Head Coach Chip Durham’s latest recruiting class is one of the deepest in school history.
THIBODAUX – As the Nicholls State University baseball team wrapped up its latest recruiting class, head coach Chip Durham could hardly contain his excitement for the upcoming fall season. With 20 new recruits making up one of the program’s deepest classes ever to go along with a pitching staff that ranked fourth in the Southland Conference in ERA in 2009 and returns its top two starters, one could hardly blame him.
"We pitched very well last season," Durham said. "And we have a lot of those guys coming back. Now, with the new guys we’ve added, we’ve really improved our depth all over the diamond and on the mound. I’m really excited to see what these guys can do. I think we have the potential to pitch very well again this year, and our execution on offense should improve a lot as well."
The 20-player class features six infielders, three outfielders, two cathcers, four right handed pitchers and five left handed pitchers. However, headlining the Colonels newest additions are a pair of Major League Draft Picks.
Left hander Clint Dempster, a Thibodaux native and Thibodaux HS product, returns home after transferring from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The southpaw dominated the JUCO circuits with an 8-3 record, a 2.54 ERA and 113 strikeouts – the best mark in the nation.
Dempster, a first-team all-conference, state, region and America honoree, was also a 31st round selection of the Seattle Mariners in last June’s Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. Should he opt to not sign with the Mariners, Dempster will be counted on forming a formidable rotation along with seniors Jarret Dunnam (seventh in the SLC with a 2009 ERA of 3.80) and Tyler Minto (tied for 2009 team lead in wins).
"Clint has the chance to be a dominant guy right away for us," Durham said. "He’s 88-92 MPH from the left side and has the potential to win 10-12 games for us. This is a guy that with Dunnam and Minto gives us three quality starters on the weekend. He could really get us over the hump. He’s been drafted, but he hasn’t signed. Hopefully we can get him in here when school starts. We’ll battle that as hard as we can all the way up until the first day of school."
Outfielder Chase Larsson represents the Colonels’ other MLB draft choice. The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada native transfers to Nicholls from St. Petersburg College where he hit .353 with nine home runs and 28 extra-base hits in 2009. The former Canadian National Junior Team member was an 18th-round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in 2006.
Also expected to share the burden of rebuilding the Colonel lineup are infielders Chase Jaramillo, Sam Konnoff and Ray Eureste and outfielders Bear Comer and Mike Barba.
Jaramillo, a shortstop who is transferring in from Alabama Southern Community College, hit .340 with eight homers, 22 extra-base hits and 19 steals has impressed the coaching staff with hard-nosed play.
Konnoff, a product of San Bernardino Valley (Calif.) CC, will be counted on as a run-producer after driving in 41 RBI last season and hitting .348.
Eureste, who joins the Colonels after leading Houston’s St. Pius X to a state title during his 2009 senior campiagn, stole 34 bases last season en route to first team all-district and all-state honors and will be counted on as a base-stealing threat at Nicholls.
Comer, a first-team all-conference and conference defensive MVP honoree at Pensacola JC in 2009, could provide range in the outfield and speed on the basepaths.
Barba, a South Terrbone HS product, hit .390 with four homers, seven doubles and 19 steals as a senior and claimed first-team all-district and all-region honors and earned a spot in the Bayou Region All-Star Game. The two-sport star will also be a member of the Colonel football team.
Adding further depth to the Colonel lineup will be Tristan Rogers (Houma/Ellender HS/Pearl River CC), Tyler Duplantis (Thibodaux/E.D. White HS), Cody Dufrene (Thibodaux/Thibodaux HS), Garret Raburn (Temple JC) and Ty Thomas (Morgan City/Morgan City HS).
Meanwhile, the pitching staff will be further bolstered by the additions of right handers Brian Arcenaux (Delgado CC), Jared Cavenaugh (Meridian CC), Cullen Babin (Houma/Ellender HS) and Andrew Olson (Spring Woods HS) as well as southpaws Ryan Norton (Pearl River CC), Jason Judge (Meridian CC), Brent Bonvillain (Thibodaux/Thibodaux HS) and Cody Poche (Lutcher/Lutcher HS).
"We have a lot of guys that can make an immediate impact, and we have a lot of guys that have a lot of potential," Durham said. "We can’t wait to start working with them."
The Colonels will report to campus at the start of the fall semester (Aug. 19) with fall practice to start shortly thereafter.
2009 Nicholls State University Baseball Signing Class
Name Pos School Stats Honors
1. Clint Dempster LHP MS Gulf Coast CC 8-3 2.84 ERA 113 strikeouts
Led the nation in strikouts
1st team All American
1st team All Conf.
1st team All Region
1st Team All State
Mississippi Juco All Star Game
Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 31st Rd. of the ’09 Draft.
2. Brian Arceneaux RHP Delgado CC 6-3 4.36 ERA
Led team to Regional Championship.
3. Jared Cavenaugh RHP Meridian CC 9-2 3.90 ERA
1st Team All Region
Led Meridian to Regional Championship
4. Cullen Babin RHP Ellender HS 6-2 2.87 ERA 1st Team All District
1st Team All Region
Bayou Region All Star Game
5. Andrew Olson RHP Spring Woods HS 1st Team All District
6. Sam Konnoff 1B San Bernardino Valley CC .348 2 HRs 41 RBIs
2nd Team All Conference
7. Tristan Rogers SS Pearl River CC .338 5 HRs 8 2Bs 10 SBs
2nd Team All State
8. Tyler Duplantis 2B ED White HS .494 6 HRs
1st Team All State
9. Ryan Norton LHP Pearl River CC
10. Cody Dufrene C Thibodaux .380 5 HRs 9 2Bs
Academic All State
1st Team All Region,
Bayou Region All Star Game
11. Garret Raburn C Temple JC
12. Chase Jaramillo SS Alabama Southern CC .340 8HRs, 12 2Bs, 4 3Bs, 19 SBs
13. Ray Eureste SS Houston St. Pius X .420 9 2Bs, 34 SBs
1st Team All State
1st Team All District
Led team to Texas State Championship
14. Jason Judge LHP Meridian CC 3-1 4.30 ERA Led MCC to Regional Championship
15. Brent Bonvillain LHP Thibodaux HS 9-4 3.40 ERA 5 Saves 1st Team All State
1st Team All Region
Bayou region All Star Game
16. Cory Poche LHP Lutcher HS 5-2 3.20 ERA 4 Saves 1st Team All District
17. Ty Thomas SS Morgan City HS .410 29 SBs 1st Team All District, Bayou Region All Star Game
18. Mike Barba CF South Terrebonne HS .390 4 HRs, 7 2Bs, 19 SBs
1st Team All District
1st Team All Region,
Bayou Region All Star Game
19. Bear Comer CF Pensacola JC .358 3 3Bs 30 RBIs 16 SBs
1st Team All Conference
Conference Defensive MVP
20. Chase Larsson CF St. Petersburg College
.353 9 HRs 15 2Bs 4 3Bs
1st Team All Conference selection
Led St. Pete to Suncoast Conference Championship
Former Member of Canadian Junior National Team
18th round draft pick of the 2006 MLB Draft (Kansas City Royals)
