NATCHITOCHES – Through his first 46 games as a college baseball head coach, Bobby Barbier has penciled a freshman's name on his lineup card 121 times.
 
In those moments, there is some symmetry for the Demons skipper because 15 years ago, Barbier was one of a group of talented first-year players who often found themselves on then-coach Mitch Gaspard's lineup cards.
 
Much like Barbier, Michael Palermo, Scott Pittenger and Brandon Morgan formed a foundation for the Demons from 2003-06, Northwestern State has seen much of the same from shortstop Caleb Ricca, outfielders Tyler Smith and Emile Lege, outfielder/infielder Austin Townsend and infielder Lenni Kunert.
 
Each of the five current freshmen have started at least 11 games, and each has ridden the roller coaster of being a freshman at the Division I level.
 
"We try not to put labels on anything," Barbier said. "I never talk to them like they're anything different than just a part of our team. That can restrict you from being the player you can be. I think they've learned. They've grown up a bunch."
 
Perhaps no better evidence backs up Barbier's point as the ninth inning of NSU's 10-7 victory against Incarnate Word on May 6.
 
The Demons trailed by three entering the inning before Cade Jones walked and Matthew Alford doubled to put runners on second and third with one out.
 
The next three batters in the Demons lineup were freshmen, starting with Kunert, who drew a full-count walk to load the bases. Smith followed with a two-run double to cut the lead to one before Incarnate Word intentionally walked Lege to load the bases.
 
After Cardinals closer Lance Moszkowicz recorded a strikeout, he threw a pair of sliders to Ricca that missed the zone. Ahead in the count 2-0, Ricca jumped a fastball and deposited it over the left-field wall for a walk-off grand slam.
 
"I had the chance earlier in the year, and I failed," Ricca said moments after being mobbed by his teammates at home plate. "I did what I had to do."
 
Ricca has started 40 of the Demons' 46 games at shortstop. He and Smith were in the opening-day lineup against Cincinnati.
 
The Demons have started at least one freshman position player in every game this season. A season ago, no freshmen position players were penciled into the NSU lineup. Just two freshmen – pitchers Kyle Swanson and Austin Reich – started games for the Demons.
 
Because baseball is a game of handling failure, newcomers and veterans alike are bound to make mistakes. As such, the youthful Demons have been put in position to make – or to not make – those plays all season long.
 
"There's nothing like live at-bats for those guys," Barbier said. "There's nothing like plays in the field when the situation's tight. It doesn't matter how many ground balls you take in practice – obviously we all need that – but when there's a man on third base and two outs in the ninth inning and you have a chance to end the game, that's pressure. It's about getting those guys in those situations more often.
 
"That's what excites me about those guys. We might have some setbacks, but they're learning. They've learned from those setbacks, and they're getting better as the year goes on."
 
Aside from some positional symmetry with Ricca and Pittenger at shortstop, Smith , Lege and Palermo being outfielders and Townsend and Kunert sharing first base and designated hitter duties as Barbier once did, there is plenty to remind the first-year Demons coach about his first year in Natchtioches.
 
"That was a pretty special group," Barbier said. "We came up together, and we ended up winning the conference championship as juniors. We listened and soaked everything up. We didn't think we were bigger than the game. We had some good leadership on that (2003) team. Guys like Anatole Vincent, who's my daughter's godfather. Those guys played the right way and brought us along."
 
When Ricca led off NSU's April 4 11-2 victory at ULM with a first-pitch home run, he thanked Barbier and the coaching staff for sticking by the freshmen "and putting us in spots where we can have success."
 
Said Barbier: "I hope they think we always have their back. It's hard when you've got to make a decision on who plays and who doesn't. It's difficult. They say everyone loves coaches until they write their first lineup. When you're not playing, it gets tougher to go out and work hard. We've had their back, because they've played well and shown signs of improvement. We're investing in those guys. They're all going to be really good players for us."