Heated rivalry: Southland’s top teams make run at regional

Published 7:00 am Thursday, May 26, 2022

By all accounts, the first Southland Conference championship series will be spicy.

Expect the bat flips to be a little higher and tempers a little shorter as the stakes heat up over the next few days in Lake Charles.

It might be a bit much to say there is bad blood between the two finalists, but this best-of-three set won’t be warm and fuzzy either. This is the SLC’s best baseball rivalry going and a trip to the NCAA regionals is on the line.

A year ago Southeastern Louisiana watched as McNeese State captured the conference crown on the Lions’ home turf, turning Alumni Field in Hammond into Joe Miller Ballpark East.

Tonight, the two winners of bracket play and top tourney seeds open the finals at 6 p.m. at McNeese.

“I think it’s pretty obvious what the rivalry is,” said Cowboys shortstop Reid Bourque. “There’s a lot at stake, but we’re ready for it.”

While both teams and head coaches talk of respect, there is also a belief that their team is the top program in the league. Adding even more fuel to the fire is that McNeese will host the conference tournament for each of the next four years starting in 2023. That fact did not sit well with the SLU fan base.

All that is a backdrop to a series that features regular-season champ and top-seeded McNeese (33-21) and No. 2 Southeastern (28-28), which is riding a season-best four-game winning streak. The victor moves on while the loser goes home.

“We are excited for this,” said Cowboys outfielder Julian Gonzales. “We would not want it any other way.”

The Cowboys, who have won seven consecutive games, won the title by one game and swept the Lions in Lake Charles a six weeks back ago. The first two games McNeese won on walk-off homers, the opener a grand slam by Kade Morris.

“Those were exciting, close games,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “I would expect they will be ready and I think the games will be much the same.”

McNeese enters looking for a third consecutive SLC title and having won 11 straight tourney games dating to 2019. They also have won seven consecutive games overall.

“There are no secrets,” said SLU head coach Mark Riser. “We know what they are, we know who they are, they know who we are. We could not ask for a better opportunity.

“You get a second chance you take advantage of that opportunity. Two wins away, keep the focus on Thursday night.”

In Game 1 McNeese will start right-hander Grant Rogers (7-4, 4.09 ERA). The SLC Pitcher of the Year will face freshman lefty Adam Guth (4-1, 5.17), a product of Barbe High School.

Rogers went seven innings allowing two runs on six hits when he first faced the Lions. Guth also allowed two runs on seven hits while going five innings against McNeese. Neither starter earned a decision.

Bourque led McNeese in that series hitting .625. Brad Burckel, who had a walk-off home run in the second game, hit .444.

The Lions, who lead the SLC in home runs with 67 — McNeese is second at 56 — had 16 in their five bracket games. McNeese leads the conference in hitting at .304, so offenses are expected to take center stage.

SLU’s Preston Faulkner leads the conference in homers at 17 and has four in the postseason.

“We have to keep them in the park,”  Hill said. “We can’t have them hit home runs with runners on base.”

Southeastern fans were hoping Faulkner would be voted SLC Player of the Year. Instead, that honor went to McNeese’s Payton Harden.

Just a little more spice for the series.

“Southeastern is a really, really good program with good history,” Bourque said. “But so are we and I promise you we’re ready to compete just like they are. It’s going to be a fun series for sure.”