The 2024 Southland Conference tournament was held at North Oak Park in Hammond, Louisiana from May 7 through 10, 2024.[3] The tournament winner, Southeastern Louisiana earned the Southland Conference's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division I softball tournament. All games were be broadcast on ESPN+.
 | |
| Teams | 7 |
|---|---|
| Format | Double-elimination tournament |
| Finals site | |
| Champions | Southeastern Louisiana (1 title) |
| Winning coach | Rick Fremin (1 title) |
| MVP | Lexi Johnson (Southeastern Louisiana) |
| Attendance | 3,725 |
| Television | ESPN+ |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| McNeese † | 22 | – | 2 | .917 | 40 | – | 20 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southeastern Louisiana ‡y | 17 | – | 7 | .708 | 47 | – | 15 | .758 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nicholls | 16 | – | 8 | .667 | 31 | – | 26 | .544 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Incarnate Word | 14 | – | 9 | .609 | 34 | – | 17 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lamar | 12 | – | 12 | .500 | 26 | – | 25 | .510 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 9 | – | 15 | .375 | 21 | – | 22 | .488 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston Christian | 9 | – | 15 | .375 | 23 | – | 27 | .460 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern State | 5 | – | 18 | .217 | 19 | – | 31 | .380 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M–Commerce* | 2 | – | 22 | .083 | 9 | – | 45 | .167 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Ineligible for the 2024 NCAA tournament due to transition from Division II[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † – Conference champion ‡ – Tournament champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of May 19, 2024[2] Rankings from NFCA/USA Today | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Format
editThe tournament was a modified 7 team double elimination format. The first game was single elimination game. The first and second seeded teams received byes to the second round.
Seeds
editTeams were seeded by record within the conference with a tie–breaker system to seed teams with identical conference records. The top seven teams in the conference play qualified for the tournament.[4]
| Seed | School | Conference | Tie-breaker #1 | Tie-breaker #2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McNeese | 22–2 | Not needed | |
| 2 | Southeastern Louisiana | 17–7 | Not needed | |
| 3 | Nicholls | 16–8 | Not needed | |
| 4 | Incarnate Word | 14–8 | Not needed | |
| 5 | Lamar | 12–12 | Not needed | |
| 6 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 9–15 | 2–1 vs Houston Christian | |
| 7 | Houston Christian | 9–15 | 1–2 vs. Texas A&M–Corpus Christi |
- Northwestern State and Texas A&M–Commerce did not qualify for the tournament. New Orleans does not sponsor a softball team.
Tournament
edit| Round | Game | Time* | Matchup | Score | Attendance | Notes | Television |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First day – Tuesday, May 7, 2024 | |||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1:00 pm | No. 6 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi vs. No. 7 Houston Christian | 2–7 | 205 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi eliminated[7] | ESPN+ |
| 2 | 4:10 pm | No. 4 Incarnate Word vs. No. 5 Lamar | 5–48 | 322 | |||
| 3 | 7:49 pm | No. 3 Nicholls vs. No. 7 Houston Christian | 5–4 | 322 | |||
| Second day – Wednesday, May 8, 2024 | |||||||
| 2 | 4 | 11:00 am | No. 1 McNeese vs. No. 4 Incarnate Word | 2–3 | 332 | ESPN+ | |
| 5 | 1:49 pm | No. 2 Southeastern Louisiana vs. No. 3 Nicholls | 4–1 | 456 | |||
| 6 | 4:19 pm | No. 5 Lamar vs. No. 3 Nicholls | 4–58 | 322 | Lamar eliminated | ||
| 7 | 7:34 pm | No. 7 Houston Christian vs. No. 1 McNeese | 6–8 | 322 | Houston Christian eliminated | ||
| Third day– Thursday, May 9, 2024 | |||||||
| 3 | 8 | 1:00 pm | No. 4 Incarnate Word vs. No. 2 Southeastern Louisiana | 1–6 | 467 | ESPN+ | |
| 9 | 3:30 pm | No. 3 Nicholls vs. No. 1 McNeese | 3–48 | 520 | Nicholls eliminated | ||
| 10 | 6:00 pm | No. 4 Incarnate Word vs. No. 1 McNeese | 8–7 | 322 | McNeese eliminated | ||
| Championship – Friday, May 10, 2024 | |||||||
| 4 | 11 | 12:00 pm | No. 2 Southeastern Louisiana vs. No. 4 Incarnate Word | 8–7 | 457 | Southeastern Louisiana is tournament champion | ESPN+ |
| 12 | TBD | Game 11 winner vs. Game 10 loser | – | Not necessary | |||
| *Game times in CDT. #-Rankings denote tournament seeding. | |||||||
Bracket and results
editSingle elimination round
edit| Team | R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 6 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Houston Christian | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes: Texas A&M–Corpus Christi eliminated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Main bracket
edit| Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper final | Final | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | Incarnate Word | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Incarnate Word | 58 | 1 | McNeese | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 5 | Lamar | 4 | 4 | Incarnate Word | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Southeastern Louisiana | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Nicholls | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Nicholls | 5 | 2 | Southeastern Louisiana | 4 | |||||||||||||
| 7 | Houston Christian | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Southeastern Louisiana | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Incarnate Word | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower final | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Lamar | 48 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Incarnate Word | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Nicholls | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Nicholls | 38 | 1 | McNeese | 7 | |||||||||||||
| 1 | McNeese | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Houston Christian | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | McNeese | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
Championship playoff (not needed)
edit| Team | R |
|---|---|
| Game 11 winner | |
| Game 11 loser |
Awards and honors
edit
Tournament MVP: Lexi Johnson, Southeastern Louisiana
All-Tournament Teams: Source:[8]
- Lexi Johnson,1B, Southeastern Louisiana - MVP
- Bailey Krolczyk, C, Southeastern
- Cera Blanchard, RHP, Southeastern
- Maddie Watson, 2B, Southeastern
- Ka'Lyn Watson, OF, Southeastern
- Maddison Guillen, 3B, UIW
- Avalon Sanchez, DP, UIW
- Victoria Altamirano, 1B, UIW
- Samantha Portillo, RHP, UIW
- Alexis Dibbley, OF, McNeese
- Shaelyn Sanders, RHP, McNeese
- Claire Sisco, 2B, Nicholls
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Texas A&M University-Commerce Officially Joins NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference". Texas A&M University-Commerce. July 1, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ "Southland Standings". D1Softball.com. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ "2024 college softball conference tournaments: Schedules, brackets, auto-bids". TURNER SPORTS INTERACTIVE, INC. April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ "Baseball Tie-Breaking Procedures". Southland Conference. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ "No title". D1SOFTBALL. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Southland Softball Tournament". Southland Conference. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ "Houston Christian 7 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2". Turner Sports Interactive, LLC. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Anthony Goss (May 10, 2024). "Johnson miraculous swing sends No. 2 to first ever NCAA Tournament, Lions stun No. 4 UIW on walk-off home run in SLC Softball Championship game". Southland Conference. Retrieved May 10, 2024.