Gianna run

Softball Kevin C. Paige, MSU Athletics Communications

#5 Morgan State To Face Rival #6 Coppin State On Thursday Night

Baltimore rivals to meet in elimination game.

NORFOLK, Va. (May 7, 2026)--No. 5 Morgan State will face crosstown rival No. 6 Coppin State in an elimination game of the 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) softball championship under the lights on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at TowneBank Field.
 
The game was originally scheduled for 11 a.m., but with the forecast of rain expected to begin early Thursday morning and last until late evening, league officials rescheduled the game to be played under the lights.
 
Coppin State (8-26) is in the midst of a nine-game losing skid, following an 8-0 loss in six innings to third-seeded South Carolina State in Wednesday's tournament opener.   
 
Morgan State (15-27) finds itself in the situation of having to play extra games to battle out of the elimination bracket, after falling to top-seeded Howard, 11-2 in six innings in a quarterfinal game on Wednesday evening.
 
The 2026 Lady Bears will look to create their own history while following the path of the 2024 team, which completed the same task ahead after falling to the elimination bracket when they dropped their opening game. Morgan State would regroup and run through the consolation bracket to win five consecutive games, including two in the championship series, to capture the program's second MEAC championship.
 
If anyone has been built for this and has the blueprint and history on its side, it's Morgan State. The Lady Bears have seven members on the current roster, who just two years ago went through this exact experience and know what it takes to complete what might be seen as a daunting task.
 
The 2024 MEAC title game series was the last time the two Baltimore rivals met in the championship tournament. Coppin State had cruised into the final by winning its first three games in the tournament and was one win away from claiming the championship.
 
However, Morgan State had other plans. The Lady Bears would claim Game 1, 5-1 to force a second and decisive game on Championship Saturday. Morgan State then won its second MEAC title, while setting a school record for wins (35), following a 6-0 victory in Game 2. Then sophomore Gianna Ettore would cement her name in the Morgan State record books with her fifth inning grand slam over the left field fence to secure the victory and send Morgan State back to the NCAA Regionals.



Before the 2024 MEAC championship series, the two teams last met in the softball tournament on May 12, 2011. Coppin State would win, 6-0, in an elimination game in Ormond Beach, Fla.
 
MSU-CSU Series Notes: Morgan State holds a 26-9 series lead over Coppin State since the 2015 season. Morgan State swept this season's series during the Lady Bears' home finale and Senior Day. The Lady Bears also swept last season's series at Coppin and have won the last eight meetings against the Eagles, including back-to-back wins over Coppin State in the 2024 MEAC championship series to capture the program's second title. 
 
 
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There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 
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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

Gianna Ettore

#12 Gianna Ettore

INF
5' 8"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Gianna Ettore

#12 Gianna Ettore

5' 8"
Senior
INF