HBCUAC reveals 2025 Preseason All-HBCUAC Softball Teams, Ranking

NEW ORLEANS - January 16, 2025 - The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) announces its 2025 Preseason All-HBCUAC First and Second Teams and Preseason Rankings, as voted on by the conference head softball coaches on Thursday. Points are derived from the order each coach ranked players and teams.

Rising to the top of the conference at the plate for 2025 Preseason Hitter of the Year is Stillman College's outfielder Lauren Haskins. She hit .424 in the leadoff position with 14 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. She led the team with a .482 on-base percentage, .655 slugging percentage and 45 stolen bases. Haskins earned several accolades last season, including 2024 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Third Team All-American, 2024 Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference, Gold Glove and the Barnes & Noble College Softball Scholar Athlete Team. She helped Stillman to a program-record 37 wins and berth in the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round.

Selected as the top athlete in the circle is Oakwood University's Sydney Arnett. She won seven games, which ranked fifth in the Continental Athletic Conference. Arnett ranked second with 133 strikeouts in 132 innings. She posted a 3.61 earned-run average which ranked seventh in the CAC. She also plays first base and is the team's cleanup hitter.

Making up the rest of the first team are:

C Ca'Terra Bates of Dillard University: Ranked sixth in the conference with a .408 batting average; ranked fourth with four home runs; caught five runners stealing, ranking ninth in the conference.

1B Karli Davidson of Stillman College: Hit .242 in 50 games; scored nine runs and drove in 24; led the SSAC with six sacrifice flies; ranked ninth with three home runs

2B Marianna Perez of Talladega College: Hit .232 with 17 runs and three RBI; ranked eighth in the CAC with three sacrifice hits; ranked 12th with 13 walks

3B Madison Bubel of Stillman College: Hit .383 with 38 runs and 35 RBI, which ranked fifth in the SSAC; finished second with 17 doubles; earned First Team All-SSAC

SS De'Asia Davenport of Dillard University: Ranked fourth in the Continental Athletic Conference with a .451 batting average; finished sixth with 15 stolen bases; scored 16 runs and drove in 16

OF Katie Johnson of Oakwood University: Hit .337 in 83 at-bats; scored 18 runs and brought home 11; ranked seventh in the CAC with 13 stolen bases

OF Carolyn Carter of Stillman College: Hit .300 with 25 runs and 35 RBI, which ranked sixth in the SSAC; tied for second with 17 doubles; finished fifth with three triples

DP Jana Morrow of Oakwood University: Hit .380 in 79 at-bats; Scored 17 runs and drove in 14; ranked seventh in the CAC with three home runs

The following athletes were selected to the Preseason All-HBCUAC Second Team:

C Apryl Davis of Voorhees University: Led the Continental Athletic Conference with a .545 batting average; recorded six hits, two runs and two RBI

1B Trenity Okedele of Dillard University: Hit .286 with nine runs and 13 RBI; ranked 10th in the CAC with two home runs; ranked in the top 20 with a .976 fielding percentage

2B Ayanna Williams of Rust College: Hit .271 with six runs and eight RBI; ranked in the top 20 of the CAC with eight stolen bases

3B Mekayla Marshall of Dillard University: Hit .273 with 11 RBI and nine runs; Tied for 10th in the CAC with two home runs; finished in the top 15 with 29 assists

SS Hallia Carl of Voorhees University: Recorded two hits, two RBI, a run and a stolen base in five games; made a putout in two attempts

OF Leona Joshua of Rust College: Ranked third in the Continental Athletic Conference and eighth in the NAIA with a .500 batting average; led the conference with six home runs

OF Kayla Townsend of Rust College: Hit .227 in 22 at-bats; scored five runs and drove in one; stole three bases; made nine putouts in 11 chances

OF TeYana Towner of Voorhees University: Hit .385 and scored three runs; stole one base; made three putouts

DP Jyah Hamilton of Dillard University: Hit .243 with seven runs and four RBI; made 58 putouts and six assists in 72 chances

SP Jasmine Wade of Stillman College: Went 8-4 in the circle and earned three saves in relief appearances, which tied for third in the SSAC; finished 10th with a 2.33 ERA; Struck out 32 batters in 72 innings

The conference also released its Preseason Rankings. Stillman College is the overwhelming favorite to claim the HBCUAC title as it claimed 36 points and all six first-place votes. It had an impressive run in 2024, advancing to the NAIA Opening Round and winning two games, becoming the first HBCU to win a NAIA Softball National Championship game. Oakwood followed with 25 points. Talladega which qualified for the Continental Athletic Conference Softball Championship finished third with 24 points. Below are the complete rankings.

1. Stillman College 36 (6)

2. Oakwood University 25

3. Talladega College 24

4. Dillard University 22

5. Rust College 10

6. Voorhees University 9

The 2025 HBCU Athletic Conference Softball Championship is April 23-25 in Danville, Alabama, hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism. The venue will be announced soon. The championship will broadcast on the Urban Edge Network. Fans can keep up with all the 2025 action at hbcuac.org.

-HBCUAC-

About HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Oakwood University (AL), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.