Baseball: Drink up – Coconut water helps Cajun catcher Thurman

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, May 29, 2016

SAN MARCOS, Texas — He left a postgame interview tent clutching a bottle of coconut water, whose electrolyte content aids with hydration.

Whatever it takes to do what he has, which includes catching every inning of every UL game this season, Ragin’ Cajuns senior catcher Nick Thurman is all-in.

And he was just that in an especially big way Saturday, when on a brutally hot day at Texas State’s Bobcat Ballpark here — temperatures in the 90s, and seemingly higher on the field — he went 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBI and three runs scored in a 17-10 Sun Belt Conference Tournament win over Arkansas State.

“On days liked today, boy, with all that catching gear on, it’s hard to breath,” UL coach Tony Robichaux said afterward. “You’ve got to give credit to our trainer, Brian (Davis).

“They’re back behind (the dugout), airing (Thurman) down, keeping him in a breeze, keeping him hydrated, drinking all the stuff they can drink. … Brian does a good job.”

Because UL won Saturday’s game, it earned a spot in Sunday afternoon’s championship game against Georgia Southern.

The Cajuns also avoided having to play Arkansas State a second time Saturday, which was huge for Thurman in particular.

“I’m so thankful,” Thurman said.

“I think we’re actually running out of pants,” he added. “I went through two pair (Saturday).”

Thurman has had to work full-time because UL’s two reserve catchers both are injured and out for the season.

Ryne Ray recently had to have a second procedure down on his surgically repaired knee. And Blake Talbot had screw-insertion surgery in an ankle.

If Thurman had been too dehydrated to play a second game Saturday, had it come to that, starting second baseman Stefan Trosclair, who has juco experience at the position, would have been UL’s emergency catcher, according to Robichaux

“If it gets to that point,” Robichaux said, “we would make arrangements to take precautions for his safety.”

But Thurman gutted his way through the one game, and Robichaux, frankly, seems to be tired of hearing how all the work could potentially adversely impact his catcher — because, to this point, it’s not.

“Thurman, he’s a warrior,” Robichaux said.

“You can do much more if your mind isn’t weak. … That guy had a great day today as a hitter. He just doesn’t get weak-minded and let people tell him how tired he is. He’s fine.”

   GUILLORY’S AVAILABILITY

UL’s starter Saturday, Evan Guillory, was chased with no outs in the first inning and the Cajuns down 4-0.

He gave up four hits, and was charged with five earned runs.

“His stuff wasn’t too, too bad,” Thurman said. “I just think they (the Red Wolves) came out to swing, and whenever a team comes out like that you have to have your best stuff.

“And even if you’re a little bit off, they’ll hammer anything you’re throwing. At that rate, everything is gonna fall.

“So it wasn’t so much that his stuff was bad,” Thurman added. “He might have left a few pitches up that should have been down, but they (the Red Wolves) just came out to play.”

Robichaux said sophomore righty Wyatt Marks will start Sunday’s championship game, as originally planned. Lefty Evan Challenger will start for Georgia Southern.

But with Guillory having thrown just 17 pitches Saturday, Robichaux also said he will be available out of the bullpen Sunday — if, that is, it would not be an issue for his arm.

Robichaux also said the Cajuns intentionally did not use closer Dylan Moore against Arkansas State, which has him available out of the pen too Sunday.

UL instead closed with reliever Eric Carter for 4.0 innings, and Carter retired the last 10 batters he faced — including striking out the side in the eighth inning.