A Record Year

Changes didn’t slow McNeese down

By Jim Gazzolo

With three new coaches – one returning – McNeese hardly missed a beat during the recent athletic year.

In fact, most Cowboy teams were either just as good or better than the year before. 

The biggest chance comes in McNeese’s front office, where Bridget Martin took over in April after spending most of her career in the school’s athletic department. She has knowledge of all aspects of the department.

“We want to keep this rolling and keep it building,” said Martin. 

So far, the partnership with the community has continued to grow, but this will be a big year as McNeese turns the page with a new president while continuing to build its brand.

The most important part of the year came from $11 million in sponsorships and naming rights, which has helped secure the continued investment from the community in the department. 

That included the naming rights to both the football and basketball facilities. On the fields and courts, there were more than a few big moments. 

Football: 

After a slow start, the Cowboys rebounded to win four of their last six games to finish 5-7 under Matt Viator, who returned after nine seasons away. 

While at the end of the year Viator said there was still a lot of work to be done for the program to return to its glory days, but that things are looking up. 

“I think we have here what we need to win,” said Viator. “We made progress, we got better.”

The Cowboys will have a strong group returning led by quarterback Jake Strong, who will be in his second season with the program after transferring from Texas Tech. 

With their first three games at home, McNeese has a chance to get off to a better start this season.

Men’s Basketball:

Behind the recond-setting season of redshirt freshman Larry Johnson, the Cowboys again won the Southland Conference title and made it to the NCAA Tournament.

Under first-year head coach Bill Armstrong, McNeese finished 28-7 and went undefeated for at home for the second time in three seasons. Johnson broke the rookie scoring record set by Joe Dumars.

The Cowboys were challenged by a much-improved Southland, losing three times while finishing second during the regular season. But they found their game down the stretch and hope to use that momentum heading into the new year.

Women’s Basketball:

After a decade of struggles the Cowgirls turned things around in a major way. Under first-year head coach Ayla Guzzardo and a tremendous defense, McNeese set a record for wins going 29-6. They won the SLC title but fell in tournament’s championship game, missing the NCAA Tournament.

The Cowgirls did win a postseason game, toppling Texas A&M before losing in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational. However, program will have another fresh start as Guzzardo left for Georgia in a surprise move at the end of the season. 

Three players are back, but the rest of the roster will be new under Ashton Feldhaus.

Baseball:

A roller-coaster season ended with a wild ride through the postseason. The Cowboys finished 31-26, falling to Lamar in the SLC championship series. 

Right-hander Eric Nachtsheim led the way, setting a record of 129 strike outs in 93 innings. He earned All-American honors with an 8-4 record. 

Despite several key injuries, the Cowboys were able to right the ship, capturing the Hammond bracket to advance to the title round. They continued a streak of seasons where they were playing their best at the end of the year.

Softball:

A tough ending during the NCAA Regional can’t spoil another 40-win season and tournament title for the Cowgirls.

Playing one of the rougher mid-major nonconference schedules, McNeese rose to its highest RPI ranking in program history early, then suffered through a tough period before recovering.

The Cowgirls finished with 56 home runs, the third most in program history. They also hit .317 as a group as offense led the way. 

The Cowgirls will return a large portion of the roster next season and hope that a few key additions on the mound could lead to a big year.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers sports in Southwest Louisiana. He is also the host of Poke Nation, which airs weekly on CBS Lake Charles.