LAKE CHARLES, La. – McNeese Baseball (16-15, 2-4 SLC) returns to Southland Conference play as it hosts UIW (17-14, 2-4 SLC) at Joe Miller Ballpark Friday through Sunday, April 12-14 during its Military Weekend..
 
"It's always been about playing good baseball and we've shown moments of it," said head coach Justin Hill. "It'll be ultra competitive like it always is in the league."
 
The Cowboys hosted Northwestern State for opening weekend of conference play before traveling to take on Lamar. McNeese is seeking its first conference series win after collecting two series opening wins against its former opponents.

Offensively, senior Braden Duhon has paved the way with a .319 batting average from 36 hits on the season, which is second on the team, after starting all 31 games played this season.

Conner Westenburg leads the team in his junior campaign with 19 extra-base hits coming off 12 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. He leads the team in doubles and home runs while just three short of the team leader in triples, senior Cooper Hext.

Poke Nation will celebrate its nation's military and veterans this weekend by deeming it Military Weekend with a firework show following Friday night's game. Admission is free for all veterans with a valid ID during the entire weekend.
 
McNeese hosts Sam Houston State following the series on Tuesday while UIW returns home to host Texas State who the Cowboys will face later in the campaign.
 
 Series Preview 
• McNeese is 21-6 all-time against the Cardinals with a 16-3 record at home. 
• Both teams first met in 2014 with the Cowboys starting off to an 8-0 beginning. 
• The Cowboys eliminated the Cardinals from the SLC Championships in the 2023 tournament when the two teams last saw each other. 
• McNeese leads 5-2 through seven series with the Cardinals. 
 
McNeese Notes 
• Cooper Hext is third in the nation with five triples on the season. Hext leads the conference while Grant Mangrum and Conner Westenburg are seventh in the SLC with two. 
• The blue and gold sit 12th in the nation with 13 triples tied for the lead in the con­ference with Texas A&M-CC and UIW who was once the nation's leader. 
• Alexis Gravel's eight starts place him 28th in the nation and tied with 12 other players for the top spot in the conference. 
• McNeese is 46th in D1 Baseball with two shutouts on the season, blanking North­western and Mississippi Valley State. 
• After appearing in three consecutive games against Lamar, JT Moeller moved to 83rd in the nation in pitching appearances. 
• Moeller leads the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 4.50 on the season. 
• The Cowboys have earned at least six hits in 25 of 31 games this season. 
• Nine pitchers on the Cowboys' staff have made at least one appearance through two series. All season long, 17 pitchers have pitched on the mound. 
• The NCAA ranked McNeese as having the 17th-hardest strength of schedule in the nation before Southland play 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 
• UIW carries a two-game win streak into the weekend with a 14-1 win over Baylor and 11-5 victory over Rice. 
• The Cardinals are 4-1 against common opponents, sweeping Alcorn 3-0, beating PVAMU 23-20, and falling to Texas A&M 3-9. 
• UIW has challenged three Power 5 opponents in 2024. 
• Dalton Beck (.413) and Ryan Scott (.400) are two of four players batting over .300 for the Cardinals. 
• Daniel Calabrese and Cameron Caley each have seven-game hitting streaks coming into the weekend.
 
Last Five
5/25/2023           McNeese 3, UIW 0
4/30/2023           McNeese 9, UIW 2
4/29/2023           UIW 8, McNeese 6
4/28/2023           UIW 8, McNeese 7
5/21/2022           McNeese 7, UIW 2