Some might say SWLA is in its sports era…
March is arguably the busiest and best time of year for McNeese sports. Men's and women’s basketball is ongoing as the Cowboys still run the Southland, consistently making ESPN Top 10 and solidifying their legacy status. Baseball and softball came out swinging for opening days in February! The Cowboys will host the Prairie View Panthers this weekend at the Jeaux and the Cowgirls are headed to LSU for the Purple & Gold Challenge. McNeese Beach Volleyball team held its first-ever tournament during their inaugural season at South Beach. Women's Tennis led by coach Gabby Moore, McNeese's first African American tennis coach, is in full swing with an impressive record of 11-1. Men's and women's track and field seasons have taken off as both teams prepare to host the Bob Hayes LA Challenge on March 9, 2024.
The LHSAA Men’s Marsh Madness Tournament will return to the Burton Complex March 4-9 for the 11th consecutive year! This Lake Charles staple brings in 40 high school basketball teams from across the bayou state for the week-long tournament. Each game consists of the best teams from each division, with semi-finals being played from Monday to Thursday leading up to the championships on Friday and Saturday.
March also brings the Southland Conference Basketball Tournament at McNeese State University. Men’s and women’s teams will be competing for the Conference titles, with the women’s and men’s round one games starting March 10th and ending with finals on March 14th. The McNeese Cowboys have made it obvious they’re hungry for another Southland Championship Title… let’s see if Willy the Kid and the Bayou Bandits have what it takes to dominate on the home court. Large crowds are expected, so if you’re planning on making your way to Louisiana’s Playground, I’d recommend getting those reservations early.
The American Junior Golf Association will roll into town over the last weekend in March for the Lake Charles Junior Championship. Mallard Golf Club will host over 150 junior golfers from several southern states to compete. The four-day tournament will mark the first AGJA event in Lake Charles in a few years and at Mallard Golf Club. The new course opened in 2023, inspired by Scottish links, and features five sets of tee boxes, elevated greens, and rolling hills.
More sporting events and details can be found on our calendar of events! For the need-to-know information, big-game updates, and successes of the sporting world in SWLA, be sure to check out Where Champions are Crowned, released on the first of each month on visitlakecharles.org. Let’s Play!
