Demon Baseball | 5/14/2018 3:05:00 PM

BATON ROUGE – Second-year Northwestern State baseball coach Bobby Barbier acknowledges a difference in atmosphere will exist Tuesday night when his Demons travel to LSU for their final mid-week game of 2018.
 
What Barbier hopes is when the 6:30 p.m. matchup begins, his team is not affected by that change.
 
"If we continue to do what we've said – how we're going to play, how we're going to compete each game, regardless of circumstance; getting to compete because competing is what we like to do – it truly shouldn't matter," Barbier said. "Hopefully, our attitude doesn't change a bunch."
 
The Demons (31-20) carry a season-long, five-game win streak into the SEC Network Plus televised game against the homestanding Tigers (31-21). That run, which is part of an 8-2 mark in the past 10 games, has lifted Northwestern State 11 games over .500 for the first time since the final game of the 2016 season.
 
Prior to the game, the N-Club will host a tailgate for all Northwestern State fans outside Alex Box Stadium. The event begins at 5 p.m. and tickets are still available. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact NSU Director of Development Mike Jaworski at 318-357-4295.
 
Pitching has been behind the Demons' run. NSU allowed just four earned runs in completing a 4-0 homestand against Grambling and Abilene Christian this past week.
 
Starters Tyler Pigott, Ridge Heisler, Jerry Maddox and Nathan Jones allowed two runs in a combined 26 innings, compiling an 0.69 ERA.
 
Pigott (1-0, 4.37) will make his second straight mid-week start, doing so approximately 45 minutes from his hometown of Springfield. LSU will start sophomore right-hander Matthew Beck (1-1, 3.91).
 
Pigott has not allowed an earned run in seven of his 12 appearances this season, including a scoreless, three-inning stint against Grambling in his first career start.
 
"That's what you want out of pitchers, especially relievers," Barbier said. "You want guys you can count on. Guys who you know what you're going to get. Tyler has proven that over time. He had a rough first outing of the season, and he worked to get better. He's getting these chances now because of that."
 
Barbier has designated it a short start for Pigott and he plans to "chop the game up" against the Tigers, using several relievers.
 
Following Tuesday night's game, the Demons travel to New Orleans for a season-ending, three-game series against the Privateers that runs Thursday-Saturday.
 
Pigott is one of eight Demons on the roster from the greater Baton Rouge area, which will carry added significance for his outing.
 
As a Louisiana native, Barbier is cognizant of what Tuesday's game means to his team, especially those born in Louisiana.
 
"It's going to be natural for them to be excited, especially for the guys who grew up in Louisiana," he said. "It just like when we went to A&M for the Texas guys. We have to go in with something (NSU all-time hits leader) Brandon Morgan said, 'You go into all of these spots with something to prove, to let them know you were there.' Hopefully, we'll take that mentality in there. The ballpark's great. They'll really enjoy it, especially the guys who haven't been there."