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American Press
an hour ago
- Sport
- American Press
Poncho back with Cowgirls
McNeese slugger Corine Poncho is back after sitting out the 2024 season to concentrate on her studies. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press Archives) McNeese head softball coach James Landreneau hit a home run on the recruiting circuit Tuesday, and he never had to leave campus. According to sources, Corine Poncho, the power-hitting first baseman who sat out last season, has rejoined the Cowgirl softball team. An official announcement is expected later Tuesday afternoon. During the season, Landreneau stated that Poncho was always considered in good standing with the program despite her surprising decision to miss the year and focus on her studies. Landreneau saw his young team become a surprise four-time Southland Conference regular-season champs. The Cowgirls are the first SLC team ever to win four straight titles. McNeese finished the year 41-20 and advanced to the title game of the SLC championship series, where the Cowgirls lost heartbreakingly to Southeastern at home. Poncho was often seen attending many of the home games. In 2024, Poncho led the Southland Conference with 15 home runs as a sophomore, finishing with a .313 batting average and 36 runs batted in. She also walked a league-best 34 times while scoring 48 runs. Poncho earned first-team all-SLC honors for her efforts, as she also stole 16 bases. She will have two years of eligibility remaining. As a freshman, Poncho hit .341 over 41 games with three homers, 15 RBIs, and nine walks. During her senior season at Notre Dame High School in Crowley, she set the national record for home runs in a season with 32, driving in 71 runs, and was named Miss Softball in Louisiana. Her return to the roster will bolster a lineup that includes Jada Munoz, who had a breakout season last year with 15 home runs in her first season as a full-time starter at third base. Also expected back is Alexis Dibbley, who missed the second half of last season with an injury. As a rookie in 2024, Dibbley hit .351 with six home runs and 13 doubles in 57 games. She was named the SLC and Louisiana Freshman of the Year. The trio should give McNeese a powerful middle of the order next season. Landreneau confirmed Tuesday the signing of transfer infielder Maddie Weeks from Southern Mississippi. Weeks hit .299 last year while starting 51 games for the Golden Eagles. 'Maddie is a nice addition for us,' said Landreneau. 'She is a high-energy kid who can play all over the field and brings a lot of experience with her.' The Cowgirls will bring back a strong core for next year, as they will likely be the favorites to repeat as SLC champions for the fifth time.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Oklahoma State softball vs Arkansas in weather delay at NCAA Fayetteville Regional
FAYETTEVILLE, AR — The scheduled 3 p.m. start won't happen for the Oklahoma State and Arkansas softball teams. The Arkansas softball X account posted the official news of a weather delay just before 2 p.m. Sunday, with heavy rain and lightning moving through the area over the last hour. Advertisement The Cowgirls and Razorbacks were set to begin the Fayetteville Regional final at 3 p.m., with Arkansas needing one win to earn its spot in the super-regional round and OSU needing to win twice. The infield of Bogle Park has been covered by a tarp since Saturday night, but the rain has begun to puddle on the warning track and outfield grass. Projections suggest the rain could clear out of the area by 2:30 p.m., but the field will still need to be prepared for pregame warmups and the start of the game. More: Oklahoma State softball vs Arkansas live score updates from Cowgirls-Razorbacks in NCAAs Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@ or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK . Support Scott's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at . This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State vs Arkansas in weather delay at NCAA softball regional
American Press
15-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Landreneau staying put
James Landreneau looking forward to next season. (McNeese Athletics) James Landreneau will be back next season as the head coach of the McNeese State softball team. McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer said Landreneau's contract was rolled over for the fourth year, as officially agreed upon on Wednesday. Landreneau signed a three-year deal after the 2022 season, which included a fourth-year rollover. The news comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with the program. 'Everything is going as planned,' said Landreneau. 'This is what we had expected.' Schroyer and Landreau met on Wednesday as part of the annual season-ending review. 'We are just moving forward, that is the best way to get over the tough loss,' said Landreneau. 'We are disappointed in how it finished, but I'm proud of the way our team fought back this year.' McNeese was an extremely young team that ended strong after a 17-16 start. The Cowgirls rallied to finish 41-20, their fourth straight 40-plus win season. They also won their fourth straight Southland Conference regular-season title, becoming the first program in league history to do that. They were one out of winning a fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in five seasons. McNeese lost a controversial 6-5 decision to rival Southeastern last Saturday night when the umpires reversed a late call after the Cowgirls had actually celebrated getting the final out. 'Coach Landreneau did an exceptional job, maybe his best year coaching yet,' Schroyer said. 'We're excited to have him back next year. 'We had a very young roster this year, and the team came together and grew as the season progressed. I'm looking forward to watching this team continue to grow next year.' In his nine seasons at McNeese, Landreneau has posted a 339-181 record, winning five tournament and five regular-season crowns. He was named the league's Coach of the Year for the fourth time earlier this month after becoming the winningest skipper in program history early in the season. Landreneau and his pitching staff will return at least seven starters next season. The only everyday player who will definitely not be back will be all-conference shortstop Reese Reyna, who is out of eligibility. 'We have a young team and we learned a lot this year,' said Landreneau. 'We have gone through great exit interviews this week and have gotten a lot of positive feedback on where we are headed. I'm excited about getting back at it in the fall.' On Thursday, the organization announced that junior third baseman Jada Muñoz was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's All-Region team . Muñoz was selected to the Gulf Region third team. Muñoz led McNeese with 15 home runs, 19 doubles, 56 RBI, 26 walks, 126 total bases, 52 runs scored, .720 slugging percent, and was third on the team with a .343 batting average. Ironically, despite finishing second in the league in homers and leading in RBIs, Muñoz was not named to the all-Southland team.
American Press
13-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Better ending deserved
Another good season came to a tough end for the Cowgirls. (Kirk Meche/Special to the American Press) Two forgettable innings should not spoil a season to remember. Still, McNeese State's fourth straight championship softball season leaves you with an empty feeling despite all the positives. The Cowgirls likely overachieved this spring, winning 40 games for the fourth straight time and finishing 41-20. Maybe that's what hurts the most. 'When you put so much into it, the pain is real,' said McNeese head coach James Landreneau. 'It should hurt. The more it matters to you, the more your work for it, the more it hurts.' The pain for the Cowgirls last Saturday night was excruciating. Up 4-0 over rival Southeastern at home with six outs to go before claiming their fourth NCAA bid in five years, McNeese only got five of those. A strange set of circumstances, umpire reviews took the Cowgirl faithful on a wild ride in the last 40 minutes. Ultimately, the Cowgirls lost 6-5 and fell short of their ultimate goal moments after celebrating what they believed was victory. An umpire review changed the call, and a few pitches later, the outcome was flipped. It was a bitter end to a sweet success story. Now it is easy to forget that this was a very young team with only shortstop Reese Reyna returning to her starting position. There was a lot of adversity to overcome, like the injury to last season's Freshman of the Year Alexis Dibbley, who missed over half the season. There was a pitching staff to rebuild and numerous questions to answer. At one point, McNeese was just 14-13 and searching to find itself. 'You look back and reflect on the growth of watching these kids grow and where they came from, I'm so proud,' said Landreneau. 'It's hard right now, but these players did everything we asked of them. 'We started at the bottom this year and worked our way up. You know, we had some kids who were unsure about how to do things, and just kept grinding out, and we had some players who learned how to succeed early in the year, just kept showing up. I could not be prouder of this group.' The Cowgirls rallied to win their final 14 Southland games and captured the regular season title, becoming the first team to win four in a row. Depending on the transfer portal, the future should be bright. Jada Munoz had a breakout season, finishing second in the league in home runs with 15 and led the league with 56 runs batted in while hitting .343. Freshman of the Year Kassidy Chance hit .378 in her first year in college. Nyjah Fontenot, a transfer from Arkansas, led the Cowgirls in hitting at .392 while Samantha Mundine continued to improve in her sophomore year, finishing at .369 and playing much better defensively in the outfield. Then there are the two young pitchers, Maddie Taylor and Kadence Williams, and you have the beginning of a solid staff. Both freshmen showed huge improvement during the season. Taylor was named the league's Pitcher of the Year, posting an 18-7 record while Williams finished 11-7. Landreneau said that in time, he will be able to reflect on all that this team accomplished. Time heals all wounds, but it will never fully erase how far this group came this season or how close it was to its goal.
American Press
11-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Reversal of fortune
Southeastern celebrates comeback victory Saturday night. (Kirk Meche/Special to the American Press) The torch has officially been passed. Any thoughts that Southeastern's softball championship last season was a fluke are gone. The Lady Lions are the queens of the Southland Conference after their punch-to-the-gut comeback win Saturday night over McNeese. Southeastern slayed its biggest rival on its home turf, taking down the top-seeded Cowgirls 6-5 in the deciding game of the championship series at Joe Miller Ballpark. And they did it ironically in walk-off fashion by a former Cowgirl. Brilee Ford, a sophomore who played at McNeese last season before transferring to SELA, slapped a single to right with two out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. Ford drove in Chloe Magee from third with the championship run. 'I feel for my players right now,' said McNeese head coach James Landreneau. 'This is a tough moment. There are a lot of people hurting in our locker room right now.' The second-seeded Lions (48-14) won the final two games to capture the best-of-3 series and advance to their second straight NCAA Tournament. It is SELA's second softball title in program history. The Lions rallied from a 4-0 deficit to score three in the sixth and three more in the seventh to foil McNeese's hopes of adding to its record nine titles. The Cowgirls (41-20) were looking to win their fourth championship in five years and sixth in the last eight. 'Sometimes the game seems unfair,' said Landreneau. 'This is a tough lesson. It is painful.' It was doubly tough that it appeared the Cowgirls had won the title. With two out in the bottom of the seventh and up 5-3, Shelby Morris lofted a soft fly ball to short center. Nyjah Fontenot raced in and dove but came up short. The runner on second scored, but Fontenot recovered and fired to second, getting Morris according to umpire Todd Sharpe, who was hustling over from first base. However, second-base umpire Brian Soule, covering the play in center, turned back to his base and signaled safe. The umpires went to review as McNeese celebrated what they believed was a title. The umps returned and overturned the call, but never really said which one was being overruled. In the end, the confusion found Morris still on second and one pitch later, Magee tied the game with a single to left, setting the stage for the Cowgirls' ultimate heartbreak.. Landreneau refused to focus on the umpires. 'Things just started to fall apart for us at the end,' said Landreneau. 'Four or five games we have been on the other side.' Each of McNeese's four postseason wins this year came by way of walk-offs. McNeese took the lead in the first with a run after two were out. Sam Mundine, who has two walk-off RBIs in the postseason, drove in Jada Munoz from second and sent SELA starter Celia Lumpkin to a very early shower. Munoz had started the two-out rally with a single and moved into scoring position thanks to a Reese Reyna walk. Lumpkin worked just two-thirds of an inning, as did her replacement, Allison Brunson. The Cowgirls made it 2-0 on a fielder's choice by Nyjah Fontenot, scoring Brylie Fontenot from third. That turned into a double play when Nyjah Fontenot tried to take an extra base to end the inning. The Cowgirls added two runs in the top of the sixth. Rylie Bouvier started with her fourth home run of the season, and second of the series. Bouvier's shot glanced off the glove of Shenita Tucker, the Lions' center fielder, who had perfectly timed her leap over the fence. However, she could not corral the softball. McNeese made it 4-0 moments later on Nygah Fontenot's second RBI on a fielder's choice. 'I never felt comfortable with the lead,' said Landreneau. 'If there is a pitch left, we know anything can happen.' The Lions cut into the lead in the sixth, scoring three runs on just two hits and two costly McNeese errors. Southland Pitcher of the Year Maddie Taylor took the loss. Delaney was 3-for-3 with a walk for McNeese, finishing a perfect championship series. Delaney didn't make an out in the three games, finishing 7-for-7 with two walks.
