After a championship season, the awards keep coming for members of the McNeese State baseball team.

A trio of Cowboys have all been named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NCAA Division I South All-Region Team.

This coming after McNeese (34-23) won the Southland Conference’s regular-season title and came within five outs of a third consecutive SLC Tournament championship and trip to the NCAA regionals.

Relief pitcher Cameron Foster, second baseman Brad Burckel and center fielder Payton Harden all earned the honors.

“It is great for those guys, they have earned it,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “It shows just how good of a season those guys had this year.”

Foster was named to first team while Burckel and Harden earned second-team honors.

Foster, who was the SLC’s Relief Pitcher of the Year, led the league in six categories including 12 saves while posting an earned run average of 1.86.

Batters hit .164 against the power-pitching right-hander who moved into the McNeese closer’s role late in the 2021 season.

Harden was the fifth McNeese player to be named the SLC’s Player of the Year after a slow start. He finished leading the league in hitting with a .378 mark and his 85 hits tied for second-most for one year in Cowboys history.

Harden has 252 career hits, two shy of Joe Provenzano’s program record. He could come back next year and get that mark and more if he chooses.

Burckel also has one year of eligibility left if he wants. The Houston transfer won second-team SLC honors after hitting .373, which trailed only Harden in the conference. He had 81 hits and tied for the team lead with 10 home runs and knocked in 44.

Burckel, who had an on-base plus slugging of 1.077, also scored 62 runs giving him a run production number of 94.

Outfielders Preston Faulkner (Southeastern Louisiana) and Amani Larry (New Orleans) were the only other two Southland players to be selected to the teams. Both earned second-team honors.

Louisiana Tech had five players need to the teams while LSU finished with four.

“It is nice for the program,” Hill said. “Anytime you have a chance to be relevant and people are taking notice it is a good thing.

“I hope it shows players can come here and get better and get noticed and rewarded for their efforts.”

Hill said he’s not sure how many players will be back next year depending on the upcoming draft and other professional options. The Cowboys could have a fairly loaded team if all return.

“You just don’t know until they are here,” Hill said.