HAMMOND – McNeese will begin play in the 2025 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament at 1 p.m. on Thursday as the No. 5 seed and will take on No. 4 Northwestern State.
 
The Cowboys are making their 23^rd overall appearance in the tourney and 11^th under head coach Justin Hill.
 
Tournament Information
Where: Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field in Hammond, La.
When: Thursday, May 15 | 1 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: LINK
Tickets: LINK
 
Tournament Schedule
Thursday, May 15
G1: McNeese vs. Northwestern State, 1 p.m.
G2: New Orleans vs. Southeastern 6 p.m.
 
Friday, May 16
G3: Loser G1 vs. Loser G2, 1 p.m.
G4: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2, 6 p.m.
 
Saturday, May 17
G5: Loser G4 vs. Winner G3, 1 p.m.
G6: Winner G4 vs. Winner G5, 6 p.m.
 
Sunday, May 18
G7: Loser G6 vs. Winner G6, 1 p.m. (if necessary)
 
Notes and Trends:
• McNeese will be making its 23rd appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament and for the 13th consecutive year.
• 35-37 all-time tournament record.
• 5-4 in championship games with four tournament title wins (1993, 2003, 2019, 2021).
• The Cowboys have played in three of the last four tournament championship games/series.
• McNeese is 7-2 in tournament games in Hammond and won the 2021 championship after going 4-0... 3-2 last season, falling to Nicholls in the championship game.
• Thursday's game will be the 13th time McNeese and NSU will face off in the tournament (6-6 record)... the last was in the first round last year with McNeese winning 10-5.
• McNeese leads the all-time series against the Demons by a 127-113-2 margin.
 
Westenburg, Gravel Named All-Conference:
• McNeese center fielder Conner Westenburg and pitcher Alexis Gravel were named to the 2025 All-Southland Conference Baseball Team, Westenburg garnering first team honors and Gravel named to the second team.
• Westenburg also earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team.
 
Westenburg Setting Records:
• Center fielder Conner Westenburg set a new school single season and career record with his lead-off, 1st inning home run at UTRGV last Friday... it was his 3rd 1st inning lead-off homer of the season and the 4th in his career, both school records.
• He also set a school record for the most outfield assists in a season with nine outfield assists.
• His 9 triples on the season is tied for the national lead and is 2nd-most in school history, three off the season record of 12 while his career triples total of 12 is ranked tied as the 4th-most all-time in school history.
• He also leads the nation in defensive runs saved with a rate of 18.61... second on the list is shortstop Roch Cholowsky of UCLA with a 16.44 number while the closest outfielder is Caleb Shpur of UConn with a 13.86.
• He's second in the nation in outfield runs (12.51) and outfield arms runs (6.1).