HOUSTON – McNeese baseball returns to Southland Conference action on Friday when it opens up a four-game series against HBU as the Cowboys look to expand on their current four-game winning streak.
 
First pitch on Friday is at 2 p.m. with the Saturday double-header beginning at 11 a.m. Sundays' finale will also start at 2.
 
McNeese (9-6, 3-0 SLC) is coming off a 16-6, run-rule win over LSU-Alexandria during mid-week action in a game that saw the bats pound out the most hits in a game for the season (16), runs (16) and doubles (7). Nine of the 16 hits went for extra-bases.
 
The Cowboys opened up their conference season with a three-game sweep over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. That series was cut short one game due to the Islanders not having enough players to reach the mandated amount to play a four-game series due to COVID protocols.
 
The Huskies have dropped five straight games and are 2-13 on the season and 0-4 in league play after getting swept at New Orleans last weekend.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES:
McNeese leads 28-13 dating back to the 1970 season. The Cowboys have won four of the last five against HBU, including a 2-1 mark in 2019 at HBU in the last series played.
 
ROTATION:
On Friday, McNeese will start RHP Christian Vega (0-1, 5.17 ERA) vs. HBU RHP Tyler Zarella (0-3, 10.24). Saturday's first game, which will be a 7-inning contest unless it goes to extra innings, will pit McNeese LHP Will Dion (1-2, 3.86) vs. HBU RHP Jacob Coats (0-2, 6.75). The second game, which will be a 9-inning affair unless game 1 goes extras, then the second game will turn into a 7-inning contest, will have McNeese LHP Ty Abraham (1-0, 3.86) vs. Huskies LHP Austin Spinney (0-2, 5.68). McNeese has yet to decide on a starter for Sunday while HBU will start RHP Daxton Tinker (0-3, 5.19).
 
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE RANKINGS:
As a team, McNeese is ranked No. 3 in the SLC in hitting with a .300 average while HBU is 11^th with a .206 mark. The Cowboys are No. 1 in slugging (.437), doubles (36) and triples (7).
 
Individually, Clayton Rasbeary is third in hitting (.417) and slugging (.700); No. 1 in total hits (25) and triples (2) along with teammate Payton Harden, and third in doubles (7). He's seventh with 15 runs scored and with 13 RBIs.
 
Nate Fisbeck is tied for the league lead with eight doubles, 8^th with 19 hits, tied with Rasbeary at 6^th with 13 RBIs, and tied for 6^th with one triple.
 
Tré Obregon is fourth in the conference in hitting with a .408 average while Harden, along with his two triples, is fifth with 16 runs scored, fourth with 21 hits, seventh with five doubles and tied for sixth with two sacrifice bunts.
 
Julian Gonzales is second in the league with seven stolen bases and with three sac bunts.
 
On the mound, Dion is ranked third with 33 batters struck out, sixth with 21.0 innings pitched and eighth with a .197 opponent batting average.
 
THIS WEEKEND'S SLC SCHEDULE, LEAGUE RECORDS ONLY LISTED:
McNeese (3-0) at HBU (0-4)
UCA (2-2) at Lamar (0-0)
New Orleans (4-0) at Stephen F. Austin (0-4)
Southeastern La. (4-0) at UIW (2-2)
Northwestern State (2-2) at Sam Houston (0-4)
Nicholls (4-0) at Abilene Christian (2-2)