NATCHITOCHES – As the calendar flips to March, the Southland Conference race begins as the Northwestern State softball team hosts defending champion Sam Houston State in a weekend series.
 
Friday's doubleheader starts at 4 p.m. with a 1 p.m. Saturday finale against the Bearkats (9-12).
 
The Lady Demons (12-7) enter league play winners of six of their last eight games, including a Tuesday win at Grambling, 3-1.
 
NSU has the fourth-best record in the league helped by consecutive three-win weekends at the Mardi Gras Mambo and Memphis Blues City Classic.
 
But NSU coach Donald Pickett knows conference games carry the most weight, and engineering a strong start with home series against SHSU and Lamar will be paramount.
 
"It's definitely important as competitive as this league is," said Pickett, who enters the weekend as the seventh-winningest coach in SLC history with 309 wins in his 12^th season in Natchitoches. "There were eight or nine really good teams last year, and this year it seems like there's even more.
 
"You've got to win home series. We get the defending champions right off the bat, and we have to be ready to play. We need to play our best games so far and use that momentum to get off to a good start."
 
The Lady Demons play five of their nine conference series at home, but all five of those home series come against tournament teams from this past season.
 
SHSU is attempting to find success after losing SLC Pitcher of the Year Lindsey McLeod.
 
The Bearkats have one pitcher with a sub-4.00 ERA in Darby Fitzpatrick (2-2, 2.58 ERA), but she's thrown the fewest innings (21 2-3) on staff.
 
Senior Megan McDonald, the league's reigning Hitter of the Week, sets the pace offensively with a .432 batting average and 15 RBIs.
 
NSU counters with a league-high four preseason all-conference selections – second baseman Cayla Jones, utility E.C. Delafield, outfielder Elise Vincent and catcher Alexis Perry.
 
Jones produced both of NSU's RBIs at Grambling, and she's trying to jump start her offense back to her normal levels.
 
"It's just about being mentally in it. Physically I practice really hard, but it's just about trusting my abilities," said Jones, who has scored 15 runs but aims to improve a .218 batting average and 10 RBIs. "We have a whole lot of energy heading into conference play, and we've gotten great things from our newcomers.
 
"It's all about trust, and if you aren't able to do something, we've got somebody else that can pick you up and get it done. It also means that every batter is liable for their at-bats."
 
Jones is one of six Lady Demons with double-digit RBIs, led by freshman Kat Marshall (18 RBIs) and senior Hayley Barbazon (17 RBIs out of the No. 9 hole).
 
Delafield supplied eight of her 16 RBIs in the opening weekend, and Perry (10 RBIs) joins Jones in double figures on an offense that's averaging 6.5 runs per game.
 
"We've done some great things offensively, we've just been up and down," Pickett said. "It's amazing that there hasn't been much in-between.
 
"It's been tough this season because the weather hasn't allowed us to practice outside hardly at all even though we're able to get most of our games in. But we've got to fight through that and be tough enough to handle it. I'm confident in our team and know that we can build consistency in what we're doing."
 
NSU would love to replicate its success against the Bearkats as the Lady Demons took two of three in Huntsville this past season. It's the only series SHSU lost as they posted a 22-5 record en route to a regular season and tournament title, which NSU hosted.
 
The Lady Demons have been consistent in the circle by holding opponents to three runs or less in 13 of 19 games.
 
Quality starts have been key as three of NSU's four pitchers have sub-3.00 ERAs.
 
Senior Samantha Guile has been valuable as a starter and reliever, posting 1.48 ERA with a 2-1 record and two saves.
 
Junior transfer Jensen Howell (6-3, 2.18 ERA) has been the workhorse, striking out 59 in 51 1-3 innings while winning four of her last five outings.
 
Sophomore Bronte Rhoden (3-2, 2.55 ERA) picked up two wins this past weekend and has built on her freshman success.
 
"We've done a really good job, and we've done quality work overall," Pickett said. "There are a couple of innings we'd want back, but our pitchers have been consistent and given us chances to win.
 
"They have an approach where if they have to match zeroes if our offensive struggles, then they can do that like they did at Grambling. They are definitely keeping us in games with their strong starts, and we might have been able to win some of those games without those starts."
 
Fans have two chances at the beginning of SLC play to catch the Lady Demons at home, including March 13-14 against Lamar. That weekend is the annual softball reunion, and all former players are invited to attend and enjoy food and beverages in the outfield club.
 
To register for the reunion and to see a full schedule of the festivities, visit nsudemons.com/softballreunion.