WEEKLY NOTES

• MEAC softball begins week 13 as the race for the MEAC Tournament is still up for grabs in the Northern Division while the Southern Division seeds are set.

• Morgan State has clinched the MEAC’s Northern Division and earns the top seed out of the division in next week’s conference championships. The Lady Bears will open up against No. 4 North Carolina Central. Outside of Morgan State, seeds 2-4 are undecided in the north as Delaware State, Coppin State, Hampton and Norfolk State are battling for the final three seeds. Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Savannah State and North Carolina Central are seeds 1-4 in the south, respectively with Bethune-Cookman winning the division for the first time since 2014 after pulling off the series sweep over Florida A&M.

• With four teams (Delaware State, Coppin State, Hampton and Norfolk State)  battling for three seeds out of the north, several scenarios can unfold based on the results of the Coppin State/Howard make-up contest this week and the Hampton/Delaware State series this weekend. See page three for the scenarios.

• Morgan State’s Damali Young leads the MEAC with a .421 average, 61 hits and 44 runs. North Carolina Central’s Ava Dolan ranks second with a .420 average while compiling 47 hits, 37 RBI and 24 runs.  DaSha Hill of Hampton is third with a .409 average while also accounting for 52 hits and is 41-of-44 in stolen bases. Bethune-Cookman’s Ryan Jackson leads the MEAC with 51 runs scored,  50 RBIs while adding 56 hits and 17 home runs.

• Courtney Mirabella of North Carolina Central is obliterating opposing batters with 274 strikeouts followed by Coppin State’s Madison Didion (156) and Florida A&M’s Kyaira Brown (121). Mirabella is tied with Morgan State’s Amy Begg with 15 wins on the mound.

• 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.