McNeese Begin Southland Conference Play at Nicholls

Lake Charles, Louisiana (KNGT-FM) - It hasn't quite been the best start to the season for Justin Hill and his Cowboys, but taking down the defending National Champs on Tuesday certainly helped for the McNeese Baseball team.

Hill said the LSU win can boost confidence, but only if it is handled the right way.

“Character is revealed in what happens after a win or after a loss,” Hill said. “This can’t be the high point of our season. It’s meant to be enjoyed, but we’ve got practice today. We’ve got to recover, improve, and get ready for conference play.”

He added, “The story is still being written. It was a big win — I’m not minimizing that — but there’s a lot more baseball to play.”

Now, it's time to toe the rubber for the real start of the season as the Cowboys head to Thibodeaux to begin Southland Conference play against Nicholls on Friday.

No matter how many times you look at the schedule, it is still weird and strange to see a college baseball team playing conference games just a few weeks into the season, but that's what the Southland Conference is doing for the second season in a row.

“We are still trying to figure some things out,” Hill said. “We only get eight games before we start our league. We are all in the same position.”

McNeese Athletics/Leah Kelly

Plenty of challenges come with starting conference play so early, particularly if you're still trying to figure out the pitching staff, which is exactly what Justin Hill is still trying to do. For McNeese, that starts with getting longer starts from their starting rotation.

Cooper Golden was the opening night starter, and he has struggled through two starts for McNeese. Golden has posted a 28.00 ERA across 3.1 innings with 12 hits and 10 runs allowed, while striking out four and walking three.

Hill says adjustments are part of the process. “He’s very well known now,” Hill said. “Last year, there wasn’t much film on him. Now there is. He’s got to learn how to pitch with a target on his back. It comes down to execution.”

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One Cowboy that has been really good so far this season for McNeese has been Eric Nachtsheim, who has thrown 8 innings through three appearances out of the Cowboy bullpen, striking out 14, and walking just found batters. “We’ve got to find ways to get him the ball more often in higher-leverage situations,” Hill said.

Justin Hill says everything has been discussed for Nachtsheim and how to use him moving forward, including potentially getting a start.

Offensively, newcomers Danny Barbero and Hayden Stringfellow have been major bright spots for the Cowboys. “They’ve been extremely consistent in their preparation,” Hill said. “Their early work, their routines — that’s where it starts.”

He also credited the bottom of the lineup for creating opportunities. “They’re not hitting with empty bases,” Hill said. “The guys at the bottom have done a great job creating traffic. That’s been a big deal for us.”

McNeese Athletics/Leah Kelly

McNeese Set To Take on Nicholls To Open Conference Play

The Cowboys will open up the long Southland Conference season on Friday night as they'll face off against Nicholls.

The Colonels come into the Southland Conference opener 4-6 overall and have won 4 in a row, after taking 3/4 against UT Martin and beating Dillard during the mid-week.

Caston Thompson has been really good for the Colonels at the plate. In 10 games, he's batting over .400 with 16 hits, 3 homers, and 4 doubles.

Projected Pitching Matchups:

Game 1 (Friday): McNeese Cooper Golden vs Nicholls Nuno Panche
Game 2 (Saturday): McNeese Eric Nachtsheim vs Nicholls Austin Vargas
Game 3 (Sunday): McNeese Garrett Blanchard vs Nicholls Haden Luke

Games 1 and 3 will be able to be streamed on ESPN+.