LAKE CHARLES—The first place McNeese softball team will look to hold down the top spot in the Southland Conference standings this weekend when the Cowgirls travel to preseason favorite Northwestern State for a three game series beginning with a single game at 6 p.m. Friday and ending with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
 
McNeese (28-9, 13-2 SLC) enters the weekend two games ahead of second place Lamar (24-15, 11-4 SLC). The Cardinals will host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a SLC series this weekend.
 
Northwestern State (23-16, 6-9 SLC) is currently tied for seventh place in the league standings.
 
As a team, the Cowgirls lead the league with 10 triples, 207 batters struck out and are tied for the lead with 185 RBI and 28 wins. McNeese is second in the SLC in batting average (.305), runs scored (219), home runs (30), ERA (2.02), and walks allowed (63).
 
McNeese All-American catcher Erika Piancastelli, who was recently named a USA Softball Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist, leads the nation with 18 home runs and is second with a 1.071 slugging percent. Piancastelli is one home run away from setting a new McNeese single season record and three away from the career record of 38 held by Heather Moreaux. Piancastelli set the single season record of 18 as a freshman last season.
 
The Cowgirls are coming off a 2-1 series win over Nicholls last weekend that kept the Cowgirls ahead of both Nicholls and Lamar. 
 
Northwestern State was swept by Central Arkansas last weekend before picking up an 11-9 win this past Tuesday.
 
Junior Kellye Kincannon leads the league with a .430 batting average and is second in five other categories including doubles (13), home runs (12) and RBI (36)
 
McNeese and Northwestern State have both picked up non-conference wins over Mississippi State who was ranked at the time both teams played the Bulldogs.