Sept. 1, 2009
THIBODAUX, La. – Georgia Tech softball coach Sharon Perkins will be inducted into the Nicholls State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. Known as Sharon Brander when she was a four-year letterwinner at Nicholls from 1992-95, Perkins will be the fourth softball player inducted in a ceremony that will take place prior to the football team’s home opener.
“This is such a tremendous honor,” Perkins said. “I am thankful to all of the Nicholls State administration for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to going back for what promises to be a great weekend. I had so many wonderful memories there and its going to be fun seeing some of my old teammates and their families. It’s also special that my parents, husband and kids will be able to accompany me next weekend.”
Perkins is one of five former student-athletes who will be inducted next weekend, bringing the total number of inductees in the Nicholls Athletic Hall of Fame to 73. The Colonels will host an induction ceremony on Sept. 12, beginning at 11 a.m. in the Plantation Suite on the Nicholls campus. They will then be officially introduced to Colonel fans at John L. Guidry Stadium during the first home football game of the season, scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff against Division I FCS rival Duquesne that same day.
Perkins was a standout player at Nicholls State, where she was a first-team All-Southland Conference shortstop as well as an Academic All-Conference student-athlete. She was named ENTERGY Corporation’s Louisiana Female Athlete of the Year and led the Colonels to their first ever NCAA Regional appearance. In her senior year, Nicholls State climbed to as high as No. 14 in the NFCA/USA Today rankings and finished with a record of 56-9. Perkins batted .357 that season and became one of two athletes in Nicholls State history to play on three Southland Conference championship teams.
Perkins, who just completed her third year as head coach at Georgia Tech, recorded her 100th career win against Tennessee-Martin on March 10, 2009. Turns out, that was just the beginning of a successful 2009 campaign which saw the Yellow Jackets go further than any other team in program history.
Perkins led the Yellow Jackets to a 46-15 record as they advanced to the schools’ first-ever Super Regional before falling to eventual national champion Washington. Tech finished 13th in both final NFCA and ESPN.com top 25 polls as well as 12th in the RPI, all school bests as well. Georgia Tech was a national seed (No. 14) for the first time in program history and hosted a Regional and Super Regional for the first time as well. Named the ACC Coach of the Year, Perkins’ squad won the league’s regular season and tournament championship for just the second time ever.
Perkins is 132-62 (.680) in three years at Tech. She has led the team to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and compiled a school-record 54 wins in 2007 in her first year as a head coach. Under Perkins, more than a dozen school records have been broken in the last three years.
