By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
NATCHITOCHES – For the better part of seven months, the Northwestern State baseball team has become a family.
At 6:30 p.m. Friday, the Demons truly become whole when a newcomer-laden roster finally experiences a chance to compete against another team. That comes when another team with a cadre of new faces – Southern Illinois – arrives at Brown-Stroud Field to start the 2024 season.
All three games of the series – Friday’s opener, the 2 p.m. Saturday matchup and Sunday’s 12 p.m. series finale – will air on ESPN+.
“Hard to contain it,” new Demon skipper Chris Bertrand said about the excitement level for himself and his team. “When we throw the first pitch Friday, it’s a culmination of everything we’ve been through. Once we get to it, we’re the 2024 Demons. We are responsible and accountable for what happens. The season is upon us. We have a bunch that welcomes competition, and they’re ready to get after somebody else.”
Northwestern State’s roster includes 27 newcomers among its 40 total players. However, the Demons do have a core of veterans back from a season ago led by a pair of preseason All-Southland Conference selections.
Both senior catcher Bo Willis and junior right-handed pitcher Chase Prestwich were second-team preseason all-league picks, and both enter their third season at NSU. That pair joins other upperclassmen such as pitchers Dawson Flowers and Tim O’Connor, catcher James Starnes and center fielder Reese Lipoma as veteran Demons who have helped Northwestern State’s transition to the Bertrand era.
“Being with those guys for three years shows in the leadership part,” Lipoma said. “Bert leans on us to lead, especially with the younger guys. We show them how we do things here. With such a new team, you’re going to need people who have been here to show the way and pave a path for the newcomers.”
While Willis brings 81 career starts at Northwestern State into his senior season, Lipoma drew the majority of his 12 career starts down the stretch of the 2023 season.
Primarily a pinch runner for most of his first two seasons, Lipoma has a chance to follow in the footsteps of his former St. Amant High School and NSU teammate Larson Fontenot.
“Larson did a good job of working while he waited,” said Lipoma, who has hit .262 and posted a .396 career on-base percentage in 53 career plate appearances. “That’s been my whole thing. The opportunities haven’t always shown, but Larson and I continued to work and get better. When the opportunity arose, he succeeded well and had a really good last two years. I’d like to do the same.”
Similar to the way Lipoma has worked his way into the lineup, Prestwich has worked his way into the weekend rotation.
A season ago, Prestwich was a two-time Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week, earning one award each for a start and a relief outing. A Frederick, Colorado, native, Prestwich is set to anchor the Demons’ rotation in his junior season.
“I’m really excited,” said Prestwich, who made 13 relief appearances and eight starts a season go. “I have experience in both, but I’m ready to be a starter and get into that routine.”
The visiting Salukis, 30-27 a season ago, are in a similar position to Northwestern State with regards to roster construction. Twenty of Southern Illinois’ 34 players are new to the program.
As the Demons will, the Salukis will start two newcomers in the weekend rotation with the difference being SIU will send its lone returning starter – Jake Combs – to the mound in the series finale while the Demons open with Prestwich, their most experienced returning starter.
Junior college transfer Aidan Foeller and USC Upstate transfer Al Holquin are expected to start the first two games for Southern Illinois. Northwestern State will counter with Coppin State transfer Tyler Nichol and junior college transfer Aidan Newton in games two and three this weekend.
Under fifth-year head coach Lance Rhodes, the Salukis have averaged 38 wins per season the past three years.
“I have all the respect for Lance and the job he does,” Bertrand said. “In talking with him and getting to know him, he’s a tremendous leader and has built a tremendous program. We are excited about the caliber of the opponent. We want to build the right way. We want to challenge ourselves. We welcome the competition. We want to bring in quality opponents to help our team get better. We want to bring in quality opponents who can help us prepare for Southland Conference play. We want to navigate a 56-game season against quality opponents in a way that helps us prepare for the postseason and tournament play.
“We have a lot of perspective on how we want to go through the season. To be able to start it against such a quality opponent is right in line with what we want to do and how we want to build.”
Series Probables (2023 stats if available)
Friday: Southern Illinois RHP Aidan Foeller at Northwestern State RHP Chase Prestwich (4-4, 5.08)
Saturday: Southern Illinois LHP Al Holguin at Northwestern State RHP Tyler Nichol
Sunday: Southern Illinois RHP Jake Combs (3-2, 2.97) at Northwestern State RHP Aidan Newton