LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball opens Southland Conference play this weekend with a three-game series against Abilene Christian. The series will begin with a single game at 6:30 p.m. Friday and conclude with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday.
 
McNeese has been picked to finish in third place in the SLC preseason poll behind Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State.
 
The Cowgirls (15-7) are coming off a week where they played seven games in six days, posted a 2-5 record that saw the Cowgirls pick up wins at Southern Miss and against Texas-Arlington at the Easton Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Their loss came at Troy, two losses to then #7 Arizona, two losses to then #8 Alabama and a loss to Texas-Arlington.
 
McNeese enters the series ranked 11^th with a 1.60 ERA and 12^th in stolen bases. Freshmen Caylon Brabham rank in the Top 20 a few categories. Brabham ranks 15^th in doubles with eight and Tate ranks sixth in strikeouts-to-walk ratio (9.67) and 12^th in walks allowed per seven innings (0.73).
 
Brabham leads the team with a .421 batting average, a .667 slugging percent, 24 hits, eight doubles, and 13 RBI. Cori McCrary, who is coming off a good week where she hit three home runs, is second on the team with a .349 batting average. Sophomore Alayis Seneca continues her steady play, is batting .342 while Brenique Wright is batting .319.
 
In the circle, sophomore Saleen Flores leads the staff in wins (5-3) and has a 2.14 ERA while senior Caroline Settle has four wins (4-0) with a 1.48 ERA. Tate (2-2) has leads the staff with a 0.98 ERA and 29 strikeouts. Alexsandra Flores (3-2) has a 2.08 ERA.
 
Abilene Christian (7-14) start the conference race off having lost their last five game, all at the Oklahoma Courtyard Marriott Tournament last weekend including two losses to North Texas and Northwestern, and a 4-2 loss to #5 Oklahoma.
 
McNEESE NOTES
•- Cowgirls were picked to finish third in the SLC preseason poll behind Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State
•- are coming off a 2-5 record last week with a win at Southern Miss and a win over Texas-Arlington at the Easton Crimson Classic where three of the five games the Cowgirls played were against Top 10 teams including two games against then #7 Arizona and one against #8 Alabama.