2014 Southland Conference Softball Tournament Field Set
Southland Conference
2014 Southland Softball Tournament Bracket (PDF)
FRISCO, Texas – McNeese State earned the top seed in the 2014 Southland Conference Softball Tournament that will get underway Thursday, May 8, at North Oak Park on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La.
The Cowgirls swept Lamar in the final conference series of the season to claim their second-consecutive regular-season championship and fourth overall. McNeese is the first school to win back-to-back titles since former Southland member Texas State (2008-2010). The Cowgirls will be seeking to win their first conference tournament championship since 2010. McNeese State recorded a 38-15 overall record and a 20-6 record against conference foes. The Cowgirls posted their sixth consecutive 30-win season and are making a conference-leading 26th overall tournament. The Cowgirls will play the winner of the Game One matchup between No. 4 Stephen F. Austin and No. 5 Houston Baptist, Thursday at 4 p.m.
Northwestern State, the defending conference tournament champion, finished second to earn the No. 2 seed with a 27-20 overall record and a 15-10 league mark. The Lady Demons will make their 16th appearance at the tournament and are looking to claim their fifth league title. Northwestern will look to become the first team to repeat as tournament champions since Texas State (2011, 2012). Northwestern will play the winner of Game Two between No. 3 Sam Houston State and No. 6 Central Arkansas, Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The tournament opens Thursday at 11 a.m. with game one between No. 4 seed SFA and No. 5 seed HBU. SFA is making its seventh appearance at the conference tournament and first since 2010. The Ladyjacks posted a 24-25 overall record and a 14-11 record in the Southland. SFA won six out of its last seven games to close out the regular season. HBU is making its first trip to the conference tournament after winning their conference series finale against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Huskies finished the regular season with a 21-26 overall record and a 14-13 record in conference play. During the regular season, the Huskies took two of three from the Ladyjacks in Houston, Texas, March 29-30.
In the second game of the tournament, No. 3 Sam Houston will face No. 6 UCA, Thursday at 1:30 p.m. The Bearkats are making their 12th overall and third straight appearance in the conference tournament. The Bearkats have won two tournament titles with their last coming in 2007. Sam Houston finished the season with an overall record of 26-25 and a conference record of 15-11. UCA returns to the tournament for the third straight year after finishing the regular season with a 24-32 overall record and 13-13 in league play. The two teams did not meet during the regular season.
The 2014 Southland Conference Softball Tournament plays a six-team double elimination format with a possibility of 11 games. The 11th game would be played in the event an undefeated team lost in the title game forcing a second game, upholding the double elimination format.
The winner of the 2014 tournament receives an automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament. The selection show airs Sunday, May 11 at 9 p.m. CDT on ESPNU.
The 2014 Southland Softball Tournament, with the exception of the championship game, will be streamed live for free on the Southland Conference Digital Network, including Southland.org and the league’s mobile/tablet apps, available at: Southland.org/apps. The championship game of the tournament will be carried exclusively on ESPN3, Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. Chris Mycoskie, assistant commissioner of television and electronic media for the Southland Conference, will handle play-by play for all games, while three-time Southland softball coach of the year Yvette Girouard will be the color analyst and former Lady Lion Kati Morse, will join him for the championship as the dugout reporter.
The Southland Digital Network is available at
southland.org, as well as the official SLC mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. ESPN3 programming can be found on
WatchESPN.com, plus the WatchESPN app for iPhone, iPad, Android and XBOX Live systems.
Adult all-tournament tickets are available for $20 and $15 for youth. Tickets will also be available for each day of the tournament. A single-day pass is $10 and $8 for youth. To purchase tickets, contact the Southeastern Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at 985-549-5466 or visit the university's athletic tickets website at
www.LionSports.net.