HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University softball team will play host to the 2025 Southland Conference Softball Championships Hammond Bracket presented by GeoSurfaces this week at North Oak Park.
 
Southeastern (43-13) is the No. 2 seed and will face seventh-seeded HCU (17-31) at 4 p.m. Thursday. The double-elimination, regional-style four-team bracket will open at 1 p.m. Thursday, when third-seeded Nicholls (29-22) takes on No. 6 seed SFA (26-27). All games in the Hammond Bracket, which runs through Sunday, will air on ESPN+.
 
The reigning Southland Conference Tournament champion Lady Lions will be looking to move closer to its second straight league tournament title. SLU has advanced to the championship game of the tournament in each of the previous three seasons, finally breaking through last season on the way to its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
 
Southeastern finished the regular season with a .337 batting average and is second in the nation with 484 hits. Shenita Tucker leads the team with a .422 batting average, followed by Maria Detillier (.391), Kailey Dixon (.384), Shelby Morris (.371) and Chloe Magee (.366). Tucker, Detillier and Magee were all first team All-SLC selections earlier Wednesday. Magee and Morris lead the team with 48 runs each, while Detillier has a team-high 51 RBI.
 
Detillier also has a team-high four home runs, followed by Cydnee Schneider's three dingers. Schneider also leads the team with 15 doubles, while Detillier has contributed 14.
 
SLU continues to lead the nation in triples with 29. Detillier has a team-high six, followed by Colleen Kulivan (five) and Schneider (four).
 
The Lady Lions also tops Division I with 180 stolen bases as a team. Magee leads the SLC and ranks 10^th nationally with 33 stolen bases. She is joined in double figures by teammates Morris (27), Tucker (22), Brilee Broussard (22), Detillier (17), Dixon (15), Kulivan (13) and Brilee Ford (10).
 
The Southeastern pitching staff enters the postseason ranked sixth in Division I with a 2.11 team earned run average and fifth nationally with a single-season school record 16 shutouts. Southland Newcomer of the Year Macie LaRue (17-2, 2.04 ERA), fellow All-SLC performer Britney Lewinski (8-4, 2.07 ERA, 4 saves) and Hallie Burns (11-5, 2.53 ERA) are the primary arms for SLU.
 
Southeastern will open bracket play versus a HCU team that is hitting .273 as a team. All-SLC performers AB Garcia (.473) and Haylie Savage (.371, 5 HR, 33 RBI) lead the Huskies at the plate. Cara Pittman (9-9, 4.91 ERA, 1 save) and Leah Hammack (6-12, 5.27 ERA) are the top arms for HCU.
 
Nicholls will be back in Hammond for the second straight week after taking two of three from SLU to close the regular season. All-Southland selections Claire Sisco (.453), Reagan Heflin (.350) and Molly VandenBout (.306, 3 HR, 33 RBI) lead a Colonel lineup that is hitting .323 as a team. Molly Yoo (10-7, 4.17 ERA, 1 save) and Averi Paden (10-6, 4.32 ERA, 2 saves) are the leaders of the Nicholls pitching staff.
 
SFA will also be part of the Hammond Bracket in its first season back in the SLC. Kaylee Paul leads the team with a .421 batting average, while All-Southland picks Elie Vance (.368), Kyi'Marri Ester (.321) and Adelyn Becerra (8 HR) also bolster the Lumberjack lineup. Alexis Telford (10-7, 2.60 ERA, 1 save), Reagan Hall (7-7, 3.97 ERA, 3 saves), Brooke Gainous (3-10, 5.43 ERA) and Jordyn Ages (6-3, 3.61 ERA) have all seen plenty of time in the circle for a Stephen F. Austin staff that has a 3.93 team ERA.
 
Top-seeded McNeese will host the Lake Charles Bracket Thursday through Sunday, welcoming fourth-seeded UIW, No. 5 Lamar and No. 8 East Texas A&M. The winners of the two brackets will meet in the best two-of-three SLC Championship Series, hosted by the highest remaining seed, May 8-10 with the winner receiving the league's automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.
 
2025 Southland Conference Softball Championships Hammond Bracket Presented by GeoSurfaces | May 1-4 | North Oak Park
 
Thursday, May 1
Game 1 – No. 3 Nicholls vs. No. 6 SFA, 1 p.m.
Game 2 – No. 2 Southeastern vs. No. 7 HCU, 4 p.m.
 
Friday, May 2
Game 3 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 1 p.m. (Elimination game)
Game 4 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 4 p.m.
 
Saturday, May 3
Game 5 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser, 1 p.m. (Elimination game)
Game 6 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 4 p.m.
 
Sunday, May 4
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser. 1 p.m.*
* - Game 7 is only necessary if Game 5 winner also wins Game 6
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Softball, follow @LionUpSoftball on X and Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook.
 
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.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern offers mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.