Softball | 1/29/2026 3:50:28 PM
NORFOLK, Va., January 29, 2026 - Howard graduate student Taylor Ames- Alexander was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Preseason Player of the Year, while
fellow Bison Julia Holt was named the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
Additionally,
Howard was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026 MEAC softball regular-season title.
All awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
Ames-Alexander, a new face to the Howard Bison but a familiar name in the MEAC, was named the 2026 MEAC Preseason Player of the Year after earning MEAC Player of the Year honors in 2025. The shortstop was a first-team All-MEAC selection last season with the South Carolina State Bulldogs, leading the conference with a .421 batting average. She posted a .711 slugging percentage and a .444 on-base percentage, collecting 51 hits in 121 at-bats. Her offensive production included 12 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 36 RBIs, and 23 runs scored. Defensively, Ames-Alexander recorded a .940 fielding percentage with 59 putouts and 82 assists, turning three double plays, and was named MEAC Player of the Week twice during the season.
Holt garnered MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year honors for the second straight season following a first-team All-MEAC selection in 2025. She turned in a strong campaign last season as a pitcher, posting a 5.02 ERA across 36 appearances, including 13 starts. In 113.0 innings pitched, Holt struck out 94 batters while issuing just 32 walks. She added two complete games, including one shutout, and limited opposing hitters to a .281 batting average, helping lead the Bison to a MEAC Championship and an NCAA appearance.
Joining Ames-Alexander and Holt on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Howard catcher Merci Hart, Norfolk State first baseman Maya Johnson, Howard third baseman Julianna Mejia, Morgan State shortstop Tonya Marks, and Howard outfielders Lauryn Jones and Angel Riggins. Also earning first-team honors are Coppin State outfielder Aniyah Haley, Maryland Eastern Shore utility/designated player Clarke Calvin, Delaware State pitcher Kristin White, and Howard pitcher Destiny Calloway. Ames-Alexander was also selected as the Preseason All-MEAC First Team second baseman.
The 2026 MEAC Softball Championship will be held on the campus of Norfolk State University May 6–9.
The 2026 MEAC softball season opens Friday, Feb. 6, with reigning MEAC Champion Howard traveling to Buies Creek, N.C., for the Campbell Stampede, while North Carolina Central kicks off its season at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
The predicted order of finish and the complete All-MEAC preseason teams are listed below.
(as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors)
2026 MEAC Softball Predicted Order of Finish
School (First-place votes), Points
- Howard (12)- 116
- Delaware State (2)- 94
- Norfolk State-80
- North Carolina Central- 64
- South Carolina State (1)- 57
- Coppin State- 55
- Morgan State- 50
- Maryland Eastern Shore- 24
2026 MEAC Softball Preseason All-Conference Teams
Preseason Player of the Year: Taylor Ames-Alexander, Howard
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Julia Holt, Howard
First Team
| Name |
Pos |
Year |
School |
Hometown |
| Kristin White |
P |
Jr. |
Delaware State |
Crofton, Md. |
| Destiny Calloway |
P |
Sr. |
Howard |
Evington, Va. |
| Merci Hart |
C |
Jr. |
Howard |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Maya Johnson |
1B |
Sr. |
Norfolk State |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Taylor Ames-Alexander |
2B |
Gr. |
Howard |
Lancaster, S.C. |
| Julianna Mejia |
3B |
Jr. |
Coppin State |
Lincoln Heights, Calif. |
| Tonya Marks |
SS |
So. |
Morgan State |
Whitehall, Md. |
| Lauryn Jones |
OF |
So. |
Howard |
Denton, Texas |
| Aniyah Haley |
OF |
Sr. |
Coppin State |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Angel Riggins |
OF |
Jr. |
Howard |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Clarke Calvin |
UTL/DP |
So. |
Md. Eastern Shore |
Woodbury, Minn.
|
| Julia Holt |
RP |
Sr. |
Howard |
Tucson, Ariz. |
Second Team
| Name |
Pos |
Year |
School |
Hometown |
| Serena Rodriguez |
P |
Jr. |
Morgan State |
Simi Valley, Calif. |
| Kailey Bryant |
P |
Jr. |
Norfolk State |
Moyock, N.C. |
| Paige Perkins |
C |
Sr. |
Md. Eastern Shore |
Waterford, Conn. |
| Kylie Nelson |
1B |
Sr. |
South Carolina State |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| Clarke Calvin |
2B |
So. |
Md. Eastern Shore |
Woodbury, Minn. |
| Karly Cain |
3B |
Sr. |
Delaware State |
Felton, Del. |
| Alyssa Stanford |
SS |
So. |
South Carolina State |
Ellenwood, Ga. |
| Giselle Ulloa |
OF |
Jr. |
Coppin State |
Norco, Calif. |
| Maryn Jordan |
OF |
Sr. |
Howard |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Jamaria Charley |
OF |
R-Jr. |
South Carolina State |
St. Matthews, S.C. |
| Madison Morris |
UTL/DP |
Jr. |
Norfolk State |
Hampton, Va. |
| Simone Mack |
RP |
So. |
North Carolina Central |
Cornelius, N.C.
|
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 55th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2025-26 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of eight outstanding historically Black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.