WASHINGTON (FEB 9, 2023) - Howard University Softball team is set to open their 2023 season at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Friday (Feb. 10) in Clearwater, Fla. Their first game is set for 6:30 p.m. versus No. 12 Tennessee, live on GameChanger.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
 
Tickets for the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic are available here.
 
You can also follow the action on GameChanger or by downloading the app on your phone or device.
 
WEEKEND PREVIEW
 
HOWARD
 
Howard heads into this new season as the reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Champions with 15 players returning from the championship squad.
 
Sophomore outfielders Alyssa Watson (Eastvale, Calif.) and Payton Quinonez (Tulare, Calif.), sophomore catcher/infield Alyssa Vasquez (Downey, Calif.), sophomore infielder Leilani Ricks (Madera, Calif.), sophomore utility player Victoria Brown (Carson, Calif.), and graduate infielder Kalita Dennis (Elk Grove, Calif.) are all coming off All-MEAC honors last season with hopes of repeating those performances this year.
 
Possible pitchers who could see some action this weekend include senior Raye Thomas (Washington), sophomores Mia Gonzales (Atwater, Calif.) and Morgan Thornton (Manassas, Va.), along with freshmen Carleen Murray (British Columbia, Canada), Julia Holt (Tucson, Ariz.), and Amelia Weber (Montclair, Calif.).
 
TENNESSEE
 
The Lady Volunteers are ranked No. 12 in the nation in the preseason top-25 poll after a 41-18 season last year and earned an 11^th seed berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
This is also Tennessee's first game of the season, with returning ALL-SEC players Kiki Milloy, Ivy Davis, Erin Edmoundson, Kelcy Leach, and Zaida Puni.
 
Milloy, a senior outfielder from Woodinville, Washington, was named a Second-Team
All-American by both D1Softball and Softball America last season. She batted .362 with 15 homers and 53 RBIs.
 
SOUTHERN
 
The Lady Jaguars are the second team the Bison are facing Friday. They are coming off a 16-34 record (11-13 SWAC). They were tabbed to finish third in the SWAC Eastern Division.
 
Southern is returning 11 players from the 2022 season, including five sophomores and redshirt-freshmen.
 
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
 
Prairie View A&M is coming off a 20-30 season (16-8 SWAC) and a 2022 SWAC Championship victory and being picked to take the championship again for this upcoming season.
 
Four of their returning players, Biviana Figueroa, Jaylyn Davis, Audrey Garcia, and Cailin Massey, earned preseason all-conference honors based on their stellar 2022 seasons.
 
Figueroa, who played her first season with the Lady Panthers last season, batted a conference-leading .454 average with five home runs and 37 RBIs. She was named both SWAC Newcomer and Hitter of the Year as well as the conference tournament MVP.
 
INDIANA
 
The Hoosiers, fresh off a first-round exit from the Big Ten Tournament at the hands of Penn State, will be looking to start their season off strong this weekend. They are returning from the 2022 season with a 27-22 record (10-13 Big Ten)
 
Senior utility Cora Bassett was named the 68^th best player in the preseason Top 100 after an electric 2022 season. Bassett batted a team-leading .400 and hit 19 doubles in a season where she broke Indiana's single-season records in doubles and runs.
 
LOUISVILLE
 
The Cardinals are the final team the Bison will be facing in the Leadoff Classic, coming off a 27-25 season with a 10-14 conference record.
 
The Cardinals are bringing back seven starters from last season as well as bringing in six new transfers for the new year. Sophomore Korbee Otis received All-Freshmen First-Team honors last year, hitting five home runs and three triples.
 
NEXT TIMEOUT
 
The Bison will be off to the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Virginia (Feb. 24-26) for their next tournament outing. There, they will play Longwood, St. Johns, Maryland Eastern Shore, Virginia, and George Washington.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.