Northwestern State University’s baseball team started its season off strong with victories during the season-opening series against the University of Texas at Arlington. The players continue to perform and improve on the field and during practices.
Brooks Leonard, a junior health and exercise science major, played in NSU’s season-opening series. “I think the crowd was good, and we rally with the crowd when they get up. We got that momentum and I think it was good,” Leonard said. “We fought. We never gave up, even when we got punched in the mouth. We responded with another punch, and we never gave up. We always fight.”
Beginning the first 10 games with a record of 5-5, the team has 44 games remaining as of Feb. 27.
Head coach Chris Bertrand holds that the hardships the team has faced have fostered new opportunities for growth. “The start of the season is kind of broken down into two parts when we play our brand of baseball. When we are at our best, it shows. When we do not, then I think it also exposes the deficiencies that we have that we need to work on,” Bertrand said.
“I think that we continue to show a lot of fight and a lot of courage and a lot of competitive spirit late in the ball games. We’re playing really well in the moments and the innings that are most critical,” Bertrand said. “I think the way that they handle adversity, the way that they continue to compete and the way that we continue to have each other’s backs and perform as one unit and as one family is definitely a strength of theirs.”
As the season continues, a strong connection is needed among the players to succeed on the field. Brock Davis, a freshman health and exercise science major, believes the team has a strong dynamic. “I think we have a really great group of guys, and we all have the same common goal,” Davis said. “We all push each other, and ultimately, I think that this group really has a chance to do something that a lot of groups haven’t done in the past. I’m really proud of the way these guys come out every day and compete.”
With each season’s change, the players face new partnerships and chemistry. Kevin Robinson, a junior hospitality management and tourism major, looks forward to the rest of the season. “I’d say the guys are a lot closer this year. I think that we’ve hit our ups and downs really early—the beginning of the season was really high, then we hit some bumps in the road—but I think we’re going to come out on the good side,” Robinson said. “I think there’s a lot of really good things in store … I think we’re in a really good spot where we can come out and just compete every single day and go to work with the guys that we love.”
The players continue to grow and improve with each win and loss, powering through misfortunes to represent the sport they enjoy.
