HAMMOND, La. – No. 5 McNeese moved within one win of the championship series, while No. 8 HCU stayed alive in dramatic fashion on Friday at the 2026 Southland Baseball Championship. The Cowboys advanced to the Hammond Bracket Final with a high-powered offensive performance, while the Huskies walked off Nicholls in elimination play to extend their postseason run.
Saturday’s action begins with an elimination game between HCU and No. 1 Southeastern Louisiana at 1 p.m. McNeese awaits the winner in the Hammond Bracket Final and will need just one victory to advance to the championship series. HCU or Southeastern must defeat the Cowboys to force an if-necessary game on Sunday.
Game 3 — (8) HCU 6, (4) Nicholls 5
HCU survived and advanced with the first elimination game thriller of the Hammond Bracket, walking off Nicholls in the bottom of the ninth inning to keep its season alive. Levi Castilleja delivered the decisive swing, blasting a solo home run with two outs in the ninth to cap a dramatic comeback victory for the Huskies.
Nicholls appeared in control early, building a 5-3 lead through four innings while capitalizing on HCU defensive miscues. Logan Terry reached base four times and scored twice for the Colonels, while Casey Artigues drove in a pair of runs as Nicholls consistently pressured the Huskies throughout the afternoon.
HCU slowly chipped away, tying the game in the seventh on Preston Curtis’ RBI single before Castilleja’s heroics in the ninth. Castilleja finished with three hits and four RBIs, while Curtis added two RBIs and Levi Castilleja continued his standout tournament at the plate. Despite committing four errors defensively, the Huskies found enough timely offense late to survive and advance.
Game 4 — (5) McNeese 15, (1) Southeastern Louisiana 9
McNeese erupted offensively Friday night, scoring 15 runs on 15 hits to hand top-seeded Southeastern Louisiana its first loss of the tournament and move within one win of the championship series. The Cowboys broke open a tight game with a seven-run fifth inning before continuing to add insurance the rest of the night.
Matt Stancliff powered the offense with three hits and three RBIs, while Isaiah Keller drove in three runs and DJ Pinkerton added a two-run home run as part of a three-RBI performance. Kaden Schuck also delivered a huge night at the plate, collecting three hits and scoring three runs as the Cowboys lineup produced offense throughout the order.
Southeastern remained within striking distance thanks to Connor Cuff, who drove in five runs with a three-run homer and a two-run double. The Lions drew 10 walks and scored in four different innings but could not slow McNeese’s relentless offense after the Cowboys seized momentum in the middle innings.
McNeese answered every Southeastern push, scoring four runs in the sixth inning immediately after the Lions cut the deficit to five. Jake Blackwell closed the game with three innings of relief, striking out five to secure the win and send the Cowboys into the bracket final unbeaten.