Nicholls' Holmes, Deemes drafted

On the third day of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, Nicholls State University left-handed senior relief pitcher Stuart Holmes was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays and right-handed senior Ryan Deemes was taken by the Houston Astros.
Holmes went in the 35th round with the 1,052nd overall pick, while Demes was selected in the 36th round with the 1,069th overall pick. The selections of Holmes and Deemes come a day after southpaw junior pitcher Grant Borne was drafted by the Washington Nationals with the 224th overall pick in the seventh round.
“This has been a dream and a goal of mine my entire life,” Holmes said in a news release. “I want to first thank God for blessing me with the opportunities He did and allowing me to play the game through him. I’d like to thank my family, coaches and teammates for everything and their support along the way. Go Jays!”
Holmes was named the Southland Conference Relief Pitcher of the Year and earned a spot on both the National College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Watch List and National College Baseball Writer’s Association Stopper of the Year Watch List, given to the best relief pitcher in the nation. Holmes also was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Baseball Team.
“I am extremely excited for Stu and his family,” head coach Seth Thibodeaux said in a news release. “He is going to have a long pro career. Stu is everything you would want a player to be. His attitude and work ethic are second to none. I’d hire him to work with me any day of the week. I’m proud that he was a Colonel.”
Holmes led the Southland and set the school record with 15 saves, six more than the next closest pitcher in the league. He posted a 3-1 record in 27 appearances, throwing for a dominant 1.11 ERA through 32.1 innings pitched while surrendering just five runs and striking out 36 opponents.
“Stuart turned himself into one of the best left-handed relievers in the country this year through hard work and determination,” Associate Head Coach and Pitching Coach Chris Prothro said in a news release. “Just a fantastic honor for a great student and leader of our program.”
Deemes led the Southland Conference in ERA much of the 2015 season, before being overtaken by his own teammates, Borne and Justin Sinibaldi.
“It’s just a total blessing to have this opportunity,” Deemes said in a news release. “This is what every kid plays the game for their whole life. I’m just really grateful for all the coaches, family members and friends that have helped me get to this point. Most importantly, I need to thank God for blessing me with the gifts he has given me and for this opportunity. But this is just the beginning. I’m excited to get to work and start my path to the big leagues. I want to thank the Houston Astros organization for having faith in me, and I’ll work as hard as possible to prove to them that I was a worthy pick.”
Deemes earned an Honorable Mention All-Conference nod, finishing with a 2.29 ERA, while holding opponents to a .250 batting average.
“Ryan was a bulldog for us,” Thibodeaux said. “He worked hard and gave everything he had to this university. I wish we could have had him for four years. I’m very happy for him. He led us to two of the best years in program history, got his degree and is now an Astro. Hopes and dreams can be accomplished at Nicholls.”
Deemes tossed four scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a 6-3 victory against No. 1 ranked LSU. He tossed 67 strikeouts through 73 innings and did not surrender a triple or a home run all season.
“Ryan, just like Stuart, developed quite a bit in his time at Nicholls and has the makeup and tenacity to be very successful at the next level,” Prothro said. “Very happy that he has earned this opportunity with his hard work as a Colonel.”
Holmes and Deemes helped Nicholls reach several milestones and garner national recognition. 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 earlier this year.
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.