THIBODAUX, La. – Ray E. Didier Field is receiving an upgrade to its infield and foul territory as construction began July 6 to install Geo-Surfaces artificial turf in those areas. The Nicholls baseball complex will now be known as Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.

A transformative pledge was recently made by longtime Nicholls supporter Tommy Meyer, Ben Meyer's brother. Ben Meyer was a Nicholls student who tragically died in a car accident in 2001 at the age of 23.

"I am very appreciative of Tommy – not only from a professional standpoint – I consider him to be a very, very close friend and great supporter," said Nicholls Head Baseball Coach Seth Thibodeaux. "He's been by my side since I've been the head coach here. I think he has a true, sincere love for Nicholls athletics and the people that work here and he wants to be a part of it."

The generous commitment will fund multiple facility enhancements with the goal of providing a best-in-class student-athlete experience.

"Our primary objective is to provide a model student-athlete experience for all of our nearly 300 student-athletes and 14 programs. A significant part of this effort is improving our facilities," said Nicholls Director of Athletics Matt Roan. "Tommy's leadership and generosity, and the support of University administration and the Nicholls Foundation, allow us to improve several right away, including this project for baseball. I appreciate Tommy and am confident that this will be the first of many contributions, partnerships, and projects over the next several months."

Ben Meyer Diamond will feature a Geo-Surfaces 'replicated grass' surface with the patented GeoFlo shock pad and drainage blanket. Geo-Surfaces is a Louisiana-based company that has installed more artificial turf fields in the state than all other companies combined. Geo-Surfaces utilizes the highest density turf product in the industry and is the only company that uses shock-pad technology as a standard practice on all installations.