THIBODAUX, La. – The "Father of Southeastern Conference baseball", Head Coach Ron Polk, will headline the annual Nicholls State University Baseball First Pitch Banquet at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, at Cypress Columns in Gray.
 
The banquet, featuring a silent auction, dinner and a cash bar, will introduce the 2016 Colonel baseball team, and cap off of an action-packed day for fans of Nicholls baseball. Festivities begin with an old-timer's game at 10 a.m., followed by an alumni game at noon. The alumni game will pit younger alums against the 2016 Colonels. A special meeting will be held with alumni between games to showcase the ongoing baseball renovations.
 
Tickets to the banquet are $60 per seat and $500 for a table of ten. A sellout is expected, so fans and supporters are encouraged to reserve their seats early.
 
For information on how to purchase tickets or to confirm participation in the alumni or old-timers' game, contact Head Coach Seth Thibodaux.
 
Email: seth.thibodeaux@nicholls.edu
Fax: 985-448-4814
Mail: Seth Thibodeaux, P.O. Box 2032, Thibodaux, La. 70310

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Polk is the winningest coach in any sport in the history of the Southeastern Conference, and was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in July, 2009. He is also a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1995. In 1988, he was presented with the Lefty Gomez Award, the highest award given by the ABCA.

Polk retired from Mississippi State in 2008, following his 29th season at the school. He currently ranks ninth all-time in NCAA Division I career head coaching victories.

Polk concluded his 35-year career as a head coach with a career record of 1,373-700-2 (.662). In his career, which also included stints at Georgia Southern (1972-75) and Georgia (2000-01), Polk led his teams to a total of eight College World Series appearances, five SEC championships, and 23 Regional appearances. He is one of only three coaches in college baseball history to take three different programs to the College World Series.
 
At Mississippi State, Polk recruited and coached some of the game's all-time greats, including Major League standouts Jeff Brantley, Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, Bobby Thigpen, and Jonathan Papelbon. Those are just a few of the 185 of his former players that have signed professional contracts and a few of the 23 that have played in the Major Leagues.

A three-time National Coach of the Year, Polk held the position of Assistant Athletics Director for Special Projects at Mississippi State following his team's College World Series run in 1997. While in that position, Polk spearheaded a successful campaign to expand Polk-DeMent Stadium in Starkville. He returned to coaching at Georgia in 2000, where he spent two years before making the move back to Mississippi State for his final seven seasons.

Perhaps Polk's most talented Mississippi State squad ever was the 1985 version. That club finished the year 50-15 and was SEC champion before going on to appear in the College World Series. The 1985 Bulldog club featured future major league stars Brantley, Clark, Palmeiro, and Thigpen.

In his 35 years as a college baseball coach, Polk produced 35 All-Americans and more than 75 All-SEC performers.

In addition to Polk's work in the collegiate ranks, the Boston, Mass., native has completed seven tours as a member of the coaching staff for the USA National Baseball Team, twice serving as head coach. Two of the teams he coached represented the United States in the Olympics.

Polk has also impacted the college baseball world through his literary work. He has authored "The Baseball Playbook," the nation's leading college textbook for baseball, and is featured in the book, "6 Psychological Factors for Success: America's Most Successful Coaches Reveal the Path to Competitive Excellence."
 
Nicholls reached several milestones and garnered national recognition in the 2015 season. The Colonels went on a nine-game tear that was the teams' longest winning-streak since 2005. Nicholls swept its season series against Louisiana-Lafayette for the first time since 1996 and downed the No. 1 LSU tigers at Alex Box Stadium. The Colonels also turned in back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time since 1992-93. Nicholls' 34 wins in 2015 were the most since 1992 when the program totaled 36 victories. The Colonels sent four players to the Major Leagues in 2015, including LHP Grant Borne (Washington Nationals), LHP Stuart Holmes (Toronto Blue Jays), RHP Ryan Deemes (Houston Astros) and Catcher Christian Correa (Houston Astros).

Nicholls opens the 2016 season with a four-game series at home against Mississippi Valley on the weekend of Feb. 19. For season tickets, call (985) 448-4790 or log on to geauxcolonels.com.