NATCHITOCHES – Bobby Barbier didn't have to look far to fill the spot on his coaching staff that opened when G.T. McCullough took a position in the private sector after the 2017 season.
 
Barbier, who completed his first season as the head coach at his alma mater in May, announced Tuesday the promotion of Taylor Dugas to a full-time assistant coach role with the Northwestern State baseball team.
 
Dugas' promotion is subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, which includes Northwestern State.
 
Dugas spent the 2017 season in the volunteer assistant role, working closely with the Demons hitters and outfielders. He will continue with those duties while adding additional recruiting responsibilities.
 
In his first season with the Demons, Dugas helped mentor ABCA All-Region selection David Fry, who batted .340 with 21 doubles and 10 home runs, becoming the first NSU player to hit at least 20 doubles and 10 home runs in the same season.
 
He also tutored a Demons outfield corps that saw a trio of freshmen combine for 75 starts.
 
A Lafayette native and Teurlings Catholic High School product, Dugas lettered four years at Alabama, finishing his career with school records in hits (334), singles (235), doubles (67) and triples (18). He was a two-time, eighth-round draft pick (Chicago Cubs, 2011, New York Yankees, 2012) and reached the major leagues with the Yankees in 2015.
 
In his four-season professional career, Dugas batted .283 and had a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 195 to 171.
 
"Taylor embodies what we want to be known as on the field," Barbier said. "He coaches with the same grit that he played with and is a big asset for not only our team but our community in Natchitoches. I am very confident that he will do a great job in his new role."