GULFPORT, Miss. – Bethune-Cookman enters the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball Championships as the No. 2 seed out of the Eastern Division, set to open the tournament Tuesday, May 9, against the Texas Southern (No. 3 seed out of the Western Division) at the Gulfport Sportsplex in Gulfport, Mississippi.
 
Prairie View A&M (22-2 SWAC) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed from the Western Division.
 
Grambling State claimed the Western Division No. 2 seed (15-9 SWAC), while Texas Southern claimed the No. 3 seed (12-12 SWAC) followed by No. 4 seed Alcorn State (11-13 SWAC).
 
Alabama State (17-7 SWAC) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed from the Eastern Division.
 
Bethune-Cookman claimed the Eastern Division No. 2 seed (15-9 SWAC), while Florida A&M claimed the No. 3 seed (13-11 SWAC) followed by No. 4 seed Jackson State (13-11 SWAC).
 
The tournament will be played in a double-elimination format with action set to start at 9:00 a.m. CST on Tuesday, May9, with games slated to run through May 12.
 
SWAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 9
Game 1 – (E2) Bethune-Cookman vs. (W3) Texas Southern, 9:00 a.m.
Game 2 – (W2) Grambling State vs. (E3) Florida A&M, 12:00 p.m.
Game 3 – (W1) Prairie View A&M vs. (E4) Jackson State, 3:00 p.m.
Game 4 – (E1) Alabama State vs. (W4) Alcorn State, 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 10
Game 5 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 3, 9:00 a.m.
Game 6 – Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 4, 12:00 p.m.
Game 7 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 3, 3:00 p.m.
Game 8 – Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 4, 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 11
Game 9 – Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7
Game 10 – Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8
Game 11 – Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
Game 12 – Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10

Friday, May 12
Game 13 – Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11
Game 14 – Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13

Saturday, May 13 (if necessary)
Game 15 – Championship Game 2
 
BETHUNE-COOKMAN STATS & NOTES

• Bethune-Cookman earned the No. 2 seed out of the Eastern Division, winning two of the final three games of the season and a series win from Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Alabama.
• The Wildcats won six-of-seven series within the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) across the campaign. The only series loss came at Jackson State late in the season.
• Halyne Gonzalez was named to the All-SWAC First Team as a pitcher, while Haley Parks and Kayla Traylor were named to the All-SWAC Second Team as an outfielder and shortstop, respectively.
• Across the 2023 campaign for Bethune-Cookman, Gonzalez turned in a 14-13 record for the Wildcats on the mount in her first year serving as the No. 1 pitcher. She went on to finish the season seventh in the SWAC in earned run average (2.95), while placing herself fourth in the league for opposing batting average (.241).
• Haley Parks led the Maroon and Gold with a .290 batting average on the campaign. She played in 46 games for Bethune-Cookman – starting 45 of those contests, while recording a team-high 42 hits (10th best in the SWAC).
• Kayla Traylor completed the 2023 regular season placing herself fourth in the SWAC for walks drawn (24), tied for sixth in the league in sacrifice bunts (7), all while batting .205 for the Maroon and Gold.

 
LAST TIME OUT FOR BETHUNE-COOKMAN
Carrington Robinson pounded out three hits to lift Bethune-Cookman to a 3-2 series-clinching victory over Alabama A&M at Bulldog Field. Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning, Bethune-Cookman left fielder Carrington Robinson registered her first triple of the season to plate Kallie Earlington, who singled to lead off the inning for the Wildcats. That tied the game at 1-all. The Wildcats stepped in front at 2-1 in the top-half of the fifth, using a Jordyn Villanueva RBI single up the middle to cross Essence Gibbs, after the BCU designated player kicked off the frame with a single to left. Host Alabama A&M knotted things up at 2-2 off the strength of centerfielder Allyson Riches' run-scoring single up the middle to bring around Calia Rooks in the bottom of the frame. BCU would reclaim the lead at 3-2 in the top of the sixth as Kayla Traylor came in from third on a passed ball after working her way to third with a leadoff single and a single from Robinson, followed by a sacrifice bunt employed from Haley Parks. In the bottom of the sixth, the Bulldogs loaded the bases, but relief pitcher Victoria Guzman entered and got Dakota Daniels to ground out to close the inning. The Wildcats defense once again stepped up in the seventh when the Bulldogs once again loaded the bases threatening to score. However, starting pitcher Halyne Gonzalez, having been brought back in to begin the at-bat, got Friday's hero Zahria Jones to foul out to first and end the contest. Gonzalez picked up the win, her 14th of the season, throwing 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts. The loss went to AAMU pitcher Venice Sanders, dropping her to 1-3 for the year, after she worked the complete game, allowing three runs, 10 hits, four walks and recording two strikeouts. Riches led the Bulldogs with three hits and a RBI, adding a run scored. Meanwhile, the Maroon and Gold was sparked by Robinson's 3-for-3 performance at the dish, as well as an RBI. Essence Gibbs was 2-for-4 with a run, while Traylor and Villanueva each tallied two hits on the day as well.
                                                                                                                                   
QUOTES FROM COACH WATTEN
"This is when the REAL season begins. This is it. Everything you've worked for throughout the regular season – it all comes down to this. We have to be ready to play from the very first pitch. This isn't a series; it's one game – every day. Getting the first win of the tournament sets the stage, and you have to be locked in from the beginning. No excuses."
 
"Getting all-conference recognition for our players is great because of the hard work they've put in throughout the season. Halyne [Gonzalez], Haley [Parks] and Kayla [Traylor] have been tremendous for us. And Kayla, I tell you… she's just a leader. The leader every team needs. Haley gives her all every at-bat. And Halyne has been a warrior in the circle."
 
"This year's tournament is so wide open. Anyone in this field can win it all. Pitching. Hitting. Defense. Every team has a chance, and that's what makes postseason tournaments what they are – for coaches, players and even the fans. But if we do the things we've worked on all season, then I think we have just as good a chance as anyone to hoist the trophy on the final day. But we have to be ready, as I keep saying."
 
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