LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese Cowboys baseball team will be back at home this weekend when it plays host to the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in a three-game Southland Conference series in Joe Miller Ballpark starting on Friday night.
 
Game one is scheduled for 6 p.m., game two will be on Saturday at 6 p.m., and the series finale will be on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
The Cowboys have won three-straight series against the Lumberjacks, are currently on a six-game winning streak, and have won 11 of the last 15 match-ups. The Cowboys haven't lost a home game to SFA since 2013 and haven't lost a series since 2016.
 
The Cowboys (23-22, 9-12 SLC) are coming off a 4-3, non-conference loss to Southeastern Louisiana on the road on Wednesday night in a game that saw both teams throw several arms from the bullpen in order to save them for the weekend. Stephen F. Austin (21-24, 13-8 SLC) defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 4-2 in a mid-week game after winning their weekend series versus Northwestern State 2-1.
 
Junior Jake Dickerson and Freshman Payton Harden lead the Cowboys' high-powered offense with a .329 and .297 batting average. Dickerson and Harden have been on an absolute tear as of late, combining for 18 hits, two HR, two doubles, and 10 RBI's in the last five games.
 
Dickerson is also currently on a 10-game hitting streak, while Harden has had at least one hit in seven of his last 10 games.
 
Senior right-hander Rhett Deaton (5-3, 4.18 ERA) will take the mound once again on Friday night for his 12th start of the year. In his last outing, Deaton had one of his best outings one the year. He surrendered four runs, only three earned, on six hits, and went the distance for his fifth win on the year.
 
The starter for Saturday and Sunday's match-up is still TBA.
 
 
UP TO THE PLATE
McNeese (23-22, 9-12 SLC) vs Stephen F. Austin (21-24, 13-8 SLC)
May 3-5 | Joe Miller Ballpark, Lake Charles, LA
Live Stats | Live Audio
All-Time Series: McNeese leads 45-26
 
 
QUICK HITS
• McNeese enters the weekend series looking to bounce back from their heatbreaking mid-week loss to SLU. The Cowboys defeated Abilene Christian in a three-game series (L 9-3, W 10-4, W 7-6) and loss the SLU Lions (L 4-3) most recently.
• Junior utility player Jake Dickerson leads the Cowboys offensively with a .329 batting average, nine doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 27 RBI's.
• Junior second baseman Nate Fisbeck also has a huge bat for the Cowboys, as he heads into the game with a .292 batting average, 13 doubles, nine home runs, 34 RBI's, and six stolen bases.
• The Cowboys currently have five starters hitting over .280 from the plate, Payton Harden, Clayton Rasbeary, Carson Maxwell, Dickerson, and Fisbeck.
• On the mound, Freshman left-hander Will Dion leads the team. He has a 2.48 ERA, 4-0 record, 32.2 innings pitched, and 46 strikeouts in 21 appearances. He is one of five Cowboys pitchers with a sub-four ERA, including Jonathan Ellison (2.98), Bryan King (3.55), Aidan Anderson (3.59), and Peyton McLemore (3.93).
• McNeese is batting .275 as a team and has a 4.74 ERA, compared to opponents' .247 average and 5.08 ERA.
 
ON THE OPPONENTS
• The Lumberjacks enter Friday's game with a 20-24 record. Most recently, SFA defeated Northwestern State last weekend, 2-1, in a three-game series.
• This will be their first conference road series since April 18 and their eighth overall conference series.
 
ON DECK
Following the weekend series against the Lumberjacks, the Cowboys will finish their last home stand with a mid-week non-conference matchup against the Prairie View and a conference series against Corpus Christi at Joe Miller.
 
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