Jessica Seamon is in her 10th year (2021) with the Nicholls State University softball program.
Seamon helps oversee the everyday operations of the softball program as well as coaching the pitching staff. She also assists in recruiting, hitting and camp operations.
Since Seamon’s arrival, the Colonel pitching staff has transformed into one of the best in the Southland Conference. After finishing in the middle of the league in ERA from 2013-15, the staff had the lowest mark in the Southland in 2016, ’18, and ’19, and finished second in ’17. Also in the four-year span, the Red and Gray finished in the top 3 of the SLC all four years in opponent batting average and strikeouts. Nicholls ranked first in opponent average in ’18 (.219) and ’16 (.207) and had the most strikeouts in 2017 with 310.
Under her guidance, Nicholls has had two Southland Conference Pitchers of the Year – Hannah Haydel (’16) and Megan Landry (’18). With both pitchers on staff in 2016, the Colonels posted an impressive 1.89 team ERA which ranked fifth in the NCAA. Nicholls finished ranked 28th in ERA in 2019 (2.24), 33rd in ’18 (2.27) and was just outside the top 50 in 2017 (2.53).
Along with taking home the top pitching honor twice, Seamon’s pitchers have totaled five All-Southland recognitions since the 2016 campaign. Landry accounted for three on the honors, earning first team in ’19 and ’18 after being selected third team as a sophomore. Alexis LaBure was also All-Southland in ’18 as a third-team honoree. In her senior season, Haydel landed on first team while being named pitcher of the year.
Landry was a four-year starter in the circle and left as the program’s all-time leader in wins with 80. She ranked third all-time in strikeouts with 573, had the sixth-most shutouts with 18 and tossed 70 complete games, good for seventh all-time. She also excelled in the classroom, being named Southland Softball Student-Athlete of the Year and was a three-time Academic All-Southland First Team selection. Landry earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors as a junior, becoming the first Colonel softball player to make the prestigious squad since 1992.
Haydel was also a two-time Academic All-Southland honoree and left her name in the Colonel record books. She totaled 51 wins, ranking eighth all-time, and struck out 392 batters to rank sixth.
The Colonels have had five no-hitters thrown since 2016. Landry accounted for three of the no-hitters while Haydel and LaBure recorded one each.
Prior to Nicholls, Seamon was a part of the Atlanta Vipers Softball Organization in Atlanta for seven years where she was the head coach of the Vipers’ 18 Gold softball team and served on the Vipers Advisory Board. Under Seamon, the Vipers Gold qualified and competed in two 16-Under National Tournaments as well as five at the 18-Gold level, finishing as high as ninth place.
While working with the Vipers, Seamon also volunteered in the 2011 season with DII powerhouse, North Georgia College, where the pitching staff posted a remarkable 1.54 ERA and a record of 53-12. Jessica Coan walked away with the coveted Daktronics Ron Lenz National Pitcher of the Year award, while former Division II National Player of the Year and First-Team All-American Sarah Phillips was selected to the Canadian national team.
In 2005, Seamon helped guide the pitching staff of North Georgia to a combined ERA of 1.87, with an overall record of 45-18. The pitching staff held opponents to a batting average of .196 with 424 strikeouts in 405.1 innings of work.
Before North Georgia, Seamon spent three years as an assistant with well-known Division III power Emory University. While at Emory, she was a member of an Eagles team that compiled a 118-28 overall record. Seamon’s pitching staff posted a 0.90 ERA in 2004, which ranked eighth in the DIII that season. Also at Emory, she helped coach the Eagles to a third and fourth place finish at the Division III World Series in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Seamon’s overall coaching record as an assistant is 278-97.
A native of Richfield Springs, N.Y., Seamon was a letterwinner in field hockey, cross country, basketball and softball at Richfield Springs Central High School.
While in college, Seamon was a two sport All-American in basketball and softball. She received numerous honors in both sports and was named softball and basketball Regional Player of the Year, while also guiding the softball team to a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA World Series at Herkimer County Community College. In January of 1999, Seamon transferred to Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. While at LWC, Seamon was named conference Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year in 1999 and finished 11th in the nation in strikeouts per game. She was also named Pitcher of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the region again as a senior. In addition, Seamon was selected to the NAIA Academic All- American Team in 1999 and 2000.
Seamon also played for the Central Softball Team (N.Y.), which competed in the Empire State Games each summer from 1997-2003. As a member of the Central team, she earned seven medals: three Gold, one Silver and three Bronze.
Seamon currently resides in Thibodaux.
