NATCHITOCHES – It has been more than nine months since the Northwestern State baseball team played a game at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
In the interim, the Demons have accomplished something – winning the Southland Conference Tournament – no other NSU baseball team has and opened the season by going toe-to-toe with a talented Houston team.
 
Although rain is expected to linger throughout the weekend, the Demon are scheduled to open a three-game weekend set against state rival Southern at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the renovated Brown-Stroud Field. The series also includes a 2 p.m. Saturday game and the 1 p.m. Sunday series finale.
 
Streaming audio and video of the series is available through www.NSUDemons.com/watch and the Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded free through the Apple Store or Google Play.
 
"Our fans on the road were unbelievable," third-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. "One of the ticket takers at Houston was so impressed with how well we traveled. That's a credit to a lot of parents and the fact we have a large alumni base in Houston, but it's good to be home in front of the people who haven't seen us in a while. We've had a lot of things happen since they last saw us. It'll be neat to come out and see them."
 
The Demons (1-2) were scheduled to play No. 1 LSU on Wednesday before heavy rains forced the postponement of that game until March 12. Meanwhile, Southern (3-1) had a busy opening weekend, sweeping three games in the Andre Dawson Classic in New Orleans before falling 13-0 to Air Force on Monday at Alex Box Stadium.
 
Each of Northwestern State's three opening-weekend games were decided in the final at-bat. The Demons shook off two walk-off losses to take a 2-1, 11-inning win Sunday as Tyler Smith connected on Northwestern State's first home run of the season to give NSU the victory.
 
"I'm just so proud of the guys," Barbier said. "The first two games, we were right there and we get walked off. As a team, you can start feeling sorry for yourself when things aren't working out. It's why baseball is the best game to teach you about life.
 
"You can do everything right and the success isn't there. It's the same way in life, but if you continue to do it the right way, it will work out."
 
Northwestern State's pitching staff kept the Demons in all three games at Houston. Despite being limited by pitch counts, the Demons' all-senior rotation of left-hander Ridge Heisler and right-handers Jerry Maddox and Nathan Jones worked a combined 15 2-3 innings, scattering 10 12 hits and five runs, compiling an aggregate 2.87 ERA.
 
The trio is expected to start in the same order – Heisler on Friday, Maddox on Saturday and Jones on Sunday – this weekend. Southern has not announced its starting rotation.
What impressed Barbier, who doubles as the Demons' pitching coach, went beyond the numbers his staff posted against a Houston team that averaged more than 5 runs per game a season ago.
 
"We really commanded the strike zone," he said. "All three starters and the relievers we brought in – it was so refreshing to see the guys come out without the big eyes on the mound. We came out and compete in the strike zone. We made pitches throughout.
 
"Our three starters were tremendous. The guys who didn't get a chance to pitch, I think they'll do the same thing. They'll go out and execute pitches."
 
Series Probables
Friday: Southern TBA at Northwestern State LHP Ridge Heisler (0-0, 3.60)
Saturday: Southern TBA at Northwestern State RHP Jerry Maddox (0-0, 3.18)
Sunday: Southern TBA at Northwestern State RHP Nathan Jones (0-0, 1.80)