Softball | 2/9/2026 4:57:46 PM

NORFOLK, Va., Feb. 9, 2026 – Howard junior Merci Hart has been named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Week. North Carolina Central’s Mia De La Fuente was named Rookie of the Week, while Howard's Julia Holt was named the Pitcher of the Week.   
 
Hart  (Jr., C/UTL, Los Angeles, Calif.) hit .438 with seven hits, three doubles, and three RBI, while drawing five walks and posting a 1.196 OPS to lead the Bison to a 3-2 start on the season at the Campbell Stampede. 

De La Fuente (Fr., C/1B, Fontana, Calif.) anchored the Eagles recording 13 putouts and one assist while going error-free in three games. 
    
Holt  (Sr., P, Tucson, A.Z.) threw 12.2 innings, posting a 2.76 ERA while striking out 11 hitters and walking only four. She collected two wins and one save, allowing just 11 hits. 
    
Other Top Performers   

• Madeline Janssen (NCCU) pitched 14 innings over five games, recording a 3.50 ERA with 12 strikeouts and 11 walks.  
• Hannah McGonigle (NCCU) went 1-for-8 (.125) with two RBI and one run scored across five games. She drove in three of the team’s four total runs and contributed defensively with five putouts and two assists.