WASHINGTON - Howard University softball will compete in the third annual District Classic this weekend. On March 2, the Bison will begin play at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy. Howard will face-off against Bucknell, Brown, Harvard and Georgetown over the next two days.
Saturday the Bison will serve as the home team against Bucknell at 10 a.m. and against Brown at 3 p.m. Tournament play will conclude on Sunday with games versus Harvard at 11:30 a.m. and Georgetown at 2 p.m.
The Bison have a 3-11 record on the season. Most recently they went 1-4 weekend in the Alabama State University Black and Gold Tournament. During that tournament, the Bison defeated University of Missouri-Kansas City 4-3. The win earned
Kalita Dennis conference honors. She batted a team high of .442. Additionally, she had four doubles, a triple and six RBIs. Pitcher Mckenzi Steel is 3-5 and has recorded 41 strikeouts in 58.2 innings.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The other Bison in the tournament, Bucknell, is 4-5 on the season. Most recently, they played in the Liberty Softball Challenge. They posted a 3-1 record, defeating Valparaiso 7-1 and Delaware State 11-4. Bucknell left Princeton scoreless, winning 3-0. Their weekend success resulted in pitcher Raeanne Geffert being named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week. She pitched all four games.
This weekend's tournament will mark the beginning of 2019 play for the Brown Bears. They are coming into this Spring with an 11-28 overall and 5-16 conference record from 2018. Senior Meghan Wimmer led the Bears last year with a .398 batting average. She had nine doubles, a triple and seven homers, along with a team high 23 RBIs. Wimmer recorded 42 strikeouts in 72.2 innings to go along with a 6.36 ERA.
The Harvard Crimson hold the Ivy League Title. They opened their season going 2-3 at the Jacksonville Classic. Teagan Shaw secured the win against Jacksonville with a three-run homer. Over the weekend, they also defeated Delaware State. Both games were won with a 3-2 score. Senior Kaitlyn Schiffhauer leads the Crimson with a .300 batting average. Senior pitcher Katie Duncan has a 1.40 ERA and five strikeouts.
The Georgetown Hoyas have an overall record of 3-11. In last weekend's Madeira Beach Tournament they went 1-4. The Hoyas pulled out an 8-7 win in extra innings over Manhattan College. Their previous wins on the season were over George Washington University and Utah Valley University.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
On Tuesday, March 5, the Bison have a double header at George Washington University. The first game is scheduled for noon and the second game is at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN Plus.
About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.
