RUSTON – The Northwestern State baseball team's mid-week matchup against Louisiana Tech will arrive two hours earlier than scheduled Tuesday afternoon.
 
It is something the Demons have become accustomed to dealing with in the early part of the 2019 season.
 
When Northwestern State (5-4) tangles with the Bulldogs (9-2) at 4 p.m. at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, it will do so after having a game affected by weather for the fourth time in its past seven contests. Streaming audio of Tuesday's game will be available on www.NSUDemons.com/watch.
 
"It's good to be on a routine, but you have to be tough enough to handle not being on a routine," third-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. "You have to be able to handle things like weather, things like practice schedules being different. We'll continue to grow as a team and be able to handle those things in the future."
 
Tuesday's game is the first of a two-game, home-and-home season series with the Bulldogs, marking the second straight season that will happen since the resumption of the rivalry after a one-year hiatus in 2017.
 
A year ago, the Demons grabbed a 6-4, 10-inning win in Ruston, a victory Barbier said reinforced what could happen for his team.
 
"We knew they had a good team last year," he said. "To go up there, In a good baseball environment, and get a good win propels you. It made our team believe. We had a tough year the year before. We told the guys as much as we could to believe and how good they could be. Until they do that, it's hard to get through to them. We went toe-to-toe with them and got a victory. It was a marquee win that got us going."
 
Louisiana Tech is off to a hot start, sweeping Arkansas State this past weekend to push its win streak to four straight. The Bulldogs kicked off their run with a 5-3, 12-inning win at Little Rock on Feb. 26.
 
Northwestern State, meanwhile, took two of three games from Little Rock this past weekend and have won three of its past four games.
 
Adding to the rivalry aspect of the game, which marks the 62^nd meeting between the teams since the 1990 season is the fact the teams met this fall.
 
The Demons and Bulldogs took advantage of a new NCAA rule that allows baseball teams to play up to two fall games against other teams that will not count against the 56 available playing dates in the regular season.
 
"The fall game is so different," Barbier said. "You're playing everybody on the roster, pitching everybody on the roster. As you move forward (in the season), you get your group of guys who are pitching and playing, and it's a lot different. One of their best pitchers, who has thrown a lot for them early and was really good for them last year, was the one who gave it up against us in the fall.
 
"They've got a great team. (Head coach) Lane (Burroughs) obviously does a great job. We've had some really good contests with them over the past couple of games. They've won four in a row. They'll be ready to play."
 
Probable Pitchers:
Northwestern State RHP Cullen McDonald (1-0, 0.00) at Louisiana Tech RHP Bryce Fagan (0-0, 27.00).