THIBODAUX, La.  – The Nicholls State University baseball program will instill a new tradition this season that will honor the late, Colonel great Darryl Hamilton, head coach Seth Thibodeaux announced Tuesday.
 
Each year, one senior player will wear No. 11 to honor Hamilton, who wore the number during his Hall of Fame career at Nicholls. It will be given to the player who demonstrates leadership on and off the field and in the classroom.  This season, No. 11 will be worn by outfielder Justin Holt.
 
"Justin is very deserving to wear No. 11 for the Colonels and he will represent Darryl well wearing it. I am proud that we can start this tradition and no one is more deserving than Justin," Coach Thibodeaux said. "Ham wore 11 because he said Lenny Ford was the player he looked up to when he first got here.  He said he wanted to be like Lenny.  I know some younger players who look up to Justin in a similar way.  Hopefully, we can always pick the right player to carry on DH's legacy."
 
A native of Gulfport, Mississippi, Holt has anchored the outfield for the Colonels as an outstanding defensive player. Last season, he had only one error in center field and recorded several highlight catches. At the plate, he finished his junior campaign with a .224 batting average with 14 RBIs and 25 runs scored. He also tied for the team lead with 14 stolen bases.
 
Additionally, Holt excelled in the classroom by landing on the 2016 Southland Conference Commissioner's Spring Honor Roll after posting a 3.6 grade point average for the semester as a health science major.
 
A Baton Rouge native, Hamilton spent four years in Thibodaux where he was a member of the 1985 All-Gulf Star Conference First Team, as well as the 1986 Baseball America Preseason All-America team. He went on to be drafted in the 11th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1986 and spent 13 seasons in the major leagues with the Brewers, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. In the summer of 2015, Hamilton, 50, had his life tragically cut short.
 
The Colonels will see their first action of the season this weekend in Houston, with two games against Wake Forest and one versus the University of Houston. Friday's opener against Wake Forest is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
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