LAKE CHARLES— McNeese softball, the reigning 2024 Southland Conference regular season champs will open its 2025 season at the Tarleton Texan Classic on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Tarleton State.  This will be the only Cowgirl tournament game that will be streamed on ESPN+.  All tournament games will have livestats.  
 
The Cowgirls will face Bucknell (1:15 p.m.) and Marist (3:30 p.m.) Friday afternoon while Saturday's schedule has the Cowgirls taking on Marist at 10 a.m. and Bucknell at 12:15 p.m. to close out tournament action.
 
McNeese returns 10 letterwinners including two seniors Rylie Bouvier and Reese Reyna, who will both be in the opening day starting lineup.
 
Head coach James Landreneau enters his 13^th overall season and 9^th as head coach with a 298-161 career record, needing two wins for his 300^th career win and is five wins away from becoming McNeese's all-time winningest coach. 
 
 
OPENING WEEKEND: Feb. 6-8 at Tarleton State Texan Classic (Stephenville, Texas)
Thursday, Feb. 6
5 p.m. – Tarleton State
ESPN+
Livestats
 
Friday, Feb. 7
1:15 p.m. – Bucknell
Livestats
3:30 p.m.- Marist
Livestats
 
Saturday, May 8
10 a.m. – Marist
Livestats
12:15 p.m. - Bucknell
Livestats
 
McNEESE NOTES
Coming off a 40-20 overall record and 22-2 in the SLC in 2024.
• The 40-win season is the fifth under head coach James Landreneau
• Landreneau is two wins away form 300 career wins and five wins away from becoming McNeese's winningest coach
• Landreneau enters the 2025 season with a 298-161 career record.
• Will play in four regular season tournaments including two the Cowgirls will host (I-10 Border Classic and the Cowgirl Classic)
• Two teams on the 2025 schedule (Tennessee, LSU) were ranked in the NFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll. Tennessee at No. 6 and LSU at No. 10
• Won its third straight regular season conference championship and ninth overall regular season title in 2024
•- Have won seven of the last 11 regular season conference titles.
• McNeese is the third school to win three straight regular season championships and second among current schools.
• Northwestern State (2016-2018) and Texas State (2021-2023) are the other two schools to win three consecutive titles.
• Are picked to finish second in the 2025 preseason poll behind preseason favorite Southeastern
• Return 10 letterwinners from 2024 including six position players who saw starting time
• Return three pitchers (Ryann Schexnayder, Lindsay Davis and Alexis Dibbley)
• Have 11 newcomers including nine freshmen and two transfers
 
THE OPPONENT
TARLETON STATE
• Will be the 6th all-time meeting against the Texans
• McNeese leads the series 4-1, having won the last four games including both games in 2024
• Coming off a 23-32 overall record and a 9-16 WAC record
BUCKNELL
• Will be the 3rd all-time meeting against the Bison
• McNeese leads the series 2-0
• Both wins against Bucknell were in 2013 and were played in Lake Charles
• Coming off a 19-27 overall record and a 9-9 Patriot League record
MARIST
• Will be the first ever meeting against Marist
• Coming off a 36-19 overall record and a 17-7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record
• 2024 MAAC regular season champion
• 2023 MAAC Tournament Champion, NCAA Tournament