HAMMOND, La. – With the season opener just less than a month away, the Southeastern Louisiana University softball team officially opened preseason practice Thursday.
 
SLU is coming off the most successful season in school history. The 2022 Lady Lions set a new single-season school record for wins, finishing 40-16 and advancing to the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time in program history. Southeastern set new single-season team standards for winning percentage (.714), fewest losses, runs (341), hits (488), doubles (92), RBI (282), batting average (.334), on-base percentage (.403), total bases (710), slugging percentage (.485) and batters struck out (325), while also finishing as the national Division I stolen base leader for the seventh straight season.
 
Much of the firepower in the lineup returns for eighth-year SLU head coach Rick Fremin's squad, as the Lady Lions bring back six starters from a season ago. All-Southland performers Cam Goodman (.426, 38 runs, 30 SB in 2022), Audrey Greely (.344, 10 2B, 32 runs, 23 RBI), Bailey Krolczyk (.333, 34 runs, 9 2B, 3 HR, 23 RBI), Maddie Watson (.331, 10 2B, 7 HR, 52 RBI) and Madison Rayner (.327, 16 2B, 5 HR, 44 RBI) are all back this spring.
 
With Lexi Johnson (.302, 13 2B, 7 HR, 38 RBI) also returning and expected to make the transition to first base, much of the lineup will remain the same. Veterans Sarah Diaz, Blaire Bizette and Sadie Hewitt, as well as newcomers Maddie Leal, Maria Detillier, Colleen Kulivan, McKayla Ferguson, Ka'Lyn Watson, Madison Hebert, Jillian Gutierrez and Britt Bourgoyne, will bolster the offensive attack.
 
"We expect Cam to step in to the leadoff role for us," Fremin commented. "We're going to have more power throughout the lineup than we've had in the past. We had 14 different players homer in the fall, so hopefully that translates to the spring."
 
In the circle, Southeastern's most veteran returners are KK Ladner (8-3, 3.00 ERA, 1 save) and Mary-Cathryn (MC) Comeaux (10-3, 3.72 ERA, 1 save), as well as the school's career and single-season saves leader in Ellie DuBois (0-1, 3.55 ERA, 2 saves). Alyssa Romano (0-3, 2.28 ERA, 1 save) and Leah Marshall (0-0, 0.00 ERA) also are back for the Lady Lions. Cera Blanchard leads a trio of pitching newcomers that includes Chyanne Ellett and Lainee Bailey.
 
"We feel very good about our pitching staff heading into the season," Fremin said. "Our pitchers know whoever can consistently perform will have the ball in their hands. We have a lot of options, especially in a three-game series or a five-game tournament."
 
Southeastern faces a nonconference schedule that will see the Lady Lions play nine games versus 2022 NCAA Regional participants, including defending national champion Oklahoma. Alabama, Mississippi State and LSU, which visits Hammond March 15, are among the other Power 5 teams on the SLU slate.
 
Southland Conference play opens March 17, when SLU travels to Lamar for a three-game league series. The Lady Lions also travel to UIW (April 7-8), HCU (April 14-15) and Northwestern State (May 5-6) during SLC action.
 
Conference opponents Texas A&M-Commerce (March 31-April 1), Nicholls (April 21-22) and McNeese (April 25-26) visit North Oak Park. The Southland Conference Tournament is set for May 9-12 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
 
Southeastern will open the 2022 campaign on Feb. 10, hosting Missouri State at 5 p.m. at North Oak Park. All of SLU's home games this season will air on ESPN+.
 
The Lady Lion season ticket pickup part will be held Feb. 3 at 11 a.m. at North Oak Park in conjunction with the team's scrimmage.
 
2023 Southeastern Softball Schedule
Feb. 10 | Missouri State | Hammond, La. | 5 p.m.@
Feb. 11 | Missouri State | Hammond, La. | 3 p.m.@
Feb. 12 | Missouri State | Hammond, La. | 10 a.m.@
Feb. 15 | Louisiana Tech | Hammond, La. | 5 p.m.
Feb. 17 | vs. Manhattan | Youngsville, La. | 2 p.m.#
Feb. 17 | vs. Toledo | Youngsville, La. | 4 p.m.#
Feb. 18 | vs. Gardner Webb | Youngsville, La. | 3 p.m.#
Feb. 18 | vs. St. Thomas | Youngsville, La. | 5 p.m.#
Feb. 19 | vs. Florida A&M | Youngsville, La. | 11 a.m.#
Feb. 24 | vs. Indiana State | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 11 a.m.$
Feb. 24 | at Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 6:30 p.m.$
Feb. 25 | at Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 1:30 p.m.$
Feb. 25 | vs. Kennesaw State | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 4 p.m.$
Feb. 26 | vs. Indiana State | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 10:30 a.m.$
March 1 | at Florida A&M | Tallahassee, Fla. | 4 p.m.
March 3 | vs. Albany | Madeira Beach, Fla. | 11:30 a.m.%
March 3 | vs. Georgetown | Madeira Beach, Fla. | 2 p.m.%
March 4 | vs. Central Michigan | Madeira Beach, Fla. | 9 a.m.%
March 4 | vs. Yale | Madeira Beach, Fla. | 11:30 a.m.%
March 5 | vs. LIU | Madeira Beach, Fla. | 10:30 a.m.%
March 8 | at Southern Miss | Hattiesburg, Miss. | 6 p.m.
March 9 | at Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | 6:30 p.m.^
March 10 | vs. Omaha | Starkville, Miss. | 10 a.m.^
March 10 | vs. Oklahoma | Starkville, Miss. | 12:30 p.m.^
March 11 | vs. East Tennessee State | Starkville, Miss. | 11:30 a.m.^
March 15 | LSU | Hammond, La. | 6 p.m.
March 17 | at Lamar (DH) | Beaumont, Texas | 3 p.m.*
March 18 | at Lamar | Beaumont, Texas | 12 p.m.*
March 22 | ULM | Hammond, La. | 6 p.m.
March 24 | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (DH) | Hammond, La. | 4 p.m.*
March 25 | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | Hammond, La. | 12 p.m.*
March 28 | at Alcorn State (DH) | Lorman, Miss. | 2 p.m.
March 31 | Texas A&M-Commerce (DH) | Hammond, La. | 4 p.m.*
April 1 | Texas A&M-Commerce | Hammond, La. | 12 p.m.*
April 4 | at Jackson State (DH) | Jackson, Miss. | 3 p.m.
April 7 | at UIW (DH) | San Antonio, Texas | 5 p.m.*
April 8 | at UIW | San Antonio, Texas | 1 p.m.*
April 14 | at HCU (DH) | Houston, Texas | 4 p.m.*
April 15 | at HCU | Houston, Texas | 12 p.m.*
April 18 | at UL Lafayette | Lafayette, La. | 6 p.m.
April 21 | Nicholls (DH) | Hammond, La. | 4 p.m.*
April 22 | Nicholls (Senior Day) | Hammond, La. | 12 p.m.*
April 25 | McNeese (DH) | Hammond, La. | 4 p.m.*
April 26 | McNeese | Hammond, La. | 2 p.m.*
May 5 | at Northwestern State | Natchitoches, La. | 4 p.m.*
May 6 | at Northwestern State | Natchitoches, La. | 12 p.m.*
May 9-12 | at Southland Conference Tournament | Lake Charles, La. | TBA
 
@ - Lion Classic (Hammond, La.) | # - Mardi Gras Mambo (Youngsville, La.) | $ - Easton Bama Bash (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) | % - The Spring Games (Madeira Beach, Fla.) | ^ - Bulldog Invitational (Starkville, Miss.) | * - Southland Conference game | Southeastern home games in bold | All times Central
 
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.