Diamond Dogs Aim to Keep Rolling as McNeese Visits Ruston
Louisiana Tech wraps up its five-game homestand Wednesday night as McNeese comes to Ruston for a non-conference contest.
Series Details
Dates: February 18, 2026
Time:
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM
Location: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park (Ruston, La.)
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio:
- Wednesday: SportsTalk 97.7 FM
2026 Records
- Louisiana Tech: 4-0
- McNeese: 1-2
Pitching Probables
Wednesday
- LA Tech – LHP Landon Fontenot (0-0, 10.80)
- McNeese – LHP Parker Morgan (0-0, 27.00)
Head Coaches
- Lane Burroughs – 314–186 (10th season at Louisiana Tech)
- Justin Hill – 365-284 (13th season at McNeese)
Diamond Dogs Preview
Louisiana Tech opened the 2026 season in dominant fashion, sweeping defending Southland Conference champion Houston Christian in a four-game set.
The Bulldogs overwhelmed the Huskies offensively, outscoring them 39–12 over the weekend.
Colby Lunsford (.600, 2 HR, 6 RBI) and Cade Patterson (.400, 2 HR, 12 RBI) paced a Tech lineup that produced a staggering 1.143 OPS during opening weekend.
On the mound, the Bulldogs were equally sharp. Tech’s pitching staff posted a 2.40 ERA across 30 innings while holding Houston Christian to a .239 batting average.
The Bulldogs and Cowboys last squared off in 2024, when Tech earned a 13–4 victory over McNeese in Lake Charles.
McNeese Preview
McNeese opened the 2026 campaign with a three-game home series against Sam Houston. The Cowboys outlasted the Bearkats 9–8 in 11 innings on Opening Day, but dropped the final two games, 11–2 and 8–5, to fall in the weekend series.
Expectations are high in Lake Charles entering the season, as D1Baseball tabbed Justin Hill’s club to finish fourth in the Southland Conference in its preseason projections.
Hayden Stringfellow, a junior college transfer from Bossier Parish Community College, made an immediate impact in his McNeese debut, going 6-for-12 with two RBI over opening weekend.
Marcus Heusohn (6-for-13 on opening weekend) and Larry Edwards Jr. (3-for-11) continue to anchor the lineup as key returners. Heusohn posted a .327 average with three home runs and 32 RBI last season, while Edwards Jr. hit .316 with three homers and 47 RBI.
On the mound, Tyler Junior College transfer Colton Cross impressed in his first appearance in a Cowboy uniform, tossing three scoreless innings with seven strikeouts Friday night.
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