Conner Westenburg has been a record-breaking center fielder for the McNeese Cowboys. He added to his accomplishments earlier in the week when he was named to the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove Team.
Westenburg joined Carson Maxwell and the only other Cowboys in program history to win a Gold Glove. Maxwell won back in 2019.
“To me it’s a huge deal,” said Westenburg, who was named to the All-Southland Conference first team, All-Defensive unit, and SLC All-Academic. “One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to win a Gold Glove. I didn’t see a lot of action my first two years here, but when I got the opportunity, I got out and made the best of it.”
“Conner is one of the best center fielders I’ve ever seen and I had the pleasure to see it every day,” said Cowboys’ head coach Justin Hill. “He is so deserving of this and so happy for him to be recognized as the best in the country.”
The Porter, Texas native played his entire career as a Cowboy, and in 2025, set a school record with nine outfield assists, making him one of the most feared and efficient outfielders in the nation.
With 134 chances on the year, Westenburg recorded 123 put-outs with only two errors as he compiled a .985 fielding percentage.
At the plate, he hit .332 on the season with seven home runs and 33 RBIs. Of those seven homers, three came to lead off the ball game, setting another school record. He hit nine triples to rank second in the NCAA, nine doubles, and led the Southland Conference with 27 stolen bases.
Westenburg is one of five players from the Southland Conference to earn a Gold Glove, which was first recognized for the 2007 season.
2025 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove Team
Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina, C
Mulivai Levu, UCLA, 1B
AJ Singer, Oregon State, 2B
Brady Counsell, Kansas, 3B
Roch Cholowsky, UCLA, SS
Conner Westenburg, McNeese, OF
RJ Austin, Vanderbilt, OF
Caleb Shpur, UConn, OF
Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss, P
Southland Conference Gold Glove Winners
2025 – Conner Westenburg, McNeese
2024 – Edgar Alvarez, Nicholls
2019 – Carson Maxwell, McNeese; Salo Iza, New Orleans
2018 – Tyler Depreta-Johnson, HCU