FRISCO, Texas — The Southland Conference announced its 2026 Southland Softball Superlatives and All-Conference awards Wednesday. Southeastern led the way with eight recipients across the First and Second Team, following a historic campaign in Hammond.
UIW's Victoria Altamirano took home Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year honors. Altamirano gets the nod as the conference's Player of the Year for the third straight season and the Hitter of Year award for the second, making her the first player since Erika Piancastelli to earn both awards in the same season multiple times. Altamirano started in all games for UIW this season, tallying a .446 batting average, 62 hits, 62 RBI and 21 home runs. The UIW senior led the conference in batting average, home runs, runs, RBI and slugging percentage.
Southeastern's Hallie Burns was named the Southland Pitcher of the Year.
Burns currently ranks in the top 20 in Division I in ERA (17th), hits allowed per seven innings (7th) and WHIP (8th). She Leads the Southland Conference in opposing batting average, while sitting in the SLC top 10 in ERA (2nd), strikeouts (5th), wins (2nd) and saves (8th). 10 of her team-high 18 wins have come in Southland Conference play, where she leads the league in opposing batting average, while also ranking among the conference-only leaders in ERA (3rd), strikeouts (7th), wins (3rd) and saves (4th). Leader in wins and strikeouts for an SLU staff that leads Division I with a single-season school record 21 shutouts and is third nationally with a 1.68 ERA.
Lamar's Isabella Flores took home Freshman of the Year honors.
Flores started all 52 games at second base, hitting .372 which is a team-high for the Cardinals. She broke the single-season Lamar record for most RBI in a season with 49 and has had three walk-off hits this season against Illinois, Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi all while breaking the school's career walk-off RBI record of seven in one season.
Northwestern State's Mattison Buster capped an oustanding first year in the circle for the Demons by winning Newcomer of the Year. 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 was ne of 12 pitchers in the country with 20 or more wins this year. Buster is 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. Most total innings pitched by an SLC pitcher since 2023.
Fremin claims Coach of the Year after leading Southeastern to new heights in the 2026 season. The Lions won a Southland record 25 consecutive games this season, finishing the year with a 44-12 record overall and a 24-3 mark in Southland play.
Player of the Year — Victoria Altamirano, UIW
Hitter of the Year — Victoria Altamirano, UIW
Pitcher of the Year — Hallie Burns, Southeastern
Freshman of the Year — Isabella Flores, Lamar
Newcomer of the Year — Mattison Buster, Northwestern State
Coach of the Year — Rick Fremin, Southeastern
First Team
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Year |
Hometown |
| 1B |
Tatum Wright |
East Texas A&M |
Sr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| 2B |
Shelby Morris |
Southeastern |
Jr. |
Clinton, La. |
| SS |
Kassidy Chance |
McNeese |
So. |
Mansfield, Texas |
| 3B |
Maria Detillier |
Southeastern |
Jr. |
Gramercy, La. |
| C |
Cydnee Schneider |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Elkhorn, Neb. |
| UTL |
Kassidy Chance |
McNeese |
Fr. |
Mansfield, Texas |
| DP |
Kayleigh Lugowski |
Nicholls |
Sr. |
Rocklin, Calif. |
| OF |
Victoria Altamirano |
UIW |
Sr. |
Los Fresnos, Texas |
| OF |
Nyjah Fontenot |
McNeese |
R Jr. |
Lake Charles, La. |
| OF |
Ka'Lyn Watson |
Southeastern |
Gr. |
Missouri City, Texas |
| P |
Hallie Burns |
Southeastern |
R-So. |
Booneville, Miss. |
| P |
Mattison Buster |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Sulphur Springs, Texas |
Second Team
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Year |
Hometown |
| 1B |
Brilee Ford |
Southeastern |
Jr. |
Albany, La. |
| 2B |
Ellie Vance |
SFA |
Gr. |
Victoria, B.C. |
| SS |
Chloe Magee |
McNeese |
Sr. |
Watson, La. |
| 3B |
Bryanna Fuentes |
UIW |
Jr. |
Deer Park, Texas |
| C |
Adelynn Becerra |
SFA |
Sr. |
Cypress, Texas |
| DP |
Maddie Taylor |
McNeese |
So. |
Sterlington, La. |
| OF |
Ayla Gonzales |
UIW |
Jr. |
San Antonio, Texas |
| OF |
Madison Moak |
Nicholls |
Gr. |
Brookhaven, Miss. |
| OF |
Alexis Dibbley |
McNeese |
Jr. |
Moss Bluff, La. |
| P |
Cera Blanchard |
Southeastern |
Gr. |
Metairie, La. |
| P |
Molly Yoo |
Nicholls |
Gr. |
Shorewood, Ill. |
All-Defensive Team
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Year |
Hometown |
| 1B |
Sydney Zenon |
UIW |
Jr. |
Haslet, Texas |
| 2B |
Claire Sisco |
Nicholls |
Sr. |
College Station, Texas |
| SS |
Sicily Windham |
Lamar |
So. |
Huntington Beach, Calif. |
| 3B |
Maria Detillier |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Gramercy, La. |
| C |
Cydnee Schneider |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Elkhorn, Neb. |
| RF |
Colleen Kulivan |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Covington, La |
| CF |
JT Smith |
Northwestern State |
Gr. |
Decatur, Texas |
| LF |
Laylin Sturm |
Nicholls |
Jr. |
Seguin, Texas |
| P |
Cera Blanchard |
Southeastern |
Gr. |
Metairie, La. |