2023 Preseason All-MEAC Teams
 
NORFOLK, Va. (Feb. 2, 2023)--Morgan State junior pitcher Anaya Hunte was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Preseason Pitcher of the Year, while Howard graduate student Kalita Dennis was named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, presented by TowneBank, the conference announced on Thursday.
 
Morgan State senior pitcher Melissa Paz, junior shortstop Mia Ewell and senior outfielder Asia Thomas were all selected to the MEAC Preseason Second Team.
 
As a team, the Lady Bears were picked to finish second behind reigning MEAC champion Howard, who was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2023 MEAC softball regular-season title.
 
All awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Hunte, the 2022 MEAC Pitcher of the Year and an All-MEAC First Team selection, helped Morgan State to a school record 31 wins a year ago. Hunte went 15-3 on the season with 18 starts, two saves and eight complete games. She pitched 122.1 innings while allowing 88 hits, 30 walks and striking out 142 batters. A native of Burlington, N.J., Hunte led the league in strikeouts and was third in earned run average (1.83) and wins (15). She recorded the program's first perfect game and pitched her first-ever no-hitter while setting the school's strikeout record of 16 in a win at Delaware State. She was also a five-time MEAC Pitcher of the Week selection in 2022. For her efforts, Hunte was named Morgan State's Female Athlete of the Year and was the softball team's Most Valuable Player.
 
Dennis, an All-MEAC First Team selection in 2022, hit .373 with a .651 slugging percentage last season. She led the MEAC with 49 runs batted in (RBI) and was second in the league with 10 home runs. The four-time All-MEAC performer ranked in the top 10 in the conference in the following categories in 2022: RBIs (first), slugging (second), OPS (second; 1.072), home runs (second), hits (third; 62), at-bats (third; 166), batting average (fourth), runs scored (sixth; 40), triples (tied for seventh; three) and doubles (tied for ninth; 10).
 
Joining Hunte and Dennis on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Norfolk State pitcher Alexis Robinson, North Carolina Central catcher Hailey Batista, Norfolk State first baseman Gabby Vaughan, Howard second baseman Lealani Ricks, Norfolk State third baseman Kenna Higa (tie), North Carolina Central third baseman Maegan Garrison (tie), North Carolina Central shortstop Jayla Barr, Norfolk State outfielders Imani Moore and Alison Guckin and Howard utility player Alyssa Vasquez.
 
Paz, a 2022 All-MEAC Third Team selection, led the MEAC in ERA (1.15), which also ranked eighth in the nation. A native of Sylmar, Calif., she finished with a 5-4 record, one complete game and a save. Paz pitched 61.0 innings, striking out 46 batters, while surrendering 41 hits, 18 runs and 10 earned runs allowed. As a hitter, Paz ranked 7^th in the MEAC in runs batted in, 8^th in doubles, 10^th in walks, 5^th in sacrifice flies. She started 44-of-48 games, batting .288 with 118 at bats, 10 runs, 34 hits, a team-leading 11 doubles, 3 homers, a team-high 36 RBI and 20 walks.
 
A native of Portland, Ore., Ewell was a 2022 All-MEAC Second Team selection in 2022. Ewell ranked 8^th in the MEAC in hitting, 10^th in slugging percentage, 8^th in runs scored, 5^th in hits, 2^nd in triples, 6^th in at bats, 8^th in hit by pitch, and 3^rd in stolen bases (25). She started 46-of-47 games, batting .348 with 158 at bats, 35 runs, team-leading 55 hits, 10 doubles, a team-best 7 triples, a homerun, 26 RBI and 8 walks.
 
Thomas started all 46 games she played a year ago and was a 2022 All-MEAC Third Team selection. She batted .276 with a team-leading 43 runs, 127 at bats, 35 hits, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs and 17 RBI, while leading the team in walks with 32. The Tampa, Fla. native ranked 4^th in the MEAC in runs scored, 6^th in the MEAC in on base percentage (447), 2^nd in walks, 5^th in hit by pitch, and 5^th in stolen bases with 19.
 
Joining Paz, Ewell and Thomas on the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team are Howard pitcher Mia Gonzales, Howard catcher Luz Aguilasocho, South Carolina State first baseman Deasia Lowther, Coppin State second baseman Brissa Alvarado, Coppin State third baseman Avaianna Peterson, Howard outfielder Payton Quinonez, Norfolk State outfielder Yrral Davis and Norfolk State utility player Kenna Higa.
 
Morgan State earned three first-place votes for a total of 108 points, while Howard secured 10 first-place votes for 118 points. Norfolk State picked up one first-place vote and had 100 points to be picked third. North Carolina Central was fourth with one first-place vote and 72 total points, while Maryland Eastern Shore also had one first-place vote for 67 points and was picked fifth. Coppin State was picked sixth with 57 points, followed by Delaware State (32 points) and South Carolina State (22 points).
 
Morgan State begins the 2023 campaign on the road when it travels to Elon, N.C. to compete in the Elon Tournament (Feb. 11-12). The Lady Bears open up tournament play on Saturday against host Elon at 2:30 p.m. and will close out day against Winthrop at 5 p.m. On Saturday, Morgan State will face the University of Southern Indiana at noon and will wrap up the tournament against Winthrop at 2:30 p.m.
 
The 2023 MEAC Softball Championship will be held in Norfolk, Va. on the campus of Norfolk State University May 10-13.
 
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 52^nd year of intercollegiate competition with the 2022-23 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of eight outstanding historically Black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.