LAKE CHARLES--  McNeese softball will begin defending its Southland Conference Tournament title when it makes its 28^th overall tournament appearance Wednesday in Conway, Arkansas on the campus of Central Arkansas. All Cowgirl tournament games can be heard on the McNeese Radio Network (KEZM 1310 AM) and kezmonline.com. The first nine games of the tournament will be streamed on the Southland Conference Digital Network. The championship game will be an exclusive presentation of ESPN3 and will be available via WatchESPN.com and the ESPN/Watch ESPN apps. All links can be found on mcneesesports.com.
 
McNeese, the regular season champions and the tournaments no. 1 seed will face the 1:30 p.m. winner between the no. 4 seed Sam Houston State and no. 5 seed Central Arkansas at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening.
 
Lamar, the tournament's no. 3 seed and no. 6 seed Northwestern State will open tournament play at 11 a.m. Wednesday with the winner advancing to play second seed Nicholls at 4 p.m. later in the day.
 
The Cowgirls will be looking to claim its second straight conference tournament after winning three straight games last year in Lake Charles to take the title and earned the league's NCAA automatic bid.
 
"It's going to take us playing good clean softball with a little bit of good luck on our side to come away with the title," said head coach James Landreneau. "We have to go out there and play our game and not worry about everybody else. Everybody in the tournament is a capable contender and deserve to be there," Landreneau said.
 
McNeese (39-16) enters the tournament having won its last nine games and are led at the plate by three-time Southland Conference Player and Hitter of the Year in Erika Piancastelli and in the circle behind Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year Rachel Smith.
 
Piancastelli enters the tournament with a .374 batting average, 55 hits, 48 runs scored, 11 home runs and 44 RBI. She needs one RBI to break the McNeese career record of 147, held by former Cowgirls first baseman Heather Moreaux.
 
Smith ended the regular season with a 15-7 overall record with a 2.47 ERA and led the Cowgirl pitching staff with 85 strikeouts. The senior posted an 11-1 conference record and held SLC teams to a season low .179 bating average.
 
During the regular season, McNeese swept both Sam Houston State (23-25) and Central Arkansas (23-32) in Lake Charles in the first two weeks of the conference season. McNeese won the first two games against the Bearkats in five innings and outscored them 25-0 in the series. McNeese opened the SLC race against the Sugar Bears and came away with an 8-0, six inning opening victory. McNeese went on to pick up a 6-2 second game win and completed the sweep with a 7-3 win.
 
Sam Houston State won seven of its last 11 games to clinch a tournament spot while Central Arkansas earned a tournament spot on the final day of the regular season by taking a doubleheader at Northwestern State.  
 
Wednesday's Schedule
Game 1 (11 a.m.)- No. 3 Lamar vs. No. 6 NW State
Game 2 (1:30 p.m.)- No. 4 Sam Houston State vs. No. 5 Central Arkansas
Game 3 (4 p.m.)- No. 2 Nicholls vs. Winner of Game 1
Game 4 (6:30 p.m.)- No. 1 McNeese vs. Winner of Game 2