NORFOLK, Va., May 7, 2019 – Morgan State’s Damali Young was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Year, the conference announced today. Howard’s Kalita Dennis is the league’s Rookie of the Year, while Alexis Bermudez, of Bethune-Cookman, earned Pitcher of the Year honors. Norfolk State’s James Inzana received Coach of the Year accolades.
 
All awards were voted on by the conference's head softball coaches and sports information directors.
 
Young was an offensive machine for Morgan State this season as she was in the top five in the MEAC in slugging percentage (.564), on-base percentage (.462), runs scored (47), hits (49), total bases (79), triples (4), walks (28) and stolen bases (31). Nationally, Young ranks 36^th in runs per game, 14^th in stolen bases, and 69th in walks. The Westhampton, N.J. native became the all-time hits leader at Morgan State with 172 career hits, Young also leads the Bears in all-time runs scored (158), single-season hits (63) and single-season doubles (16). She also owns the career record for stolen bases with 119 (stole 31 this season) and the single-season mark for at-bats with154. Defensively, she has recorded a .964 fielding percentage with 73 putouts in the outfield. She was the MEAC’s Preseason Player of the Year.
 
Bermudez was the 2018 MEAC Rookie of the Year and leads the MEAC with 146 strikeouts and posted a 12-19 record. She enters postseason play with a 3.56 ERA and helped guide Bethune-Cookman to another MEAC Northern Divisional Title. The Santa Fe Springs, Calif. native got some key wins for the Wildcats this season and held opponents to a .233 batting average while finishing 13 complete games, eight shutouts and a save in 175 innings pitched. Bermudez also had 29 attempts at the plate and finished with a .103 batting average.  She was named MEAC Pitcher of the Week once during the season. 
 
Dennis was one of the top players for the Howard Bison this season and she was in the top five in the conference in batting average (.410), slugging percentage (.694), on-base percentage (.470), runs scored (37), hits (55), doubles (12), triples (4 and total bases (93). She is top in the league in triples and total bases. In the nation, the Elk Grove, Calif. native is ranked in batting average, doubles per game, hits, on-base percentage, runs per game and slugging percentage. Dennis was selected as one of the top 25 candidates for the honorable Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I National Freshman of the Year award. She also earned MEAC Rookie of the Week honors three times during the regular-season.
 
Inzan led the Norfolk State Spartans to their first-ever MEAC Northern Division championship in just his second season at the helm. The Spartans led the MEAC with the most regular-season wins (24) and guaranteed themselves a winning season for the first time in six years – and the fourth time overall in Division I. Norfolk State led the MEAC in team pitching and ranked third in team batting. As a team, they are 52^nd in the nation in double plays per game and 19^th in doubles per game.

Joining Young and Bermudez on the All-MEAC First Team are Bethune-Cookman's Jacki Smith, Coppin State’s Cayla Brown, Delaware State’s Jasmine Melgoza, Florida A&M’s Kyaira Brown and Alexis Day, Norfolk State’s Kylee Lopez and Shelby DesChamps, and North Carolina Central’s Dalike Wallace and Olivia Daniel.
 
The 2019 MEAC Softball Championship tournament begins Wednesday, May 8 at 12 noon at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Ormond Beach, Fla. The championship game will be played on Saturday, May 11 at 12 p.m. and will be broadcast live on FloSoftball. For more information on the 2019 MEAC Softball Championship, visit MEAC Championship Central at www.MEACsports.com.