NATCHITOCHES — The Northwestern State softball team has resided in tournament mode for the past few weeks. The Lady Demons have jockeyed for seeding, battling teams ahead of them in the Southland Conference standings, and improved their standing, as a result. 

That postseason mindset eventually fruited NSU the No. 4 seed. The Lady Demons will carry both of those entities into their Tuesday 6:30 p.m. matchup. 

"I think we are in a good spot," head coach Donald Pickett said. "We came in this last weekend and had a lot on line. We were able to get it done, and we should be feeling pretty good about ourselves there. 

"Now, it's a new season. Everybody has a clean slate. It's about going in there and winning big games, and playing your best at the right time."

NSU (22-20 overall, 16-11 Southland Conference) awaits the winner between No. 5-seeded Southeastern Louisiana (27-21, 14-10) and No. 8-seeded Abilene Christian (14-32, 10-17). The Lady Demons are fresh off a series win over the Lady Lions, while they didn't face the Wildcats this season. 

Northwestern State is 47-32 all-time at the Southland Conference tournament. Some of that success is under Pickett, who has won two conference tournament titles in his 13 years in Natchitoches.

He knows what it takes to be successful during this portion of the season, and he's hoping his team will heed his message. 

"You have to be confident, and you have to go out there and take the game," Pickett said. "You have to take it to the other teams, you can't sit back and feel things out. If you do that, you're beat because you're playing a quality opponent every game."

The Lady Demons are one of those quality teams, and that starts with junior E.C. Delafield. 

The first-team All-Southland Conference selection produced for NSU in the circle and at the plate. 

Delafield boasted a team-best 1.99 ERA in 109 innings pitched. She held a 10-4 record with nine complete games and 90 strikeouts. 

Delafield also owned the second-highest batting average. She's hitting .315 with eight doubles, two home runs and 20 RBIs.

Freshman infielder Keely DuBois lays claim to the highest batting average at .326. That comes equipped with three doubles, one homer and 19 RBIs. 

A pair of third-team All-Southland Conference selections round out the Lady Demons hitting north of .300. Junior infielder Cayla Jones and senior outfielder Kaitlyn St. Clair are batting .309 and .306, respectively. 

Jones enjoyed a mammoth weekend against Southeastern Louisiana, and that earned her Southland Conference Hitter of the Week honors. She went 6-for-9 with 10 RBIs, and one of those hits was a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

By way of earning a top-four seed, Northwestern State is in the double-elimination portion of the bracket, meaning it'll play Wednesday regardless of Tuesday's result.