NATCHITOCHES – As a month filled with Northwestern State baseball reunions winds down, the one with the deepest ties arrives at one of the season's checkpoints.
 
The Demons host Southeastern, led by former NSU skipper Bobby Barbier, in a three-game series that doubles as the Southland Conference opener for both teams. Friday's 6:30 p.m. series opener will be followed by a 2 p.m. Saturday matchup and a 1 p.m. Sunday series finale. All three games will air on ESPN+.
 
In addition to Barbier, the Lions (15-6) bring a roster and a coaching staff that includes seven additional coaches and players who either played or coached – or in some cases both – at Northwestern State.
 
"The bigger storylines are for the fans and the community, and we want them to enjoy them and have fun in every way they can," said first-year head coach Chris Bertrand, who coached alongside Barbier for seven seasons at NSU. "It's great to see people we love, great to see people we respect, and it's great to open Southland Conference play in what we hope will be a highly competitive and well-played series."
 
The Demons (5-16) have played March road series against teams coached by former NSU assistant Chris Curry (Little Rock) and former NSU head coach Lane Burroughs (Louisiana Tech). Northwestern State then faced former Southland Conference rival Sam Houston, falling to the Bearkats, 5-2, on Wednesday night in Huntsville, Texas.
 
Northwestern State's non-conference slate also included home series against Southern Illinois and Troy, which reached the NCAA Regionals last season. The Demons hope they are able to put the lessons learned in those matchups into practice.
 
"Compartmentalizing the schedule is something everyone always looks at," Bertrand said. "Then, you have to take the situations surrounding each part of the schedule and put them to use. For us, it's taking those life lessons learned from the first 21 games against some unbelievable opponents. We talked about gaining the necessary experience given the nature of our roster. All of those things lead up to what matters – everything we build ourselves toward, which is conference play."
 
For the Demons, putting everything together at once is on the list.
 
In Wednesday's matchup, Northwestern State saw its pitching staff quiet an offense that averages nearly seven runs per game for most of the night, not allowing a multi-run inning until the eighth inning. That performance came one night after the Bearkats hammered Baylor, 18-3.
 
Defensively, the Demons played error-free baseball against Sam Houston and added a handful of highlight reel plays from third baseman Hayden Knotts and outfielders Balin Valentine and Reese Lipoma.
 
As Southland play arrives, it is the offense the Demons are waiting on to return to the form it flashed earlier in the season. Through four games, Northwestern State averaged 10 runs per game. In the next 17, the Demons have scored a little less than four runs per contest.
 
The Demons produced chances Wednesday night, stranding nine runners – including the bases loaded in the second inning after taking a 1-0 lead on Clay Jung's first career home run.
 
"Through 21 games, we have sat on the same story, but it's for good reason," Bertrand said. "We continue to believe in our baseball. We have great belief that we have what is necessary to compete in our league. Even though the results haven't kicked our way, we have learned every step along the way. It looks ugly on paper, but we have belief on our side that we can use those things to change going forward.
 
"Everybody who took the mound (Wednesday) competed and took a step forward. Defensively, we're continuing to build trust in those pivotal moments and proved we have the necessary skills. We continue to build opportunities offensively. We have to work on cashing those in. Against Sam Houston and their quality arms, our offense strung together good at-bats and created opportunities. The ball didn't bounce our way in the big, big moments. Through 21 games, we have to be accountable for what we have been. I think the world of the value we have pulled out of the first 21 games and how we will use that value in the next 30-something games moving forward."
 
Series Probables
Friday: Southeastern RHP Brennan Stuprich (1-2, 3.04) at Northwestern State RHP Chase Prestwich (2-2, 9.27)
Saturday: Southeastern RHP Dakota Lee (0-1, 5.32) at Northwestern State RHP Dawson Flowers (1-1, 6.64)
Sunday: Southeastern RHP Will Kinzeler (1-0, 7.02) at Northwestern State RHP Dylan Marionneaux (0-4, 8.82)