BEAUMONT, Texas – When the calendar flipped from March to April, junior outfielder Balin Valentine had driven in five runs in the first 26 games of his Northwestern State baseball career.
 
In a month known for producing showers, Valentine delivered a waterfall of RBIs, driving in 32 runs in the Demons' 16 April games. His 11 RBIs across the Demons' four-game homestand from April 23-28 helped him collect his first Southland Conference Hitter of the Week award Monday.
 
Valentine and the Demons will ride that hot stretch from him and several others in the NSU lineup into its final road weekend series of the year, a three-game matchup with Southland Conference-leading Lamar that begins at 6 p.m. Friday at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
 
The series also includes a 5 p.m. Saturday matchup and a 1 p.m. Sunday series finale. All three games will air on ESPN+ with free streaming audio available through www.NSUDemons.com and the Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded free for Apple and Android devices.
 
"Those are the types of players we build our program around," first-year head coach Chris Bertrand said of Valentine. "They're our type of players for what we are trying to build. It's great to see him have individual success. He is worthy and deserving of everything that has come his way the past couple of weeks. We are proud of the way he has done it – the way he has improved since arriving here in August, the way he has improved from Game to Game 40-something.
 
"Balin is turning himself into an amazing self-made player because he has realized his strengths and he puts them to great use. Behind the scenes, he's working to sharpen the weaknesses. It's not only a model in terms of good performance, but also the way he has gone about his business teaches our ballclub a lot of lessons."
 
For the Demons (18-26, 9-9), the challenge this week is as clear as what Lamar (31-9, 12-3) has relied upon to build a two-game lead in Southland Conference play.
 
The Cardinals' typical starting rotation of Brooks Caple, Jacob Ellis and reigning SLC Pitcher of the Week Hunter Hesseltine has helped the Cardinals pitch to a 3.35 ERA, second nationally behind Arkansas.
                                                                                                                     
That group will challenge an NSU offense that averaged 11.5 runs per game in a 4-0 home week against Grambling and HCU that included a three-game sweep of the Huskies.
 
"You look at the numbers, the statistics, and you can see the way in which they have stacked up wins against quality opponents," Bertrand said. "Everything points toward that direction. What a tremendous challenge, but we have a ballclub that welcomes challenges at every turn. We talk about not flinching and welcoming challenges and competition. We understand what lies before us. We understand all the elements – the No. 1 team in the league, a team that will provide quite a challenge, us being on the road. We're looking forward to it. We have a team that looks forward to those moments regardless of the results."
 
The Demons' most recent Southland results – their first conference sweep since April 1-3, 2022 – kept their destiny within their hands. As the team that finishes conference play first, NSU has six league games remaining and can assure themselves of a conference tournament berth ahead of their final non-conference weekend of the season against Stephen F. Austin from May 16-18.
 
"I like the vibe we have going and the direction we're headed," Betrand said. "Being in control of your own destiny and putting ourselves in position to do what we want, we're really proud of the position we're in. We're looking forward to the challenges and competition moving forward, knowing we are in control of what's in front of us."