College softball: Lady Demon trio named preseason All-Southland

By Brad Welborn, Northwestern State Assistant Sports Information Director

NATCHITOCHES – In less than a week Northwestern State will begin the 2024 softball season and the Lacy Prejean era of the program. It will do so with a bevy of experienced players up and down the roster, including a trio of preseason all-conference selections.

The Southland Conference announced its 2024 preseason all-conference teams and poll on Friday with the Demons landing seniors Maggie Darr, Laney Roos and Ashlyn Walker on the second team squad.

This is the second straight preseason selection for Roos and the first for Darr and Walker.

The Demons were picked sixth in the preseason poll with three-time defending champion McNeese garnering the top spot with 16 first-place votes and 2024 tournament host Southeastern picked second with two first-place votes.

Roos finished 2023 with a .296 batting average, third on the team, with 11 doubles, 13 total extra-base hits, 23 RBI and 35 total runs scored. She was seventh overall in the conference in runs scored and crossed the plate 15 times in conference games, also a top 10 total.

Her 11 doubles on the season matched a career high and was her second straight season with 11 two-baggers, which was the ninth most in the conference on the year. One of the best eyes in the conference, Roos struck out just twice against SLC pitching in 24 games and more than 65 total at bats.

She has a career .309 batting average entering the season and .444 slugging.

NSU’s game one starter during conference play, Darr, was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the conference, surpassing 100 Ks on the season for the first time in her career, finishing with 126, the third most overall and 49 in conference play, the sixth most.

Darr had the seventh lowest opponent batting average on the season at .242, her second straight season with a sub-.245 average against her. She was also one of nine pitchers in the conference to record double-digit wins on the year with a career-high 12.

Entering her third year of action Darr is 40 strikeouts shy of entering the top 10 in career strikeouts at NSU and needs 82 to be the 10^th player in program history with 300 career punch outs.

Her battery-mate, Walker, served as one of the best defensive back stops in the league. She was one of three catchers in the Southland to throw out 10 or more potential base stealers on the year. She had the second most caught stealing in conference play with seven.

Walker hit seven doubles with a home run and drove in 15. She had a .336 on-base percentage thanks to a Southland-leading 10 hit by pitches.

2024 Southland Softball Preseason Poll

2024 SLC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

2024 SLC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM