June 26, 2025 – A former Hernando softball standout has continued her playing career at McNeese State and now has been named as the recipient of a Southland Conference honor.
The conference has announced that Rylee Eyster is one of two conference athletes to earn its Steve McCarty Citizenship Award. It’s an award initiated to recognize a male and female student-athlete who exhibit outstanding qualities in citizenship, sportsmanship, leadership and community service. It’s named for a longtime former athletic director at Stephen F. Austin University.
Eyster, a senior outfielder for the conference’s regular season softball champions this spring as a junior, is the second McNeese State University softball student-athlete to receive the honor in the last three years.
A mass communications major, Eyster was the team captain as a junior this season and is heavily involved in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). She also serves as an ESPN+ sideline reporter for McNeese football and a color analyst for Cowgirl soccer. A school news release notes she lives out the FCA Values of integrity, teamwork, and excellence as an example to others of what a Christian competitor is.
Rylee Eyester
In addition, Eyster was recognized as the 2024-2025 Community Impact Student-Athlete of the year as chosen by the McNeese Athletic Administration for completing the most community service hours out of all female student-athletes.
On the field last season, Eyster played in 42 games for the Cowgirls and started 13. She scored 12 runs, hit one triple, had one RBI, and had four stolen bases.
At Hernando, Eyster was part of the school’s MHSAA 6A state championship team in 2021 and earned all-county, all-Region 3-6A and all-state tournament team honors
