NORFOLK, Va. (Jan. 29, 2026)--Morgan State sophomore shortstop Tonya Marks was named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Preseason First Team, while junior pitcher Serena Rodriguez was named to the second team, as announced by the league office on Thursday.
 
As a team, the Lady Bears were picked to finish seventh. Morgan State received seven of the 16 first-place votes and earned 117 points.
 
Howard, the defending MEAC champion, was picked to claim the 2026 regular season title. The Bison received eight first-place votes for 118 points. Delaware State was selected to finish second after receiving ----, while Norfolk State (80 points) was picked third and North Carolina Central (64 points) came in fourth.
 
South Carolina State (57 points) received the lone remaining first-place vote and was picked to finish fifth. Coppin State (55 points) was sixth, followed by Morgan State (50 points) at seventh and Maryland Eastern Shore (24 points) in eighth to round out the preseason poll.
 
Howard graduate second baseman Taylor Ames-Alexander was named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, while teammate Julia Holt was named MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
 
All awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Marks ranked 10^th in the MEAC in triples (3) last season. The Whitehall, Md. native, hit .261, while making 32 starts in 39 games played. She totaled 88 at bats, 23 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 7 RBI, 34 bases, 4 walks and was a perfect 2-for-2 in stolen bases.

A native of Simi Valley, Calif., Rodriguez ranked 6^th in the MEAC in innings pitched (116.1), 10^th in strikeouts (49), 8^th in wins (7), and 8^th in saves (1). She sported a 4.39 ERA and earned MEAC Pitcher of the Week honors (2/25). Rodriguez recorded a 7-14 mark on the mound and earned a save, while making 25 starts in 29 appearances with four complete games. She concluded the 2025 season striking out 49 batters in 116.1 innings of work.

Morgan State begins the 2026 campaign under first-year head coach Melisa Shock on the road, as it will travel to Spartanburg, S.C., where it will spend the weekend visiting both Wofford and the University of South Carolina-Upstate (Feb. 20-22) in a split co-hosted tournament.
 
The Lady Bears open the new season on Friday, Feb. 20 playing in the Sparkle City Invite hosted by Wofford. Morgan State will face Robert Morris at 11 a.m., before facing Wofford at 1:30 p.m.
 
On Saturday, MSU will head over to USC-Upstate where it will begin the day again facing Robert Morris in the opener at 11 a.m. The Lady Bears will conclude the day with a game against USC-Upstate at 4 p.m. Morgan State will close out the tournament on Sunday against Harvard at 10 a.m.
 
Morgan State's home opener will be against MEAC foe, North Carolina Central (March 21-22) at Lois T. Murray Field.
 
The 2026 MEAC Softball Championship will be held in Norfolk, Va. on the campus of Norfolk State University May 6-9.
 
2026 MEAC Softball Predicted Order of Finish   
School (First-place votes), Points 

1. Howard (12)- 116 
2. Delaware State (2)- 94 
3. Norfolk State-80 
4. North Carolina Central- 64 
5. South Carolina State (1)- 57 
6. Coppin State- 55 
7. Morgan State- 50 
8. Maryland Eastern Shore- 24 

 
2026 MEAC Softball Preseason All-Conference Teams   
Preseason Player of the Year: Taylor Ames-Alexander, Howard 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Julia Holt, Howard   
First Team 

Name	Pos	Year	School	Hometown
Kristin White	P	Jr.	Delaware State	Crofton, Md.
Destiny Calloway	P	Sr.	Howard	Evington, Va.
Merci Hart	C	Jr.	Howard	Los Angeles, Calif.
Maya Johnson	1B	Sr.	Norfolk State	Salt Lake City, Utah
Taylor Ames-Alexander	2B	Gr.	Howard	Lancaster, S.C.
Julianna Mejia	3B	Jr.	Coppin State	Lincoln Heights, Calif.
Tonya Marks	SS	So.	Morgan State	Whitehall, Md.
Lauryn Jones	OF	So.	Howard	Denton, Texas
Aniyah Haley	OF	Sr.	Coppin State	Indianapolis, Ind.
Angel Riggins	OF	Jr.	Howard	San Diego, Calif.
Clarke Calvin	UTL/DP	So.	Md. Eastern Shore	Woodbury, Minn.
Julia Holt	RP	Sr.	Howard	Tucson, Ariz.

 
Second Team 

Name	Pos	Year	School	Hometown
Serena Rodriguez	P	Jr.	Morgan State	Simi Valley, Calif.
Kailey Bryant	P	Jr.	Norfolk State	Moyock, N.C.
Paige Perkins	C	Sr.	Md. Eastern Shore	Waterford, Conn.
Kylie Nelson	1B	Sr.	South Carolina State	Sacramento, Calif.
Clarke Calvin	2B	So.	Md. Eastern Shore	Woodbury, Minn.
Karly Cain	3B	Sr.	Delaware State	Felton, Del.
Alyssa Stanford	SS	So.	South Carolina State	Ellenwood, Ga.
Giselle Ulloa	OF	Jr.	Coppin State	Norco, Calif.
Maryn Jordan	OF	Sr.	Howard	San Diego, Calif.
Jamaria Charley	OF	R-Jr.	South Carolina State	St. Matthews, S.C.
Madison Morris	UTL/DP	Jr.	Norfolk State	Hampton, Va.
Simone Mack	RP	So.	North Carolina Central	Cornelius, N.C.

 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference   
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 55th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2025-26 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.