SUGAR LAND, Texas – McNeese will open play in the 2018 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament at 9 a.m. on Wednesday as the No. 6 seed and will go up against third-seeded Northwestern State at Constellation Field.
The game will be carried live on the McNeese Radio Network (KEZM 1310 AM) and will also be broadcast on ESPN+.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
McNeese will be looking to move past the opening round for the third straight season when it takes on the Demons. The winner will play the winner of the Southeastern Louisiana/Nicholls game at 4 p.m. on Thursday while the loser will take on the lose of that game at 9 o'clock Thursday morning in an elimination game.
McNeese defeated the Demons 2-games-to-1 earlier this season in Lake Charles.
This will be the 10
th meeting between the two teams in the conference tournament with the Cowboys holding a 5-4 advantage.
McNeese defeated NSU 3-0 in the opening round of the 2016 tourney in the last meeting between the two in the postseason.
ON THE BUMP
The Cowboys will start regular Friday night righty
Grant Anderson (4-6, 3.96 ERA) while the Demons will start lefty Ridge Hesiler (6-2, 3.18).
The two met up back on April 20 in a game that lasted 13 innings with the Cowboys winning it 2-1 on a walk-off double by
Joe Provenzano.
In that game, Anderson teamed with his brother, Aidan, to strike out 18 Demons to set a new McNeese single-game record.
Grant threw eight innings in the game allowing one run on three hits with eight strike outs and a walk. Aidan tossed five shutout innings with just one hit allowed, walked two and struck out 10 in picking up the victory.
Heisler gave up just one run on six hits in eight innings of work for the Demons in getting the no-decision.
McNEESE VS. THE TOURNEY FIELD
The Cowboys posted a 4-5 record against teams on their side of the bracket – 2-1 vs. Northwestern State, 1-2 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, and 1-2 at Nicholls.
On the other side, the Cowboys went 0-3 vs. Sam Houston State, 2-1 vs. Central Arkansas, 3-0 vs. New Orleans, and 2-0 against Houston Baptist.
TOURNEY TIME
McNeese will be making its 17
th appearance in the postseason conference tournament. The Cowboys have compiled an overall record of 16-25 in the tourney and have won the title in both the 1993 and 2003 seasons.
McNeese defeated Lamar in the opening round last season before dropping games to Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist to get eliminated on day three.
In 2016, McNeese made it to day four of the tourney, falling to Southeastern Louisiana in the championship game of its side of the bracket.
This is the fifth straight season head coach
Justin Hill has led the Cowboys to the tournament.
