TROY, Ala. – Northwestern State baseball coach Lane Burroughs likens Years 3 and 4 of a coach's tenure to reaping the harvest of seeds sewn in Years 1 and 2.
 
Harvest time for Burroughs' Demons officially begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. when they face Troy in the opener of a four-game series at Riddle-Pace Field.
 
"It's time to play a different opponent," Burroughs said. "I know every coach in every sport says that, because they've been intrasquadding and scrimmaging, but it is. In all my years of coaching, I think this team is as prepared as any I've been around.
 
"It's starting to get redundant in our intrasquads. We're excited about playing a different opponent."
 
The Demons enter the 2015 season with some momentum from Burroughs' second season, a year in which they improved by 16.5 games overall and won 14 more conference games than they did in 2014.
 
Northwestern State returns seven starters from its everyday lineup and plans to start three returning pitchers in the four-game series with the Trojans. The series features single games on Friday and Sunday with a doubleheader set for 1 p.m. Saturday.
 
Anchoring the infield are seniors and first-team preseason All-Southland selections Chase Daughdrill (third base) and Caleb Dugas (first base). Probable Friday night starter Adam Oller, the league's reigning Freshman of the Year, was the third Demon to earn first-team preseason All-SLC honors.
 
Oller fronts an all right-handed, first-weekend rotation that includes his brother, senior Josh Oller, sophomore Evan Tidwell and junior college transfer Jeffrey Stovall.
 
Additionally, the Demons return three outfielders – left fielder Cort Brinson, center fielder Bret Underwood and right fielder Nick Heath – who make up one of the most talented units Burroughs has coached.
 
"I have no qualms about saying that," Burroughs said. "If those guys are healthy and playing at 100 percent, they're as good a trio as I've coached in my 20 years. Bret Underwood is a 20^th-rounder who turned down a good amount of money to come back to Northwestern State; Cort Brinson has been in left field since the day he stepped on campus; and Nick Heath is probably our best prospect in terms of athleticism and ability to play at the next level."
 
Before Heath or any of the Demons worry about the next level, they will face a Trojans team that begins an emotional season.
 
Troy endured a down season in 2014, a year after reaching the finals of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, and has some added motivation for the 2015 season.
 
"(Head coach) Bobby (Pierce) and (assistants) Mark (Smartt) and Brad (Phillips), I've competed against them for a long time, played against them in regionals," Burroughs said. "They coach a high level of baseball. Mark will be the head coach next year, because Bobby's announced his retirement at the end of this year.
 
"I know they're going to go out and play hard for him, opening up his last year, so nothing but respect for Troy University."
 
The Demons return to action Wednesday when they host 2014 NCAA Super Regional participant UL Lafayette at 6 p.m. That game starts a four-game homestand, which runs through next weekend.

Projected NSU starting rotation
Friday: RHP Adam Oller (6-2, 2.44)
Saturday, G1: RHP Josh Oller (3-2, 4.06)
Saturday, G2: RHP Evan Tidwell (3-0, 5.74)
Sunday: RHP Jeffrey Stovall (Transfer-Junior College)
Stats are from 2014 season.