Demon Baseball | 3/15/2018 11:09:00 AM
LINCOLN, Nebraska – Once a year, the Northwestern State baseball team tries to step well outside its comfort zone
The 2018 version of that arrives Friday as the Demons (10-7) open a three-game series against Big Ten member and 2017 NCAA Regional participant Nebraska (10-7) at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. First pitch Friday is set for 4:05 p.m. with Saturday's game beginning at 2:05 p.m. and Sunday's 11:05 a.m. affair concluding the set.
"We like to take one trip a year where we go see something new," second-year head coach
Bobby Barbier said. "It's something these guys have never seen, something I've never seen. I've never been to Lincoln, never played there. I've heard a lot of good things about it. I know Nicholls went there last year and coach (Seth) Thibodeaux said it was a great place to play. They draw good crowds and have a great environment."
Northwestern State enters the three-game series on a three-game winning streak, highlighted by a 14-3 victory against ULM on Wednesday in which the Demons set a season high in runs scored.
The Huskers split a two-game midweek set with Northern Colorado, dropping the opener before responding with an emphatic 14-2 victory Wednesday.
The Demons have taken two of three games in each of the first four weekends of the season, marking their most consecutive weekend series wins to open a season since 2002 when NSU captured its first six weekend series of the season.
One key to the Demons' weekend success has been the consistency of starting pitchers
Nathan Jones,
Ridge Heisler and
Robert Burke. The Demons are a combined 8-4 in the trio's weekend starts through three weekends.
Heisler has turned in three consecutive quality starts (pitching at least six innings while allowing three earned runs or less), including his first career complete game in a 3-1 win at Nicholls on March 10.
"Those guys have been building trust," said Barbier, who also is the Demons pitching coach. "I trust 12 or 13 guys, maybe 15. It's good to have trust in a bunch of guys."
In its past 11 innings, the Demons' offense has built its share of trust as well.
Since trailing Nicholls 3-1 entering the seventh inning of its March 11 game, Northwestern State has outscored its opponents 18-4, putting up four multi-run innings in that span.
The next test for the Demons will be to see if their offense travels to the Midwest.
"It will be good to get our guys in different circumstances and see how we compete, regardless of the circumstance," Barbier said. "We have some guys who have never flown. It will be fun to take a flight, get them in something new – a different environment – and watch them compete."
All three games of the series will be streamed through BTN Plus, a subscription-based arm of the Big Ten Network. Streaming audio will be available through
www.NSUDemons.com/watch.
Series probables
Friday: Northwestern State RHP
Nathan Jones (1-1, 3.55) at Nebraska RHP Luis Alvarado (1-1, 2.70)
Saturday: Northwestern State LHP
Ridge Heisler (3-0, 1.27) at Nebraska RHP Matt Warren (2-0. 5.03)
Sunday: Northwestern State RHP
Robert Burke (0-2, 5.82) at Nebraska TBA
