LAKE CHARLES – Before the season began, the Northwestern State softball team and its second-year head coach Jenny Fuller set a goal of earning a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament.
Today, the goal will officially be realized.
“We’re super excited to be in this position to make the tournament, especially after last year where we finished last in the conference,” Fuller said. “For us going in as a six seed we have nothing to lose and it’s about us having fun and enjoying this moment. This is just another building block to where our program is headed.”
The No. 6 seed Demons (24-27, 13-14) will make their 24th appearance in the conference tournament, the first since 2023 and the second most of any program in the league’s history, when they take on No. 3 seed Nicholls (29-21, 17-10) at 2 p.m. from Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond.
All games of the Lake Charles bracket will air on ESPN+ with all NSU game also available on 100.7 FM KZBL.
After wrapping up the regular season this past weekend at home against Nicholls, the Demons have the same matchup again in the first game of the tournament.
The Colonels took the first two games of the series in convincing fashion, but NSU responded with a 5-3 victory in the finale on Saturday.
Sister Arnold delivered the clutch two-run double that gave NSU the lead and Mattison Buster danced her way around a pair of seventh-inning baserunners to pick up her 21st win of the season to tie the NSU single-season record.
“Beating them in that last game gives us momentum and confidence,” Fuller said. “So we know that we are capable of doing it. At the same time we know how good Nicholls is so we have to be locked in, do our prep and let the rest take care of itself.”
The Demons had back-to-back 10-hit performances in the final two games of the series, including one against Colonel ace Molly Yoo, who threw a shutout in the game one of the weekend. It was just the second time this year NSU had 10 or more hits in consecutive games.
Getting those hits at the right time, especially with runners in scoring position, is something that had eluded the Demons over the previous two weeks.
NSU has left seven or more runners on base in each of the past nine conference games. But after going 7-for-30 (.233) in RBI opportunities at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and the first game against Nicholls, the Demons were 11-for-26 (.423) in the final two games of the series, despite going 0-for-6 with the bases loaded.
“We were fighting through things at the plate seemingly for a little bit there,” Fuller said. “Sometimes that happens and you just have to keep going and keep fighting through that adversity. Really felt like we did that in game three and if the hitters can keep that same mentality going into this weekend that we’re peaking at the perfect time.”
The Demons got to Yoo in this past Saturday’s finale, collecting 10 hits against her, the most she’s allowed in a game this season. The five runs were also the second most scored against, behind six put up by UIW.
While the Colonels have four years of conference tournament experience under their belts, the entire NSU roster will be making its SLC Tournament debut today.
“It’s about us enjoying it and having fun right now,” Fuller said. “We’ve worked hard this whole year to get here. We’ve had ups and downs, but at the end of the day I want them to enjoy this moment and use it to propel this program in the future.”
BUSTER, DANIEL, SMITH GET ALL-SLC RECOGNITION: Three key pieces of the second-largest single-season win increase in the country this year earned postseason recognition, the Southland Conference announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Northwestern State junior transfer Mattison Buster was named 2026 SLC Newcomer of the Year along with earning a first-team pitcher selection. Sophomore corner infielder Brynn Daniel earned a first-team utility spot and super senior transfer JT Smith was named to the all-defensive team in center field.
Buster and Daniel represent the first all-conference selections for the Demons since Makenzie Chaffin earned a second-team honor in 2022. The two first-team awards mark just the second time in the past 10 years NSU has produced two first-team players.
Buster is the first Demon to be named Newcomer of the Year since Annie Johnston in 2001.
Smith’s all-defensive selection in center marks the second straight season that honor has gone to NSU after Sophia Livers took the award in 2025.
NSU’s stalwart in the circle during the 2026 season, Buster is the only pitcher to throw more than 100.0 innings in conference play. She led the league with 59 strikeouts and tied for the most wins in SLC play with 11.
Buster led the conference in complete games (21), games started (32), innings pitched (198.0), pitching appearances (38), shutouts (6), strikeouts (111) and wins (21). She is one of 12 pitchers in the country with 20 or more wins this year, just the fifth Southland pitcher in the past five years to record 20 wins in a season, and tied the NSU school record with 21 wins.
Daniel led the team in conference play with a .390 batting average, 21 RBI and a 1.042 OPS. She ranked on the top 10 in conference play in RBI (21), doubles (7), HBP (5) and OBP (.484). Daniel had nine multi-hit games during SLC action and four multi-RBI games, with hits in 16 of the final 18 SLC games of the season.
NSU’s dynamic five-tool leadoff hitter, Smith showcased her abilities all season at the plate and roaming center field. Her 53 putouts in conference play are the most by an SLC center fielder this year. She had two outfield assists in league play, four overall, and turned one double play.
