HAMMOND, La. – The two-time reigning Southland Conference Tournament champion Southeastern Louisiana University softball team will close out its eight-game home stand this week, hosting league foe Northwestern State for the Cypress Trophy series at North Oak Park.
 
The series between SLU (23-9, 6-0 SLC) and the visiting Demons (14-15, 4-2 SLC) opens with a 4 p.m. doubleheader Friday on Youth Sports Night, while the series wraps Saturday at noon. All three games will be televised on ESPN+.
 
Since 2019, the winner of the SLU-NSU softball series receives the Cypress Trophy. Northwestern State took home the trophy in 2019 and 2021, while Southeastern has claimed the series each of the past four seasons.
 
Southeastern heads into this week's series riding a nine-game winning streak. SLU has recorded double-digit hits in all nine of the wins during the streak and the last six wins have all been run-rule victories.
 
SLU leads the SLC with a .340 team batting average. Shelby Morris leads the Lady Lions with a .407 batting average, 31 runs scored and 44 hits. Cydnee Schneider (.382), Colleen Kulivan (.375), Chloe Magee (.359) and Kailey Dixon (.337) are the other top hitters for average for SLU, which features eight starters with a .300 batting average or higher.
 
Magee leads the team with 15 stolen bases, while Morris (12) and Shenita Tucker (11) have each swiped double-digit bags. Southeastern's 77 stolen bases lead the SLC.
 
Maria Detillier paces the Lady Lions with six home runs and 28 RBI, while Brilee Ford (four) and Ka'Lyn Watson (three) also have multiple long balls. SLU leads the nation with 17 triples, as Morris (four), Kulivan (three), Watson (three) and Detillier (two) each have contributed to the tally. Schneider leads the conference and ranks eighth in Division I with 12 doubles.
 
Southeastern's pitching staff is eighth nationally with a 1.98 team ERA, coming into the series with 11 shutouts and a .190 opposing batting average. Cera Blanchard (7-1, 1.42 ERA, 1 save), Hallie Burns (8-3, 2.04 ERA), Haley Crawford (2-1, 1.06 ERA, 2 saves), Macie LaRue (3-2, 2.86 ERA, 1 save) and Tyler Oubre (0-1, 5.53 ERA) all have double-digit appearances for SLU, while Bre Clark (1-0, 0.84 ERA), Katherine Thiessen (2-1, 1.35 ERA) and Celia Lamkin (0-0, 3.50 ERA) have also contributed to a deep Lady Lion pitching corps.
 
Northwestern State comes to town having won its first two series, including taking two of three from reigning four-time SLC regular season champion McNeese last weekend in Natchitoches.
 
The Demons are hitting .287 as a team behind top hitters Brynn Daniel (.370) and JT Smith (2 HR, 20 RBI). Mattison Buster (11-6, 3.00 ERA, 1 save) is the SLC leader in wins and strikeouts for a NSU staff that carries a 4.62 team ERA into Hammond.
 
Following this week's series, SLU will play its next eight games away from home. The road swing starts with a 5 p.m. nonconference game at ULM March 24. The SLU-ULM contest will be televised on ESPN+.
 
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.