Never one to duck a challenge, McNeese State softball coach James Landreneau may have outdone himself this weekend.

Starting Thursday, the Cowgirls will host two Top 25 teams for a total of three games, playing No. 1 Oklahoma both Friday and Saturday evening.

“We are excited in the locker room,” said sophomore Corine Poncho, who has four home runs already for the Cowgirls. “We know we can’t get caught up in that, we have to stay focused and worry about ourselves.”

First, it is the No. 22 Baylor Bears coming to campus. Baylor lost two games last weekend to No. 2 Tennessee so the Bears will be smarting a bit for the 6 p.m. game Thursday at Cowgirl Diamond.

Then it will be 4-0 Oklahoma taking center stage Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the Cowgirl Invitational. The two teams will play again Saturday night.

McNeese will enter the weekend having received five votes in this week’s softball poll.

“It is great to have teams like these want to come here and play us,” said Landreneau. “It shows what they think of our program and our facilities.”

The Cowgirls started the season last week winning four of five games. They lost the season opener to Pac-12 California before rallying to capture all four games in the Cowgirl Classic.

Poncho led the power surge for McNeese with her four home runs and five RBIs. She is one of three players in the middle of the lineup to be hitting .500 or better.

Emily Phillips joined Poncho with a .500 average and homered once. The two went back-to-back in their first at-bats of the season against Cal.

True freshman Samantha Mundine leads McNeese with six RBIs and a .600 batting average.

The tests will only be harder this weekend.

“Our kids will have to be locked in all weekend,” said Landreneau. “This is the kind of competition we want to see to show our kids what it will be like in big games.”

After Thursday’s game, McNeese will host the Cowgirl Challenge, with Lamar and Central Arkansas joining Oklahoma in the event.

“The quality of softball we bring into Lake Charles is exciting,” said Landreneau. “Our players love these games.”

The first game against Oklahoma Friday night is nearing a sellout. It is also the first time a No. 1 team in any sport outside of FCS football has come to the McNeese campus.

The Cowgirls, however, don’t want to get caught up in who they play rather than how they play.

“We have to stick to our game,” said Landreneau. “We can’t get away from who we are totally.

“This will be a great evaluation of where we are on the national stage.”

For this weekend at least the Cowgirls will be in the softball spotlight.