Head Coach Chip Durham- Nicholls State
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
THIBODAUX, La. – Head Coach Chip Durham and the Nicholls baseball program signed seven National Letters-of-Intent through the early signing period, inking five junior college transfers and two high school players.
“I am very happy with our early signing class for the 2009-10 school year,” Durham stated. “Coach Seth Thibodeaux and Coach Chris Prothro did a very nice job on recruiting these student-athletes. Among the seven signees, five are pitchers, one an infielder and one is an outfielder.”
A pitcher from Ellender High School, Cullen Babin was named to the Houma Courier First Team All-Region and was a First Team All-District Selection. The 5-11 righty pitched for Joe Teuton and the Babe Ruth State Champion Houma Hogs last summer.
Andrew Olson joins the Colonels from Spring Woods High School in Houston, Texas as a right handed pitcher whose velocity reaches the mid to upper 80s.
The third right-handed pitcher who signed for Nicholls is Corbin Blaize, a juco transfer from Pearl River Community College. Blaize, a Bay St. Louis High School graduate, went 3-0 last season with a 3.00 ERA for PRCC.
Two lefties will also take the mound for the Colonels in 2010, as Ryan Norton and Clint Dempster, both juco transfers, signed.
Norton, a 6-1 southpaw from Pearl River Community College, can reach the upper 80s and has a sharp breaking ball.
A Thibodaux native, Dempster attended Thibodaux High School. Last season, he posted a 7-5 record for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, with a 3.14 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched. Last summer, Dempster pitched for the Houma Hogs Babe Ruth State Championshp team under head coach Joe Teuton.
The Colonels add two position players for 2010 as juco transfers Triston Rodgers and Bear Comer join the squad.
Rodgers, a shortstop from Pearl River Community College, hit .320 with 6 homeruns, 18 stolen bases and 35 RBi last season. A Houma native, Rodgers is a versatile player with speed who can play anywhere in the field for Nicholls.
An outfielder, Comer is a left-handed hitter who helped lead Pensacola Junior College to a state championship and a No. 1 ranking nationally last season. A Pace High School graduate, he hit .395 last year with 15 stolen bases.
“We are very excited that three of the seven are from the local area,” added Durham. “Each one of these guys will make an immediate impact for our program next year.”
