LAKE CHARLES - After sweeping through the Lake Charles Bracket, a best-of-three Southland Conference Championship Series against the No. 2 seeded Southeastern Lions stands in the way of a No. 1 seeded McNeese Cowboy tournament championship three-peat and the right to represent the SLC in the NCAA Tournament. Games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and, if necessary, 6 p.m. Saturday at Joe Miller Ballpark and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
"It has a chance to be honestly one of the most interesting highlights of college baseball this weekend, just because everyone knows what's on the line and you've got the teams that finished first and second so it'll be pretty neat," said head coach Justin Hill.
The Rundown
Opponent: Southeastern Lions
Date: May 26, 27, 28*
Site: Lake Charles, Louisiana | Joe Miller Ballpark
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Tickets / ESPN+ / Live Stats
Probable Pitching Matchup:
Thursday: (McN) RHP Grant Rogers (7-4, 4.09) vs. (SLU) LHP Adam Guth (4-1, 5.17)
Friday/Saturday*: TBA
If Necessary*
History At Southland Championship:
In the midst of the Poke's 20th appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament, 10th straight overall and 9th consecutive under head coach Justin Hill, McNeese sits 4-1 historically in SLC tournament championship games. McNeese will compete for the championship for a third consecutive season after defeating Central Arkansas in 2019 and Sam Houston in 2021. This is the first time McNeese has hosted the tournament.
This is the first-ever meeting between McNeese and Southeastern in the tournament finals and the eighth ('10, '15, '16, '21) overall time in the SLC Tournament. McNeese leads the postseason series 4-3 after the Pokes defeated the Lions twice in last year's tournament. The Lions lead the overall series 97-89-1. McNeese swept the regular-season series with the Lions using walk-off home runs by Kade Morris and Brad Burckel, respectively, in the first two games.
About McNeese:
The Cowboys hit .330 as a team in the opening round of the tournament and pitched to a 3.33 ERA in two games against UIW and one against Nicholls. Julian Gonzales (.667), Brad Burckel (.538), and Payton Harden (.385) led the offensive charge at the plate with Kade Hunter and Kade Morris each homering twice.
The Cowboys finished SLC play 12-3 down the stretch to win the program's fifth outright Southland Conference Regular Season Title.
Southland Conference Player of the Year Payton Harden, Pitcher of the Year Grant Rogers, and Relief Pitcher of the Year Cameron Foster lead McNeese into the tournament while six other Pokes garnered postseason awards including Josh Leslie who joins those three on the All-Southland Conference First Team.
Reid Bourque, Brad Burckel, Braden Duhon, and Kade Morris were each named to the All-Southland Conference Second Team, while Kade Hunter earned third team honors.
Bourque, Burckel, Morris, and Rogers were also tabbed to the SLC All-Defensive Team. Overall, McNeese earned a league-high 17 postseason awards.
McNeese carries a batting average of .305 which is tied for the 14th highest mark in the nation.
The Cowboy's 134 steals are the fourth-most in the nation. McNeese pulled off the only triple steal in college baseball this season on March 25th against HBU.
The Pokes have tripled 24 times this season which is good for fourth nationally and five shy of the nation's lead.
McNeese ranks in the top three every major category on both sides of the plate amongst the Southland Conference including leading the league in batting average and ERA. Full conference statistics can be found here.
The Cowboys are led at the plate by Brad Burkel (.371) and Payton Harden (.371), the Southland's Player of the Year. Julian Gonzales paces the team with 27 extra-base hits and 44 RBIs and Kade Morris leads the team with 10 home runs. Harden (25), Reid Bourque (23) and Gonzales (20) are three of the top five base stealers in the league.
History for Hill:
Head coach Justin Hill became the winningest coach in McNeese Cowboy history last Friday night against Nicholls. The win was career victory No. 264 for Justin Hill, passing the late Tony Robichaux. Hill was also named the 2022 Clay Gould SLC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career (2017).
About the Lions:
Southeastern won four straight after dropping their first game of the SLC tournament to come out of the Hammond Bracket. They are led by All-Conference players 1B Preston Faulkner (1st-team), C Bryce Grizzaffi (2nd-team), SP Will Kinzeler (2nd-team), and RP Gage Trahan (3rd-team). Southeastern leads the league with 71 home runs overall. Faulkner leads the SLC with 17 long balls and ranks second with 67 RBI. Evan Keller and Tristian Welch have each added 10 homers and Shea Thomas has driven in 43 runs. The Lions carry a .256 team average and a 5.79 ERA during league play.
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