PreseasonAllMEAC

Softball Kevin C. Paige, MSU Athletics Communications

Fletcher, Hunte Earn MEAC Preseason Top Honor; Lady Bears Picked To Win 2024 Title

NORFOLK, Va. (February 6, 2024)--Morgan State graduate student Victoria Fletcher was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Preseason Player of the Year while fellow Lady Bear senior Anaya Hunte was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year, presented by TowneBank, the conference announced on Thursday. 
 
Fletcher and Hunte, who were both named to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team as pitchers, were joined by fellow teammates graduate utility player Melissa Paz and sophomore outfielder Nia Lewis on the first team.
 
Senior outfielder Mia Ewell was named to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team, while Fletcher also earned second team honors at first base.


  
In addition, Morgan State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2024 MEAC softball regular-season title. 
 
All awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. 
  
A pitcher and infielder, Fletcher was named the 2023 MEAC Softball Player of the Year while earning second team honors at third base and third team honors at pitcher. The Huntingtown, Md. native, led the league in earned run average (2.20) and runs batted in (43). In the pitching circle, she logged 70.0 innings with 13 starts, a 9-5 record and limited opponents to a .245 batting average (3rd best in the MEAC). At the plate, she hit .345 with 48 hits, nine doubles and seven home runs. Fletcher ranked in the top 10 in the conference in hits (3rd), at-bats (4th; 139), slugging (4th; .561), OPS (7th; .944), home runs (6th) and batting average (9th). She was named MEAC Player of the Week three times this season.
 
Hunte became back-to-back MEAC Pitcher of the Year winning the title in both 2022 and 2023, while also earning an All-MEAC First Team selection. She was selected as MEAC Pitcher of the Week six-times as she recorded 157.2 innings pitched, 137 strikeouts, 33 batters struck out looking, 15 wins and three saves. A native of Burlington, N.J., Hunte ranked second in earned run average (2.22) and opponents' batting average (.228). She recorded only the second perfect game in Morgan State's history, after recording the first in Aprill 2022, and pitched a third no-hitter of her career during the 2023 season. Hunte ranked in the top five in the conference in ERA (2nd), wins (2nd; 15), games started (3rd; 24), shutouts (1st; 7), innings pitched (4th), strikeouts (1st), looking strikeouts (1st; 33) and batting average against (2nd; .228). 
 
Joining Fletcher and Hunte on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Howard catcher Alyssa Vasquez, North Carolina Central first baseman Takia Nichols, Howard second baseman Lealani Ricks and third baseman Kenna Higa, North Carolina Central shortstop Makiya Graves, North Carolina Central outfielder Imara Harrell, Morgan State outfielder Nia Lewis, Delaware State outfielder Uxua Modrego-Lopez and Morgan State utility player Melissa Paz.
 
A native of Sylmar, Calif., Paz was named to the 2023 All-MEAC First Team after leading the MEAC in on base % (.481). She was tied for first in walks (30) and finished third in hit by pitch (8). She started 40-of-44 games and had a batting average of .275. Paz recorded 91 at bats, four runs, 25 hits, eight doubles and 19 RBI and led the team in walks with 30. She also made 11 appearances on the mound with one start. Paz struck out six batters in 17 innings pitched.
 
Lewis was a 2023 All-MEAC third team selection. She ranked second in the MEAC in sacrifice bunts with 11. The Naperville, Ill. native, received the team's Rookie award after leading the team with a .346 batting average. She started 35-of-37 games and finished with 81 at bats, 17 runs, 28 hits, 3 RBI and three walks. Lewis went 12-of-14 in stolen bases.
 
A native of Portland, Ore., Ewell ranked sixth in the MEAC in runs (29), sixth in hit by pitch (5), seventh in walks (18), eighth in triples (3) and 10th in assists (69). She started all 45 games played and was third on the team in at bats with 124. Ewell batted .290 with 29 runs, had 36 hits, eight doubles, three triples, 11 RBI and was second on the team in walks with 18. Ewell finished the 2023 campaign with 12 stolen bases in 17 attempts.
 
Morgan State begins the 2024 season this Saturday, Feb. 10 when they host Bowie State in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is at 12 p.m. at Lois T. Murray Field.
 
The 2024 MEAC Softball Championship will be held in Norfolk, Va. on the campus of Norfolk State University May 8-11. 
     
The predicted order of finish and the complete All-MEAC preseason teams are listed below. 
 
The MEAC Office contributed to this release.
 
 
2024 MEAC Softball Predicted Order of Finish 
(as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors) 
School (First-place votes)  Points 
1. Morgan State (10)  119 
2. N.C. Central (5)  108 
3. Howard (1)  90 
4. Norfolk State  83 
5. Coppin State  63 
6. Maryland Eastern Shore  50 
7. S.C. State  33 
8. Delaware State  30 
 
2024 MEAC Softball Preseason All-Conference Teams 
(as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors) 
 
Preseason Player of the Year: Victoria Fletcher, Morgan State 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Anaya Hunte, Morgan State 
First Team
Name  Pos.  Ht.  Year  School  Hometown 
Anaya Hunte  P  5-5  Sr.  Morgan State  Burlington. N.J. 
Victoria Fletcher  P  5-8  Gr.  Morgan State  Huntingtown, Md. 
Alyssa Vasquez  C  5-6  Jr.  Howard  Downey, Calif. 
Takia Nichols  1B  5-5  So.  N.C. Central  Hillsborough, N.C. 
Lealani Ricks  2B  5-11  Jr.  Howard  Madera, Calif. 
Kenna Higa  3B  5-7  Jr.  Howard  Honolulu, Hawai'i 
Makiya Graves  SS  5-7  So.  N.C. Central  Mebane, N.C. 
Imara Harrell  OF  5-6  Sr.  N.C. Central  Mooreville, N.C. 
Nia Lewis  OF  5-9  So.  Morgan State  Naperville, Ill. 
Uxua Modrego-Lopez  OF  5-8  Gr.  Delaware State  Burlada, Spain 
Melissa Paz  UTL  5-2  Gr.  Morgan State  Sylmar, Calif. 
Second Team
Name  Pos.  Ht.  Year  School  Hometown 
Jaden Davis  P  5-5  Jr.  N.C. Central  Knightdale, N.C. 
Vanessa Carrizosa  P  5-2  Sr.  Coppin State  Moreno Valley, Calif. 
Kelsie Elkstrom  C  5-7  Sr.  Md. Eastern Shore  Riverside, Calif. 
Victoria Fletcher  1B  5-8  Gr.  Morgan State  Huntingtown, Md. 
Jaylah Barr  2B  5-6  Sr.  N.C. Central  Batesburg-Leesville, S.C.  
Maegan Garrison  3B  5-4  r-Sr.  N.C. Central  Harrisburg, N.C. 
Sidney Fletcher  SS  5-7  Jr.  Howard  Whittier, Calif. 
Celeste Gonzales  OF  5-6  So.  Coppin State  Moreno Valley, Calif. 
Ivory Jones  OF  5-3  r-Sr.  N.C. Central  Douglasville, Ga. 
Mia Ewell  OF  5-6  Sr.  Morgan State  Portland, Ore. 
Amelia Weber  UTL  5-8  So.  Howard  Montclair, Calif. 
 
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 53rd year of intercollegiate competition with the 2023-24 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.
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Mia Ewell

#13 Mia Ewell

SS/OF
5' 6"
Senior
Anaya Hunte

#42 Anaya Hunte

P/OF
5' 5"
Senior
Victoria Fletcher

#27 Victoria Fletcher

P/1B
5' 8"
Graduate Student
Nia Lewis

#1 Nia Lewis

OF/1B
5' 9"
Sophomore
Melissa Paz

#22 Melissa Paz

P/3B
5' 2"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Mia Ewell

#13 Mia Ewell

5' 6"
Senior
SS/OF
Anaya Hunte

#42 Anaya Hunte

5' 5"
Senior
P/OF
Victoria Fletcher

#27 Victoria Fletcher

5' 8"
Graduate Student
P/1B
Nia Lewis

#1 Nia Lewis

5' 9"
Sophomore
OF/1B
Melissa Paz

#22 Melissa Paz

5' 2"
Graduate Student
P/3B