LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball begins the 2020 season at home this weekend by hosting its own Cowgirl Classic beginning Friday at 4 p.m. against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Cowgirls will conclude the tournament's first day with a 6 p.m. contest against North Texas.
 
Friday's action will kick off at noon with Arkansas-Pine Bluff facing Prairie View followed by North Texas and Prairie View at 2 p.m.
 
Saturday's schedule has games starting at 1 p.m. (Ball State vs. Prairie View) with McNeese playing Ball State at 3 p.m. and Prairie View at 5 p.m. to conclude the day.
 
The final day on Sunday, UTSA will play Prairie View at 11 a.m. and McNeese and North Texas will close out the tournament with a 1 p.m. game.
 
COWGIRL CLASSIC SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEB. 7
12 p.m.- Arkansas Pine Bluff vs. Prairie View
2 p.m.- North Texas vs. Prairie View
4 p.m.- McNeese vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff
6 p.m.- McNeese vs. North Texas
 
SATURDAY, FEB. 8
1 p.m.- Prairie View vs. Ball State
3 p.m.- McNeese vs. Ball State
5 p.m.- Prairie View vs. McNeese
 
SUNDAY, FEB. 9
11 a.m.- UTSA vs. Prairie View
1 p.m.- McNeese vs. North Texas
 
HOME team listed first
 
TOURNAMENT TICKET PRICES
Friday and Saturday: General admission ($12)
Sunday: General Admission ($8)
 
*Ticket is good for re-entry all day as long as you have your ticket stub. Failure to present ticket stub upon re-entry will result in having to purchase an additional ticket.
*McNeese students will be admitted free with a valid McNeese ID
*Season tickets ($75) are still on sale and may be purchased this weekend at the Cowgirl Diamond ticket booth
*New this season will be the ability to purchase tickets with a credit card at Cowgirl Diamond
 
LIVESTREAMING/LIVE STATS
All games on Friday and Sunday will be streamed on Cowboy Insider for a fee https://mcneesesports.com/watch/?Live=1780&type=Live
Cowgirl Saturday games will be available on Facebook Live
https://www.facebook.com/McNeeseSoftball/
 
Live Stats will be provided for all games
https://mcneesesports.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary
 
PROMOTIONS
*Hot dogs will be given to the first 100 McNeese students with a valid ID
*T-Shirts will be given to fans while supplies last
 
POKES IN THE OAKS
*Pokes in the Oaks is the deck behind the left centerfield wall for use by any McNeese campus organization, McNeese Booster Club, and McNeese students ONLY
 
 
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT TEAMS
 
McNEESE
Head Coach: James Landreneau (8^th season at McNeese, 4^th as head coach)
Conference: Southland
2019 Record: 33-32, 19-8 SLC
*return 16 letterwinners including seven position starters and four pitchers from a year ago
*advanced to the championship game of the NISC (Nacogdoches, Texas Region)
*have six seniors on the team
*10 newcomers (7 freshmen, 3 transfers)  
*Cori McCrary, Alexsandra Flores, Kaylee Lopez were named to the SLC preseason team
*picked to finish third in the SLC
 
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF
Head Coach: Michael Bumpers (2^nd season)
Conference: SWAC
2019 Record: 4-34, 3-12 SWAC
*picked 5^th in the West Division in the SWAC
*Shanice Akins was named to the SWAC preseason team
 
BALL STATE
Head Coach: Megan Ciolli Bartlett (5th season)
Conference: MAC (Mid-American)
2019 Record: 34-20, 9-8 MAC
*picked to finish 3^rd in the MAC
*return 15 letterwinners including eight position starters
*pitcher Alyssa Rothwell led the nation with 14 saves last year
 
NORTH TEXAS
Head Coach: Rodney DeLong (2nd season)
Conference: C-USA
2019 Record: 35-19, 19-5 C-USA
*preseason C-USA favorite
*Hope Trautwein is the preseason C-USA Pitcher of the Year
*former McNeese Cowgirl career wins leader Jamie Allred is in her second year as an assistant coach with the Mean Green
 
PRAIRIE VIEW
Head Coach: Vernon Blanc (11th season)
Conference: SWAC
2019 Record: 30-17, 15-3 SWAC
*2019 reigning SWAC Champs
*picked to finish 2^nd in the West Division
*Chrystal Castillo tabbed preseason Pitcher of the Year
 
UTSA
Head Coach: Michelle Cheatham (5th season)
Conference: C-USA
2019 Record: 21-31, 8-16 C-USA
*picked to finish 10th in C-USA preseason poll
*return 13 letterwinners