HAMMOND, La. – The two-time reigning Southland Conference Tournament champion Southeastern Louisiana University softball team will open play at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Friday.
 
SLU (48-14) will face regional host and No. 10 national seed LSU (41-14) at 4:30 p.m. Friday on SEC Network. Nebraska (39-13) and UConn (35-17) will meet in Friday's first game at 2 p.m. on ESPN+. The double-elimination regional runs through Sunday at Tiger Park with the winner advancing to Super Regionals to face the winner of this weekend's Knoxville Regional.
 
The Lady Lions are making their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament under 10^th-year head coach Rick Fremin. Last spring, Southeastern defeated Clemson twice and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional in its first-ever appearances in an NCAA regional.
 
Armed with five new positional starters and an almost entirely new pitching staff, SLU is back again after another record-setting season. The Lady Lions have set new single-season school records for wins (48), shutouts (17), triples (33), RBI (325), runs (381) and walks (186).
 
SLU enters regional play leading Division I in triples and stolen bases. The Lady Lions also rank in the nation's top 10 in earned run average (2.15, 6^th), hits (526, 3^rd), shutouts (5^th) and sacrifice bunts (58, 5^th).
 
For the second straight season, Southeastern punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a walk-off victory in the Southland Conference Tournament final. SLU trailed, 4-0, to top-seed McNeese heading into the bottom of the sixth inning in the deciding game three of the SLC Championship Series.
 
After scoring three in the bottom of the sixth, SLU allowed a run in the seventh and were still down by three with two outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the seventh. An RBI double by Shelby Morris brought the game within one, then SLC Tournament MVP Chloe Magee singled home the tying run.
 
After Maria Detillier was walked and Cydnee Schneider was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Brilee Ford, who transferred to Southeastern from McNeese prior to the season, strode to the plate. The Albany, Louisiana native lined a single through the right side to send the Lady Lions back to the postseason.
 
Magee, Detillier, Schneider and Ford were joined on the SLC All-Tournament team by pitchers Macie LaRue and Lainee Bailey.
 
Southeastern heads into the NCAA Regional with a .332 batting average. Shenita Tucker leads the team with a .396 batting average, followed by Detillier (.382), Kailey Dixon (.374), Magee (.371) and Morris (.354). Detillier tops the team with 54 RBI, while Magee (53 runs) and Morris (51) are within striking distance of the single-season school record for runs of 55 set by Ka'Lyn Watson in 2024.
 
Detillier leads SLU with four home runs, while she and Schneider share the team lead with 15 doubles each. Detillier and Colleen Kulivan sit atop the team leaderboard with six triples apiece.
 
Magee is 13^th nationally with a team-high 34 stolen bases and is one of eight SLU student-athletes with double-digit steals. Magee is joined by Morris (30), Tucker (25), Brilee Broussard (23), Dixon (19), Detillier (17), Kulivan (14) and Ford (10).
 
Southeastern has used seven pitchers on the season, including six in the SLC Championship Series last weekend at McNeese. LaRue (19-2, 2.10 ERA), Britney Lewinski (9-5, 2.18 ERA, 5 saves), Hallie Burns (12-5, 2.53 ERA) and Bailey (5-1, 1.30 ERA) have been the top arms for the Lady Lions.
 
SLU will open regional play against an LSU lineup that is hitting .336 as a team and ranks in the top 10 nationally with 258 walks (2^nd) and a .441 on-base percentage (7^th). NFCA Freshman of the Year finalist Tori Edwards leads the Tigers with a .403 batting average, 18 home runs and 71 RBI.
 
LSU enters the tournament with a 2.79 team ERA. The trio of Sydney Berzon (17-7, 2.56 ERA, 2 saves), NFCA Freshman of the Year finalist Jayden Heavener (13-4, 2.79 ERA, 1 save) and Tatum Clopton (7-2, 3.16 ERA) have handled the majority of the work in the circle for the Tigers.
 
Southeastern is 1-24 all-time versus LSU. Back in February, the Tigers rallied for a 3-2 walk-off victory over SLU.
 
Nebraska is the No. 2 seed in the regional and is among the national leaders with a .352 batting average (5^th), 98 home runs (5^th), a .640 slugging percentage (2^nd) and 420 runs (7^th). The duo of Jordy Bahl (.458, 19 HR, 59 RBI) and Ava Kuszak (.421, 19 HR, 56 RBI) lead the way for the Huskers.
 
One of the nation's top players, Bahl (23-6, 1.57 ERA, 2 saves) also doubles as the ace of a Nebraska pitching staff that comes to Baton Rouge with a 2.59 team ERA.
 
Southeastern is 1-1 all-time versus the Huskers. The two teams split a pair as part of the Troy Cox Invitational in Las Cruces, New Mexico in 2022.
 
UConn, the Big East Conference Tournament champions, rounds out the regional field. The Huskies are hitting .325 as a team behind the productive trio of Grace Jenkins (.425, 21 HR, 68 RBI), Cat Petteys (.403, 14 HR, 45 RBI) and Kaitlyn Breslin (.380, 16 HR, 53 RBI).
 
UConn enters the NCAA Tournament with a 4.29 staff ERA. Payton Kinney (15-5, 2.37 ERA, 2 saves), Hope Jenkins (11-3, 3.92 ERA) and Sydnee Koosh (6-8, 6.41 ERA, 1 save) are the primary weapons in the circle for the Huskies.
 
2025 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional | May 16-18 | Tiger Park
 
Friday, May 16
Game 1 – UConn (35-17) vs. Nebraska (39-13) | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 2 – Southeastern (48-14) vs. LSU (41-14) | 4:30 p.m. | SEC Network
 
Saturday, May 17
Game 3 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner | Noon | ESPN+
Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+ (Elimination Game)
Game 5 – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner | 5 p.m. | ESPN+ (Elimination Game)
 
Sunday, May 18
Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner | 4:30 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.