WASHINGTON - Howard University softball wraps up its conference schedule this weekend, April 27-28, at Norfolk State University. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at NSU Softball Field. Sunday's game is set for noon.

LAST TIMEOUT
The Bison (6-6, 13-25 overall) split their recent makeup doubleheader against Maryland Eastern Shore this week. Howard fell in game one, 8-7. The team bounced back in dominating fashion, winning 13-5 in the second game.

Howard has had a turnaround season under head coach Tori Tyson. The Bison were predicted to finish fifth in the preseason poll. Currently, they are ranked second in the division, leading the MEAC in hitting (.290).

Howard has three of the top ten players in the conference in batting average. Freshmen Kalita Dennis has taken off in her rookie year. She averages .431 hitting and has accumulated 33 runs, 11 doubles, six home runs and 29 RBIs.  Camille Navarro has a batting average of .414 and has tallied 27 runs, 15 doubles, 31 RBIs. Xzarria Simmons averages .398, 10 doubles and 20 RBIs. Dennis leads the conference in slugging percentage (.909) and home runs (5). Simmons sits atop the MEAC in doubles and hits.

Senior pitcher Mackenzi Steele will start off the Bison. She is 9-15 with 82 strikeouts in 130 innings pitched.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
The No. 1 seed Spartans, on the brink of clinching the division title, are 10-2, 23-6 overall. In their most recent competition, Norfolk took the series over Delaware State. Norfolk has an ERA average of 2.77. The Spartans lead the conference in home runs and stolen bases.

Catcher Kylee Lopez ranks second in the MEAC with 33 RBIs. Her six home runs places her third in the conference. Senior pitcher Hunter Halford and sophomore pitcher Skylar Swain have 2.52 and 2.47 ERA. Halford is third in wins (12) and fifth in strikeouts (83).  Shelby DesChamps leads the team in hits (53) and is second in runs (38).

The last time HU won a series against Norfolk was in 2012. The Spartans have won 17 of the last 19 games against Howard, and lead the Bison 26-13 all time.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Bison will play a rescheduled game against Drexel on Tuesday, April 30 before heading to the MEAC tournament. For the first time since 2015, the Bison have secured a spot in the tournament which takes place May 8-11 in Ormond Beach, Florida.