There will be no sneaking up on foes for Colonel baseball team after breakthrough season

After reaching the NCAA regionals a year ago and have the bulk of their top players returning, the Nicholls Colonels know where they stand in the college baseball landscape.

“We’re not going to sneak up on anybody,” Nicholls coach Mike Silva said. “I don’t really put a lot of stock in the preseason stuff. I didn’t last year. I know a lot of people would use that with their team for bulletin board material but try to play the game.

“I told our guys the other day I think it’s great to get that type of recognition and respect from where our program was when I got here three years ago to today about to start our third season.

I’m proud of that and that recognition, that respect, but ultimately it doesn’t dictate what’s gonna happen on the field.”

What happened on the field last year was the Colonels, who were picked sixth in the 2023 SLC preseason poll, went 34-24 overall, including 15-9 in conference play to win both the league’s regular season and tournament championships. From there, Nicholls advanced to the Tuscaloosa Regional, falling to Alabama 4-3 and Boston College 14-6.

Going into the 2024 season, the Colonels have been picked to finish first again in the Southland.

As expected of a team coming off of a postseason appearance and with a majority of its players returning, a number of Colonels have received preseason recognition – none more so than sophomore pitcher Jacob Mayers.

Mayers, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound right-hander was named the national Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA. The Gonzalez native went 9-1 with a 2.02 earned run average with 105 strikeouts.

All the preseason hype can be pretty heady stuff for a pitcher going into his sophomore season.

“I think with Jacob Mayers, you are just trying to get out in front of it and then just kind of remind him of what’s made him good, how he got here and the work he’s put in,” Silva said of dealing with Mayers’ preseason hype. “It’s really just like the preseason rankings for the team, the preseason expectations for him. I just want to go out and enjoy competing. I think that’s what he did last year. It’s not going to be perfect. It’s not going to be sunshine and rainbows. We just continue to work and have perspective.

“Just focus on the things you can control and don’t get caught up in all the outside noise. The recognition is great, and he’s earned and deserves it. Ultimately, you know they’re going to play a game and he’ll be on the mound, and he’s got to go out there and just be him and not get caught up in what the expectations the rest of the world has for him.”

In the major leagues, the focus is on a five-man starting rotation. In college baseball, it’s usually about the weekend starters since most teams play conference weekend series Friday through Sunday. The equivalent of an MLB No. 1 starter is the Friday night starter.

Mayers is expected to be that Friday night starter for the Colonels.

“He’ll probably be 94, 97 (miles per hour with his fastball),” Silva said of Mayers. “His slider’s gotten better. The split finger, he’s really developed. He’s been a lot more consistent in the zone. We’re hoping that his pitch count stays down as his stuff continues to grow and get better. It’s Major League-caliber stuff.”

The Saturday starter is still up in the air.

“It might be Jack Nelson. It might be Devin Desandro,” said Silva.

Nelson is a 6-foot-4, 225-poind junior left-hander who is a transfer from Indian Hills Community in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Desandro is a 5-foot-9, 185-poind senior right-hander. He sported a 2-5 record in 18 appearances and a 6.00 earned run average a year ago.

“Desandro’s been up to 94 miles an hour with really good secondary stuff and improved command,” Silva noted.

The Sunday spot is more definitive.

“Sunday, right now, looks like we’ll go with Michael Quevedo,” Silva said of the 5-11, 195-pound junior left-hander. “Quevedo has been up to 93 this fall and early spring. Just a lot of firepower. Guys like that were like 84,88,85,87 last year. They’ve really gotten stronger and matured and I think a lot of it has to do with getting a taste of it.”

Another player who may factor in the rotation is right-hander Haden Luke, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound red-shirt junior. He was a candidate for a rotation spot a year ago before suffering an injury.

 “We’re looking at him right now, potentially moving to the back end of the bullpen, but he’s a starter. He’s got good enough stuff to pitch in any weekend slot, and I think he’ll get some starts. We have a lot of guys that are kind of Swiss army knives. They can really fill a lot of different roles for us. I think early in the season is going to be just kind of seeing where they all fit and what role they excel,” said Silva.

Bullpen fixtures include Gavin Galy and Nico Saltaformaggio.

“Gavin Galy had the lowest whip on our team, which is walks, hits, innings pitched and it’s really a telltale sign of your productivity. He was the best last year pitching high-leverage innings for us and we expect him to do the same out of the bullpen for us this year,” Silva said of Galy, a 6-foot, 175-pound red-shirt junior right-hander.

Galy made 21 appearances in relief a year ago, sporting a 2.04 ERA in 35 1/3 innings. He limited opposing batters to a .192 average, while striking out 35 and walking five.

Also back for Nicholls is Nico Saltaformaggio, a 6-foot, 198-pound senior right-hander.

“I’ll bring him in like a high-leverage moment,” Silva said. “There’s times last year where he’d come out of the bullpen, we use him for seven innings, almost like a starter and then give him the rest of the weekend off. He can close, he can start. He’s pitched on Friday night before.

“He’s probably our most high-power. Him and Galy are probably our most high-power returning relief pitchers.”

Other pitchers include the likes of senior Sam Hill and freshman Dallis Moran of St. Amant High, the same school that produced Mayers.

While Nicholls returns the bulk of its positional players, the Colonels did suffer some key losses.

Gone are Xane Washington, Wes Toups, and Austin Cain.

Washington led the team in hitting a year ago with a .378 average and drove in a team-high 46 runs. He also led the team in runs with 51.

Toups hit .291 a year ago and Cain .277.

“You don’t replace Xane Washington. You don’t really replace Wes Toups,” said Silva. “Those guys are really special players, but I feel like the guys that we have as much talent.

“Maybe in different ways they’re going to contribute, but I really feel like our lineup should be a little more potent this year than it was a year ago, just because we brought back six really experienced guys, and then some guys that didn’t play for us last year, they’re really pushing to get on the field this year. That makes practice better and it makes your intrasquads better. I think ultimately it will make our team better, have a little bit more depth where maybe an injury here or there isn’t going to kill us.”

Among the returnees for Nicholls is Edgar Alvarez. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior is a returning first-team all-conference pick after hitting .330 a year ago with a team-high seven home runs while driving in 39.

“This will be his third season started for us,” Silva said of Alvarez. “He’s a kid that may have an opportunity, hopefully, to continue playing after college.”

Another returning first-team all-conference performer is shortstop Parker Coddou. The 5-foot-10, 164-pound senior out of hometown E.D. White High School, hit .291 a year ago with 13 doubles, six triples, and six home runs while batting leadoff  for the Colonels.

“Offensively and defensively, he had a phenomenal season. We’d like to see a little more consistency from him at the plate. Defensively, it’s hard to beat what he does and what he brings to the table,” said Silva.

At second base is MaCrae Kendrick, who was voted to the preseason first-team in the SLC. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior hit .269 with nine doubles and five home runs in his first year as a Colonel a year ago after transferring from Angelina Community College in Lufkin, Texas.

Garrett Felix garnered second-team preseason all-conference honors after the 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior left fielder hit .320 with 65 hits, including 17 doubles, his junior season.

“Garrett Felix is just the air of consistency. He loves to play the game. Offensively, he’s just very, very consistent,” said Silva.

Back behind the plate for Nicholls is 5-foot-10, 180-pound sophomore catcher Kaden Amundson.

“He’s just a phenomenal catch-and-throw defensive catcher,” said Silva said. “We’d like to see his offense take a step forward this year. I think the amount of experience he got a year ago will help him with that. He’s just toughness, he’s the epitome of a catcher.

“He’s like a second coach out there. He’s extremely focused and locked in and plays through whatever injury or how banged up he is. He just has the respect of his team.”

Several players are vying for playing time at third base, including Drake Anderson

“Drake Anderson’s a transfer from a junior college in Washington. He was a Washington State kick-back after his first year. So he’s played big-time, meaningful baseball games at the highest level. He’s really progressed as we’ve started from August to today. If I describe him, he’s tough. He just kind of fits into our culture and who we are,” Silva said.

There is a battle in center field between Narvin Booker, a transfer from Mississippi Valley, and returnee Basiel Williams, a senior.

“Basil has just continued to get better. He really hasn’t ever put it all together. We’re hopeful he’ll do that this year. He’s continued to progress throughout from fall to spring and he’s in the hunt for that,” said Silva.

A number of players could see time in right field.

“We’ve considered moving our third baseman/DH Gerardo Villarreal out there. Aaron Biediger is a transfer junior college All-American we brought in. We really like his bat and we’re trying to find out where we’re going to get him in the lineup, whether that’s DH, third base, right field,” Silva said.

After the success of the team a year ago, Silva said, there is only one direction for the team to go in 2024.

“We’re not looking to take a step backwards,” the Nicholls coach said. “I think that’s just the reality of this thing. I tell our players and our supporters pretty consistently, you’re either going forward or you are going backwards. You’re not staying the same. Staying the same, other people are passing you up.

“Our expectation is to do exactly what we did last year, maybe even go a step further. I know that’s challenging and I understand that, and will it happen? I don’t know. If that’s not your expectation, you’re probably in the wrong business. Our expectation is to win this thing again, and win the tournament again, get back to a regional – and then win it. We felt like we let one slip away in that regional and I think the experience our guys had will help us and benefit us. It’s going to be a battle.”