NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State baseball team will open Southland Conference play with a three-game set against Southeastern Louisiana that will begin on Friday at 6:30 in Brown-Stroud Field.
 
NSU (9-14) goes into the game after it lost a midweek game 2-1 to third-ranked LSU Wednesday night in 13 innings. Southeastern Louisiana (15-7) lost to 25-ranked South Alabama 13-7 on Tuesday, and defeated Jackson State 7-4 on Wednesday.
 
The Lions are expected to start Sean Kennel (3-0, 1.56 ERA) on the mound, and the Demons will send Robert Baker (2-1, 2.18) to oppose him.
 
Baker has pitched eight our more innings in two consecutive games and allowed three combined runs in both games.
 
Henry Slade leads the Lions in hitting with a .363 hitting average and tied for the lead in runs batted in with 18.
 
Will Watson, who has missed the five-straight games with an injury, leads the Demons with a .362 batting average. Despite the missed games, he is the team leader in runs batted in with 13.
 
The Demons will play Louisiana-Monroe in a midweek game on Tuesday at 6:30 in Brown-Stroud Field.