LAKE CHARLES, La. - McNeese Baseball prepares to open conference play on a three-game win streak as Northwestern State comes to town for a three-game series at Joe Miller Ballpark Thursday through Saturday. The Cowboys (12-10, 0-0 SLC) are opening up their conference slate while the Demons (7-18, 1-2 SLC) enter their second week of league play.

The weekend is slated to kick off Thursday at 6 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. start on Friday before rounding things out Saturday at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available for fans to follow along.

"I like where we're at from a rotation standpoint," said head coach Justin Hill. "I am really proud of how the team has handled the pre-conference season, not just from the competition we've played, but the adversity they've overcome."

Pitching duels have been set for the weekend as redshirt junior Cameron LeJeune will take the mound Thursday for his fourth start of the season against Aidan Newton opening the series for the Demons.

Zach Voss, a senior, will make his sixth start of the season against Chase Prestwich. Voss had his longest outing of the season in the combined shutout over Northwestern, throwing six innings, allowing only three hits.

Junior Alexis Gravel rounds out the series as the lone left-handed starter for either team as he takes on righty Dawson Flowers. It marks the fourth time this season all three will make a start during a weekend series.

Cooper Hext aims to further the momentum he's found over the last two games in his senior campaign, hitting 7-for-9 with two runs scored. Tuesday night, he fell a home run short of hitting for the cycle against the Delta Devils. He further co-leads the nation in triples with five on the season.

McNeese follows up the series with two days of rest before hosting Alcorn for two games to conclude a nine-game homestand.

Weekend Series
Thur., Mar. 28 vs. Northwestern State | 6 p.m. | LeJeune (2-2) vs. Newton (0-2)
Fri., Mar. 29 vs. Northwestern State | 2 p.m. | Voss (0-3) vs. Prestwich (2-3)
Sat., Mar. 30 vs. Northwestern State | 2 p.m. | Gravel (0-1) vs. Flowers (1-1)

 Series Preview 
• McNeese holds the all-time advantage over the Demons 124-109-2 with the first meeting taking place in 1953. 
• The Cowboys have been just edged out in the last five meetings with a 2-3 record over the timespan against NSU. 
• Holding 1,110 all-time runs, the Pokes have averaged 4.87 runs a game vs NSU. 
• When playing at home, McNeese holds a 73-38-2 advantage. 
• Northwestern State took the series 2-1 last year in Natchitoches. 

McNeese Notes 
• Cooper Hext is tied for the most triples in the nation at five on the season. Patrick Clohisy from Saint Lewis co-leads the nation. 
• The blue and gold sit 17th in the nation with 10 triples, three behind conference leading UIW at 13. 
• McNeese is 26th in D1 Baseball with two shutouts on the season, both coming within the last three games. 
• Alexis Gravel's six starts place him 24th in the nation and tied with 13 other players for the top spot in the conference. 
• Conner Westenburg owns the team's longest hitting streak at six games. 
• The Cowboys have earned at least six hits in 19 of 22 games this season. 
• JT Moeller holds the 63rd best strikeout-to-walk ration in the nation at 5.40. 
• Kainin Morrow is 96th in the nation and second amongst the conference in victories, collecting three on the mound. 
• Cameron LeJeune owns the 70th most saves in D1 baseball at three on the season. 
• The NCAA ranks McNeese as having the 17th-hardest strength of schedule in the nation after taking on ranked opponents in Arkansas and Texas A&M, the second-to-last undefeated team. 
• Cooper Hext was named to the SLC Preseason All-Conference Second Team. 
• McNeese was slated to finish fifth in the conference in the SLC Preseason Poll. 
• The Cowboys have 23 returners on the squad with 17 newcomers for the season. 
• McNeese has made 11 straight appearances in the SLC Tournament, qualifying each year under the tutelage of Coach Hill.

Scouting the Opponent 
• The Demons are under their first year with Chris Bertrand at the helm in his eighth year with the program as a whole. 
• Bertrand last held a head coaching position at UT Tyler where he went 119-69. 
• Northwestern State is 0-8 on the road with five wins coming at home and two at a neutral site. 
• The Demons are on a two-game win streak against Southeastern on Sunday and Louisiana Christian Tuesday.

Last Five
5/26/2023    NSU 6, McNeese 2
5/14/2023    NSU 8, McNeese 4
5/13/2023    McNeese 4, NSU 2
5/12/2023    NSU 5, McNeese 4
5/8/2022      McNeese 10, NSU 4