Newcomers fitting in
Nyjah Fontenot gets a hug after her game-winning hit last Saturday against UIW. (Raymond Stewart/McNeese Athletics)
With one swing, Gwinn Hill became the latest Cowgirl newcomer to come up big this season.
Sunday in the bottom of the seventh, her game-winning home run sent McNeese State to the championship series and stamped Hill's name in the program's history books.
It was the freshman's first career home run in just her 23rd at-bat.
'You could see how hard she worked and stayed with it even when she wasn't playing,' said McNeese head coach James Landreneau. 'You have to be ready when your moment comes.'
Hill is just the latest in a host of first-year players to make big impacts on this McNeese roster. The Cowgirls won their record fourth straight Southland Conference regular-season title behind a bevy of newcomers.
'We have gotten many new players,' said Landreneau. 'They have come in here and contributed right away for us. We had a lot of holes to fill and they have done that.'
Hill's home run highlighted some of those players. She drove in fellow freshman Sara Allen, who had tied the game with a perfect bunt.
Allen was named a catcher on the all-SLC team. That made another freshman, pitcher Kadence Williams, the winner,
Williams has started 22 games this season and is 11-7 with a 3.30 earned run average. Another freshman, right-hander Maddie Taylor, has been even better. She is 17-7 with a 3.35 ERA and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year.
'They both have come a long way this season in their poise and maturity,' said Landreneau. 'They have grown up through adversity and pressure. We have confidence in both of them.'
No freshman has had a better season than Kassidy Chance, the infielder from Sam Houston Hill in Moss Bluff. Chance leads the Cowgirls in hitting at .392 and stolen bases with 18.
Her 67 hits are just one off the lead. Chance won this year's Freshman of the Year honor by the league.
'Kassidy shows a lot of maturity as a hitter,' Landreau said. 'She makes adjustments almost every time up. She knows how to handle the bat.'
Brylie Fontenot has also played in 55 of McNeese's 58 games, starting 50 of them as a true freshman.
Not to be outdone, Nyjah Fontenot, a transfer from Arkansas, is hitting .391 and has 68 hits to lead the Cowgirls. The sophomore from Barbe High returned to Lake Charles after last season.
'All of our freshmen and new players have come in and really made a difference,' said senior shortstop Reese Reyna. 'We had confidence in them because we saw what they could do during the fall.'
This team has experienced more than a few growing pains. During a tough preseason, they lost the lead twice to nationally ranked LSU and even dropped an early conference series at Lamar.
'Player development isn't always pretty,' said Landreneau. 'This has been fun to see the maturity. It has been special.'
McNeese hopes the newcomers have one more big weekend ahead as they host Southeastern in the league's championship series.
The winner gets a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
'We don't shy away from it, we want to play in the NCAA,' said Landreneu.
McNeese still has that chance thanks to the new kids on the block.
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