NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State redshirt senior Shelby DesChamps was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Preseason Player of the Year and Florida A&M senior Kyaira Brown was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year, the conference announced today.
 
In addition, Bethune-Cookman was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2020 MEAC softball regular-season championship.
 
All awards were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
 
DesChamps, a First Team All-MEAC selection in 2019 and a VaSID All-State Second team selectee, finished second in the MEAC in runs (42), hits (59) and at bats (154). She was fifth in batting average (.383) and stolen bases (22). She finished last season ranked in the top 50 in the nation in runs and stolen bases per game and No. 108 in batting average. For the season, she had 11 extra-base hits, 16 RBIs and a .425 on-base percentage.
 
Brown is a First Team All-MEAC selection who led Florida A&M with a 2.72 ERA last season, ranking third in the conference. She was second in the MEAC with 16 wins and her three saves were the most in the league. She was fourth in the conference in strikeouts with 116 and 32 of those while swinging. Brown threw 22 complete games in 25 starts and was also a batter. In the batter’s box, she had a .310 batting average in 42 games, with 26 hits and nine runs scored. She had six extra base hits, including four doubles, a triple and a home run with 15 RBIs.

Bethune-Cookman totaled 208 points and nine first-place votes in being picked to finish first in league play this season. Florida A&M, with eight first-place votes and 195 points, was picked to finish second, followed by Norfolk State, Howard, North Carolina Central (two first-place votes), Morgan State (one first-place vote), Delaware State, North Carolina A&T State, Coppin State, Maryland Eastern Shore and South Carolina State rounded out the 11-team poll.
 
Joining DesChamps and Brown on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are North Carolina Central pitcher Kiara Hurley, catcher Dalika Wallace and utility player Oliva Daniel, Howard first baseman Xzarria Simmons, Delaware State infielder Jasmine Melgoza, Florida A&M infielder Hera Varmah, Bethune-Cookman infielder Jacki Smith and outfielder Kaiya Epps-Lee, Coppin State outfielder Nia Bowe.
 
The 2020 MEAC Softball Championship will be in Ormond Beach, Fla. May 6-9. Only the top eight teams in the final standings will qualify for the tournament.
  
The 2020 MEAC softball season begins the weekend of Feb. 7-9, when seven of the conference’s 11 softball-playing institutions are in action.