SAN ANTONIO, Texas – McNeese baseball tied its best start in program history Wednesday night at 24-5 (11-4 SLC) and carry a nine-game win streak in its return to Southland Conference action Friday afternoon against UIW (15-21, 2-16 SLC) for a three-game series at Sullivan Field. The squads kick things off at 2:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday before rounding out the series Sunday at 1:05 p.m. with all three games slated to be streamed on ESPN+.

The Cowboys are coming off a 4-3 victory over Big 12 opponent Houston in 10 innings Wednesday night, the first time defeating a Big 12 opponent since 2016 against Baylor.

The victory not only extended the squad's win streak to nine games, the third longest in the nation, but also tied the best start in program history for the Cowboys and under head coach Justin Hill. The last time the Pokes started 24-5 was in 1991 as the team went on to finish the season 34-18 under skipper Tony Robichaux.

Through five SLC series this season, the Cowboys have claimed four against Nicholls, Lamar, Southeastern, and New Orleans only falling to Houston Christian in the second week of play. McNeese won both of its non-conference series against Wichita State and Oakland.

Since UIW and McNeese initially met in 2014, the Pokes have commanded the series to sit 22-9 all time. In the SLC Championships in 2024, McNeese took a 6-2 victory over the Cardinals.

McNeese was recently ranked 20^th in the 11Point7 Mid-Major Power Rankings while receiving votes in the UST Today Baseball Coaches Poll for the first time this season. After the weekend, McNeese was ranked 34^th in RPI, one of six Southland schools in the Top 100.

Pitching wise, the blue and gold have recorded a team ERA of 3.87, the third best in the conference and 21^st in the nation. Seven unique pitchers have started on the mound with 15 making an appearance in at least two games.

McNeese is slated to start junior Cooper Golden Friday for his ninth start of the season with senior Alexis Gravel making the Saturday start. They are slated to take on another pair of left-handed pitchers in Gus McKay and Josh Salinas on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Redshirt sophomore Easton Dowell has led the team offensively with an average of .417 on 40 hits, collecting 13 doubles, a triple, and five home runs. He is one of three Cowboys batting .300 or better.

Following the series, McNeese stays on the road to challenge third-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m.
 
Series Preview
• McNeese leads the all-time series lead 22-9 with the series beginning in 2014.
• The squads last met in the SLC Tournament in 2024 with the Pokes earning a 6-2 win.
• McNeese is 16-9 against the Cardinals in conference play.
• The last 10 matchups have been split 5-5.
• Coach Hill is 12-5 when facing Coach Shotzberger.
 
McNeese Notes
• Coach Hill is off to his best start at the helm at 24-5 and ties the Cowboys' best start that occurred in 1991.
• The Cowboys are ranked 20th in the 11Point7 College Baseball Week 8 Mid-Major Power Rankings. The squad has been ranked for three consecutive weeks this season and four weeks overall. Southeastern joins the Pokes from the SLC in 22nd.
• McNeese has taken six series over opponents this season in seven opportunities, most recently sweeping New Orleans at home over the weekend.
• The Cowboys scored a season-high 21 runs against Alcorn, the most the offense has produced in a game since 2022.
• McNeese is tied for the nation's third-longest winning streak at nine games, marking the longest win streak under skipper Justin Hill and longest for the Pokes since the 2010 season.
• McNeese has outscored opponents 82-27 over its last eight games.
• The third inning has been critical for McNeese as they are undefeated when leading after the third and have lost four games when trailing after the third.
• Easton Dowell leads the team with a .417 average on the season with Larry Edwards Jr. (.350) and Davis Meche (.300) also hitting over .300.
• McNeese is ranked 15th in the nation with 13 triples and leads the Southland. Arizona leads the nation with 22.
• The Pokes are 21st in the nation in ERA at 3.98 and third in the Southland. The squad's 3.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio is ranked seventh in the nation and atop the SLC.
• McNeese is tied 17th in the nation with three shutouts. 
• Conner Westenburg is tied for the second-most triples in the nation with six and leads the SLC.
• Cooper Golden has started eight games, tied for the 21st most in D1 Baseball.
• McNeese tied a program record for runs scored in an inning with its 12-run bottom of the sixth against Dillard that has remain unmatched since the Cowboys did so against Texas State in 1999.
• McNeese defeated ULL on the road for the first time since 2019 and completed the season sweep for the first time since 2003.
• McNeese has claimed two shutouts on the season with the first being a 1-0 win over Oakland (Game 1) before defeating UL-Lafayette 3-0 at home in a midweek duel.
• By sweeping Nicholls 3-0, it marks the first time since 2021 the Cowboys have opened conference with a series sweep when they swept Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
• McNeese swept Oakland 3-0 in the teams' first ever meeting.
McNeese Notes (cont.)
• Alexis Gravel was named the Week 2 SLC Pitcher of the Week after his 12-strikeout performance against Oakland in the series opener.
• McNeese had back-to-back walk-off victories against Oakland with Mack Brousseau hitting walk-off solo home run Saturday and Matt Stancliff hitting a walk-off RBI single with the bases loaded Sunday.
• McNeese's series wins over Oakland and Wichita State are the first in program history for each respective school.
• The Cowboys return 18 members from the 2024 roster and added 23 over the offseason headed into 2025.
• Coach Hill guided the Pokes to a 32-27 record on the 2024 season to mark his ninth season of earning 30+ wins in a season.
• Conner Westenburg was named to the Southland Preseason All-Conference First Team.
• Simon Larranaga earned recognition on the SLC Preseason All-Conference Second Team.
• Peyton McLemore was added to the coaching staff as an assistant coach/pitching coordinator while Peyton LeJeune also joined as a Student Assistant Coach.
 
Scouting the Opponent
• UIW owns a 13-5 non-conference record on the season.
• The Cardinals took a game from Southeastern over the weekend and run-ruled Prairie View 18-2 (7) Tuesday night.
• UIW fell to Tarleton State Wednesday afternoon.
• Rob Liddington leads the team with a .361 average with two others batting over .300 on the season.
• All three pitchers throwing over 39.0 innings have recorded at least two victories.
 
Last Time Out
• McNeese defeated Houston 4-3 in 10 innings, beating the Cougars for the 10th time in the all-time series and first win since 2019.
• The Cowboys extended their win streak to nine games, the longest under the leadership of Coach Hill.
• First win over a Big 12 team since defeating Baylor in 2016.
• McNeese swept New Orleans 3-0 over the weekend, taking the series finale with a walk-off single by Easton Dowell.
• The Pokes defeated the Privateers 8-5, 10-8, and 3-2 over the weekend.
• Jake Blackwell had a breakout weekend as a Cowboy, earning two victories on the mound as well as a save on Saturday afternoon.
• Parker Primeaux recorded his second win of the season Saturday.
• Easton Dowell batted .500 with six hits on the weekend, earning two doubles and a triple on the weekend.
• Six of seven pitchers to throw at least 2.0 innings recorded an ERA of 2.70 or lower on the weekend.
• McNeese outscored UNO 21-15 over the series.