NATCHITOCHES – Another game, another set of reunions for the Northwestern State baseball team.
 
When the Demons host Louisiana Christian at 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN+, it marks another in a long line of March reunions for either the NSU program, players or coaches.
 
For first-year head coach Chris Bertrand, the first meeting between the Demons (6-18) and Wildcats (22-6) since 2006 offers a chance for him to say thank you to his former coach – LCU skipper Mike Byrnes.
 
"That's the beautiful part about what the game of baseball does for us," Bertrand said. "That's the beautiful part about what the game in Louisiana has done for us. That's one of the beautiful parts of the job. We know how lucky and how grateful we are to be in the position to lead this program. Aside from just what the game has given us, we have to be grateful, and we have to pay it forward.
 
"Mike's going to come in here with a great baseball team. Not only is there a storyline and not only is he a mentor, he's going to come in here with a great baseball team that will push us to get better. That's why we do those things and why the game is on the schedule."
 
The first meeting between the teams since a 10-7 NSU win in Pineville on March 7, 2006, also links together Northwestern State starting pitcher Kevin Robinson (0-1, 4.50) with another family member.
 
Robinson's older brother, Andrew, went 21-5 in five seasons at Louisiana Christian while pitching for Byrnes.
 
Two weeks ago, Kevin Robinson started the Demons' game against Louisiana Tech where his father, Daniel, played collegiately.
 
"The biggest part of that story is the way Kevin has handled every part of it," Bertrand said. "Not only has he earned everything he has gotten to this point and earned the right for us to hand him the baseball, but at the same time, Kevin's the type of guy to take those storylines and use them as motivation. He doesn't run from them. He stares them down and uses them as motivation. He pitches with an intent and an attack that says he is using everything at his disposal as motivation."
 
Kevin Robinson worked three innings against Sam Houston in NSU's last midweek game, scattering five hits and two runs against a hot-hitting Bearkat offense.
 
He will start his fourth straight midweek game against a Wildcat team that is hitting .353 on the season and averaging more than nine runs per game.
 
Fortunately for the Demons, they will carry some momentum with them into the finale of their four-game homestand after compiling 16 hits in an 11-8 win against Southeastern on Sunday that notched the first Southland Conference win of the Bertrand era.
 
The 16 hits were the second most for the Demons in a single game this season and their first double-digit hit performance since a March 15 loss at Louisiana Tech.
 
"We look to build off the momentum from the weekend and the things we did well," Bertrand said. "We look forward to playing well (Tuesday) night and using those experiences going through the weekend. It's the same approach of stacking bricks every week – it's just this week we get to do it with some cool stories."