HAMMOND, La. - McNeese's remarkable run in the 2024 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament came to an end in the championship game, where it was making its fourth appearance in the last five seasons, by a 15-1 score to No. 2 Nicholls on Saturday night.
McNeese concludes its season with a 32-27 record, the ninth 30-win season in head coach
Justin Hill's 11 seasons (2020 was canceled due to Covid).
Nicholls (38-20) earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Regional for the second straight year and will learn of its destination on Monday.
McNeese saw three members of its squad named to the SLC-All-Tournament Team in seniors
Cooper Hext,
Peyton LeJeune, and
Elliot Hebert.
LeJeune made program history by tying the most consecutive at-bats with a home run at three. He hit four total home runs in the tournament, the second most at the tournament, with nine runs batted in, another second-most on the week. All four of his home runs accounted for two runs each.
Hebert rocked the momentum in favor of the Cowboys against Northwestern State at the beginning of the tournament with a triple that kick started a seven-run inning against the Demons.
Hext collected eight hits throughout the run, scoring six runs while driving in three runs for the Pokes.
By taking the mound for the Cowboys today and collecting a strikeout, redshirt senior
Ty Abraham set an SLC Tournament record strikeouts with eight throughout three appearances.
The Cowboys upset fourth-seed Northwestern State in the opening round of the tournament before taking down eighth-seeded UIW to start 2-0. Lamar, the top seed of the tournament and regular season champions beat the Pokes in the semifinals to force an 'if necessary' game.
In the 'if necessary' game, McNeese defeated the Cardinals 14-4 in a seven-inning run rule victory to advance to the championships, falling to Nicholls in the winner-take-all match.
"I'm extremely proud of the team from the journey that they had from opening weekend," said head coach
Justin Hill. "Through being at the bottom of the conference to giving themselves a chance."
Cooper Hext homered in the bottom of the first inning in his final game as a Cowboy for McNeese's lone run of the ballgame.
Pitching Appearances
Zach Voss: 1.2 IP, 0 K, 1 H, 3 BB, 2 ER
Cameron LeJeune: 2.2 IP, 1 K, 8 H, 2 BB, 6 ER
Ty Abraham: 1.2 IP, 1 K, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 ER
Brock Barthelemy: 1.0 IP, 1 K, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 ER
McNeese Notes
•
Ty Abraham broke the SLC Tournament record for strikeouts at eight.
•
Zach Voss made his third tournament start, second of the day for McNeese.
• As per available records, Voss' three Tournament starts and two in one day are presumed to be a pitching record.
• McNeese's fourth Championship game appearance in five seasons.
•
Braden Duhon started every game for the Cowboys this season in right field in his final campaign.
• Three members of the team were named to the SLC All-Tournament Team.
• Barring the Covid year, McNeese has had at least two players on the All-Tournament Team since 2019.
