going to be young in some areas, but that is not to say that we won’t be talented. I feel that we have an excellent class of newcomers that will really challenge for playing time this season.”
The Colonels finished 2007 with a 6-5 record that included arguably the biggest win in school history over Division I-FBS (formerly I-A) member Rice to start off the season. Nicholls went on to be ranked as high as No. 13 in the Sports Network Poll leading up to their game against then No. 6 McNeese State in John L. Guidry Stadium.
Nicholls’ 2008 Spring Football Practice Schedule
March 31, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 1, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 3, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 4, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 5, 9-11 a.m.
April 7, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 8, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 10, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 11, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 12, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 14, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 15, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 17, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 18, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
April 19, Spring Game – 7 p.m.
BATHIE PICKS UP SLC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
After leading the Colonels to a 2-0 record last week, junior Ryan Bathie was named the Southland Conference Player of the Week by the league office on Monday afternoon.
Bathie was instrumental in the wins as he was the high scorer in both contests with 25 against Northwestern State and 19 at Central Arkansas.
In the game against the Bears, he made his 200th and 201st career three-pointer to make him only the sixth player in SLC history to reach the 200 milestone.
It is also the first time since Jan. 6, 2006 that a Nicholls men’s basketball player has garnered the award. Former Colonel Stefan Blaszczynski received the honor after helping Nicholls defeat Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State in the same week during the 2005-06 season.
FOUR-GAME SLIDE ENDS
WITH WIN OVER UTA
The Colonels’ bats came around at the plate and sophomore Lacey Gros found a groove in the circle to end Nicholls’ four game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.
In the win, senior Amy Thibodeaux belted her SLC best seventh homerun of the season to give her 23 career knocks.
The Colonels all-time career leader is former great Karen Allen who hit 29 dingers from 1982-85.
Thibodeaux is currently on pace to hit 21 homeruns this season, which would shatter junior Danielle Clayton’s single-season homerun record of 12 set last year.
The Colonels (7-11, 2-4) started off the game with a run in the bottom of the first inning as Clayton hit a double to center field that brought home junior Kodi Butler from third to make the score 1-0. Butler singled in her at bat up the middle, and made the most out of her time on the bases as she stole second and advanced on a wild pitch by Laura Jones.
Butler finished with a team best two hits as she was 2-for-3 at the plate. Leading Texas-Arlington (5-10, 2-4) with a 1-for-4 performance that included a homerun was Brittany Washington.
Washington hit a solo bomb off of Gros to tie things up in the top of the fourth, but Nicholls got the run back in the fifth after an erratic two-error play that scored sophomore Nicole Smith.
Smith hit a slow roller to Whitney Simpson at third base that she threw away to right field, which allowed Smith to advance to second. While Smith was running to second, Washington over threw her cut off man sending the ball into left field that allowed her to round third and score. Smith’s run broke the tie to make the score 2-1 after five complete.
The Colonels added Thibodeaux’s homerun in the bottom of the sixth to go up 3-1, which was enough run support for Gros to get the win. Gros improved to 2-2 on the year in the circle as she went the distance allowing only three hits, one run and five walks while fanning five.
“We hit the ball well today, and played much better in the field. Lacey (Gros) really hit her spots today pitching, and we had some timely hits that helped us get the win,” said head coach Jenny Parsons.
The Colonels next home game is set for today at 6 p.m. against nationally ranked LSU.
NICHOLLS PICKS UP FIRST WIN AGAINST UCA IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Both teams didn’t combine for 194 points like they did in this season’s first match up in Stopher Gym, but Nicholls did have four players in double-figures as they defeated Central Arkansas for the first time in school history on Saturday night in the Ferris Center, 60-51.
Junior Ryan Bathie led all scorers in the win as he posted 19 points and nine rebounds. Bathie also went 3-of-5 from three-point range that gave him 201 career three pointers making him only the sixth player in Southland Conference history to make 200 shots from downtown.
His three makes tonight helped him surpass Northwestern State’s former great Jermaine Wallace on the SLC list.
Following Bathie across the decade mark was freshman Dominic Friend and senior Adonis Gray with 14 points each. Friend also notched 10 rebounds giving him his second double-double of his career. Gray also pulled down seven rebounds in the victory, and tied his career high in assists with six.
Rounding out the Colonels’ double-figure scorers was true freshman Anatoly Bose as he finished with 10-points and seven rebounds. Bose has socred 10-plus points in 16 games this season for the Colonels.
“The guys played well. We made big shots at critical points in the
game, and made free throws down the stretch to secure the win,” said head coach J.P. Piper. “Justin Payne and Kellan Carter did an outstanding job defending (Nate) Bowie and only limited him to 15 points.”
