Important Info
The When and Where
Tuesday, May 11 – Friday, May 14
Hammond, LA – Hosted by Southeastern Louisiana
The How
Opening round (5 vs. 8 & 6 vs. 7) is single-elimination
Quarterfinals onward are double-elimination
Top 8 teams in regular-season standings reach tournament
The Who
#1 seed Stephen F. Austin
#2 seed Central Arkansas
#3 seed McNeese
#4 seed Northwestern State
#5 seed Southeastern Louisiana
#6 seed Houston Baptist
#7 seed Sam Houston State
#8 seed Abilene Christian
Superlatives
A Hidden Gem
After rebounding from a broken hand at the beginning of the season, Abilene Christian’s Donelle Johnson has paced the Wildcats since her return to full form. She led the Wildcats with a .356 batting average and a .567 slugging percentage in the regular season.
A Breakout Star
Stephen F. Austin’s Kassidy Wilbur fits the mold of the old-school workhorse, throwing 212.2 of her team’s 290 innings of defense this season. Despite shouldering such a heavy portion of her team’s workload, Wilbur boasts a 0.86 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and an opponent’s batting average of .171. And 253 strikeouts, just for good measure.
A Team to Watch
Central Arkansas’ overall win-loss record doesn’t give the full tale of the tape, as the Bears played well in the non-conference portion of the season. David Kuhn’s squad boasts some veterans who are hungry to taste the postseason in the twilight of their careers.
A Storyline
An end of an era will be marked in Hammond, as 2021 is the last Southland conference tournament for the softball programs from Stephen F. Austin, Central Arkansas, Sam Houston State, and Abilene Christian. Three of the teams (SFA, SHSU, ACU) will depart for the WAC this summer, while Central Arkansas will move to the ASun.
What’s at Stake
The winner of the conference tournament earns the Automatic Qualifier into the NCAA tournament. Central Arkansas is the highest-ranked league team in the RPI, coming in at #80; the Southland is a 1-bid league to the NCAA tournament this year.
