McNeese softball will return to Southland Conference play with a three-game series against Northwestern State beginning March 13. The Cowgirls will travel to Natchitoches, Louisiana, for the matchup at Lady Demon Diamond, with games scheduled for Friday evening and a Saturday doubleheader. All games will be available on ESPN+.
The series is significant as both teams look to build momentum in conference standings. McNeese enters the weekend with a 19-7 overall record and an undefeated 3-0 mark in conference play. The team is currently on a four-game winning streak after sweeping Lamar in their home opening Southland Conference series last weekend. A midweek game at Louisiana Tech was postponed due to weather.
Northwestern State holds a 12-14 record and is 2-1 in conference action. The Lady Demons have won seven of their last nine games, including a recent run-rule victory over Grambling and two wins out of three against Houston Christian to open their SLC schedule.
Statistically, McNeese ranks eighth nationally in walks this season with 122, led by Maddie Taylor who has drawn 23 walks. Nyjah Fontenot leads the team offensively with a .412 batting average and 35 hits, while Rylee Cloud follows closely with a .400 average and leads the team with 26 runs batted in. Fontenot, Cloud, and Jada Muñoz each have five home runs so far this season.
In pitching, Brookelyn Taylor leads the staff with a 2.93 earned run average and has recorded seven wins along with 47 strikeouts. Maddie Taylor has six wins (6-1) and Kynlei Chapman holds four victories on the year.
The Cowgirls have achieved several milestones this season, including holding an RPI of 16 as of March 9—the highest in program history—and posting strong records against major conferences such as the Big 12, SEC, American Athletic Conference, and Big Ten. Since 2021, McNeese has won 36 of its last 40 conference series.
