Left to right - 2008 Demon head baseball coach J.P. Davis, 1998 Demons Tom Batson, Ryan Anholt, Courtney Cowart, Brad Fontenot, Derek Nunn and Pete Wardell; and director of athletics (and author of this blog entry) Greg Burke.
How well I do remember the 1998 NSU baseball season......or actually it was the time prior to the season that sticks out in my mind the most. When Dave Van Horn left for a "can't turn down" opportunity to be the head coach at Nebraska on January 10 of that year, the Demons were 24 days away from playing their season opener. The reputation of NSU baseball which had been established under previous coach Jim Wells, and was then carried on by Van Horn, created a firestorm of interest in the job....even at that late date (an almost overnight list of 75 candidates for the position was compiled). Four interviews and slew of phone calls later, then Missouri assistant John Cohen accepted the offer to replace Van Horn exactly one week after Van Horn had departed and the rest, as they say, is history.
That 1998 team went on to win 40 games and NSU's sixth SLC title in eight seasons, and then ended up having its bubble burst by the NCAA selection committee for an at-large NCAA berth. A year later, the NCAA baseball tournament field was expanded from 48 to 64 - a year too late for the '98 Demons, who with a pitching squad that featured four draftees were custom built for NCAA Regional competition.
Six members of that 1998 title team returned to Brown-Stroud Field this past weekend to commemorate the 10th anniversary of that championship season. I wish more could have attended but between family obligations, work-related duties (i.e pitcher Harvey McIntyre coaches at Blinn Junior College), distance, and other conflicts, we were happy to welcome back pitchers Pete Wardell and Courtney Cowart, along with third baseman Tom Batson, first baseman/outfielder Derek Nunn, outfielder Brad Fontenot, and one of the best to ever wear the NSU purple in shortstop Ryan Anholt.
Derek and Brad, who was joined by his wife and fellow State Farm agent, Jamie, were in attendance at the Friday night game. Derek said that he and his family actually made an overnight stop in Natchitoches last summer while en route back from a Florida vacation to their home in Muskegee, OK (his hometown). They were impressed with the changes around campus.
On Saturday, the rest of the '98 alumni rolled in. Tom Batson, who I had enjoyed catching up with last June at an NSU alumni gathering in Houston, reminisced about the great '98 season and how fate deprived the team of an NCAA berth based on the size of the field. "TB" is in the home construction business in south Houston and was quick to tell Coach J.P. Davis that there is talent to be recruited in his hometown (to be more specific, Tom is from Alvin). NSU play by play announcer Patrick Netherton was pleased to finally meet Anholt after saying his name so many times on the radio (i.e. "That record is still held by former Demon Ryan Anholt"). In tow with Ryan was three and a half year old son, Colby. Staying at home with Mother Anholt/former NSU women's soccer standout Kelly was the couple's other son, 14-month Caden. Both of those young guys would certainly look great in purple in another 15-20 years or so! It's got to be in the genes between both parents!! Last but not least came the two pitchers - Wardell and Cowart - with wives and children complete with strollers. The Cowart's actually stayed with the Wardell's at their Natchitoches residence.
While the pre-game on-field recognition and between games (played a doubleheader Saturday) meal was nice for these guys, they might be the first to say that what they enjoyed most about this reunion was the opportunity to reminisce and visit. Once teammates, always teammates.....the beauty of intercollegiate athletics.
Greg Burke, Athletic Director
That 1998 team went on to win 40 games and NSU's sixth SLC title in eight seasons, and then ended up having its bubble burst by the NCAA selection committee for an at-large NCAA berth. A year later, the NCAA baseball tournament field was expanded from 48 to 64 - a year too late for the '98 Demons, who with a pitching squad that featured four draftees were custom built for NCAA Regional competition.
Six members of that 1998 title team returned to Brown-Stroud Field this past weekend to commemorate the 10th anniversary of that championship season. I wish more could have attended but between family obligations, work-related duties (i.e pitcher Harvey McIntyre coaches at Blinn Junior College), distance, and other conflicts, we were happy to welcome back pitchers Pete Wardell and Courtney Cowart, along with third baseman Tom Batson, first baseman/outfielder Derek Nunn, outfielder Brad Fontenot, and one of the best to ever wear the NSU purple in shortstop Ryan Anholt.
Derek and Brad, who was joined by his wife and fellow State Farm agent, Jamie, were in attendance at the Friday night game. Derek said that he and his family actually made an overnight stop in Natchitoches last summer while en route back from a Florida vacation to their home in Muskegee, OK (his hometown). They were impressed with the changes around campus.
On Saturday, the rest of the '98 alumni rolled in. Tom Batson, who I had enjoyed catching up with last June at an NSU alumni gathering in Houston, reminisced about the great '98 season and how fate deprived the team of an NCAA berth based on the size of the field. "TB" is in the home construction business in south Houston and was quick to tell Coach J.P. Davis that there is talent to be recruited in his hometown (to be more specific, Tom is from Alvin). NSU play by play announcer Patrick Netherton was pleased to finally meet Anholt after saying his name so many times on the radio (i.e. "That record is still held by former Demon Ryan Anholt"). In tow with Ryan was three and a half year old son, Colby. Staying at home with Mother Anholt/former NSU women's soccer standout Kelly was the couple's other son, 14-month Caden. Both of those young guys would certainly look great in purple in another 15-20 years or so! It's got to be in the genes between both parents!! Last but not least came the two pitchers - Wardell and Cowart - with wives and children complete with strollers. The Cowart's actually stayed with the Wardell's at their Natchitoches residence.
While the pre-game on-field recognition and between games (played a doubleheader Saturday) meal was nice for these guys, they might be the first to say that what they enjoyed most about this reunion was the opportunity to reminisce and visit. Once teammates, always teammates.....the beauty of intercollegiate athletics.
Greg Burke, Athletic Director
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