Nicholls Baseball advances to championship with 5-3 victory over New Orleans
Updated: 8:02 AM CDT May 29, 2023
1998. That was the last time Nicol State made an NCAA postseason appearance. And to put that into perspective, not *** single member on the team was even born. The last time the Colonels made it to *** regional, but Nichols is looking to break that 25 year drought after winning the Southland conference for the first time ever in program history. You know, the opportunity to, to do, to do another, you know, to have another big moment, uh, as *** program is huge, but I can tell the guys if you look ahead to it, it kind of eat you alive and you press *** little too hard and you try *** little too hard. And that's been an issue for us, I think at times this year and then in regards to the conference, it's tremendous. So many good coaches and players in this league. I don't think it gets the respect that it deserves. Um, but it's really, really good baseball. So it's, it's, it's huge for us to have 11 man. It was *** roller coaster starting from last year. The Hurricane hidden. We're in street clothes for *** good part. Of the fall and to be at where we're at right now, I mean, it's grateful is an understatement. We're going in the right direction. That's all you could hope for while the Cardinals are surging at the right time, the secret to their success is hard to figure out even for them. We just kind of find ways to do it. It's been unique. Our bullpen has been really good at times this year, but the consistency of our team has been our offense and our defense, our defense especially, I mean, we do *** really good job on the defensive side of the ball taking runs off the board from the other team and we're going to need that to continue in the tournament. I mean, it's cliche but defense wins championships and without defense, you don't really have the momentum to build off of that on the offensive side are on the pitching side. If you're not playing defense, your pitchers are not confident. And if you're not playing defense, your offense is not gonna be confident to go and get those runs back that you might have given up on defense. We're getting it done still without, I think not playing our best baseball. So I think when we do it'll be watch out postseason baseball, you never know what's going to happen. And just when you think you do something crazy happens. So it's fun. I think it's *** privilege to be *** part of it winning the Southland secure Nickels, the one seed in the conference tournament and *** by the Colonels will face the winner of mcnees and *** and M. Corpus Christi Wednesday at six PM reporting in Thibodeaux, Kendall Duncan D U News.
Nicholls Baseball advances to championship with 5-3 victory over New Orleans
Updated: 8:02 AM CDT May 29, 2023
The No. 1 seed Nicholls State University baseball team advanced to the championship game of the 2023 Southland Conference Tournament with a 5-3 win over No. 4 seed New Orleans on Friday afternoon at Joe Miller Ballpark. Nicholls upped its record to 33-22 on the season and advances to the SLC tournament championship game for the first time since 1998 – the school's only other championship game appearance. New Orleans fell to 35-23 on the year and takes on the winner of this afternoon's Northwestern State/McNeese game at 6 p.m. in an elimination game.Two-out hitting and two more outstanding pitching performances were the keys to the Colonels knocking off UNO to remain unbeaten. Four of the five runs for the Red and Gray came with two outs, with the exception being Edgar Alvarez' solo home run in the sixth that gave Nicholls a 4-2 cushion, and five of the team's eight hits were with two down.On the mound, Tyler Theriot put together a strong outing with five strikeouts and no walks in 6.1 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits before leaving the game in the seventh. Gavin Galy was lights out in the bullpen for the save, fanning five Privateers in a perfect 2.2 innings. The Colonel bullpen has thrown 13.1 innings in the tournament, totaling 14 strikeouts and one walk with no earned runs.Nicholls opened the scoring with a two-out rally in top of the second. Garrett Felix doubled to left and came home on MaCrae Kendrick's single to right to make it 1-0. Then in the third, Parker Coddou walked, Xane Washington singled, and the duo executed a double steal to put both runners in scoring position with two out. Gerardo Villarreal brought them both home with a single up the middle to push the lead to 3-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Privateers narrowed the deficit back to one run. Issac Williams singled to right, then came home on Tyler Bischke's opposite field home run to cut the lead to 3-2 . Bischke has been a tough out for the Colonels with seven hits in the four matchups this season, highlighted by three homers.After nearly sending one out of the park in his previous at-bat, Alvarez muscled an opposite field shot in the sixth to double the Nicholls lead. It was the first home run for the Colonels in the tournament.Then in the seventh, more two-out magic resulted in an RBI single by Coddou. Felix singled earlier in the inning and Kaden Amundson kept it going with a two-out base knock to set up the 5-2 advantage. Theriot retired the first batter of the seventh before surrendering a solo homer to Jeissy De la Cruz which turned out to be the final run of the game. Galy, who was named All-Southland Second Team as a reliever, picked up the first save of his career. Felix was the lone Colonel with a multi-hit day, finishing 2-for-4 with a double. Jack Williams took the loss for UNO, allowing three runs on four hits in 3.0 innings.
LAKE CHARLES, La. — The No. 1 seed Nicholls State University baseball team advanced to the championship game of the 2023 Southland Conference Tournament with a 5-3 win over No. 4 seed New Orleans on Friday afternoon at Joe Miller Ballpark.
Nicholls upped its record to 33-22 on the season and advances to the SLC tournament championship game for the first time since 1998 – the school's only other championship game appearance. New Orleans fell to 35-23 on the year and takes on the winner of this afternoon's Northwestern State/McNeese game at 6 p.m. in an elimination game.
Two-out hitting and two more outstanding pitching performances were the keys to the Colonels knocking off UNO to remain unbeaten. Four of the five runs for the Red and Gray came with two outs, with the exception being Edgar Alvarez' solo home run in the sixth that gave Nicholls a 4-2 cushion, and five of the team's eight hits were with two down.
On the mound, Tyler Theriot put together a strong outing with five strikeouts and no walks in 6.1 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits before leaving the game in the seventh. Gavin Galy was lights out in the bullpen for the save, fanning five Privateers in a perfect 2.2 innings. The Colonel bullpen has thrown 13.1 innings in the tournament, totaling 14 strikeouts and one walk with no earned runs.
Nicholls opened the scoring with a two-out rally in top of the second. Garrett Felix doubled to left and came home on MaCrae Kendrick's single to right to make it 1-0. Then in the third, Parker Coddou walked, Xane Washington singled, and the duo executed a double steal to put both runners in scoring position with two out. Gerardo Villarreal brought them both home with a single up the middle to push the lead to 3-0.
In the bottom of the inning, the Privateers narrowed the deficit back to one run. Issac Williams singled to right, then came home on Tyler Bischke's opposite field home run to cut the lead to 3-2 . Bischke has been a tough out for the Colonels with seven hits in the four matchups this season, highlighted by three homers.
After nearly sending one out of the park in his previous at-bat, Alvarez muscled an opposite field shot in the sixth to double the Nicholls lead. It was the first home run for the Colonels in the tournament.
Then in the seventh, more two-out magic resulted in an RBI single by Coddou. Felix singled earlier in the inning and Kaden Amundson kept it going with a two-out base knock to set up the 5-2 advantage.
Theriot retired the first batter of the seventh before surrendering a solo homer to Jeissy De la Cruz which turned out to be the final run of the game. Galy, who was named All-Southland Second Team as a reliever, picked up the first save of his career.
Felix was the lone Colonel with a multi-hit day, finishing 2-for-4 with a double. Jack Williams took the loss for UNO, allowing three runs on four hits in 3.0 innings.