ABILENE, Texas – McNeese will be looking to build off it's dramatic 5-3 win over 18^th-ranked Louisiana Tech from Wednesday night when it opens up a crucial Southland Conference baseball series at Abilene Christian.
 
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 on Friday evening. Saturday's game two will start at 2 while Sunday's finale will get underway at 1.
 
McNeese (21-20, 7-11) is currently in 10^th place in the league standings via winning percentage, but is only four games behind league leader Sam Houston State in the loss column. ACU (21-18, 8-10) is a game ahead of the Cowboys with four weekends remaining in conference play.
 
The Cowboys are expected to go with the pitching rotation of Cayne Ueckert (1-2, 5.86 ERA) on Friday, Rhett Deaton (4-3, 4.37) on Saturday and Jonathan Ellison (2-3, 2.82) on Sunday.
 
ACU is expected to counter with three right-handed pitchers – Spencer Chirpich (6-2, 4.00), Brock Barger (2-5, 5.03), and Jonathan Nicholson (4-4, 5.32).
 
The Wildcats and Cowboys are ranked 5-6 in the league in batting, ACU with a .274 average while McNeese is hitting .271 as a team.
 
Individually, ACU catcher Luis Trevino tops the conference with a .407 average, and for McNeese, first baseman Jake Dickerson leads the team and is ranked 11^th in the league with a .321 average.
 
Dickerson also holds the team's longest current hitting streak at six games where he's hitting .454 (10 for 22) during that span to go along with three doubles, one triple, one home run, six runs scored and five RBIs.
 
The Cowboys have a 9-3 series lead over the Wildcats since ACU moved into the Southland Conference, and have won eight of the last nine meetings.