Grant Rogers looked every bit like an ace, and the Cowboys’ bullpen answered the first question of the new season Friday night.

Rogers, the reigning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, threw six innings of shutout baseball as McNeese State opened the year with nifty 1-0 win over Creighton at Joe Miller Ballpark.

The pitching duel lasted 1 hour, 51 minutes as McNeese head coach Justin Hill ran his opening night record to 8-2 as Cowboys skipper.

Rogers allowed two hits while striking out eight and walking one to earn the victory.

“I wanted to start the season off right,” Rogers said. “I felt really good, and my slider was working well.

“There is still a lot of work to be done though.”

The one time Rogers got into trouble was in the second inning when he hit the leadoff batter and gave up a double. But both runners were thrown out by the defense.

Ben Gbur was gunned down by Cowboys catcher Andrew Gonzales trying to steal second. Ben North was nailed at third on a perfect relay throw while trying to extend a double into a triple.

“Those were big,” Hill said. “Either of those go the other way and they change the game.”

Rogers was followed by Burrell Jones in the seventh and Ty Abraham in the eighth. Abraham, a former starter, allowed two hits in the eighth but got out of the jam by getting Andrew Meggs on a tapper back to him.

He worked a perfect ninth to earn his first career save. Not one Creighton runner got beyond second base.

“It was huge to get that out,” Abraham said. “My nerves were a bit up there. That got me to settle down.”

Abraham said he likes coming out of the pen as McNeese will try to replace last year’s closer Cameron Foster.

“Personally, I prefer being in the bullpen,” Abraham said. “I have done it in junior college and I know how to get ready.”

Creighton starter Ryan Windham was just as good, allowing five hits and one unearned run in his six innings.

The game’s lone run came on a two-out error by Blue Jays first baseman Colby Canales in the first. Singles by Josh Leslie and Brad Burckel set the stage for Braden Duhon’s grounder to be mishandled.

Burckel’s single to left extended his hitting streak to 22 games dating to last season. He is two off the McNeese record of Joe Hulett set in 2006.

Payton Harden went 1-for-4 with a single in the sixth. He is one hit shy of tying the school career hit record of 253.

a NOTES: The teams will meet again at 2 p.m. today. Right-hander Derrick Cherry, a transfer from Houston, will make his first career start for McNeese. Creighton will counter with righty Cade Lommel, a sophomore who went 1-5 last year with a 6.40 ERA.