Legendary inspiration

No question Demon baseball coach Jon Paul Davis gets the most out of NSU's visits to play at LSU.

Tuesday night's down-to-the-last pitch 2-1 loss to the nation's preseason No. 1-ranked Tigers, still No. 4/5, illustrates that point as far as on-the-field performance.

What happened earlier in the day is also noteworthy. On their last trip to LSU, Davis invited retired Tigers' baseball coach Skip Bertman to speak to the Demons during their pregame meal. The Daily Demon covered that memorable event in which the Skipper, mastermind of five College World Series champions, held the Demons spellbound with a talk about teamwork.

On Tuesday at lunch, the NSU team went to T.J. Ribs, next door to the office building where another LSU legend and Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer spends daytime hours. Basketball coach Dale Brown was kind enough to come over and address the Demons following their lunch.

Coach Brown focused on the individuals, challenging them and inspiring them to be at their absolute peak, as competitors and more important in their lives.

Looking at the game Tuesday night, you'd have to say he had instant impact!

There are not any finer speakers anywhere than Bertman and Brown. What a privilege for the Demon players who got to hear both; and what unselfishness by these men to share their gifts with NSU baseball.