ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- Bethune-Cookman's Ryan Jackson was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, the conference announced today while teammate Alexis Bermudez is the league's Rookie of the Year.
 
A sophomore, Jackson led the MEAC in RBIs (50), runs scored (51), total bases (122) and home runs (17). She ranks second with 56 hits, second in slugging percentage (.758), fifth in stolen bases (27) and sixth in on-base percentage (.451).  The 17 home runs is also a B-CU single-season record.
 
Nationally, Jackson ranks 15th in home runs and 13th in hit by pitch per game. She has earned MEAC Player of the Week honors three times over the course of the 2018 campaign while also setting MEAC single game highs in RBIs (6) and doubles (3). Defensively, she has recorded a .953 fielding percentage with 60 putouts in the outfield.
 
The second Wildcat to receive the Rookie Of The Year award in as many years, Bermudez posted a 10-9 record with 50 strikeouts and six complete games on the season. The Santa Fe Springs, Calif. native came up big with the season on the line and helped B-CU clinch its first Southern Division title since 2014 with all three mound victories against Florida A&M in the final week of the regular season.
 
Jackson was joined the All-MEAC First Team by senior first baseman Iesha Waters and sophomore outfielder Jacki Smith.
 
Second Baseman Kailey Richard garnered a berth on the second team, while sophomore catcher Taylor Sherritt, , senior third baseman  Bryanna Campos and outfielder  Mariah Davis were named to the third team.
 
Bethune-Cookman (27-24) opens play in the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference softball tournament Wednesday when the Wildcats host Coppin State (14-23)  at 12 p.m. at Ormond Beach Sports Complex.
 
The Wildcats won the MEAC Southern Division and its No. 1 tournament seed when they swept Florida A&M in Tallahassee two weeks ago. Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M have met in the championship the past three years and nine times dating back to 2003.
 
The team is second in the national in stolen bases, averaging 2.98 per game.
 
The championship game is scheduled for 12 p.m., with the "if necessary" game following immediately. The winner of the double-elimination tournament gets the MEAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament that begins next week. 
 
Tournament ticket packages for all four days are $20 while single-day tickets are $7. For more information, contact the B-CU ticket office at (386) 481-2465.