LAKE CHARLES — Northwestern State junior Cayla Jones has enjoyed an uptick in production of late. And it's not due to a swing change or any other physical adjustment but rather a mindset she's taking into each scenario on the diamond. 

"I'm going in and seeing things not as obstacles but as opportunities," Jones said. "It's about changing your mindset and being more confident — not hiding in that hole, thinking of all the bad that can happen, but instead thinking of all of the good that can happen."

She has given the Lady Demons a boost, and it's one they'll look to utilize this weekend during a three-game set at McNeese. The series between NSU (19-17 overall, 13-8 Southland Conference) and McNeese (26-22, 14-7) begins Friday with a single game at 6:30 p.m., while it concludes with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m.

The series stands as a big one with regard to seeding in the upcoming Southland Conference tournament. The Cowgirls are positioned fourth and the Lady Demons fifth with just six games to play.

The top four seeds receive a first-round bye in the tournament, while the No. 5 and 8 seeds and the No. 6 and 7 seeds play one another for an opportunity to battle the No. 3 and 4 seeds.

That makes the series against McNeese feel like a pseudo tournament game. 

"I like being able to play some really good teams going into the tournament," head coach Donald Pickett said. "We'll hopefully put ourselves in a situation to win this series, and give ourselves some confidence, knowing we can compete and be successful against these teams."

Lately, Pickett has implored his club to adopt a tournament-like focus in each game. That was evident, at times, when the Lady Demons took two out of three against Sam Houston last weekend. 

The challenge for NSU is sustaining that tournament-like edge in every inning of every game. 

"To be successful in the tournament, we have to be confident, and we have to have some consistency, and we have to get timely hits," Pickett said. "In tournament play, you're playing good teams that have earned the right to be there. We need to make sure we finish strong and build that momentum going into the tournament."

As alluded to before, Jones is harnessing a good deal of momentum. She's 8-for-17 in her last 25 at-bats, boosting her batting average to .275 with five doubles and 12 RBIs. 

Jones has shifted to the No. 3 spot in the order, and her production is of great importance moving forward. 

"Cayla is a very impactful player, offensively," Pickett said. "She definitely can change a game offensively, and we need that down the stretch. We need to add that extra punch to our lineup, so we can put some crooked numbers on the board in some of these innings."

Freshman infielder Keely DuBois leads the way at the dish, boasting a .357 batting average with two doubles a homer and 14 RBIs. Junior pitcher E.C. Delafield and senior outfielder Kaitlyn St. Clair round out the top three hitters for the Lady Demons, batting .308 and .300, respectively. 

Delafield also makes her presence felt in the circle. She's 8-3 with a team-best 1.91 ERA in 88 innings pitched with 76 strikeouts. 

Whitney Tara paces the Cowgirls in the circle. She's 8-7 with a 3.20 ERA in 101.1 innings pitched with 42 strikeouts. 

McNeese also has a trio of players hitting .300 or better. Kaylee Lopez leads that group with a .339 batting average with eight doubles and 14 RBIs. 

NSU owns a slight edge in the all-time series, 80-76, but the Cowgirls have enjoyed more recent success, especially in Lake Charles. McNeese has won the past four series, and the Lady Demons haven't won a series at McNeese since 2015. 

"When you play on the road against successful programs, it's hard to just go in there and win," Pickett said. "You have to earn everything you get. "They're a momentum team. You give them something, they smell the blood and make you pay for it. That's made them successful against us. Hopefully, we'll go down there and set the tone."

Following the series at McNeese, the Lady Demons return home for their regular-season finale. They'll host Southeastern Louisiana in a three-game series, beginning May 7.