NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton Lady Pirates and the Bethune-Cookman Lady Wildcats were predicted to win the northern and southern divisions, respectively, in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), the conference announced on Thursday. All preseason honors were voted on by the conference’s head softball coaches and sports information directors.
Savannah State’s Torrian Wright was selected as the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year, while Jailynn Jackson of Hampton earned Preseason Pitcher of the Year accolades.
Wright was selected the 2014 MEAC Player of the Year after leading the conference in runs batted in (41) and home runs (13) last season. She batted .346 with 35 walks, 31 runs scored and five doubles. Wright ranked 13th in NCAA Division I in on-base percentage (.536), 14th in walks per game (0.81), 27th in home runs per game (0.30) and 33rd in slugging percentage (.757).
Jackson started 30 games as a junior, compiling a 2.79 ERA in 203.0 innings and an 18-12 record. Jackson was the 2014 MEAC Pitcher of the year and led the MEAC with 135 strikeouts. She registered 25 complete games, with five shutouts, in 35 appearances.
Hampton was the 2014 MEAC northern division co-champions. The Lady Pirates finished the season with a 35-17 overall record and 15-3 MEAC mark.
Delaware State earned a share of the northern division last season and is picked to finish second this season, followed by Norfolk State in third. Coppin State, Morgan State, Howard and Maryland Eastern Shore complete the northern division predictions.
Bethune-Cookman captured the top seed in the 2014 MEAC Softball Championship. The Lady Wildcats finished last season with a 12-4 MEAC record and a 25-31 overall mark. Bethune-Cookman has won eight MEAC Softball tournament championships.
Florida A&M, the defending MEAC Tournament Champions, was picked to finish second in the southern division, followed by Savannah State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.
Wright (SSU) and Jackson (Hampton) are joined by Tara Tursellino (DSU), Sandy Hawthorne (DSU), Danielle Budden (Hampton), Whitney Williams (NSU), Margaret Wilkins (Hampton), Calesha Shelley (B-CU), Nicole Gazzola (DSU), Heather Dunning (NSU) and Amber Fullwood (FAMU) on the 2015 Preseason All-MEAC team.
The 2015 MEAC Softball Championship tournament is scheduled for May 7-9, 2015 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Ormond Beach, Florida.
2015 MEAC Softball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the Conference’s Head Softball Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First-Place Votes In Parenthesis)
Northern Division Southern Division
|
School
|
Points
|
School
|
Points
|
|
Hampton (10)
|
164
|
Bethune-Cookman (10)
|
132
|
|
Delaware State (13)
|
162
|
Florida A&M (11)
|
130
|
|
Norfolk State (1)
|
123
|
Savannah State (4)
|
112
|
|
Coppin State (1)
|
91
|
North Carolina A&T State
|
79
|
|
Morgan State
|
70
|
North Carolina Central (1)
|
59
|
|
Howard (1)
|
61
|
South Carolina State
|
34
|
|
Maryland Eastern Shore
|
57
|
|
|
2015 Softball Preseason All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the Conference’s Head Softball Coaches and Sports Information Directors
Preseason Player of the Year: Torrian Wright, Savannah State
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Jailynn Jackson, Hampton
First Team
|
Pos.
|
Name
|
School
|
Cl.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Tara Tursellino
|
Delaware State
|
So.
|
5-6
|
Moreno Valley, Calif.
|
|
P
|
Jailynn Jackson
|
Hampton
|
Sr.
|
5-8
|
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
|
C
|
Sandy Hawthorne
|
Delaware State
|
Jr.
|
5-7
|
Smithtown, N.Y.
|
|
1B
|
Torrian Wright
|
Savannah State
|
Jr.
|
5-6
|
McDonough, Ga.
|
|
2B
|
Danielle Budden
|
Hampton
|
So.
|
5-4
|
Jackson, N.J.
|
|
3B
|
Whitney Williams
|
Norfolk State
|
Jr.
|
5-6
|
Four Oaks, N.C.
|
|
SS
|
Margaret Wilkins
|
Hampton
|
Gr.
|
5-10
|
Tustin, Calif.
|
|
OF
|
Calesha Shelley
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
Sr.
|
5-3
|
Suisan City, Calif.
|
|
OF
|
Nicole Gazzola
|
Delaware State
|
Jr.
|
5-6
|
Coram, N.Y.
|
|
OF
|
Heather Dunning
|
Norfolk State
|
Jr.
|
5-8
|
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
|
UTL
|
Amber Fullwood
|
Florida A&M
|
So.
|
5-5
|
Land O’Lakes, Fla.
|
Second Team
|
Pos.
|
Name
|
School
|
Cl.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Sabrina Anguiano
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
So.
|
5-7
|
Haciendo Heights, Calif.
|
|
P
|
Kenya Pereira
|
Florida A&M
|
So.
|
5-3
|
Kissimmee, Fla.
|
|
C
|
Emerie Germ
|
North Carolina Central
|
Jr.
|
5-9
|
Canton, Ga.
|
|
1B
|
Taylor McCoy
|
Hampton
|
Jr.
|
5-11
|
Riverview, Fla.
|
|
2B
|
Alina Moriarty
|
Norfolk State
|
Sr.
|
5-3
|
Chesapeake, Va.
|
|
3B
|
Kaitlin Alamprese
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
So.
|
5-7
|
Chino, Ca.
|
|
SS
|
Candice Van Horn
|
Coppin State
|
Sr.
|
5-10
|
Drums, Pa.
|
|
OF
|
Whitney Farris
|
Florida A&M
|
So.
|
5-8
|
Lake Wales, Fla.
|
|
OF
|
Claudette Tanabe-Smith
|
Morgan State
|
Sr.
|
5-5
|
Lemon Grove, Calif.
|
|
OF
|
Tashayla Irvis
|
Florida A&M
|
So.
|
5-1
|
Lake Wales, Fla.
|
|
UTL
|
Zina Constancia
|
Morgan State
|
Sr.
|
5-6
|
Curacao, Netherlands
|