By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations
NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State baseball team’s veteran lineup drew attention from Southland Conference coaches.
Four Demons were named to the Preseason All-Southland Conference Baseball Teams, which were announced Thursday morning. The teams were chosen by votes by the conference’s coaches.
Northwestern placed a pair of players on the first team – senior third baseman Rocco Gump and senior center fielder Reese Lipoma.
Lipoma, a St. Amant High School product, was a second-team All-Southland Conference selection in 2024 after leading the Demons in batting average (.312), hits (69), runs (56), doubles (13) and stolen bases (14). Lipoma missed a top-10 single-season school mark in runs scored by one.
Gump enjoyed a stellar first season in Natchitoches, earning Southland Conference All-Defensive Team honors at third base, fielding at a .987 mark at the hot corner.
At the plate, Gump, a native of Chandler, Arizona, batted. 285 with 19 extra-base hits – including six home runs. His 44 RBIs ranked third on the team as did his .403 on-base percentage.
Senior outfielder Balin Valentine and junior right-handed starting pitcher Tyler Byran represented the Demons on the second team.
Valentine led Northwestern in home runs (10) and was second on the team in RBIs with 46. In Southland play, Valentine stood second in the conference in RBIs (27), third in hit by pitch (7), tied for fifth in home runs (7) and 10th in slugging percentage (.591) during his first season at Northwestern after transferring from Dallas College Brookhaven.
Bryan, a junior from Beckville, Texas, began his 2024 season in the bullpen before transitioning to the starting rotation. In his first two starts, Bryan worked a combined nine scoreless innings, including five shutout frames at Lamar in a 2-0 Demon victory on May 4. Before moving to the rotation, Bryan led the Demons with four saves.
Northwestern opens its 2025 season at home Feb. 14 against Central Arkansas. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at the new-look Brown-Stroud Field.
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