BEAUMONT, Texas – McNeese baseball (31-24, 16-14) returns to action Thursday afternoon as it takes on Lamar (32-25, 19-11) in the Southland Conference Championship Series. The series will be a best-of-three format with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. each day. All games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

The Cowboys are coming off a 3-1 showing in the Hammond Bracket of the Southland Conference Tournament, where they faced Nicholls and 2026 Southland Conference regular season champion Southeastern. Offensively, McNeese plated 46 runs on 55 hits over the weekend, including 12 doubles and eight home runs. Marcus Heusohn led the Cowboys at the plate, going 7-for-16 with one double, four home runs, and three walks.

Eric Nachtsheim highlighted the pitching staff, posting a 2-0 record after tossing 12 innings while allowing five runs on 11 hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. With his outing over the weekend, Nachtsheim set a new program single-season strikeout record with 125 and counting.

The Cowboys' appearance in the championship series marks the program's first since 2024.

The Cardinals are coming off a 4-1 weekend in the Beaumont Bracket of the Southland Conference Tournament, facing Stephen F. Austin three times along with UTRGV and Northwestern State. Lamar dropped its opening game before battling through the elimination bracket to earn a spot in the championship series. Over its final four games, Lamar outscored opponents 26-4 while recording two shutouts.

When the two teams met earlier this season, McNeese claimed game one before Lamar won the final two contests. The Cowboys recorded 13 runs on 18 hits during the series, including three doubles and one triple. Heusohn led the offense in games one and three, going 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored in the opener before finishing 2-for-4 with a double, walk, three RBIs, and two runs scored in game three.

Series Information: at Lamar

• Location: Beaumont, Texas 
• Last 5 Meetings: 3-2
• Last Meeting: March 15, 2026, | Loss 11-10 at Lamar

 
Records:

• McNeese (31-24, 16-14)
• Lamar (32-25,19-11)

 
Gameday Notebook:

• This will be the 24th overall SLC Tournament Appearance for the Cowboys
• McNeese is 38-38 overall in SLC Tournament games
• Cowboys are 3-6 against the Cardinals in tournament play
• This will be the first championship appearance for the Cowboys since 2024
• Eric Nachtsheim was named SLC Relief Pitcher of the Year, marking third Cowboy to garner said award.
• Danny Barbero and Eric Nachtsheim were named 1st Team All-Southland Conference
• Isaiah Keller and Connor Walker were named to the All-Defensive Team
• McNeese went 1-2 in the series against Lamar taking Game 1 and dropping the last two games.
• Cowboys accounted for 13 runs on 18 hits at Lamar with three doubles and one triple.
• McNeese coming off a 3-1 weekend in the Hammond Bracket knocking off the Southland Conference Regular Season Champs of Southeastern
• The Cowboy offense plated 46 runs on 55 hits on the weekend with 12 doubles and eight home runs.
• Marcus Heusohn went 7-for-16 on the weekend with one double, three home runs and four walks.
• Eric Nachtsheim went 2-0 on the weekend tossing 12 innings while allowing five runs on 11 hits with one walk while striking out nine.
• With increasing his strikeout total to 125, Eric Nachtsheim has set a new program record for strikeouts in a single season.
• Danny Barbero leads the team with 20 multi-hit games this season as well as 15   multiple RBI games on the season.
• Matt Stancliff leads the team in multiple run games with 16 on the season
• Easton Dowell will enter the weekend on a nine-game hitting streak and a reached safely/reached base streak of 22.
• Danny Barbero enters the weekend on a 14-game reached safely and reached base streak.
• Matt Stancliff leads the team in stolen bases with being 22 for 23 on the season
• Nachtsheim leads the pitching staff in strikeouts on the season with 125 in his 19 appearances.
• Cowboy pitching staff has set a new single season record for strikeouts with 529 strikeouts in 498.2 innings pitched
• Isaiah Keller leads the team in home runs with 12 and is now two home runs away from breaking into top ten for home runs in a single season.
• Danny Barbero leads the team in RBIs with 52 and is now six RBIs away from breaking into top ten for RBIs in a single season.
• Matt Stancliff leads the team in stolen bases with 22 and is now three away from breaking into top ten for stolen bases in a single 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 13^th 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.

 
Championship Series
 

Thursday, May 20
Game 1	#2 Lamar vs #5 McNeese	6 p.m.
Friday, May 21
Game 2	#2 Lamar vs #5 McNeese	6 p.m.
Saturday, May 22
Game 3 (if necessary)	#2 Lamar vs #5 McNeese	6 p.m.