McNeese has locked up the No. 1 seed in the 2022 Southland Conference Softball Tournament.
McNeese finished the season 35-19 overall and 15-3 in Southland Conference play, to earn their conference-best seventh regular-season title. The SBC title is the first for the Cowgirls since 2017 and gives them the No. 1 seed in the SLC Softball Tournament.
McNeese earned the top seed following a sweep of Nicholls in the final weekend of play. The Cowgirls earn the double-elimination tournament’s only bye and will play Wednesday, May 11 at 11 a.m. against the winner of Tuesday’s opening game between No. 4 seed Northwestern State (10-8 SLC) and UIW (5-13 SLC).
The Cowgirls have won four of the last five tournament titles that have been played (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021). The 2020 tournament wasn’t played due to Covid.
McNeese will be looking to earn its eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Southeastern (14-4 SLC) sealed the No. 2 seed and will serve as host for this year’s tournament, which begins Tuesday at North Oak Park in Hammond.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi earned the No. 3 seed after finishing with an 11-7 mark in conference play. The Islanders are making their first Southland tournament appearance since 2015.
Northwestern State rounded out its regular-season slate with a 10-6 conference record and the tournament’s No. 4 seed. The Lady Demons match up with No. 5 seed UIW in the opening game.
Due to the double-elimination format of the tournament, if a rematch of the championship game is necessary, it will be played immediately following the completion of the scheduled noon final.