\t\t\t19<\/p>\n
By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations <\/p>\n
NATCHITOCHES \u2013 The Northwestern State baseball program added 19 newcomers to its roster for the upcoming 2027 season, fourth-year head coach Chris Bertrand announced Thursday.<\/p>\n
The group includes 10 junior-college transfers, five transfers from four-year institutions and four high school signees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t be any more excited to welcome this group to campus and to continue to build the program from a roster-construction standpoint in what we feel like is an extremely positive direction,\u201d Bertrand said. \u201cI think (the class) hits all the marks of what it is we needed to do. We continue to discuss balance, and it\u2019s a very balanced class when it comes to the quality of the high school players, the junior college players and what we accomplished in the transfer portal. It meets our needs from a baseball standpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n
The class includes 10 position players, seven pitchers and two two-way players who could see time both in the field and on the mound.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt meets our needs from a baseball standpoint in how we were able to get left-handed hitters to continue to bolster our offense,\u201d Bertrand said. \u201cWe got more athletic, we got a little faster and we are obviously more physical than what we have had, especially on the position-player side. We were able to acquire a tremendous amount of arm talent that (pitching coach) Dan (Hlad) has an opportunity to develop and to continue to replace what we lost from the pitching staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
2026 Northwestern State Baseball Newcomer Class Bios<\/p>\n
Hunter Azemar, C, R\/R, 6-0, 210, Sr., Lafayette, Louisiana (Southside HS\/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi\/Holmes CC)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Played for the Acadiana Cane Cutters in the Texas Collegiate League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent one season at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and two at Holmes Community College \u2026 homered three times and drove in 19 runs in 41 games with the Islanders \u2026 two-time All-Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference selection at Holmes \u2026 led the MACCC with 15 home runs as a sophomore, helping Holmes reach the conference tournament \u2026 drove in 57 runs and scored 52 in 54 games \u2026 batted .327 with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs as a freshman in 2024.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Three-year letterman for coach Andre Boudreaux\u2019s Sharks \u2026 earned all-state honors at DH \u2026 batted .432 with a 1.247 OPS, including six home runs, as a senior, helping Southside reach as high as No. 5 in Louisiana Class 5A \u2026 slashed .275\/.408\/1.006 as a junior, cracking 12 home runs \u2026 batted .300 with a home run as a sophomore as Southside went 25-10 and reached the state playoffs \u2026 honor roll student graduated with a 3.3 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Aug. 12, 2004 \u2026 son of Leslie and David Azemar \u2026 has a sister, Kaitlyn \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 hopes to become a business owner \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to have a healthy family.<\/p>\n
Assistant coach Sam Taylor on Azemar:\u00a0\u201cHunter is a physical catcher with the ability to bring some slug to the game and impact the game positively in that direction. He\u2019s also a good catch-and-throw guy who should play some quality innings for us behind the plate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peyton Beck, RHP, R\/R, 6-1, 205, Jr., Ruston, Louisiana (Ruston HS\/Hinds CC\/LSU-Eunice)<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent one season each at Hinds Community College and LSU-Eunice \u2026 helped pitch Hinds to the regional tournament, going 3-4 with 52 strikeouts in 46 2-3 inning pitched \u2026 posted a 1.59 ERA for LSU-Eunice in 2025, helping the Bengals win the regional tournament \u2026 named to the Dean\u2019s List at both schools, posting a perfect 4.0 GPA.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Three-year letterman for coach Zach Smith\u2019s Bearcats \u2026 also lettered in football for coach Jerrod Baugh \u2026 named to the LHSAA Academic All-State Team \u2026 member of the Principal\u2019s List, the Student Council, the National Honor Society and the Homecoming court \u2026 graduated with a 4.3 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Feb. 16, 2006 \u2026 son of Jana and Bryan Beck, the head baseball coach at Ruston High School \u2026 has two brothers, Bailey Jack and Knox \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 hopes to attend law school \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to empower others through advocacy and leadership.<\/p>\n
Assistant coach Dylan Belanger on Beck:\u00a0\u201cPeyton is a local JUCO product from Ruston High School who has a chance to be a backend bullpen piece right away in his first year on campus. He has the ability to really spin a breaking ball across counts. He has a chance to be an impact arm out of the bullpen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mason Bordelon, OF, R\/R, 6-3, 215, Jr., Marksville, Louisiana (Avoyelles Public Charter HS\/LSU-Eunice)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Played for the Worcester Bravehearts of the Futures League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent three seasons at LSU-Eunice \u2026 batted .390 with 18 home runs as a redshirt sophomore \u2026 earned NJCAA Division I Player of the Week honors on April 29 after going 7-for-11 with five home runs and 14 RBIs in a series against Delgado \u2026 came back from a shoulder injury to help the Bengals win the NJCAA Division II national title in 2025 \u2026 finished his career with a .381 batting average, 22 home runs and 81 RBIs while reaching base at a .487 clip \u2026 two-time Academic All-American graduated with a 3.5 GPA.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Four-year letterman for coach Lynn Aymond\u2019s Vikings \u2026 helped lead the Vikings to the state title game as a senior after hitting .530 to earn first-team all-state honors \u2026 earned all-district honors as a junior \u2026 graduated with a 3.5 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born June 8, 2005 \u2026 son of Shannon and Brian Bordelon \u2026 has a sister, Mia \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to develop as a man, deserve to win and compete in everything while displaying selflessness.<\/p>\n
Belanger on Bordelon:\u00a0\u201cMason comes from a winning program at LSU-Eunice. He\u2019s a big, strong, physical player who has a chance to win an outfield spot his first year on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hudson Browning, C, R\/R, 5-10, 205, Fr., Gonzales, Louisiana (East Ascension HS)<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Four-year letterman for coach Alex Gremillion\u2019s Spartans \u2026 slashed .369\/.527\/.619 as a senior, with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs and 19 RBIs \u2026 helped East Ascension reach the state playoffs as a sophomore \u2026 three-year football letterman for coach Brock Matherne \u2026 helped East Ascension reach the state playoffs as a freshman \u2026 member of the National Honor Society \u2026 graduated with a 4.3 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Nov. 13, 2007 \u2026 son of Brandi and Chris Browning \u2026 has four sisters \u2013 Mollee, Madison, Emily and Mya \u2013 and one brother, Mason \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 hopes to play professional baseball or work in construction management \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to be a role model to those around him, have a family that he can provide for and to give back to his parents and siblings who have poured so much into him.<\/p>\n
Bertrand on Browning:\u00a0\u201cHudson is a big, physical catcher who comes in with a solid frame and a set of skills that you don\u2019t normally see from those types of freshmen. We\u2019re really excited about the potential that he\u2019s going to bring to the offense with a presence in the batter\u2019s box. We also have been really impressed through the summer and through the first part of the fall at how fast he\u2019s caught onto the speed of catching.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cameron Carter, OF, L\/L, 6-2, 190, So., Olathe, Kansas (Olathe West HS\/UTRGV)<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent two seasons at UTRGV \u2026 appeared in four games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2026 \u2026 batted .290 with three doubles, a triple and 15 RBIs as a freshman when UTRGV shared the Southland Conference regular-season title.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Lettered four seasons for coaches Rick Sabbath\u2019s and Austin Fisher\u2019s Owls \u2026 ended his career as West\u2019s all-time leader in hits and triples \u2026 top-rated prospect in Kansas by Prep Baseball Report \u2026 second-team all-state selection as a senior, hitting .333 with a .462 on-base percentage as the Owls won a regional title and were ranked 20th nationally \u2026 helped West win a regional title as a sophomore, earning first-team all-state honors after hitting .417 with a .516 on-base percentage \u2026 batted .280 as a freshman with a .320 on-base percentage as West won the regional championship \u2026 also lettered four years in basketball and in football \u2026 graduated with a 3.8 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born July 5, 2005 \u2026 son of Angie and Jason Carter \u2026 has two brothers, Alex and Braden \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to play professional baseball.<\/p>\n
Taylor on Carter:\u00a0\u201cCameron was an everyday starter for UTRGV his freshman season in their (Southland) championship year (2025). He has some really quality experience he can pull from. Once he gets back fully healthy, expect him to bring some athleticism to the lineup and content for one of those outfield spots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ethan Judice, RHP, R\/R, 6-0, 180, Jr., Franklin, Louisiana (Hanson Memorial HS\/Louisiana Tech)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Pitched for the Acadiana Cane Cutters of the Texas Collegiate League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent two seasons at Louisiana Tech, including a redshirt year \u2026 two-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner\u2019s Honor Roll.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Four-year letterman for coach Kason Knight\u2019s Fighting Tigers \u2026 four-year football letterman for coach Ryan Stoute \u2026 earned all-state and all-district honors in both sports \u2026 graduated with a 3.9 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born July 7, 2005 \u2026 son of Emmy and Clint Judice \u2026 has two brothers, Noah and Hayden, and a sister, Connor \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 plans to work on his family\u2019s sugarcane farm \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to have a family and to travel.<\/p>\n
Belanger on Judice: \u201cEthan is a mid-90s arm with a power breaking ball. He\u2019s a Louisiana Tech transfer, a Louisiana kid, who \u2014 if he can figure out how to throw a few more strikes \u2013 has a chance to be a really good backend piece.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jackson Killcreas, RHP, R\/R, 5-11, 205, Jr., Opelika, Alabama (Opelika HS\/Coastal Alabama CC\/Chipola CC)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Pitched for the Boca Beach Boys in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent one season each at Coastal Alabama Community College and Chipola College \u2026 made 12 appearances (1 start) at Coastal Alabama in 2026 \u2026 struck out eight in 5 2-3 innings as a freshman at Chipola in 2025, holding batters to an .091 batting average.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Four-year letterman for coach Zach Blatt\u2019s Bulldogs \u2026 starting center fielder and pitcher for four years \u2026 four-year football letterman for coach Erik Speakman \u2026 team captain as a senior played linebacker \u2026 member of the National Honor Society \u2026 graduated with a 3.96 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born April 23, 2006 \u2026 son of Tiffany Rhodes and Chad Kilcreas \u2026 has a twin brother, Parker \u2026 majoring in health and exercise science \u2026 hopes to go to physical therapy school and progress to opening his own practice \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to leave an impact on the world and live a life that honors Jesus, and he wants to be known by his relationship with god and how he treats people rather than accolades that can be taken away.<\/p>\n
Belanger on Killcreas:\u00a0\u201cSame thing as Judice. He\u2019s a mid-90s arm who has a chance to come in and make a difference at the back end of the bullpen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jackson Landry, 1B\/OF, R\/R, 6-6, 230, Jr., Donaldsonville, La. (Ascension Catholic HS\/ULM)<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent two seasons at ULM, appearing in 58 games (39 starts) \u2026 produced a career OPS of .744 \u2026 homered five times and drove in 29 runs in his two seasons as a Warhawk \u2026 four-time member of the President\u2019s List.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Five-year letterman for coach Gee Cassard\u2019s Bulldogs \u2026 four-time all-state selection \u2026 batted .422 with six home runs and 34 RBIs as a senior and pitched to a 1.92 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched \u2026 named Region 9 Hitter of the Year and the district MVP \u2026 batted .442 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs as a junior while he pitched to a 2.32 ERA, striking out 45 in 41 innings pitched for the state runner-ups \u2026 slugged 10 home runs and drove in 31 runs while batting .315 as a sophomore as the Bulldogs reached the state quarterfinals \u2026 helped Ascension Catholic reach the state quarterfinals, batting .280 with two home runs and 20 RBIs as a freshman \u2026 three-year football letterman for coach Chris Sanders \u2026 first-team all-district selection as a defensive end, wide receiver and punter as a senior when he caught 30 passes with four touchdowns and recorded 87 tackles and 9.5 sacks \u2026 averaged 39.2 yards per punt for the state semifinalists \u2026 also named second-team all-parish as a tight end and defensive end \u2026 was vice president of the Beta Club \u2026 graduated with a 4.25 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Oct. 3, 2005 \u2026 son of Patricia and Tony Landry \u2026 father played football and baseball at ULM and baseball at UL Lafayette \u2026 has a sister, Ava \u2026 his cousin, Todd Landry, reached Triple-A in the Milwaukee Brewers organization \u2026 had an uncle who played offensive line at LSU \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 hopes to play professional baseball \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to be as successful as he can.<\/p>\n
Bertrand on Landry: \u201cWe\u2019re really excited to bring in Jackson, a guy who checks a lot of boxes because of the physicality, the strength, the ability to play multiple positions. He\u2019s a guy who brings a high level of experience from his time at ULM, and he\u2019s somebody who has been a welcome addition to our locker room in the way he has relationships across our locker room with our current players and relationships across campus. He\u2019s a guy we feel like was really meant to be here with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ty Lamartina, UT, R\/R, 6-1, 200, Fr., Duson, Louisiana (Acadiana HS)<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Four-year letterman for coach Clay Coutrier\u2019s Wreckin\u2019 Rams \u2026 two-way standout earned first-team all-district honors as a senior after batting .336 with seven doubles, two home runs and 30 RBIs while going 8-1 on the mound with a 1.05 ERA, striking out 77 in 60 innings and posting a sub-1.00 WHIP (.938) and an opponents\u2019 batting average of .178 \u2026 batted .330 with four home runs and drew 21 hit by pitches as a junior as Acadiana reached the state quarterfinals \u2026 batted .296 for a state semifinalist team as a sophomore \u2026 four-year football letterman for coach Matthew McCullough \u2026 graduated a 3.75 GPA.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born April 25, 2008 \u2026 son of Carlotta and Dustin Lamartina \u2026 has two brothers, Drew and Reid \u2026 majoring in health and exercise science \u2026 hopes to play Major League Baseball and become a physical therapist \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to make a difference in others\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n
Bertrand on Lamartina: \u201cWe\u2019re really excited about the athleticism he brings to the table and especially the competitive spirit he has. He\u2019s a guy we\u2019re obviously going to look to make a major contribution on the mound first. We\u2019re also going to continue to maybe play with some two-way things, but we think he has an extremely bright future on the mound, and that he\u2019s going to be able \u2013 with some development \u2013 contribute to our pitching staff fairly quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brennan McTavish, OF, L\/R, 6-1, 180, Jr., Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (Vauxhall Academy\/Midland College)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Played for the Lethbridge Bulls of the Western Canadian Baseball League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent three seasons at Midland College, including a redshirt season \u2026 helped lead the Chaparrals to the NJCAA World Series \u2026 batted .384 with nine home runs, 51 RBIs, 56 runs and seven stolen bases \u2026 was a 2025 WCBL All-Star for Lethbridge, batting .301 with six home runs and 38 RBIs.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Lettered in baseball and basketball at Vauxhall\u2026 helped lead Vauxhall to a 35-6 mark as a senior, batting .341 with five home runs and 42 RBIs as a team captain \u2026 Vauxhall was the Best of the West, the PBA and the Haven Agencies champions that season \u2026 helped lead Vauxhall to the River Ridge championship twice \u2026 graduated with a 3.3 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Aug. 2, 2005 \u2026 son of Kim and Les McTavish \u2026 father is the baseball coach at Vauxhall Academy and a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, who played for Washington State \u2026 has a brother, Shaye, who played college baseball at Pikeville, and a sister, Teya, who is committed to play college volleyball at Montana Tech \u2026 majoring in general studies \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to live each day to the fullest and play baseball for a living.<\/p>\n
Taylor on McTavish: \u201cHe\u2019s a Canadian kid who has had a lot of success, playing in the Junior College World Series. We\u2019ve had success with the Canadian pipeline in the past. He\u2019s a really smooth, long athlete who hits from the left side. He can bring some real athleticism to the lineup and can really track balls down in the outfield. He\u2019s another one of those guys who will make a real push to contend for one of those outfield spots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lane Mixon, 3B, R\/R, 6-0, 200, Fr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana (University HS)<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Three-year letterman for coach Jon Ramsey\u2019s Cubs \u2026 battled through an injury-plagued senior season to hit .281 with 23 RBIs \u2026 finished his prep career as a .310 hitter in the playoffs with 20 RBIs in 25 games \u2026 helped lead the Cubs to the first state championship in program history in 2024, driving in a pair of runs in the championship-game victory against St. Charles Catholic \u2026 earned all-district honors on the diamond \u2026 also lettered in football, earning all-district and honorable mention all-state honors \u2026 member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes \u2026 has a 3.8 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born March 23, 2007 \u2026 son of Brianne and Todd Mixon \u2026 has one sister, Anna \u2026 his grandfather, Butch Mixon, struck out an SEC-record 24 batters in a game while pitching for LSU \u2026 majoring in finance \u2026 hopes to run his own company \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to play Major League Baseball.<\/p>\n
Bertrand on Mixon: \u201cLane\u2019s one of those guys we were really excited to bring in, because he fits the profile of us becoming more physical and more athletic. We think he brings a bit of versatility as far as the infield spots he can play. He can potentially add some positions over time because of his athleticism. He comes from a program (University High) that knows how to win, and he knows how to compete at a really high level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bryson Pierce, LHP, L\/L, 6-2, 180, So., Benton, Louisiana (Benton HS\/Bossier Parish CC\/Louisiana Tech)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Pitched for the Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators in the Texas Collegiate League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent one season each at Bossier Parish Community College and Louisiana Tech \u2026 earned second-team all-conference honors at BPCC while posting a 3.5 GPA \u2026 redshirted in the 2025 season at Louisiana Tech.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Four-year letterman for coach Dane Peavy\u2019s Tigers \u2026 named team\u2019s Hitter of the Year as a senior when Benton went 31-11 and reached the state semifinals \u2026 first-team all-district outfielder and pitcher as both a sophomore and junior as Benton won district titles both seasons \u2026 honorable mention all-district pitcher as a freshman for the district champions \u2026 member of the National Honor Society \u2026 graduated with a 3.5 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Nov. 17, 2005 \u2026 son of Brooke and Bryan Pierce \u2026 has one brother, Bubba \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 hopes to become a firefighter and start a commercial lawn care company \u2026 life\u2019s ambitions are to pitch in the big leagues and to own a high-fence deer-breeding company.<\/p>\n
Bertrand on Pierce:\u00a0\u201cWhen you look at Bryson\u2019s past, it\u2019s obvious everyone in this part of the state agrees he has a tremendous upside. We\u2019re going to focus on the pitching part of it. We think he can do a multitude of things from a role standpoint. He has a very fast arm. When he gets with Dan, we think he can develop some velocity and some metrics. He does have a plus change up, which addresses one of the deficiencies we have had in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peyton Pierce, C, R\/R, 5-11, 195, Jr., Sweeny, Texas (Sweeny HS\/New Mexico JC)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Played for the San Antonio River Monsters in the Texas Collegiate League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent two seasons at New Mexico Junior College \u2026 hit seven home runs and drove in 23 runs in 45 games as a sophomore, posting a .989 fielding percentage as the Thunderbirds went 35-20 \u2026 helped NMJC post a 40-20 record and reach the Super Regionals as a freshman \u2026 named the 2025-26 Steve McCleery Male Academic Athlete of the Year \u2026 graduated with a 3.94 GPA.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Four-year letterman for coaches Beau O\u2019Hara and James Howell\u2019s Bulldogs \u2026 two-time male Athletic MVP at Sweeny \u2026 named first-team all-state and the district and county defensive MVP as a senior after batting .435, helping the Bulldogs go 26-9, earn a top-10 ranking and win the district title \u2026 earned academic all-district and all-state honors \u2026 batted .318 as a junior, earning first-team all-county honors as well as district defensive MVP acclaim \u2026 academic all-state selection as a junior as Sweeny reached the state playoffs \u2026 batted .325 to earn first-team all-district honors as a sophomore and was a member of the academic all-district team as part of the district co-champions \u2026 second-team all-district and academic all-district pick as a freshman, helping Sweeny go 24-5-1 and win the district title \u2026\u00a0 three-year football letterman \u2026 recorded 110 tackles (13 for loss) and three sacks as a senior, earning first-team all-district honors \u2026 also named academic all-district and all-state \u2026 collected 75 tackles and four sacks as a junior, earning honorable mention all-district and academic all-district honors \u2026 second-team all-district pick as a sophomore, making 35 tackles for a playoff squad \u2026 also named academic all-district as a sophomore \u2026 gradated with a 4.2 GPA and was in the top 10 percent of his class \u2026 member of the National Honor Society and a four-year member of the President\u2019s List.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Sept. 1, 2005 \u2026 son of Jessalyn and Cory Pierce \u2026 has one sister, Paisley, a pro rodeo cowgirl \u2026 majoring in business administration with a finance concentration \u2026 hopes to start an insurance company \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to impact as many people as he can in a good way.<\/p>\n
Belanger on Pierce:\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s a catch-and-throw guy first. He will be a big piece behind the dish, because the guys will like to throw to him because of his ability to receive the baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jake Smith, SS, R\/R, 5-10, 180, Jr., Rosepine, Louisiana (Rosepine HS\/LSU-Eunice\/Louisiana Tech)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Played for the Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators of the Texas Collegiate League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent two seasons at Louisiana Tech and one at LSU-Eunice \u2026\u00a0 batted .321 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 52 RBIs for the Bengals, who reached the NJCAA World Series \u2026 appeared in 15 games (four starts) as a redshirt freshman at Louisiana Tech in 2025 \u2026 scored the winning run in a walk-off win against Liberty that season.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Two-time state champion for coach Jeff Smith\u2019s Eagles \u2026 batted .406 as a senior, earning first-team all-state honors \u2026 earned all-state honors as a junior, helping Rosepine repeat as state champions \u2026 district MVP and all-state selection for the state champions as a sophomore when he hit .461 \u2026 ranked as the No. 4 shortstop and No. 14 overall player in Louisiana as a senior by Perfect Game \u2026 three-time all-district selection in football for coach Brad Ducote \u2026 graduated with a 3.7 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Jan. 24, 2004 \u2026 son of Amanda and Jeff Smith \u2026 has two sisters \u2013 Ashlynn and McKenna \u2013 and a brother, Greg \u2026 majoring in business administration \u2026 hopes to become a coach \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to make a good living and provide for his family.<\/p>\n
Bertrand on Smith:\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re really excited about the pedigree that Jake brings to the table, and we think that, in addition to baseball, he adds a tremendous level of experience and baseball IQ to the locker room. He\u2019s the son of a baseball coach. In his time at Louisiana Tech and LSU-Eunice, he spent some time around some incredible baseball men. He\u2019s a winner and a competitor, and he has been at two programs that teach you how to do the things we are looking for. He\u2019s a versatile infielder, who we think can probably play all three infield spots. He\u2019s a plus defender from a skillset standpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paxton Smith, RHP, R\/R, 6-3, 210, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Parkview Baptist HS\/South Arkansas CC)<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent two seasons at South Arkansas CC \u2026 named All-Region Relief Pitcher of the Year after striking 37 batters in 27 innings pitched and posting a 3.62 ERA \u2026 struck out 11 in 12 innings as a freshman \u2026 went 4-3 with two saves in his career across 30 appearances \u2026 helped lead South Ark to a pair of regional championships named to the President\u2019s List and graduated with a 3.8 GPA.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0One-year letterman for coach Phillip Hawke\u2019s Eagles \u2026 named first-team all-district as a senior \u2026 twice earned Most Improved Player awards in the program \u2026 member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Pickleball Club \u2026 graduated with a 3.6 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born May 25, 2006 \u2026 son of Sarah and Kenneth Smith \u2026 has one brother, Duncan, and one sister, Riley \u2026 majoring in finance \u2026 plans to move back to Baton Rouge and climb the ladder in wealth management after graduation \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to be the best version of himself with a smile on his face.<\/p>\n
Belanger on Smith:\u00a0\u201cThis is a guy that has a lot of upside on the mound. He doesn\u2019t have a lot of mileage on his arms so far. So, like Bert said, with him spending some time with Dan, we think he\u2019ll have a chance to make an impact immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hendrik Vandermeer, 1B\/RHP, L\/R, 6-7, 235, Jr., Simcoe, Ontario, Canada (Holy Trinity Catholic HS\/Kankakee CC\/NOC-Tonkawa)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Played for the Waynesboro Generals in the Valley League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent one season each at Kankakee Community College and Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa \u2026 two-way standout at Kankakee batted .324 with seven home runs and 51 RBIs while going 3-2 with four saves in 18 appearances (1 start) on the mound \u2026 pitched to a 1.80 ERA while striking out 37 in 35 innings as Kankakee was two wins away from a NJCAA World Series berth \u2026 batted .344 with a home run and 12 RBIs in 32 games for the Mavericks \u2026 made three appearance son the mound, striking out four in 3 1-3 hitless innings.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Lettered in baseball and basketball for Holy Trinity \u2026 played for the Great Lakes Canadians baseball program \u2026 graduated with a 4.0 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born May 1, 2005 \u2026 son of Debra and Jeff Vandermeer \u2026 has one sister, Elly \u2026 majoring in computer science \u2026 hopes to become either a professional baseball player or a software designer \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to play professional baseball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bertrand on Vandermeer:\u00a0\u201cWe think Hank, in our opinion, checks every single box. He\u2019s a guy we\u2019re going to use in a multitude of ways. He\u2019s a left-handed-hitting first baseman who brings power and bat-to-ball skills to the table. He can use the entire field. Defensively, we\u2019ve been really impressed with his footwork around the bag and with the level of skill and finesse he kind of plays the position. We think that he has the ability to contribute on the mound. He\u2019s going to be a guy that we can call upon to do anything and everything the Demons need to win baseball games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trae Winn, RHP, R\/R, 6-2, 160, Jr., Jackson, Miss. (Ridgeland HS\/East Central CC)<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent three seasons at East Central Community College \u2026 was part of three NJCAA World Series appearances \u2026 named second-team All-Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference after going 8-2 with 75 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched \u2026 struck out a career-best eight in three different appearances \u2026 went 2-1 with 20 strikeouts in 13 2-3 innings as a freshman \u2026 named academic all-conference and graduated with a 3.5 GPA.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Three-year letterman for coaches Chris Peden\u2019s and Eddie Easley\u2019s Titans \u2026 struck out a school-record 86 hitters as a senior, posting a 7-1 mark and 1.52 ERA in 46 innings pitched, helping Ridgeland go 28-7 and 9-0 in district \u2026 helped the Titans win a district title (9-0) and go 21-14 overall as a sophomore \u2026 selected to play in the Mississippi Diamond Crossroads All-Star Game \u2026 graduated with a 3.4 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born July 7, 2005 \u2026 son of Daniella Knox and Claude Winn \u2026 has one brother, Brian, and a sister, Chloe \u2026 majoring in general studies \u2026 hopes to get drafted and continue playing baseball \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to live life to the fullest.<\/p>\n
Belanger on Winn:\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s a mid-90s right-hander that comes from a junior college that played in the Junior College World Series. We brought him here to be a starter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peyton Watts, SS, L\/R, 6-0, 180, Sr., Oxford, Alabama (Oxford HS\/Georgia Gwinnett\/Troy)<\/p>\n
Summer 2026:\u00a0Played for the Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League.<\/p>\n
Prior to NSU:\u00a0Spent two seasons at Troy and one at Georgia Gwinnett \u2026 named first-team NAIA Ball All-American in his lone season at Georgia Gwinnett, slashing .424\/.504\/.679, driving in 60 runs and stealing 20 bases as the Grizzlies reached the NAIA World Series \u2026 appeared in 87 games (72 starts) across two seasons at Troy \u2026 finished his Trojans career with 58 hits, nine doubles, two triples, five home runs and 41 RBIs while scoring 44 runs.<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Played three seasons for coach Wes Brooks\u2019 Yellow Jackets \u2026 helped lead Oxford to the 2023 state championship, batting .409 with four home runs, nine triples, 24 doubles and 17 stolen bases \u2026 posted a 1.326 OPS while earning first-team all-state honors and All-County MVP acclaim \u2026 was named to the Perfect Game Showdown All-Tournament Team \u2026 also collected first-team all-region honors during his career, helping Oxford post a 100-22 overall record, three area titles, back-to-back county championships and two Perfect Game Showdown championships \u2026 Principal\u2019s Award winner was part of the All-A honor roll and graduated with a\u00a0 3.8 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born April 22, 2004 \u2026 son of Tanya and Michael Watts \u2026 has one sister, Tinsley \u2026 majoring in spot management \u2026 hopes to play Major League Baseball \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to be a successful baseball player then coach the next generation of baseball players.<\/p>\n
Taylor on Watts:\u00a0\u201cObviously, we made it a point, looking at this incoming class, to go out and get some left-handed bats. This was an important one, especially as left-handed bats on the infield are at a premium. He brings a lot of experience of playing really high-level baseball at Troy and then at a really successful program in Georgia Gwinnett. He has the ability to be an extremely dynamic player on every side of the ball, and we expect him to play a big role for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicholas Zeringue, LHP, L\/L, 6-5, 200, Fr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana (University HS)<\/p>\n
High School:\u00a0Two-year letterman for coach Jon Ramsey\u2019s Cubs \u2026 second-team all-district pick as a senior when he struck out 49 in 34 2-3 innings and pitched to a 2.61 ERA as the Cubs went 30-11 and reached the state title game \u2026 earned first-team all-district honors as a junior, striking out 56 in 39 2-3 innings with a 2.23 ERA as University posted a 31-11 record, reaching the state title game \u2026 member of the Chess Club, the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society \u2026 was part of the academic honor roll, the Principal\u2019s Honor Roll and the Director\u2019s Honor Roll \u2026 graduated with a 4.0 GPA.<\/p>\n
Personal:\u00a0Born Nov. 26, 2007 \u2026 son of Kristy and Jason Zeringue \u2026 has two brothers, Zachary and Luke, and a sister, Caroline \u2026 majoring in biology with a pre-med concentration \u2026 hopes to play professional baseball or become an orthopedic surgeon \u2026 life\u2019s ambition is to play the game of baseball for as long as possible.<\/p>\n
Belanger on Zeringue:\u00a0\u201cA teammate of Lane Mixon\u2019s at U-High. Nicholas is a highly projectable, left-handed pitcher. We brought him in to fill one of our needs with the losses of our left-handed pitchers.\u201d<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"19 By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations NATCHITOCHES \u2013 The Northwestern State baseball…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":795904,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2289],"tags":[5,648,1694,2341],"class_list":["post-795903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-college-baseball","tag-baseball","tag-college-baseball","tag-ncaa","tag-ncaa-baseball"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/117209400811097096","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=795903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/795904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=795903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=795903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=795903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}