NATCHITOCHES – Four tournaments, five home weekends, plenty of excitement, and a marquee opener highlight Northwestern State softball's 2026 schedule.
 
The new-look Demons make their debut on Feb. 6 against the team they beat a year ago for one of the program's most memorable and signature wins – Mississippi State.
 
They will do so in a place that second-year head coach Jenny Fuller holds close to her heart, Getterman Stadium, where she pitched for two years as a Baylor Bear for then and still head coach Glenn Moore.
 
"Opening the season at Baylor means a lot to me," Fuller said. "It's my first time returning as a head coach, and it brings back so many memories. When I played there, you dream of big things, but I don't think I ever imagined coming back in this role and getting to coach against Coach Moore.  
 
"I would say it's like a real Karate Kid moment, coming back to where it all started.  He shaped so much of who I am as a player and coach. It's going to be special, and I'm excited for our team to experience that environment."
 
NSU is one of the five teams that will play opening weekend in the Getterman Classic hosted by Baylor. The Demons will also face New Mexico, Wichita State and the host Bears to open the season.
 
From there, the early season takes on a familiar rhythm of tournament and regional matchups.
 
After a visit home for Fuller, the Demons play their earliest home opener in a season since 1999 when they host Grambling on Feb. 10 at 5 p.m., the first of five midweek non-conference dates during the year.
 
NSU continues its yearly home-and-home with Louisiana Tech and resumes one with Grambling. The lone non-Louisiana midweek sees NSU host a doubleheader on Feb. 24 against Maryland-Eastern Shore.
 
Following the home opener the Demons return to Youngsville, La., to play in the annual Mardi Gras Mambo with games against SIUE, Georgia State, New Mexico, Eastern Illinois and St. Thomas.
 
After a five-game weekend in Jacksonville, Ala., the Demons' final tournament weekend is in Natchitoches for the City of Lights Classic as Missouri State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff come to town to close NSU's non-conference weekend slate.
 
"I really like the balance of our non-conference schedule," Fuller said. "We've built it to challenge us early and expose us to a variety of styles: teams that can really pitch it, teams that put pressure on you offensively and teams that play fast. 
 
"We're going to get tested in different ways, which is exactly what we want before we step into conference play. I think it's a schedule that will help us grow quickly while giving us opportunities to build confidence."
 
The Demons alternate home and away series for the first seven weeks of Southland Conference play beginning with a road trip to HCU (March 6-7) to open league play. 
 
McNeese serves as the Demons' home conference opening series on March 13-14 with East Texas A&M coming to town two weeks later and UIW two weeks after that. The three road trips during the alternating stretch takes NSU to Southeastern (March 20-21), Stephen F. Austin (April 3-4) and Lamar (April 14-15).
 
The Demon's midweek conference series comes at Lamar, part of a nine-game stretch that includes home dates with UIW (April 10-11) and road trips to Beaumont and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (April 17-18), all in SLC play.
 
"The conference is tough every weekend," Fuller said. "There's great pitching, great coaching and a lot of parity.  Anyone can beat anyone else on any given day.  After last season having gone through it once, you realize how consistent you must be to win. It pushes you, but that's what makes it a great league."
 
The Demons close the regular season with a home series against Nicholls on April 24-25.
 
Postseason play in the Southland Conference Tournament begins on May 1 with the same two, four-team bracket format at the home sites for the top two regular season finishers. The best of three championship series will be played May 6-8 at the highest remaining seed's home site.