South Carolina State University announced on May 6 that a freshman player has been named the 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Rookie of the Year, as seven members of the Lady Bulldogs softball team received All-MEAC honors.
This marks the first time in program history that seven players have earned postseason recognition. The announcement comes during Nakeya Hall’s first year as head coach, a season which also saw South Carolina State achieve its first 20-plus win campaign in over two decades. The team also recorded notable victories, ending a 22-year drought against Charleston Southern and securing their first-ever win over USC-Upstate during regular season play.
The rookie award winner was recognized for her performance throughout the season, batting .411 over 38 games with 46 hits, including 12 doubles and 10 home runs. She drove in 47 runs and scored another 24, posting a .496 on-base percentage and a .786 slugging percentage. Defensively, she held a .938 fielding percentage across her opportunities. Her contributions helped propel South Carolina State to secure the No. 3 seed in tournament play.
Alongside this honor, one freshman pitcher was selected to the All-MEAC Second Team while other freshmen, juniors, seniors, and sophomores from South Carolina State were placed on the Third Team for their performances this season.
The MEAC Softball Tournament begins Wednesday at Townebank Softball Field at Norfolk State University. No. 4 Norfolk State faces No. 5 Morgan State at 11 a.m., followed by No. 3 South Carolina State versus No. 6 Coppin State at 2 p.m., with top seeds Howard and Delaware State playing later in the day against winners from earlier matchups.
