WEEKLY NOTES

MEAC softball begins week nine as conference play is in full swing and teams are staking their claim towards a division title. The MEAC’s annual ESPNU televised softball contest is set for this Friday (April 6) as Florida A&M hosts North Carolina A&T State.

The Hampton Lady Pirates and the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers were predicted to win the MEAC softball Northern and Southern Divisions, respectively. Florida A&M has won four consecutive MEAC Championships while Hampton has two championships all-time.

A Northern Division showdown is set for this weekend as Delaware State (7-2) hosts Hampton (4-2) in Dover. The Northern Division’s margin for error is thin as only two games separate first and fifth place.

Florida A&M once again is in the driver’s seat in Southern Divisional play as they’ve stormed out to a 6-0 record. Bethune-Cookman follows at 4-2 while Savannah State and North Carolina A&T State are tied at 3-3.

Hampton’s DaSha Hill continues to lead the league in batting average with a .458 clip and is third with 38 hits and tied for second with two triples. Hill has also stolen 30-of-32 bases. North Carolina Central’s Ava Dolan is second in batting average with a .446 average while MEAC Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Jackson of Bethune-Cookman has 94 total bases, 43 hits, 35 runs, 32 RBIs and 13 home runs to go along with a .352 average.

Courtney Mirabella of North Carolina Central is obliterating opposing batters with 173 strikeouts followed by Coppin State’s Madison Didion (97) and Florida A&M’s Kyaira Brown (74).

The 2018 MEAC Tournament takes place once again in Ormond Beach, Fla. as Bethune-Cookman will host the tournament. The top four teams from each division make the conference tournament.