NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State softball team will host Southland Conference newcomer Houston Baptist in a three-game series beginning on Saturday at three o'clock at the Lady Demon Diamond.
 
The Lady Demons, 31-10 overall, 12-5 SLC are currently recording their second 30-plus win season under the direction of fourth-year head coach Donald Pickett, while the Huskies are posting records of 13-19 overall, 6-12 in the Southland.
 
Kaylee Guidry (9-3) earned SLC Pitcher of the Week honors last week as she set the pace for NSU to pick up three wins and the sweep over Stephen F. Austin last weekend, claiming its fifth series win in a row. The junior transfer held opponents to a .266 average on the week.
 
With the sweep, NSU held onto sole possession of second place in league standings, just one-and-a-half games behind first place McNeese State.
 
In the recent national rankings, four Lady Demons claimed top 50 slots. Tara McKenney holds the seventh slot in triples with six so far this season, while Kylie Roos (11-2) ranks ninth with a 1.17 ERA.
 
With .34 doubles per game and 14 doubles this season, junior Brianna Rodriguez claims the 26^th spot in doubles per game, while Cassandra Barefield ranks 42^nd in homers with 12 this season.
 
McKenney, Roos, Rodriguez and Barefield lead the Southland Conference in triples, ERA, doubles per game and home runs, respectively.
 
Rodriguez also leads the team with a .371 average, followed by McKenney with .363.
 
Guidry and Roos have collectively fanned 161 batters and allowed 48 runs, 35 of them earned.
 
The eighth place Huskies dropped three games to the Cowgirls last weekend, their fourth series loss of the season.
 
Kirsten Schwirtlich sits second in the league with 41 RBI as she posts a .362 average, trailing her sister Lauren with a .456 average.
 
Keely Shuler (4-5) leads the pitching staff with a 3.01 ERA, allowing 79 hits and 42 runs while striking out 24 this season.
 
The Lady Demons will hit the road for a three game series at Southeastern Louisiana beginning next Saturday at three o'clock, followed by a single game at No. 9 LSU on Tuesday, April 30 at 6:00 before returning home to end the regular season against Sam Houston State on May 4.