Demon Baseball | 3/19/2018 3:16:00 PM

NATCHITOCHES – When Northwestern State and Louisiana Tech hook up in any athletic endeavor, there is no shortage of interest from each school's fan base.
 
As the Demons host the Bulldogs in the second game of a home-and-home season series, the Northwestern State faithful has a couple of additional reasons to be at Brown-Stroud Field at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
 
First, it marks just the second home game in the past 24 days for the Demons (11-8), who concluded a run of 11 of 12 games on the road by splitting a weather-shortened, two-game series at defending Big Ten champion Nebraska on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Secondly, it will be Randy Webb Day at Brown-Stroud Field, honoring the longest-serving president in Northwestern State school history. Tuesday's game caps a day of recognition for Webb, whose name will adorn NSU's Wellness Recreation and Activities Complex after a 3 p.m. ceremony Tuesday. The first 60 fans in attendance will receive commemorative Randy Webb pennants.
 
"I can always remember seeing that white hair down there on the first row," said second-year head coach Bobby Barbier, an NSU baseball alumnus who played and was an assistant coach during the late Dr. Webb's 25-year tenure as university president.
 
"We always remember seeing him. He was always a part of everything we did as an athletic department and, more specifically, as a baseball team. (Webb and his wife, Brenda) were always in those two seats. It's a well-deserved honor that we're giving Dr. Webb for as much as he did for us."
 
Webb's two sons-in-law, former Northwestern State standouts Reggie Gatewood and Nick Simokatis, will throw out the ceremonial first pitches before Tuesday's game, which can be heard and seen on www.NSUDemons.com.
 
The Northwestern State Alumni Association is offering $5 tickets to Tuesday's game via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nsu-vs-louisiana-tech-baseball-tailgate-game-tickets-44002104479?aff=efbevent
 
The alumni association also will host a tailgate party beginning at 4 p.m.
 
On the field, the Demons aim for their first season sweep of the Bulldogs (15-6) since 2005. Northwestern State grabbed a 6-4, 10-inning victory in Ruston on Feb. 28.
 
That victory started a three-game win streak for the Demons, which took them a season-high four games above .500.
 
"That was a big game on the road that we thought we had let slip away then came back and found a way to win," Barbier said. "You can have those games that really turn things around. We've played pretty well since then – really after the first two weeks of the season. We've learned how to compete. We've learned each other a little bit; roles guys have in the bullpen and off the bench in certain spots. I'm excited to get those guys down here and have another tough game."
 
Bulldogs left-hander David Leal (2-0, 0.59) made things tough on the Demons in the first meeting, striking out 12 in 6 2-3 innings before Northwestern State scored five runs in the final 3 1-3 innings against the Louisiana Tech bullpen.
 
Leal again will get the start and face Northwestern State right-hander Jerry Maddox (1-2, 3.71) in a rematch of the starting pitchers in the Feb. 28 game.
 
In his past two outings, Maddox retired the first 11 Texas A&M batters he faced in a March 6 start before spinning five shutout innings against ULM on March 13 to earn his first victory as a Demon.
 
"(Leal) has been one of the best pitchers in the country all year long," Barbier said. "I don't even know if his ERA registers. Jerry is a much different pitcher than when he faced them earlier in the year. The last couple of outings have been really, really good commanding the offspeed stuff. Hopefully, they see a different Jerry Maddox than he was the first time we played."