ULL transfer Richard now SU’s No. 1 starter

• By JOE SCHIEFELBEIN
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: May 12, 2008 - Page: 7C - UPDATED: 12:30 a.m.

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Chase Richard had transferred before, from Denham Springs High to Central Private. So he knew the transition he was in for when he came to Southern from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The move has paid off again.

Richard, who helped CPS to a MPSA state title in 2005, emerged as the No. 1 weekend starter in his first year at Southern, helping the Jaguars to the Western Division title.

“I’ve really enjoyed this opportunity,” Richard said. “It’s worked out great for me. I wanted to get an opportunity to play, and I’m back home.”

Richard, a sophomore left-hander, never pitched in a game in two seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette but is 5-2 with a 4.69 ERA. He has 39 strikeouts to 11 walks.

“We needed pitching, and this kid came,” Southern coach Roger Cador said. “At UL, they’ve had so many good pitchers over the years; I think he just caught up in the numbers. We’re fortunate we were able to land such a well-versed young man.”

Southern (26-16) plays Alabama State (13-20) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lee-Hines Field on the opening day of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

“I really didn’t know too much about how it was going to be,” Richard said. “In the fall, I kind of felt how it’s going to be.. And they told me, but you don’t know exactly how it’s going to be until you actually play in it. It’s exciting and it’s a lot of fun.”

Though Richard had pitched in intersquad games and bullpen sessions while at Louisiana-Lafayette, which is known for developing pitchers under Tony Robichaux, Richard’s competitive pitching came only in summer ball.

Nevertheless, Richard has made the move to weekend starter look easy.

“I learned a lot of things when I was sitting out and practicing every day,” Richard said. “I came here with some of that knowledge, worked and went from there.”

The steadiness and composure to the way Richard pitches impressed early, and Cador said he continues to see those elements in Richard’s approach.