Softball

Young Voted MEAC Rookie of the Year

Severn, MD-May 10---Courtney Young is having a season that few experience in intercollegiate athletics.  The 5-6 freshman from Sherwood, ARK batted a school-record .413 on the season and led the team in RBIs while leading the Howard University softball team to a 31-18 overall record, 10-4 in the MEAC and a fourth seed in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament, May 11-13 at the Randazzo Softball Park.

            For her efforts, the freshman slugger has been voted the 2007 MEAC Rookie of the Year by the conference coaches and sports information directors.  She was also named to the first team.

            Young was second in the conference in RBI with 47, was tied for doubles (14) with teammate Jenifer Bien Aime and was sixth overall in the conference in hits with 59.  She ranked 17^th nationally in RBI.

            As much as Young's production at the bat was key to the Bison's season, it was perhaps her threat in the middle of the lineup that helped the Bison rank second in the conference in batting as a team at .330 and Number 1 nationally in doubles and 4^th in triples.

            Also named to the first team were Dale McNeal and Tracy Javier.  McNeal, a 5-6 junior from Los Angeles, CA, appeared in 37 games, started 26 and completed 17 en route to a school-best 17-10 slate.  McNeal led the conference in strikeouts with 141.

            Javier, regarded as perhaps the best all-around player in the conference, had her finest season, batting .392 while leading the MEAC in runs scored (62), 4^th in hits and  7^TH in stolen bases (15).  The 5-0 native of Bellflower, CA  had 12 doubles and 2 triples and ranked 6^th nationally in runs per game while serving as outfielder and catcher.

            Named to the second team was Kristina Cordova.  The 5-4 sophomore third baseman from Fresno, CA ranked 7^th in the MEAC in batting at .407.  Cordova led the team in slugging percentage (.637) while collecting 46 hits, driving in 32 runs, banging out 8 doubles and a team-leading 6 home runs, two of them of the walk-off variety.

            The Bison will take on the Number 5 Aggies of North Carolina A&T (25-28 overall, 9-5 in the MEAC) in first round action at 1:30 pm.  The two rivals met on April 13 in the MEAC Round-up with the Bison prevailing 9-5 courtesy of a six-run third inning and three NC A&T errors.  But Howard Coach Tonja Braxton says that game is meaningless.

            "A lot of things have changed since that game," says Braxton.  "Everyone has gotten better since then and we have struggled down the stretch.  I am concerned because this is the tournament.  There is not a lot of room for error here.  We have to play the type of softball that we were playing then or..........."

            The Aggies are more than capable.  They feature four freshmen---infielders Lillian Bullock, Yahamma White and Jessica Larson and pitcher Sasha Philpot, all of whom were voted All MEAC first or second team.

            Coach Braxton's concerns are compounded by the fact that four of her key players-Javier, catcher Semplecia Scott and utility players Sukai Contreras Curtis and Larcus Pickett are all graduating this weekend.

            If the Bison win, they will play the winner of the Hampton-Morgan State game at 7 pm in the next round.  If they lose, they will take on the loser of the Delaware State University-Florida A&M University game at 4 pm.

            The championship game is Sunday at 10 am.

• Scoreboard
• Upcoming Games

Multimedia

Meet the Coach

Asst. AD for Academic Advising/Head Softball Coach
Tonja M. Braxton