McNeese State closes out the home portion of its regular-season schedule by hosting Incarnate Word in a three-game Southland Conference series this weekend.

The Cowgirls (30-18, 10-2 SLC) enter the series in a tie atop the SLC standings with Southeastern Louisiana, which plays at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (19-23, 7-5) this weekend.

UIW (13-28, 3-8) has lost four consecutive games, three by shutout. McNeese has won 13 of 15 games between the teams, including two of three last season.

McNeese split a pair of midweek nonconference games, losing 10-1 at LSU on Tuesday and beating Louisiana-Monroe 3-0 on Wednesday.

Ashley Vallejo pitched a shutout over ULM and is 5-0 with a 0.51 ERA in conference games.

Kaylee Lopez had two hits and Tiffany Steczo hit a home run to lead the Cowgirls. Steczo is on a five-game hitting streak in which she is batting .500 with two home runs and four RBIs.

Jil Poullard leads the team with a .376 batting average and has six home runs and 35 RBIs. Kendall Talley, Alayis Seneca, and Poullard are tied with a team-high of 44 hits apiece.

Vallejo (12-7) leads the Cowgirls with a 2.37 ERA, 101 strikeouts, five shutouts, and 127 innings pitched. In conference play, She enters the weekend undefeated in league play at 5-0 with a 0.51 ERA and has not allowed more than one earned run or walk in nine appearances against conference opponents.

Whitney Tate (10-8) has won eight of nine decisions.

Ryleigh Mata leads the Cardinals at the plate with a .360 batting average, 26 runs scored, and 50 hits.

Ashley Trapp (4-7, 4.10 ERA, 78 strikeouts) leads the Cardinals pitching staff.

a NOTES: McNeese head coach James Landreneau earned his 200th career win last weekend vs. Lamar. He is second in school history in career wins behind Scott Eastman’s 302.

SLC Standings

Team Overall SLC

SE Louisiana 33-12 10-2

McNeese 30-17 10-2

Northwestern St. 28-17 10-5

Texas A&M-CC 19-23 7-5

Incarnate Word 13-28 38

Nicholls St. 11-31 3-9

Houston Baptist 12-26 2-13