JACKSON, Miss. – Bethune-Cookman Softball opens Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play this weekend as the Wildcats travel to defending league champion Jackson State for a three-game series at JSU Softball Field in Jackson, Mississippi. The series begins Friday, March 7, at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT).
 

THE SCHEDULE
Friday, March 7
6 p.m. ET – at Jackson State | Live Stats | Watch ($)
 
Saturday, March 8
2 p.m. ET – at Jackson State | Live Stats | Watch ($)
4:30 p.m. ET – at Jackson State | Live Stats
 

SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Softball this season by following the Wildcats social media platforms. You can follow @BCUSoftball on Instagram and @BCUSoftball on X/Twitter. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on X/Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.
 


▪ Senior infielder Kendall Macauley recorded her team-leading second home run of the season in B-CU's last outing at home to Mercer. She has a team-leading .340 slugging average through the first 23 games.
▪ Alyssa Lopez, a senior right-hander from Fontana, California, has allowed just two earned runs in her last 16.2 innings in the pitcher's circle.
▪ Bethune-Cookman has lost nine games this season by two runs or less, including a walk-off extra-innings 5-4 defeat in the eighth to UAlbany over the weekend.
▪ Emma Bradley-Tse owns the SWAC's best fielding fielding percentage on the season with 57 putouts and two assists in 59 total plays, keeping her with a perfect mark (1.000) through the first 23 games of the year.
▪ As a team, B-CU tops the SWAC in fielding percentage (.956).
▪ Bradley-Tse leads the Wildcats with a five-game hitting streak, matching her own team-high matching hitting streak from earlier in the campaign.
▪ Aysia Gonzalez and Thais Uyema have been hit by a pitch a combined 11 times.
▪ A total of five different players are perfect in stolen bases, including Joyce Bloome and Shania Owens each having swiped four bases in four attempts.
▪ The Wildcats have lost their last three extra-inning games dating back to last season. The last extra-inning victory was a 3-2 decision over Illinois State in the 2024 season-opener in Tampa, Florida.
 


▪ Jackson State owns the slimmest of leads in the all-time series against Bethune-Cookman, 8-7.
▪ B-CU has dropped the last five consecutive to the Tigers, including five of the last six in Mississippi during the run.
▪ The Wildcats' last win in Jackson against the Tigers was a 10-3 decision on April 14, 2023.
▪ In the series, B-CU is just 2-7 away to the Tigers dating back to 2022.
 

HEAD COACH LAURA WATTEN
"This is what we've been preparing for; playing great competition for; practicing for; these series. It's the SWAC. It's time to put everything else behind you because this is what matters most right now. Winning league games. It's here."
 
"I told the team weeks ago that the schedule doesn't get any easier after we played in Clearwater against three top 25 opponents. And that is never more evident than opening up league play away to the defending champs. There is no margin for error – even in week one of the SWAC season."
 
"Traditionally, this has been a tough place to play for us. And this weekend won't be any different. We talked about hitting in California and last weekend in Madeira Beach. We've talked about defense and cleaning up some errors. It all has to come together this weekend because Jackson State is a team that makes you pay for the smallest mistake."
 
"You look at Jackson State's numbers, and they have really put up some big scores on opponents. I think they have three or four games with 10 or more runs. And they played closely with Southern Miss. They have the pieces to repeat in the league, if they want to. We are going to have to play fundamental softball and not give anything away."
 

JACKSON STATE (10-8, 0-0 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Kevin Montgomery (7th season)
2025 Batting Average: .269; Runs Per Game: 5.2; Hits Per Game: 6.7; Slugging Percentage: .377
2025 ERA: 3.87; K/BB Ratio: 1.3; Opp. Batting Avg: .259
 

RECAPPING B-CU'S LAST GAME (vs. Mercer)
Kendall Macauley delivered her second home run of the season despite Bethune-Cookman falling to visiting Mercer 10-4 at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Trailing 4-0 midway through the fourth inning, Bethune-Cookman countered with four runs in the home-half of the frame to knot the score. Shania Owens began the at-bat with a single, followed by an Aysiah Gonzalez knock up the middle to put two on for Fayetteville, North Carolina Kendall Macauley. The senior third baseman powered out a three-run homer – her second round-tripper of the season, to deep left center bringing the Wildcats to within 4-3 with nobody out. An Emma Bradley-Tse single through the left side past the glove of Mercer shortstop Emma Dorval scored Alana Cypress from third as the Cats had the bases loaded, and the game stood tied at 4-4.
 
An error charged to the Bethune-Cookman infield began the Mercer at-bat in the top of the fifth, allowing leadoff hitter and centerfielder Hallie Langford to reach safely at the top of the lineup. After a Parris Wiggins single, third baseman Tori Hedgecock knocked out a three-run home run to straightaway center field, putting the Bears back up, 7-5. Hedgecock would begin the seventh inning with a solo home run – her second of the day and fifth of the season, advancing the Bears lead, 8-4. The visitors added two more insurance runs in the frame courtesy an Avery Barton two-run scoring double to the wall in center, producing the final 10-4 score line.
 
With the two teams locked in an early pitcher's duel between B-CU's Halyne Gonzalez and Mercer's Grace Jones, the Bears cracked the scoring column first with four runs in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded and one away, Jones drew a six-pitch walk to score Langford and put the Bears up, 1-0. Laura Vigna followed a play later, driving in a pair with a double off the wall in center, allowing Kiki Daniels and Hedgecock to cross on the play. The Bears lead would swell to 4-0 when Emma Dorval knocked in Jones with a single through the left side past a diving Briana Velazquez at shortstop.
 
The win went to starter Jones in the circle, throwing four innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, a walk and two strikeouts. She upped her record to 2-1 on the campaign, while B-CU reliever Sofia Vallejos-Coleman dropped to 0-3 accepting the loss out of the bullpen. The sophomore worked 2.2 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits, two walks and two strikeouts. B-CU starter Halyne Gonzalez did not factor into the decision despite pitching 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on two hits, three walks and one strikeout.
 
The save was taken by Bears reliever Gabby Ellis, picking up her first of the year, in working the final three innings, scattering two hits and striking out three against two walks. B-CU sophomore Alyssa Brady finished the game in the circle for the Cats, pitching an inning, allowing one run on two hits and striking out a batter. The Bears offense was led by Hedgecock's two-home run evening, as she finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs and three runs scored. B-CU was led offensively by Macauley's 2-for-4 evening with her homerun, as she bagged three RBIs and scored one. Aysiah Gonzalez, playing first base for the Cats in the game, posted a 2-for-4 night as well at the dish.
 


The Wildcats return to the friendly confines of Sunnyland Park for a midweek nonconference doubleheader as the Bryant Bulldogs come to Daytona Beach on Wednesday, March 12, at 3 p.m.