Baseball: Complete Game Shutout Earns Nicholson Weekly Honors

Contact: Matt Hebert

LAFAYETTE – Senior pitcher Jordan Nicholson who threw a complete game, four-hit shutout in the Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team’s Sun Belt Conference opener at La.-Monroe on Friday has been named the league’s Pitcher of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.
                                                                                                                                    
Nicholson received additional accolades from the Louisiana Sports Writer’s Association as well, as the organization selected him the state’s Pitcher of the Week.
 
The award is the first for Nicholson this season and second of his career. He was named SBC Pitcher of the Week on May 9, 2011, after tossing a complete game, five-hitter in a 17-1 win at Troy.
 
Nicholson became the first Cajuns pitcher to toss a nine-inning, complete game shutout in conference play since Zach Osborne fired a one-hit shutout at Troy on April 9, 2010 at “The Tigue”. The performance marked his first complete game shutout in a UL uniform.
 
“It’s a good award that recognizes the amount of time and effort that goes into the preparation for six days to perform at your best on that one day,” head coach Tony Robichaux said. “Any pitcher who throws a complete game shutout in this tough conference deserves an award, especially when they do it on the road.”
 
Nicholson outdueled La.-Monroe starter Randy Zeigler, a former teammate at LSU in 2009, who entered the contest as the two-time reigning SBC Pitcher of the Week (March 5 & 12).
 
Nicholson averaged a shade above 12 pitches per inning and the middle three frames was the only time the Warhawks managed to get traffic on the basepath in the 5-0 Cajuns triumph.
 
The Ruston, La., native retired the first 10 Warhawks that he faced, not allowing a hit until one out in the fourth inning. He ended the game by retiring 10 consecutive batters after a two-out single in the sixth inning.
 
The leadoff batter reached only once off of Nicholson and he held the Warhawks to four hits. La.-Monroe’s lone scoring threat came in the fourth inning after back-to-back, one-out singles and it was erased with a fly out and strikeout.
 
Nicholson and the Ragin’ Cajuns host Tulane at “The Tigue” on Tuesday, March 20, and travel to Natchitoches, La., on Wednesday, March 21 to face Northwestern State in midweek action. Louisiana wraps up a five-game week hosting Arkansas State Friday-Sunday, March 23-25 in the Sun Belt Conference home opening series.
 
ALL-TIME RAGIN’ CAJUNS SUN BELT PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS (joined league in 1992)
 2012: Jordan Nicholson (3/19)
2011: Taylor Hubbell (3/1); Jordan Nicholson (5/9)
2010: Zach Osborne (3/22); Zach Osborne (4/12)
2009: Zach Osborne (4/6); Zach Osborne (4/27)
2008: Hunter Moody (2/26); Hunter Moody (3/2); Hunter Moody (3/24)
2006: Hunter Moody (2/23); Hunter Moody (3/14); Jason Fernandez (4/3); Buddy Glass (4/10); Jason Fernandez (4/17); Danny Farquhar (5/8)
2005: Kevin Ardoin (2/14); Kevin Ardoin (4/18)
2004: Kevin Ardoin (3/2); Kevin Ardoin (4/12)
2003: Kevin Ardoin (4/14); Jordy Templet (4/21); Andy Gros (5/5)
2002: Justin Gabriel (4/1); Andy Gros (4/22); Kraig Schambough (5/6)
2001: Eric Templet (4/16)
2000: Scott Dohmann (3/13); Eric Templet (5/1)
1999: Phil Devey (3/8); Alan Ochsner (4/12); Scott Dohmann (5/3)
1998: Phil Devey (3/9)
1997: Chad Bailey (3/24); Trey Poland (4/21)
1996: Chad Bailey (4/15)
1995: Jason Sheppard (3/27)
1992: Javi DeJesus (3/30); Scott Fishback (4/20); Javi DeJesus (5/11)
 
 

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