NATCHITOCHES – When Chris Bertrand took over the reins of the Northwestern State baseball team, he had a vision of building a program that would make its stakeholders proud.
 
As the Demons welcome home their former lettermen for an Alumni Weekend series against Southland Conference rival HCU that begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Brown-Stroud Field, Betrand and his squad have done just that. The series also includes a 2 p.m. Saturday game and a 1 p.m. Sunday matinee finale. All three games will air on ESPN+.
 
"When we were given the opportunity, we said this is what we wanted to get done," Bertrand said. "Now that we're seeing the fruits of that labor, there's an immense amount of pride. We talk a lot about how things get done on and off the field. I think this team we have is one that is about what they say they want to be about. They are who they say they are. They do what they need to do.
 
"There's a seamless look to it in that we are surrounding ourselves with good people – people who believe in what's going on – and we want to do our part to uphold what's been laid so far."
 
The Demons (22-11, 13-5) enter their seventh Southland series of the season sitting atop the league.
 
They have done so with a revolving cast of contributors that has touched every part of the roster and will do so again Friday as junior right-hander Kevin Robinson steps into his first Southland Conference start.
 
"We say we're going to be gritty and we're going to be punchers and it's a next-man-up attitude and it's a family and it takes everybody, you want to show that you believe in it," Bertrand said. "That's why you have seen guys succeed. That's why we have all the confidence in the world moving forward. We're going to deal with the adversity and storms as they come as a group.
 
"Kevin is no different than anyone who has stepped up – I'm so proud of the position players who are doing it right now. We don't know how it's going to turn out, but what we do know is what we're getting from K. Rob. You know what you're getting when he toes the rubber. You know what you're getting when the Demons take the field. As long as we go be that, I like where it is that we are."
 
Northwestern's three-game road sweep of UTRGV this past weekend helped open some room for the Demons in the conference standings as the season hits its home stretch.
 
Sitting atop the table, however, brings with it a different set of challenges, even for a team that has won five straight series in league play.
 
"It's high-stakes baseball," Bertrand said. "With every good thing that comes to you, more responsibility comes with it. That target gets a little bit bigger with each one. The want you have to carve out an identity and a brand and go play well, when you're able to accomplish that, to a small degree, what comes with it is the accountability for what's moving forward."
 
The visiting Huskies (14-18, 6-9) can commiserate with wearing a target.
 
HCU won the 2025 Southland Conference Tournament championship in their first season under head coach Clay VanderLaan. The Huskies jumped to a 4-2 start in conference play, including a road series win at McNeese.
 
"They're going to be three absolute dogfight baseball games," Bertrand said. "We share very similar characteristics. They are tough and gritty. They throw strikes. Whether it be this year or last year, they play a brand of baseball that is very similar to ours. We expect to get every best bullet in an absolute battle from good people. Clay's done an unbelievable job. We're looking forward to the opportunity to test ourselves in that environment."
 
Series Probables
Friday: HCU RHP Trent Barnes (0-2, 4.97) at Northwestern State RHP Kevin Robinson (0-1, 2.43)
Saturday: HCU RHP David Lopez (4-1, 2.93) at Northwestern State RHP Dylan Marionneaux (3-2, 5.03)
Sunday: HCU TBA at Northwestern State RHP Trent Hillen (2-1, 5.40)