May 22, 2007

Thomas Zabasky begins play in the final Southland Conference baseball tournament of his McNeese State career on Wednesday.

And, for the Cowboy senior first baseman, one very interested spectator in the stands with be his father, Tom.

It's been no easy task for the elder Zabasky to watch his son's athletic career. He's a colonel in the Louisiana National Guard and he's had to catch what he has while being deployed for the Gulf War in 2003, to Kwait in 2005 and then for the aftermath of Katrina.

"During that time I had to hear about his play from my wife and on phone from Thomas. This year though," he said, "I've been able to see all of his games with the exception of Tulane. And, for that game Thomas was sick and laying here on our couch."

It's really a family outing when the Zabaskys hit the road for a Cowboy game. He's based in his hometown of Pineville and he says that anyone who wants to file into his vehicle for the trip is welcome. Usually it's his wife Sharon, mom and dad and in-laws.

And, when the group comes to Lake Charles it's like home week to Tom since he graduated from McNeese where he also played football.

Zabasky was an offensive lineman for the Cowboys in the 1970s, playing on a conference championship team and in the 1979 Independence Bowl.

He had been a three sport performer at Pineville High - football, basketball and track - and of the three preferred basketball.

"I grew up a basketball rat," he said. "My dad was a high school coach at Bienville in north Louisiana and I stayed in the gym."

Out of high school, though, it was football that came calling with a scholarship.

He said that he did play baseball up until high school and even tried it once at Pineville High.

"I was catching and got hit on my shooting hand and when the basketball coach heard about it, that was it for my high school baseball career," he said.

He wasn't a good enough scorer to court a scholarship in basketball but his play on that court did bring out the football coaches.

Former McNeese assistant coach Ted Brevelle caught him playing in a basketball game, running the floor, and that appeared to be the deciding point on the Cowboys offering him a scholarship for football.

He had played tackle in high school but his first year at McNeese he was tried at tight end. Zabasky said he didn't have the hands to play tight end so he was moved to offensive guard and then to tackle.

He was a swing man on that conference championship team, helping anchor the line with Ray Martin and Jim Downing.

At McNeese he was also a honor roll student in Finance and member of the school's Army ROTC. Commissioned a second lieutenant out of college, Zabasky served in the active Army for five years and became a member of the Louisiana National Guard in 1986.

He's now the commander of the aviation support facility in Pineville and is a helicopter pilot, flying the UH1 (Huey) and the UH6 (Blackhawk).

Through Thomas, he's catching up on his baseball.

He said he never really thought that much about baseball until Thomas started playing, even though there was a family background.

"My Dad (Gordon) was a pitcher for Northwestern State in the early 1950s and he went on to play in the old Evangeline League with the Alexandria Aces and the Lake Charles Lakers," the colonel said.

"I have really enjoyed this season," Zabasky said of the Cowboy year. "The team has had a lot of obstacles to overcome and you have to give the players and the coaches a lot of credit for the work they have done. They had a brutal pre-season schedule and they made the conference tournament.

"I don't know what is going to happen over the next few days but I look for them to have a great tournament."