Cowboys up against SLC’s best arms

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Although the Southland Conference regular season isn’t halfway complete for the McNeese State baseball team, the Cowboys face a vital series this weekend as the try to break a three-game losing streak.

They will travel to Conway, Arkansas, for a three-game SLC series against Central Arkansas, which opens with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. today at Bear Stadium.

With impending inclement weather, Saturday’s game time has not been decided.

McNeese (15-14, 3-6 SLC), in the midst of a nine-game road trip, will be dealing with a UCA team that might feel similar to how the Cowboys felt last week after they beat nationally ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. The Bears’ most recent game was an 8-4 win at No. 23 Oklahoma State.

In SLC games, the Bears pitching staff has a conference-leading 2.18 earned run average with 108 strikeouts and 33 walks.

“From a conference-only standpoint, they have the best pitching staff in the conference,” McNeese head coach Justin Hill said of UCA. “So no rest for the weary for the offense that’s kind of been struggling a little bit. They’re going to be challenging; they’re always tough in Conway. I know it’s going to be a battle.”

Before beating Oklahoma State, UCA was swept at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

UCA (13-16, 6-6) has used six pitchers who have pitched at least 19 innings and have a combined ERA under 3.75. Senior right-handed pitcher Cody Davenport (1-2, 1.69 ERA) is the Bears’ probable starter for today’s first game. Davenport has struck out 40 batters and walked 15 in 422⁄3 innings. He will more than likely go up against Rhett Deaton (3-2, 4.50).

At the plate, junior outfielder Josh Ragan (.343) is UCA’s biggest threat. He’s the lone Bear batting over .300. Ragan also has three home runs, nine doubles, and 20 runs batted in. Ragan is 10th in the league in hitting but leads in conference-only games.

But after Ragan, the Bears have little to offer at the plate. In conference games, the Bears are hitting .241.

Wednesday’s 10-4 loss to Louisiana Tech was the first time since March 9 that the Cowboys gave up double-digit runs. While the pitching has improved, the hitting has regressed. The hits have been there, reaching double digits in two of the last three games, but the timely hits — and drawing walks — to drive in runs have been absent. The Cowboys have walked more than three times in a game once in the last eight games. Hill said the key to big scoring innings isn’t hits alone, it’s also manufacturing other ways to get on base.

Senior Shane Selman (.328) leads the Cowboys with a team-high 10 doubles.

McNeese won seven of the last 10 meetings, including two of the three last year in Lake Charles.

McNeese at Cent. Ark., 1 p.m. DH

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