May 6, 2008

McNeese State plays its final non-conference baseball game of the season Wednesday when the Cowboys go up against Louisiana-Lafayette. Gametime is 6:30 p.m. at the Cajun baseball park.

The Cowboys are 13-35 on the season and just about shut out of the Southland Conference post season tournament. They're 7-17 in league play and currently ranked ninth in the loop standings with only the top eight teams qualifying. McNeese is four games in back of eighth place Southeastern Louisiana and would probably have to win its final six league games to have a chance at a berth.

As for Wednesday's game, it will be a rematch. The Cajuns posted a 14-8 win over the Cowboys in an earlier meeting in Lake Charles.

Cowboy head coach Terry Burrows said that he was undecided about his starting pitcher for the game, noting that it will either be Jonathan Conrad or Justin LeBleu. Conrad is 1-6 as a starter this season while LeBleu has come on mainly in relief and is 2-2 with a team best 3.24 ERA.

The Cowboys do have the SLC's leading hitter in catcher/first baseman Taylor Freeman. He's batting .396 with team highs of eight home runs and 47 RBIs.

The only other player on the team batting over .300 is Ryan Brauninger who is batting .333 in 23 games.

In the earlier loss to ULL, Freeman went three for five at the plate with a double, home run and two RBIs. Also in that game Cowboy outfielder Sam Merrill was two for four with two RBIs and second baseman Kanon Broussard had three hits and a RBI.

McNeese held an 8-6 lead through seven innings when the Cajuns erupted for seven runs in the top of the eighth.

On Friday the Cowboys will host Texas State in the first game of a three game SLC series.