MONROE – The Northwestern State baseball team will play its sixth game against an in-state rival in eight days when the Demons travel to Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday at 6:00 in non-conference action at Warhawk Field.
 
The action will be broadcast by Patrick Netherton on 100.7 KZBL-FM in Natchitoches and online at NSUDemons.com for free.
 
NSU (18-13) finished last week 4-1 with one win each against Grambling and Louisiana Tech along with two victories against Nicholls.  The two against the Colonels gave the Demons their fourth straight league series victory, and kept them only one game out of first place in the Southland Conference standings.
 
ULM (13-20) will play after a 2-1 series loss to former Southland Conference member Texas-Arlington. The Warhawks lead the all-time series with NSU, 108-104, after both programs were longtime SLC rivals.
 
"They have a long tradition and proud baseball history over there, and it is always tough to go play there," said second year head coach Lane Burroughs. "It will be a tough midweek match.
 
"All of our games are important, and our guys know that," he said.  "We're looking forward to competing against those guys.  (The Warhawks) are going to come out with their hair on fire."
 
John Gault (3-3, 7.33 earned run average) will get the start for Northwestern State on the mound.  He has appeared in seven games with six starts and has 27.0 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts and seven walks. 
 
Alex Dumaine (1-3, 9.00) will face him for ULM. Dumaine has appeared in eight games and had six starts, and has pitched 21 innings and allowed 14 walks and 28 strikeouts.
 
"It's a midweek game and we only have one this week, so we need to get on the field and take care of some business," said Burroughs.
 
Cort Brinson leads Northwestern State with a .314 batting average.  Caleb Dugas, who is the team's leader in runs scored (34), follows him with a .308 average and Chase Daughdrill had a .303 average.  Daughdrill has driven in 26 runs, the club's leader.
 
Justin Stawychny is the Warhawk leader in batting average (.308) and runs batted in (20).  He is second in runs scored (25) behind Dalton Herrington, who has 26.
 
The Demons will continue their in-state trend with conference leader McNeese State on Friday at 6:00.  The three-game will be in Lake Charles and will also be broadcast on 100.7 KZBL-FM.