GAME DETAILS
Date: Friday, March 12 (6:30 p.m.) - Saturday March 13 (1 p.m./DH)
Location: Lake Charles
Venue: Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond
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LAKE CHARLES – McNeese softball returns to Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond this weekend to open Southland Conference action with a three-game series against Central Arkansas.
The series will begin with a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday and will conclude with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. The games begin a five game homestand for the Cowgirls who will host Texas next Tuesday and Texas A&M next Thursday.

McNeese (8-12) was picked to finish second in the SLC preseason poll behind preseason favorite Stephen F. Austin. Central Arkansas (12-8) was picked to finish fifth.

The Cowgirls enter the series having played the 11^th hardest schedule up to this point in the season and have won their last five games including a 4-3 win at Houston Wednesday night.

As a team, McNeese leads the nation in double plays (19) and ranks fourth in the nation in double plays per game (0.79).

Graduate transfer Jenna Edwards heads into the weekend as the nation top saves leader with four to her credit. Edwards picked up two saves and a win last weekend at the Cowgirl Classic II.
Senior Cori McCrary has been swinging a hot bat lately and she has produced a .600 batting average with nine hits, five of which were doubles along with four stolen bases and has scored five runs in the last five games.

McCrary currently leads McNeese with 20 hits, five homeruns, six doubles, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored, and is second on the team with a .328 batting average.

Sophomore Kaylee Lopez has a team best .344 batting average along with 11 hits and three doubles. Alayis Seneca is the only other Cowgirl batting over .300 with a .317 average.

Edwards leads the pitching staff with a 2.39 ERA in 26.1 innings pitched. She has 18 strikeouts to her credit with a 2-1 record.

Sophomore Saleen Flores (4-3) leads the staff in victories and is second on the team with 19 strikeouts. Here 6.75 ERA is no indication of how well she has pitched lately. Flores got off to a rocky start this season, giving up eight earned runs to Kansas in the opening weekend then gave up seven earned runs to UCF on Feb. 27. Since the UCF game, Flores has not allowed an earned run in her last three outings.

Freshman Whitney Tate (1-5) leads the staff with 44.1 innings pitched and picked up her first save of the season and second of her career in the win over Houston. Tate enters the series with a 4.67 ERA.

Freshman Ashley Vallejo (1-3) leads the pitching staff with 26 strikeouts in 35.1 innings along with a 4.58 ERA.

UCA is a much-improved team from years past and have also played a competitive non-conference schedule. Both McNeese and UCA have played Duke, Kansas, LSU, and Arkansas so far this season. The Bears had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday in a 4-1 home loss to Arkansas.

Jenna Wildeman leads UCA with a .500 batting average, 28 hits and is tied for a team high six doubles. Cylla Hill leads the Bears with four homeruns.

Kayla Beaver leads the pitching staff with a 5-2 record and a 1.21 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.