By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
HAMMOND – Forgive the Northwestern State baseball team if it feels it is living in a Yogi Berra quote as it begins the postseason.
The No. 4 seed Demons may be feeling a sense of “déjà vu all over again” as they open the 2025 Southland Conference Tournament by squaring off with No. 5 seed McNeese at Southeastern Louisiana’s Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. The game 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.
The matchup is the same as the one that opened the 2024 tournament, which will take place at the same field where the Demons (33-19) faced the Cowboys (31-15) a year ago. Even the seedings are the same as they were a season ago.
There is one difference – this time the teams are coming directly from a three-game series in Natchitoches in which the Demons took two of three games.
“That’s why we talk about (learning life lessons) and that’s why we take the approach we take,” second-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. “It’s because we recognize not only is it important to learn each of those along the way, but you know it will be necessary for down the road. It’s going to be valuable for what is down the road. We feel that by just seeing those guys, it’s something we just got done preparing a whole week for, and we get to do it again. We’re very familiar with them.”
Northwestern capped the regular season by winning its final three Southland series of the year, including series wins against No. 3 seed Lamar and McNeese. Overall, the Demons won eight of 10 SLC series with five series wins coming against teams who qualified for the eight-team tournament.
It will mark the first time since 2014 for the Demons to start the tournament against the same team they ended the regular season against.
“Two years in a row we get McNeese in the first round, but we just played them a couple of days ago,” said third baseman Rocco Gump, who was named to the All-Southland Conference second team on Wednesday. “We know what we’re getting ourselves into. We feel good about it going into it.”
A season ago, Gump was one of a bevy of Demon newcomers who were partaking in their first season of Division I baseball and their first postseason action at that level.
That group is much more seasoned – and comfortable with who and where they are – as they arrive for a third meeting with the Cowboys in as many Southland tournaments. The teams have split the previous two meetings and are 5-5 all-time against one another in SLC postseason play.
“It’s huge,” Gump said. “I know from a personal point of view, last year going into the tournament was different. It was your first Division I postseason experience. Having that under my belt and being able to take a breath and just play baseball will be good this year.”
Although much of the Demon roster and lineup gained that experience a season ago, the man on the mound in this year’s tournament opener for Northwestern was finishing his high school career a year ago.
Left-hander Carter White (4-1, 2.22) will square off with McNeese right-hander Sergio Lopez (7-1, 2.60) on Thursday.
Each team won the game started by their probable starters during this past series. White scattered seven hits across six innings of two-run baseball in the opener to earn his fourth win of the year while Lopez took a no-decision in the middle game of the series, a 7-6 McNeese win.
The veteran Demon roster has faith in White, who has allowed four runs in 13 innings in his past two Southland starts with wins against Stephen F. Austin and McNeese.
“He’s not your typical first-year freshman guy,” senior outfielder/designated hitter Clay Jung said. “He goes out there and competes and wants to win. He’s knowledgeable beyond his years. It’s great to have a guy you trust and know will give you a great start. That’s all you can ask for from a guy.”
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