Dillard, Stillman regular season co-champions, 2026 HBCUAC Softball Championship pairings revealed
NEW ORLEANS - Dillard University and Stillman College finish atop of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) softball standings, with the Lady Bleu Devils clinching the top seed. The HBCU Athletic Conference announced the pairings for the 2026 HBCUAC Softball Championship at River Run Park in Northport, Alabama and hosted by Visit Tuscaloosa April 25-28.
After finishing as finalists in last season's HBCUAC championship, Dillard and Stillman finished with identical 19-2 records in conference play. The Lady Bleu Devils avenged last season's championship loss, taking two out of three games against Stillman. Their only other loss was against Voorhees University. At the plate, third baseman Jessica Battiste leads the team with a .490 batting average, six home runs and 45 RBI. Savya Sutherland is hitting .437 and leads the team with 14 stolen bases. Freshman Ja'Lise Stewart is hitting .380 with five home runs and 26 RBI. Mary-Elizabeth Landry leads the team in the circle with 12 wins and a 3.45 earned run average. She has not allowed a run in 22 innings. Dillard opens with No. 8 seed Wiley University at 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Tigers found their groove after dropping the first two games against Dillard. They've relied on veteran leadership and turned to new faces. Alex Erwin leads the conference with 31 stolen bases and ranks fifth in the conference with a .425 batting average. Avary Lumpkin leads the conference with seven home runs and 51 RBI. Lilly Stone ranks third with 31. In the circle, Jasmine Wade, who was the 2025 Pitcher of the Year, ranks third with a 3.85 ERA. Transfer Karli Crocker has seven wins with a 4.59 ERA. She ranks fourth in the conference with 46 strikeouts. The Tigers open with No. 7 seed Oakwood University at 4 p.m. Saturday.
After dealing with the powerhouses of the Red River Athletic Conference, HBCUAC newcomer Huston-Tillotson University has been ranked near the top of the standings in their inaugural season. Its only series losses were against Dillard and Stillman. The Rams are led by two-way player Alexis Tamez. She has six wins in 21 starts and struck out 80 batters in 103.1 innings. At the plate she is hitting .288 with 14 RBI and nine runs. Alayali Alaniz is hitting .402 with 27 RBI and 25 runs. Freshman Kiena Cruz bats .343 with 24 RBI and 19 runs. The Rams open with No. 6 seed Rust College at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Talladega earned the fourth seed. They won a series against Voorhees and took games from Wiley, Huston-Tillotson and Rust. Ciara Bowe leads the Tornadoes with a .377 batting average with nine RBI and a team-high 22 runs. Yasmin Harmon leads the team with 22 RBI. She is hitting .330 with a .495 slugging percentage. Navaeh Craig and Seminole McShan carried the load in the circle. McShan earned four wins and struck out 22 batters in 74.2 innings. Craig leads the team with 28 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. The Tornadoes will face No. 5 seed Voorhees University at Noon on Saturday.
All the championship games will stream on the Urban Edge Network. Fans can also follow Tournament Central and the HBCU Athletic Conference social media @hbcuac for the latest updates.
SATURDAY's GAMES
4 p.m.: No. 5 Voorhees University vs. No. 4 Talladega College (Field 8)
4 p.m.: No.8 Wiley University vs. No. 1 Dillard University (Field 1)
7:30 p.m.: No. 6 Rust College vs. No. 3 Huston-Tillotson (Field 8)
7:30 p.m.: No. 7 Oakwood University vs. No. 2 Stillman College (Field 1)
About the 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), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), 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 soccer, 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.