HAMMOND, La. — Reports from Hammond, America on Saturday indicate that Northwestern State head baseball coach Bobby Barbier will be the new leader of Southeastern’s baseball program.
Barbier led the Demons to a 28-27 overall record in 2022. They finished 12-12 in conference play with a semi-final exit from the Southland Conference Tournament.
Bobby Barbier has been head coach at his alma mater for seven years, helping the Demons to a 181-169 overall record, 89-88 conference record, and the school’s first Southland Conference Tournament title in 2018.
He was named the LSWA, American Baseball Coaches Association, and Southland Coach of the Year in 2018.
As a player, Barbier was a First-Team All-Southland selection in 2004 and was a key contributor in Northwestern State’s run to a conference title and NCAA Regional Berth in 2005.
His coaching resume also features stops at Alabama, where he was on staff from 2010-14. The same stretch that saw the Crimson Tide baseball program make four regional appearances.
Barbier will be replacing Matt Riser in Hammond, who was let go one year after the Southeastern Lions’ tremendous run to a Southland Conference championship.
Southeastern finished the season on a 6-game win streak but failed to make the Southland Conference tournament after a 25-25 finish, 9-14 in conference play.
Under Riser’s leadership, Southeastern saw pair of Southland Conference tournament titles, a Southland regular-season conference championship, and four NCAA Tournament appearances since 2014.
In the weeks following his departure, Barbier emerged as the favorite to land the job.
It seems the former Archbishop Shaw standout is returning to South Louisiana to help the Lions baseball program reclaim its spot atop the Southland Conference standings.
Barbier is expected to be introduced as Southeastern’s new head baseball coach during a press conference next week.
Kendall Rogers from D1Baseball reported that he will be the highest-paid coach in the Southland Conference.
The Barbier name has been a regular in the conference for decades with Bobby’s father, Darren, serving as Nicholls State University’s head football coach from 1995-1998.
