BEAUMONT, Texas – With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, Northwestern State has officially entered crunch time – and it still has plenty to play for.
 
Only two games separate five teams battling for the second spot in the Southland Conference standings and the right to host one of the two bracket pools of the conference tournament April 30-May 3. Sitting squarely in that mix, the Demons (21-21, 10-8) begin a pivotal six-game road stretch this week that could go a long way in shaping the final standings.
 
"This past weekend was a high-pressure environment, and it gave us that sort of playoff feel," head coach Jenny Fuller said. "The more we're in those moments the more comfortable we're going to be in them. We don't have much Division I postseason experience on this roster so that was a good test for us. So will these next few games as we head towards the conference tournament."
 
NSU embarks on its second longest road stretch of the season in the shortest amount of time with six games, three at Lamar and three at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this week. 
 
The midweek series begins with Tuesday's doubleheader against the Cardinals (25-18, 11-7) at 3 p.m. followed by a single game on Wednesday at 2 p.m. All three games are scheduled to air on ESPN+ with Wednesday's finale also airing locally in Natchitoches on 100.7 FM KZBL.
 
The Demons salvaged their three-game set this past weekend against UIW by winning the finale 3-2, behind a three-run fourth inning where five hits and six straight batters reached to provide enough offense they needed on the day.
 
That game was set up by the grit and resilience that the 2026 Demons continue to show this year, responding with a better performance in Friday's nightcap after a sloppy performance in the series opener where a season-high three errors and stale play led to a run-rule loss.
 
"We didn't get the win in that second game on Friday but were able to play more our style and I think that definitely played a part in us winning on Saturday," head coach Jenny Fuller said. "Feel like that was really a must-win game for us to get that confidence and knowledge that we can compete with the top teams in the conference."
 
Across the final two games of the series, Demon ace Mattison Buster, who maintained her conference lead picking up her 18^th win of the season, held UIW to a .222 average, 120 points lower than its team average entering the series. She allowed just two runs on five hits, matching the lowest totals in each category in a conference game this year, in Saturday's win.
 
"It's always good going into the next series ending on a win from the previous win," junior Aly Delafield, who hit an RBI double and scored the tying run in the win against UIW, said. "It gives you confidence and that sense of improvement and getting better. Coach Brad (Fuller) says all the time that softball is a game of ups and downs and once you start trending up you want to keep that going. We have a team that really wants to win and when we all play like that and are locked in you can tell."
 
The 10 conference wins through 18 games match the most in a season since 2022 and the third most over the past 10 years. 
 
They'll face a Lamar team looking to regroup after being swept by Southeastern, which snapped a program-record 14-game winning streak. The Cardinals were held to just one run and eight hits across the three-game set.
 
Despite the recent stumble, Lamar presents a balanced challenge. The Cardinals boast slightly stronger offensive numbers in several categories, while Northwestern State holds the edge in pitching and defense.
 
Isabella Flores, a frontrunner for Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, has been the centerpiece of Lamar's offense, hitting .379 with seven home runs and a program-record 45 RBIs. She is one of three Cardinals with an OPS above 1.000 and, despite being held hitless last weekend, still managed to reach base three times and score Lamar's lone run.
 
In the circle, Lamar has relied on a deep staff with four pitchers surpassing 40.0 innings this season. Kaylee Cuevas leads the team with a 3.94 ERA, while Regan Smith owns a team-best 10-3 record and has logged a staff-high 81 2/3 innings, holding opponents to a .263 average. Smith allowed two runs on two hits in just one inning against Southeastern while Smith gave up eight runs on 10 hits in the series opener.
 
For Northwestern State, the approach this week is simple and necessary.
 
"We have to continue to play hard and be gritty, which I think this team is," Fuller said. "Just find any way to win games. That can look different depending on the day. We need different players to step up, Buster to continue to pitch well, and I know she will, and just work hard and grind it out this week."