NORFOLK, Va. (January 30, 2025) – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) revealed its 2025 softball preseason honors where Howard University was picked to win the league's regular season title. The announcement came Thursday morning.
 
In the preseason poll, HU tallied 118 points with eight first-place votes. Last season, the Bison finished 16-5 in conference play (32-13 overall).
 
Reigning MEAC Champion Morgan State (MSU) is projected to finish second after scoring 117 points, including seven first-place votes.
 
Additionally, the league unveiled its preseason awards where junior Julia Holt (Tucson, Ariz.) was selected MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. A year ago, she led the league with a 1.33 ERA en route to All-MEAC First Team honor. In 77.0 innings of work, the Arizona native went 7-2 with 68 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .238 hitting percentage.
 
Overall, nine Bison made the MEAC Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
Holt, along with seniors Sidney Fletcher (Whittier, Calif.), Kenna Higa (Honolulu), Lealani Ricks (Madera, Calif.) and Alyssa Vasquez (Eastvale, Calif.) and junior Maryn Jordan (San Diego) secured spots on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team.
 
Graduate transfer Ameenah Ballenger (Lansdown, Pa.), senior Mia Gonzales (Atwater, Calif.) and second-year Bison Merci Hart (Los Angeles) earned Preseason All-MEAC Second Team.
 
MSU's Victor Fletcher was selected MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.
 
All awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Howard opens the 2025 season in Boiling Springs, N.C., at the Runnin' Bulldog Classic (Feb. 7-8), hosted by Gardner-Webb.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com or the MEAC website at www.MEACSports.com.