Tournament Details: The Evangeline Bank and Trust Invitational I
Date: Friday, Feb. 11-Sunday Feb. 13
Location: Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond
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LAKE CHARLES - McNeese softball will open its 2022 season by hosting The Evangeline Bank and Trust Invitational I Friday, Feb. 11-Sunday Feb. 13. at Joe Miller at Cowgirl Diamond.
Other teams making up the tournament field include Tulsa, Texas Southern, North Texas, and University of Alabama at Birmingham.
"I like the depth of our team, we want to use this weekend to see where everyone is at," said sixth year head coach James Landreneau.
"We are going to play to win every time and I like the matchups that we have. We have played against ourselves for a while now and the players are eager for new competition."
The tournament gets underway at 1 p.m. Friday with Tulsa taking on North Texas followed by Texas Southern and North Texas.
The Cowgirls will conclude Day 1 against Texas Southern with the first pitch set for 6 p.m. The first 100 McNeese students will receive a free hotdog and drink voucher.
Saturday's schedule has the Cowgirls taking on Tulsa at 3:30 p.m. followed by UAB at 6 p.m. The tournament will close out on Sunday with McNeese facing North Texas at noon and Texas Southern at 2:30 p.m.
McNeese will look to maintain its winning streak against Texas Southern and Tulsa. The Cowgirls have won all six matchups against Texas Southern including last season's Cowgirl Classic II. The 2018 Cowgirl Classic I was the last meeting against Tulsa when McNeese swept the Hurricanes in consecutive wins.
It's been two years since McNeese met UAB and North Texas with the Cowgirls leading both series, 2-1. The most recent matchups were in 2020 when McNeese split a pair of games with both teams.
Former McNeese standout Jamie Allred will return to Joe Miller Field as North Texas's pitching coach.
Following the final McNeese game of each day, player autographs will be available behind the Cowgirls dugout.
The Evangeline Bank and Trust Invitational I
Friday, Feb. 11
1 p.m. Tulsa vs. North Texas
3:30 p.m. Texas Southern vs. North Texas
6 p.m. Texas Southern vs. McNeese
Saturday, Feb. 12
1 p.m. Tulsa vs. UAB
3:30 p.m. Tulsa vs. McNeese
6 p.m. UAB vs. McNeese
Sunday, Feb. 13
12 p.m. North Texas vs. McNeese
2:30 p.m. Texas Southern vs. McNeese
Preseason Rankings
McNeese ranked first in the Southland Conference
Texas Southern ranked first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division
Tulsa ranked fifth in the American Athletic Conference
UAB ranked fourth in Conference USA
North Texas ranked second in Conference USA
