LAWRENCE, Kansas – Most college athletics teams tend to play better at home.
 
In a similar vein, they tend to learn about each other when the play on the road.
 
That will be the case for the Northwestern State baseball team across the next six days as they open a five-game road trip with a 3 p.m. Friday matchup against Kansas. The opener of a three-game series with the Jayhawks also starts a five-game window against members of the Big 12 Conference.
 
All three games of the Kansas series will be broadcast on ESPN3. Saturday's game is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch while Sunday's series finale will begin at 1 p.m.
 
"It's fun to get on the road with a team full of new guys and see how they jell," first-year coach Bobby Barbier said. "It's more teaching about how they should act, how curfew check should go – the things that matter and go into building these young men. I think the team's bonding great right now. I can't say enough about how hard they've worked to this point."
 
When Nathan Jones takes the ball for the Demons at 3 p.m. Friday, it will mark the start of a stretch of five games in six days and a 12-hour bus ride home from Manhattan, Kansas, in the middle of next week before Northwestern State (3-4) opens conference play by hosting Nicholls next weekend.
 
While some may see it as a challenge, Barbier welcomes the chance to play several games in a short stretch.
 
"It's all in your perspective," he said. "My perspective is we get to jump on a bus and go play baseball for five out of seven days or whatever it is. We get to see a different part of the country. I haven't been to some of these places. If you look at it that way, it's an opportunity to get out and play the game. Some people may look at it as daunting, but that's not how we look at it."
 
While the Demons have dropped a pair of games, Kansas (2-6) enters the weekend on a four-game losing streak.
 
The Jayhawks are the first of three Big 12 Conference opponents the Demons will face this season, two of which will take place on this five-game road trip.
 
Following Sunday's series finale, the Demons will take a short trip across I-70 to face Kansas State in a two-game midweek series.
 
"(This schedule) exposes flaws," Barbier said. "It exposes poor play. It exposes things we need to work on to become a better team as the season goes on. I wouldn't have it any other way than to play these good opponents early. Your wins and losses may come out different, but in terms of getting your team where it needs to be later in the season, there's nothing better than playing good opponents.
  Friday: Northwestern State RHP Nathan Jones (0-1, 1.80) at Kansas RHP Sean Rackoski (1-1, 5.59)
Saturday: Northwestern State RHP John Carter Sanner (1-0, 3.48) at Kansas LHP Jeider Rincon (0-2, 6.75)
Sunday: Northwestern State RHP Evan Tidwell (1-1, 10.38) at Kansas LHP Taylor Turski (0-1, 3.00)