There were a lot of question marks hanging above the McNeese State softball team heading into the 2017 season.

The Cowgirls were coming off one of their most successful seasons in history in which they earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament with their first Southland Conference Tournament championship since 2010.

But, with former McNeese head coach Joanna Hardin taking a job in her home state at the University of Virginia and a number of highly skilled seniors who played vital roles in the Cowgirls’ success in 2016 graduating, nobody knew exactly what to expect in 2017.

Eyebrows raised further when the Cowgirls had a rough start to the season, winning five of their first 14 games.

But they knew they were destined for success, and they never let first-year head coach James Landreneau forget that.

“At one point this season we had lost five games in a row, and not once did they question the system,” Landreneau said. “They came up to me and assured me they knew we would bounce back and have a great season.”

After that five-game losing streak, the Cowgirls responded by winning 14 of their next 15 games and ran through SLC play to win each of the nine league series.

They won their fourth regular-season SLC title in five years, and won the conference tournament for the second consecutive year, the first time a McNeese softball team achieved that feat.

Landreneau was named the SLC’s Coach of the Year, though he’s quick to dismiss any role he played in earning that honor.

“It’s easy to get that kind of award when you coach great players and have a great coaching staff around you,” Landreneau said. “It’s 100 percent them. I just stay out of their way and let them play.”

Perhaps the biggest question mark heading into the season was the pitching staff.

After losing 2016 workhorses Emily Vincent and Jamie Allred — who combined to pitch 3002⁄3 innings last season, the Cowgirls had to rely on the trio of Rachel Smith, Baylee Corbello and freshman Alexsandra Flores to pick up where they left off.

Only Smith had pitched in a Cowgirls uniform prior to the start of the season, and she quickly emerged as the anchor of the pitching staff.

In 17 starts she has pitched 1512⁄3 innings with a 2.35 ERA and 91 strikeouts.

“What you’re seeing with Rachel is the result of a long process she’s been paying,” Landreneau said. “Her stuff’s always been good. It’s nice to see her get recognized.”

The success came as no surprise to Smith. She knew exactly what she needed to do this season, and for her it was just a matter of doing it.

“I focused a lot on mental imagery and visualization this year,” Smith said after being named the SLC Pitcher of the Year. “I actually saw this happening, so it’s cool to see it come to pass.”

Flores and Corbello, a senior from Moss Bluff who transferred to McNeese from LSU for her senior season, have also contributed greatly in the circle. The duo has amassed a combined record of 22-7, and Flores’ 1.50 ERA is one of the SLC’s lowest.

The Cowgirls have a chance to further their legacy as they return to Baton Rouge for a second consecutive year to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

“They came in this year and put in the work and they energy,” Landreneau said. “We went through some tough times throughout this season. We overcame some adversity. We’ve been growing as a team, and it’s our goal to be the best team we can be at the end of the season. We’re definitely headed in that direction.”