ABILENE, Texas – With six Southland Conference games remaining in the 2017 season, there are myriad possibilities involving the Northwestern State baseball team.  
 
As the Demons head to Abilene Christian to begin a three-game SLC series at 6 p.m. Friday, they sit four games out of a berth in the conference tournament in two weeks.
 
The three games at ACU, which also include a 6 p.m. Saturday matchup and a 1 p.m. Sunday matinee, could decide Northwestern State's postseason fate. Or they could simply be a prelude to a much bigger final regular-season series against New Orleans from May 18-20.
 
"We can't worry about that," first-year coach Bobby Barbier said. "We just need to focus on getting better and playing well."
 
Northwestern State (18-29, 8-16) won its first conference series of the season this past weekend, taking two of three from Incarnate Word. The Demons sit a game behind Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and four games behind a trio of teams – Lamar, Nicholls and New Orleans – who are tied for the Nos. 7 and 8 spots in the Southland Conference standings.
 
This weekend's series marks the second, third and fourth games of the Demons' final road trip of the season, a five-game swing that started with a Tuesday loss at Little Rock and concludes May 16 at nationally ranked LSU.
 
The immediate concern for the Demons is Abilene Christian (12-33, 2-22), a team that has posted 10 of its 12 wins at Crutcher Scott Field.
 
The trip to west Texas will force five Demons who have earned their college degrees – pitchers Devin Bear and Evan Tidwell, infielders Matthew Alford and Spencer Goodwin and outfielder Matt Valdez – to miss their graduation ceremony. All five were honored, along with former Demons pitcher Brandon Stane, in a special event following NSU's 11-1 victory against Incarnate Word on May 7.
 
Barbier said there are positives, however, to playing after the end of the spring semester.
 
"They're baseball players now," he said. "We can go out and concentrate on playing ball and getting a little closer together on this trip. I think the guys are excited about that. Hopefully, we'll play well."
 
The Demons will start sophomore right-hander Nathan Jones (3-7, 4.97) in Friday's series opener against Wildcats left-hander Austin Lambright (0-2. 4.89).
 
Free streaming audio from all three games will be available on www.NSUDemons.com.
 
Series Probables:
Friday: Northwestern State RHP Nathan Jones (3-7, 4.97) at Abilene Christian LHP Austin Lambright (0-2, 4.89)
Saturday: Northwestern State RHP Evan Tidwell (4-5, 5.65) at Abilene Christian RHP Drew Hanson (2-4, 6.42)
Sunday: Northwestern State RHP Cullen McDonald (1-2, 4.06) at Abilene Christian LHP Derek Scott (2-1, 4.03)