2023 Nicholls Colonels baseball team explained

Mode:	baseball
Year:	2023
Team:	Nicholls Colonels
Conference:	Southland Conference
Short Conf:	Southland
Record:	34–24
Conf Record:	15–9
Head Coach:	Mike Silva
Hc Year:	2nd
Asst Coach1:	Ladd Rhodes
Asst Coach2:	Cody Livingston
Asst Coach3:	Gabe Woods
Stadium:	Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field
Champion:	Southland Conference regular season Champions Southland Conference tournament Champions
Bowl:	Tuscaloosa Regional

The 2023 Nicholls Colonels baseball team represented Nicholls State University during the 2023 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Colonels played their home games at Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field and were led by second–year head coach Mike Silva. They are members of the Southland Conference.^{[1] [2] [3]}

The Colonels had an overall season record of 34–24 and a conference record of 15–9 winning the Southland Conference regular season championship. They participated in the 2023 Southland Conference baseball tournament as the first seeded team. The Colonels won the tournament championship with a 4-0 record defeating McNeese 3–2, Lamar 4–0, New Orleans 5–3 and New Orleans 6–3. Winning the Southland Conference autobid, the Colonels played in the 2023 NCAA Division I baseball tournament Tuscaloosa Regional. They lost to 16th ranked Alabama 3–4 in the first game. The Colonels' season ended with a loss to Boston College 6–14 in the second game.

Previous season

See main article: 2022 Nicholls Colonels baseball team.

The Colonels had an overall season record of 26–25 and a conference record of 12–12 finishing tied for fourth place in the Southland Conference.^[4] They participated in the 2022 Southland Conference baseball tournament as the fourth seeded team. After winning their first conference tournament game against Northwestern State, the Colonels' season ended after losing to first seed McNeese and eighth seed Incarnate Word.^[5]

Preseason

Southland Conference Coaches Poll

The Southland Conference Coaches Poll was released on February 3, 2023. Nicholls was picked to finish sixth in the Southland Conference with 59 votes.^[6]

Coaches poll
1	McNeese State	118 (7)
2	Southeastern Louisiana	115 (10)
3	Lamar	88
4	New Orleans	87
5	Northwestern State	65 (1)
6	Nicholls	59
7	Texas A&M–Corpus Christi	55
8	Houston Christian	41
9	Incarnate Word	20

Preseason All-Southland team

Four Nicholls Colonels players were named to the conference preseason first team.^[6]

First Team

• Edgar Alvarez (NICH, JR, 1st Base)
• Brad Burckel (MCNS, SR, 2nd Base)
• Josh Leslie (MCNS, SR, 3rd Base)
• Parker Coddou (NICH, JR, Shortstop)
• Bo Willis (NWST, JR, Catcher)
• Tre Jones (TAMUCC, JR, Designated Hitter)
• Payton Harden (MCNS, SR, Outfielder)
• Brendan Ryan (TAMUCC, SR, Outfielder)
• Xane Washington (NICH, R-SR, Outfielder)
• Zach Garcia (TAMUCC, SO, Starting Pitcher)
• Grant Rogers (MCNS, JR, Starting Pitcher)
• Tyler Theriot (NICH, SR, Starting Pitcher)
• Burrell Jones (MCNS, SR, Relief Pitcher)
• Alec Carr (UIW, SR, Utility)

Second Team

• Josh Blankenship (LU, SR, 1st Base)
• Daunte Stuart (NWST, JR, 2nd Base)
• Kasten Furr (NO, JR, 3rd Base)
• Tyler Bischke (NO, JR, Shortstop)
• Bryce Grizzaffi (SELA, SR, Catcher)
• Kade Hunter (MCNS, SR, Designated Hitter)
• Josh Caraway (TAMUCC, JR, Outfielder)
• Braden Duhon (MCNS, JR, Outfielder)
• Issac Williams (NO, JR, Outfielder)
• Cal Carver (NWST, SR, Starting Pitcher)
• Tyler LeBlanc (NO, JR, Starting Pitcher)
• Will Kinzeler (SELA, JR, Starting Pitcher)
• Dalton Aspholm (SELA, SR, Relief Pitcher)
• Tre’ Obregon III (MCNS, SR, Utility)

Schedule and results

Legend
	Nicholls win
	Nicholls loss
	Postponement/Cancelation/Suspensions
Bold	Nicholls team member
	Non-Conference game
†	Make-Up Game

2023 Nicholls Colonels baseball game log
Regular season (34–24)
February (5–4) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SLC Record Feb. 17 4–0 Theriot, Tyler (1-0) Salazar,Preston (0-1) 518 1–0 Feb. 18 Lindenwood* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 2–3 Rakers,Easton (1-0) Mancuso, Josh (0-1) 402 1–1 Feb. 19 Lindenwood* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 8–3 Mayers, Jacob (1-0) Stice,Bennett (0-1) 501 2–1 Feb. 20 Lindenwood* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 9–2 Llinas, Alexander (1-0) James,Matt (0-1) Saltaformaggio, Nico (1) 492 3–1 Feb. 22 at * 4–5 Willingham, Zach (2-0) Gearing, Chase (0-1) Lawrence, Colson (1) ESPN+ 1,084 3–2 Feb. 24 at * 1–11 FINCHER, Jonathan (1-1) Theriot, Tyler (1-1) 2,030 3–3 Feb. 25 at Louisiana Tech* J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park • Ruston, LA 2–3 HECTOR, Rawley (1-1) Desandro, Devin (1-1) 2,084 3–4 Feb. 26 at Louisiana Tech* J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park • Ruston, LA 8–0 Mayers, Jacob (2-0) SMITH, Reed (0-1) 2,141 4–4 Feb. 28 Southeastern Baptist College Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 10–2 Jordan, Harper (1-0) Pascua, Bryce (0-1) 231 5–4
March (11–8) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SLC Record Mar. 1 Southeastern Baptist College* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 20–0 (7 inn) Mancuso, Josh (1-0) Thompson, Matthew (0-1) 6–4 Mar. 3 Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 2–3 FOWLER, DALTON (1-1) Theriot, Tyler (1-1) KENDRICK, DALTON (3) 204 6–5 Mar. 4 Memphis* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 9–8 Rodriguez, Arturo (1-0) ELLIS, LUKE (0-1) ESPN+ 713 7–5 Mar. 5 Memphis* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 9–2 Mayers, Jacob (3-0) GARNER, SETH (0-1) Evans, Cade (1) ESPN+ 437 8–5 Mar. 7 Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 3–2 Saltaformaggio, Nico (1-0) Millikan, Noah (0-1) Gearing, Chase (1) ESPN+ 264 9–5 Mar. 8 Penn* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 4–5 Cerwinski, John (1-0) Rodriguez, Arturo (1-1) Trop, Eli (1) ESPN+ 211 9–6 Mar. 10 at * 8–0 Theriot, Tyler (2-2) Barlow, Cam (1-2) 850 10–6 Mar. 11 at Louisiana–Monroe* Warhawk Field • Monroe, LA 7–3 Desandro, Devin (1-1) Cressend, Cole (1-3) Evans, Cade (2) 1,100 11–6 Mar. 12 at Louisiana–Monroe* Warhawk Field • Monroe, LA 0–5 Menard, Chipper (2-1) Mayers, Jacob (3-1) 909 11–7 Mar. 14 vs. Mississippi State* 4–12 Tapper, Brock (1-0) Hayes, Chat (0-1) 5,684 11–8 Mar. 16 at * Cancelled Mar. 17 at Nebraska* Haymarket Park • Lincoln, NE 1–2 Olson, Emmett (3-1) Theriot, Tyler (2-3) 11–9 Mar. 18 at Nebraska* Haymarket Park • Lincoln, NE 1–17 Kaminska, Jace (4-0) Desandro, Devin (1-2) 217 11–10 Mar. 19 at Nebraska* Haymarket Park • Lincoln, NE 10–7 Gearing, Chase (1-1) Garza, Michael (1-2) Evans, Cade (3) 153 12–10 Mar. 22 Mississippi Valley State Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 10–5 Quevedo, Michael (1-0) VALENZUELA, ISAIAH (1-3) 203 13–10 Mar. 24 3–8 Rogers, Grant (6-0) Theriot, Tyler (2-4) 1,020 13–11 0–1 Mar. 25 at McNeese Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA 8–6 (12 inn) Saltaformaggio, Nico (2-0) Vega, Christian (2-1) 1,320 14–11 1–1 Mar. 26 at McNeese Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA 8–5 Mancuso, Josh (2-1) Voss, Zach (1-3) Saltaformaggio, Nico (2) 1,068 15–11 2–1 Mar. 29 South Alabama* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 8–10 (10 inn.) Wood, Grant (4-1) Rodriguez, Arturo (1-2) ESPN+ 313 15–12 Mar. 31 9–8 (19 inn) Jordan, Harper (2-0) Cole, Daniel (0-2) ESPN+ 1,491 16–12 3–1
April (8–6) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SLC Record Apr. 1 at Lamar Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, TX 7–9 Hesseltine, Hunter (1-1) Desandro, Devin (1-3) Tauzin, Kole (1) ESPN+ 1,362 16–13 3–2 Apr. 2 at Lamar Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, TX 4–2 Mayers, Jacob (4-1) Rivera, Jeremy (1-1) Evans, Cade (4) ESPN+ 1,258 17–13 4–2 Apr. 4 at LSU* 1 2–12 (7 inn) Evans, Cade (4) Poirrier, Cole (0-1) 10,544 17–14 Apr. 6 Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 8–9 Rodriguez, Luis (1-2) Evans, Cade (0-1) Hayward, Steve (3) ESPN+ 165 17–15 4–3 Apr. 6 Incarnate Word Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 8–1 Quevedo, Michael (2-0) Higdon, Seth (0-4) 107 18–15 5–3 Apr. 8 Incarnate Word Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 3–8 Zavala, Isaiah (5-0) Saltaformaggio, Nico (2-1) Berens, Micah (1) ESPN+ 534 18–16 5–4 Apr. 11 Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA Cancelled Apr. 12 at Lee–Hines Field • Baton Rouge, LA Cancelled Apr. 18 Mississippi Valley State* Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 12–3 Desandro, Devin (2-3) SNIPES, JAMES (0-4) ESPN+ 311 19–16 Apr. 21 Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 16–7 Galy, Gavin (1-0) Wells, Jarek (0-3) ESPN+ 721 20–16 6–4 Apr. 22 Houston Christian Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 13–5 Quevedo, Michael (3-0) Zander, Walker (1-4) Jordan, Harper (1) ESPN+ 501 21–16 7–4 Apr. 23 Houston Christian Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 6– 5 Mayers, Jacob (5-1) Ripoll, Will (0-3) ESPN+ 613 22–16 8–4 Apr. 25 at LSU* 1 Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field • Baton Rouge, LA 6–5 Saltaformaggio, Nico (3-1) Bryce Collins (2-1) Evans, Cade (5) SECN+ 10,204 23–16 Apr. 28 2–4 Carver, Cal (5-2) Desandro, Devin (2-4) Froehlich, Kyle (5) ESPN+ 912 23–17 8–5 Apr. 29 at Northwestern State H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field • Natchitoches, LA 4–7 Makarewich, Alex (5-3) Quevedo, Michael (3-1) Froehlich, Kyle (6) ESPN+ 878 23–18 8–6 Apr. 30 at Northwestern State H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field • Natchitoches, LA 9–5 Mayers, Jacob (6-1) Brown, Drayton (3-6) ESPN+ 24–18 9–6
May (6–4) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SLC Record May 5 Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 13–7 Saltaformaggio, Nico (4-1) Aspholm, Dalton (0-3) ESPN+ 847 25–18 10–6 May 6 Southeastern Louisiana Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 6–5 (11 inn) Saltaformaggio, Nico (5-1) Lauve, Lance (2-3) ESPN+ 554 26–18 11–6 May 7 Southeastern Louisiana Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 9–0 Mayers, Jacob (7-1) Stuprich, Brennan (3-5) ESPN+ 554 27–18 12–6 May 9 McNeese Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 3–7 Barthelemy, Brock (3-0) Evans, Cade (0-2) ESPN+ 207 27–19 May 12 Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 4–9 Watson, Matthew (6-3) Rodriguez, Arturo (1-3) Thomas, Hayden (2) ESPN+ 501 27–20 12–7 May 13 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 7–2 Mayers, Jacob (8-1) Purcell, Colin (4-6) Saltaformaggio, Nico (3) ESPN+ 531 28–20 13–7 May 14 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA 9–6 Gearing, Chase (2-1) Garcia, Zach (2-4) Evans, Cade (6) ESPN+ 545 29–20 14–7 May 18 6–7 Mitchell, Brandon (10-3) Desandro, Devin (2-5) Mead, Jacob (4) ESPN+ 1,102 29–21 14–8 May 19 at New Orleans Maestri Field at Privateer Park • New Orleans, LA 10–4 Gearing, Chase (3-1) Seroski, Caleb (3-1) ESPN+ 1,005 30–21 15–8 May 20 at New Orleans Maestri Field at Privateer Park • New Orleans, LA 4–14 (8 inn) Williams, Jack (3-0) Quevedo, Michael (3-2) ESPN+ 1,279 30–22 15–9
Post-season (4–2)
(4–0) Date Opponent (Seed)/Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record Tournament record May 24 vs. (6) McNeese (1) Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA 3–2 (14 inn) Galy, Gavin (2-0) Cherry, Derrick (3-3) ESPN+ 757 31–22 1–0 May 25 vs. (3) Lamar (1) Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA 4–0 Mayers, Jacob (9-1) Hesseltine, Hunter (4-2) ESPN+ 32–22 2–0 May 26 vs. (4) New Orleans (1) Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA 5–3 Theriot, Tyler (3-4) Williams, Jack (3-1) Galy, Gavin (1) ESPN+ 33–22 3–0 May 27 vs. (4) New Orleans (1) Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA 6–3 Quevedo, Michael (4-2) Mead, Jacob (1-1) Evans, Cade (7) ESPN+ 443 34–22 4–0 (0–2) Date Opponent (Seed)/Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record Tournament record Jun 2 vs. (1)/16 (4) 3–4 Alton Davis II (1-2) Saltaformaggio, Nico (5-2) ESPN+ 5,800 34–23 0–1 Jun 3 vs. (2) (4) Sewell–Thomas Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL 6–14 Henry Leake(5-5) Gearing, Chase(3-2) A.J. Colarusso (1) ESPN+ 4.628 34–24 0–2 Schedule Source:^[7] *Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.|} References

Notes and References

1. Web site: Membership . Southland Conference . January 26, 2023.
2. Web site: Lamar to return to Southland Conference after one year in WAC . Crescent City Sports Enterprises LLC . January 26, 2023 . April 7, 2022 . Five Louisiana schools (UNO, SLU, Nicholls, McNeese and Northwestern State) are members of the Southland along with A&M Corpus Christi, Houston Baptist and incoming A&M Commerce (coming up from NCAA Division II). Incarnate Word is leaving the Southland to join the WAC this summer..
3. Web site: Southland Conference . DIBaseball . January 26, 2023.
4. Web site: 2022 Baseball Standings . Southland Conference . January 26, 2023.
5. Web site: 2022 Southland Baseball Tournament . Southland Conference . January 26, 2023.
6. Web site: McNeese picked to win 2023 Southland Conference baseball crown; Preseason All-Conference Teams announced . Southland Conference . February 3, 2023 . February 3, 2023.
7. Web site: 2023 Baseball Schedule . Nicholls State University Athletics . January 23, 2023 . en.