Cowboys host final nonconference game with eye on Southland race

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, May 3, 2022

With just two weekends left in the regular season, the Cowboys will take a break from the grind of a Southland Conference pennant race tonight.

McNeese State will host former league rival — and maybe even future SLC foe as well — Stephen F. Austin in Joe Miller Ballpark. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

It is the final nonconference game on the schedule and expected to be more of a bullpen game by the Cowboys. Right-hander Ty Abraham is expected to get the start for McNeese.

Abraham lasted just five batters Sunday, walking three, for the Cowboys, who enter the game 25-19 overall and 9-3 over their last 12. He is limited to the number of pitches he can throw since coming off a knee injury.

He will be looking to help the Cowboys forget Sunday’s disappointing 13-11 loss at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi when they lost a five-run lead. Still, with six league games to go the Pokes find themselves at 11-7 in the conference and in a 3-way tie for first.

“Goal is to get Ty Abraham right back out there on the horse,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “This is a game that has been on the schedule and we knew it was coming during finals week so we just have to deal with it.

“Glad to have a home game during finals week. Game’s important but there are other important things going on this week.”

Abraham is 2-4 with a 5.55 earned run average. Getting him right for the stretch run would be a huge benefit to the Cowboys.

The bigger picture has McNeese tied with Nicholls and Houston Baptist for the Southland Conference lead. The top two teams in the standings will host a double-elimination, four-team tournament with the two tourney winners meeting in a championship series at the higher seeds home.

The Cowboys, who have won the last two conference tourney titles and advanced to NCAA regional play, are looking to earn the home field while trying to make it three straight crowns.

“It would be a big plus but you can’t worry about that,” said Hill. “It’s just to have control of your own destiny.”

Last spring McNeese won the title despite entering the conference tournament as the No. 7 seed. SFA is just 13-27 and enters tonight’s contest on a four-game losing streak.

The two teams were scheduled to meet back on March 22 in Nacogdoches, Texas, but rains washed the game out. There is no rain in the forecast for today.

Andruw Gonzales is coming off a big weekend. The catcher went 8-for-13 (.615) over the three games, scoring three runs and driving in a pair.

Those numbers earned him Hitter of the Week honors in the SLC.

“He (Gonzales) is a complete player,” said Hill. “He is more than just a catch and throw guy. He is a competitive baseball player who has added some length to the lineup.”

Brad Burckel leads the Cowboys on offense with a .361 average. He is one of four McNeese hitters hitting over .300. As a team the Pokes are second in the SLC with a .287 average.

McNeese has an all-time record of 49-30 against the Lumberjacks, but have lost the last four meetings.