The Southland Conference

Northwestern State Demon Baseball 2020 Well into its sixth decade of service, the Southland Conference continues to be a model of innovation, stability and consistent achievement as it celebrates the academic and athletic accomplishments of its member institutions and approximately 4,200 student-athletes.

Having commemorated its 50th anniversary in 2013, the Southland Conference has transformed itself into a dynamic and respected consortium of 13 member universities in three states. Beginning with a historic meeting of five institutions in Dallas on March 15, 1963, the Southland Conference set on an extraordinary course that has proven successful well into the 21st Century.

The successful transformation continues, as the Southland Conference welcomed four additional members in 2013: Abilene Christian University, Houston Baptist University, the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, and the University of New Orleans. In addition to its newest members, the Southland also consists of the University of Central Arkansas, Lamar University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Sam Houston State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Stephen F. Austin State University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

An original Southland member from 1963-73, Abilene Christian rejoined the league as one of the most decorated athletic programs in NCAA history, and the addition of Houston Baptist, UIW and New Orleans gives the Southland a regular competitive presence in the key metropolitan areas of Houston, San Antonio and New Orleans. Southland cities encompass approximately 14 million people, and six of its television markets rank among the top 100 in the U.S.

All told, the membership of the Southland encompasses nearly 140,000 current students and an alumni base of nearly 800,000. Famous alums from current Southland Conference schools include former CBS news anchor Dan Rather (Sam Houston State), NBA executive Joe Dumars (McNeese State), ABC news anchor Robin Roberts (Southeastern Louisiana), Major League Baseball star Wade Miley (Southeastern Louisiana), NBA legend Scottie Pippen (Central Arkansas), and track and field Olympians Kenta Bell (Northwestern State), and Bobby Morrow and Billy Olson (both Abilene Christian). Other notable alums from current members include Grammy Award-winning musicians Frank Ocean (New Orleans), Don Henley and Rodney Crowell (both Stephen F. Austin), and Ronnie Dunn (Abilene Christian), television personality and actress Ellen DeGeneres (New Orleans), current NFL standouts Lardarius Webb (Nicholls State), Terrence McGee (Northwestern State), and Daniel Manning (Abilene Christian), professional golfers Shawn Stefani and Chris Stroud (both Lamar) and Colin Montgomerie (HBU), award-winning filmmaker Richard Linklater (Sam Houston State), American Idol winner Kris Allen (Central Arkansas), NFL Hall of Famer Jackie Harris (Northwestern State), former NFL standouts Bobby Hebert (Northwestern State), Gary Barbaro (Nicholls State), Wilbert Montgomery (Abilene Christian) and Gary Reasons (Northwestern State), former MLB stars Darryl Hamilton (Nicholls State) and Kevin Millar (Lamar), NCAA football coach Charlie Strong (Central Arkansas), actors John Larroquette (New Orleans), Ricardo Chavira (UIW) and Jesse Borrego (UIW), and the late NFL coaching legend O.A. “Bum” Phillips (Lamar and Stephen F. Austin).

The Southland sponsors 17 full championship sports, all at the NCAA Division I level. The eight men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. The women compete for nine championships in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. The conference earns automatic qualification to NCAA championships in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s golf, women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and volleyball. The Southland Bowling League, an affiliated Conference sport, originated in 2015, and four of its members filled out half of the eight-team bracket, with Stephen F. Austin advancing to the national title match.

2020 PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM Pos. Name Team Class Hometown 1B Ryan Flores Incarnate Word Jr. Corpus Christi, Texas 2B Nate Fisbeck McNeese Sr. The Woodlands, Texas 3B Beau Orlando Central Arkansas Sr. Houston, Texas SS JC Correa Lamar Jr. Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico C Gavin Johnson Sam Houston State Sr. San Antonio, Texas OF Colton Cowser Sam Houston State So. Cypress, Texas OF Sean Arnold Incarnate Word Sr. Bryan, Texas OF Brandon Bena Houston Baptist Sr. Omaha, Nebraska DH Clayton Rasbeary McNeese Sr. Rockwall, Texas SP Noah Cameron Central Arkansas So. Fayetteville, Arkansas SP Kyle Gruller Houston Baptist Sr. Cypress, Texas SP Will Dion McNeese So. Sulphur, La. RP Conner Williams Central Arkansas Sr. Conway, Ark. Util Itchy Burts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Sr. League City, Texas SECOND TEAM Pos. Name Team Class Hometown 1B Preston Faulkner Southeastern Louisiana Jr. Denham Springs, La. 2B Logan Berlof Lamar Sr. McKinney, Texas 3B Anthony Quirion Lamar Sr. Dixieville, Quebec SS Reid Bourque McNeese Jr. Moss Bluff, La. C Chris Sandberg Nicholls Sr. Los Angeles, Calif. OF Jack Rogers Sam Houston State Jr. Spring, Texas OF Tyler Smith Northwestern State Sr. Franklinton, La. OF Josh Ragan Central Arkansas Sr. Irving, Texas DH Lee Thomas Incarnate Word Sr. Katy, Texas SP John Gaddis Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Jr. Corpus Christi, Texas SP Gavin Stone Central Arkansas Jr. Lake City, Ark. SP Luke Taggart Incarnate Word Sr. Portland, Texas RP Jeremy Rodriguez Stephen F. Austin Sr. Cypress, Texas Util Jake Dickerson McNeese Sr. Beaumont, Texas

2020 SLC Preseason Poll

PLACE TEAM (FIRST PLACE VOTES) TOTAL 1. Sam Houston State (17) 276 2. Central Arkansas (5) 247 3. McNeese (1) 244 4. Southeastern Louisiana (3) 243 5. Northwestern State 193 6. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 146 7. Incarnate Word 146 8. Nicholls 108 9. New Orleans 101 10. Abilene Christian 98 11. Stephen F. Austin 92 12. Lamar 87 13. Houston Baptist 49