McNeese defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 9–4, on April 17 to open the Southland Conference baseball series at Chapman Field in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The win gives McNeese a record of 21–17 overall and 10–9 in conference play. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi now stands at 16–21 overall and 5–13 in the league. The teams will continue their series on Saturday with a game scheduled for 2 p.m., following a schedule change due to weather. The matchup will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
Danny Barbero led the Cowboys by hitting his sixth home run of the season in the third inning, giving McNeese an early lead. Jarrett Flaggert responded for the Islanders with a two-RBI double to tie the score, then added another RBI single in the fifth inning to put his team ahead.
DJ Pinkerton helped McNeese regain momentum with a two-run home run in the sixth inning. After another tie from Christian Johnson-Smith’s RBI double for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Barbero delivered again with an RBI double that gave McNeese a lead they would not lose. Pinkerton added an RBI triple and Easton Dowell and Isaiah Keller each drove in runs as McNeese pulled away late.
Eric Nachtsheim earned his fifth win of the season out of the bullpen by pitching nearly four scoreless innings and striking out nine batters while allowing only two hits. Pierre-Luc Jacques took the loss for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi after giving up four runs over two innings.
