HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University softball team will host the 2022 Southland Conference Softball Tournament, which runs Tuesday through Friday at North Oak Park.
 
Southeastern (37-14) will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Lady Lions open the postseason with a 5 p.m. Tuesday contest versus seventh-seeded Nicholls (12-36).
 
The entire tournament will be televised on ESPN+. The winner of the Southland Tournament will advance to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Lady Lions enter the tournament needing one win to match the single-season school record for victories. Southeastern is 19-2 this season at North Oak Park and has won its last 14 home games heading into the tournament.
 
SLU boasts a league-best .329 team batting average. All-Southland performers Cam Goodman (.429), Aeriyl Mass (.401), Audrey Greely (.358), Madison Rayner (.333), Bailey Krolczyk (.329) and Maddie Watson (.324) are the team's top hitters for average. Mass also leads the Southland with 65 hits and 29 stolen bases.
 
Watson leads the Southland with 45 RBI, while sharing the team lead with Lexi Johnson with seven home runs each. Rayner is right behind Watson with 44 RBI, while also leading the team with 15 doubles. Johnson leads the league with three triples.
 
Seven Southeastern pitchers have combined for a 2.61 team earned run average this season. Two-time All-Southland selection and the league's leader in wins Heather Zumo (18-4, 2.40 ERA), KK Ladner (7-3, 2.96 ERA, 1 save) and Mary-Cathryn (MC) Comeaux (10-3, 3.33 ERA, 1 save) give SLU three effective starters, while the school's career saves leader Ellie DuBois (0-1, 2.86 ERA, 2 saves) and Alyssa Romano (0-2, 1.67 ERA) are the Lady Lions' top arms coming out of the bullpen.
 
Southeastern will be opening the tournament against a Nicholls lineup that is hitting .249 as a team. All-Southland selection Melise Gossen leads the Colonels with a .289 batting average, while Alexa Poche' (8 HR, 29 RBI) is the team's top power threat.
 
Colonel pitchers have combined for a 6.03 team ERA. Paris Lehman (5-15, 4.95 ERA, 2 saves), Brittney Turner (7-15, 6.74 ERA, 1 save) and Taryn Westbrook (0-4, 9.22 ERA, 1 save) have handled the majority of the work in the circle for Nicholls.
 
Southeastern swept the Colonels during the regular season last month in Thibodaux. The Lady Lions are making their 10^th appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament and are looking for their first league tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
2022 Southland Conference Softball Tournament | May 10-13 | North Oak Park | Hammond, La. (All games on ESPN+)
 
Tuesday, May 10
Game 1 – No. 4 Northwestern State vs. No. 5 UIW, 12 p.m.
Game 2 – No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. No. 6 HBU, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3 – No. 2 Southeastern vs. No. 7 Nicholls, 5 p.m.
 
Wednesday, May 11
Game 4 – No. 1 McNeese vs. Game 1 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 5 – Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 2 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser, 4 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 5 Loser, 6:30 p.m.
 
Thursday, May 12
Game 8 – Game 4 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 9 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 10 – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, 4 p.m.
Game 11 – Game 10 Winner vs. Game 9 Loser, 6:30 p.m.
 
Friday, May 13
Game 12 – Game 9 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner, 12 p.m.
Game 13 – Necessary if Game 11 Winner wins Game 12, 30 minutes after Game 12
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Softball, follow @LionUpSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
HOME RUN CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the softball program are encouraged to join the Home Run Club. Lady Lion softball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Home Run Club and S Club (softball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern softball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events (softball, baseball, football and basketball), effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.