LAKE CHARLES – McNeese baseball (13-12, 6-6) continues its home stand Friday as it takes on Abilene Christian (13-12, 0-0) in a weekend non-conference series. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The Cowboys are coming off a midweek split, falling to Southern before bouncing back with an 11-1 run-rule victory over Louisiana Christian in seven innings. McNeese recorded five doubles and one triple across the two games.
Abilene Christian enters the weekend following a 9-4 midweek win over Southland Conference foe Stephen F. Austin. The Wildcats held the Lumberjacks scoreless through the first seven innings. ACU was selected as the preseason favorite in the WAC, receiving three first-place votes, and placed three players on the All-WAC Preseason Team.
Series Information: vs Abilene Christian
- Location: Joe Miller Ballpark | Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Last 5 Meetings: 3-2
- Last Meeting: April 28,2029 | McN, 7-6 at ACU in 10 innings
Records:
- McNeese (13-12, 6-6)
- Abilene Christian (13-12, 0-0)
Gameday Notebook:
- First match up between the programs since the 2019 season where the Cowboys took 2 of the 3 in the series
- Cowboys coming off an 11-1 run-rule victory over Louisiana Christian
- McNeese dropped a midweek versus Southern Tuesday Night 6-2
- Cowboys picked up a series win over Southeastern last weekend
- Garett Blanchard picked up his first win against Louisiana Christian to move to 1-2
- Parker Morgan picked up his first win on the season in the Saturday game against Southeastern to move to 1-0 on the season.
- Connor Walker recorded his first collegiate home run Sunday against Southeastern
- Simon Larranaga picked up his first and second home run on the season against Southeastern
- Marcus Heusohn will enter the game on a seven-game hitting streak.
- Matt Stancliff will enter the game with a reached base streak of fourteen.
- Danny Barbero leads the team in batting average hitting under .400
- Danny Barbero leads the team in home runs with five.
- Bryce Fontenot and Marcus Heusohn lead the team in doubles with seven a piece.
- Matt Stancliff leads the team in stolen bases with 15 on the season
- Nachtsheim leads the pitching staff in strikeouts on the season with 53 in his seven appearances.
- Cowboy pitching staff has recorded 257 strikeouts in 220 innings pitched this season.
- The Cowboys return three of their top four hitters from the 2025 campaign, highlighted by Easton Dowell, who led the team with a .369 batting average. Marcus Heusohn also returns after posting a .327 average and 15 doubles, the third-most on the team, while Larry Edwards Jr. hit .316 and drove in a team-high 47 runs.
- Simon Larranaga returns to the Cowboys after leading them last season in home runs with 12 on the year.
- Cooper Golden returns as the lone weekend starter from last season after compiling a 3-3 record and 4.71 ERA in 14 starts and 15 appearances.
- Cowboys will play 32 home games this season.
- Head Coach, Justin Hill is entering his 13th season at the helm of the program and is the school's all-time winningest coach with a 365-284 overall record and 180-143 conference record.
- Cowboys return 20 players from last year's team, as well as welcome 21 newcomers to the roster.
- The 21 newcomers for the Cowboys hail from Bossier Parish CC (5), Navarro College (3), Rose State College, LSU-E, National Park College, Hill College, Butler, UNLV, Tyler Juco (2), Delgado CC, Central Missouri, Mississippi College, UT Tyler, and High School (2).
- Three of the Cowboys' opponents this season advanced to the NCAA Regionals last year – Kansas, Houston Christian, and LSU, who won the College World Series against Coastal Carolina.
