NATCHITOCHES –A knee injury kept Sam Taylor from playing much of his sophomore baseball season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
 
That same injury may have provided the momentum for the infielder's strong finish to his junior season at Northwestern State and a fast start to his senior year.
 
Taylor enters the Demons' three-game series against Little Rock (1-7), which begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Brown-Stroud Field, feeling confident and productive at the plate. His current four-game hitting streak included a doubleheader day to remember against Southern on Feb. 24.
 
Against the Jaguars, Taylor went a combined 7-for-9 in the two games, at one point reaching base in seven straight plate appearances (six hits, one walk).
 
"Since I've been here, that's the best I've felt at the plate," said Taylor, who made his first NSU start as the Demons' leadoff hitter in the nightcap of the twinbill. "I haven't had a stretch like that for six at-bats for a while. It made me feel like I was in junior college again. When you're feeling it in junior college and you're playing a doubleheader, you can get six hits in a day.
 
"It's fun to get hits and succeed. It made me realize what I can do on a day-in and day-out basis."
 
Taylor came to Northwestern State (3-3) with the reputation of a stellar defender, and he lived up to that advance billing – though he also flashed his offensive potential. Fittingly, he delivered his first career three-hit game at Little Rock in a 6-5 Demons' win in the series opener on March 2, 2018.
 
Taylor started at both second and third base in his first season at the Division I level and showcased his defensive talents at both spots. Taylor was an integral part of a Demons infield that finished the season ranked second in the nation in double plays per game (1.13) and third in total double plays turned (70).
 
A 5-foot-11, 172-pounder from Columbus, Mississippi, Taylor had a hand in 25 of those double plays, either starting many of them from third base or making the pivot and throw to finish them from second.
 
While his defense was rock solid from the moment the 2018 season began, it took a while for Taylor to feel comfortable at the plate.
 
And that is where the second knee injury came into play.
 
Taylor tweaked his knee during the series finale against Houston Baptist on April 29 and did not return until the Demons played at LSU 16 days later. Upon his return to the lineup in Alex Box Stadium, Taylor promptly delivered an opposite-field double.
 
That hit set off a literally stronger finish to the season for Taylor, who connected on his first two career home runs during Northwestern State's three games at the Corvallis Regional.
 
"After LSU, we played at New Orleans, and I had a pretty good series," Taylor said. "That weekend, I felt comfortable again. It was around the 12 to 15 at-bat range after the injury. The two-week break I had from being hurt helped me as far as my swing goes. I felt I had a much more natural approach when I came back. I wasn't thinking as much. I felt pretty good."
 
Third-year Bobby Barbier credited Taylor's approach to helping him unlock his offensive potential.
 
"Sam has come miles from when he came to us, overcoming that knee injury he had," Barbier said. "He always has been one of the best defenders I've coached. He's taken his game up a level offensively."
 
Since shifting primarily to third base early in the 2018 season, Taylor and shortstop Caleb Ricca have formed a versatile tandem capable of affecting games offensively and defensively.
 
"When they're both playing well, they can do things," Barbier said. "They both play really good defense at premium positions. They both can run. When they get on base, they're both going to score from first base on a double. They can steal bases. They can affect the game multiple ways."
 
Taylor's hot start, which he extended to an 8-for-10 run with a first-inning single Tuesday, has been representative of how much his comfort level has increased from one season to the next.
 
"Coming from junior college to D-I is a big jump for a hitter," he said. "It's different from an atmosphere where you know you can swing it and everyone has confidence in you to go to where you have to prove yourself. Adjusting to that as the season went along, I gained more confidence.
 
"(Having success) on the biggest stage against some of the best competition gave me confidence that carried over. Any time I may not be feeling as good with my swing, I can go back and remember that and what kind of hitter I can be. That's big as far as confidence goes."
 
In addition to Friday's series opener, the Demons and Trojans will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Streaming audio and video for all three games will be available at www.NSUDemons.com/watch and through the new Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple Store.
 
Friday's game will feature members of the Krewe of Dionysus throwing Mardi Gras beads as part of Mardi Gras weekend. Sunday's game will be a Bark at the Park day, sponsored by Pet Star. All fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to Brown-Stroud Field for the series finale.