ITTA BENA, Miss. – Bethune-Cookman Softball travels to Mississippi Valley State this weekend in a return three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series in Itta Bena, Mississippi. The series begins with a doubleheader on Friday, April 11 at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT), followed by the single-game series finale on Saturday at noon ET (11 a.m. CT).
 


Friday, April 11
2 p.m. – at Mississippi Valley State | Live Stats
4:30 p.m. – at Mississippi Valley State | Live Stats
 
Saturday, April 12
Noon – at Mississippi Valley 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.
 


▪ Shania Owens leads the Wildcats with four (3) home runs on the year, as well as 22 stolen bases and a .495 slugging percentage. She has three home runs against SWAC opponents.
▪ Emma Bradley-Tse was named C-Hitter of the Week by the SWAC, while Alyssa Lopez was Pitcher of the Week, and freshman Molly Blackwood was Newcomer of the Week.
▪ The Wildcats own a 12-2 record on the year when leasing after four innings, scoring a season-high 34 runs in the fourth frame.
▪ Owens is riding a 17-game on-base streak entering the weekend, while teammate Kendall Macauley is on a 14-game streak of her own.
▪ Jessica Alaan has a six-game hitting streak intact coming into the MVSU series.
▪ Bradley-Tse is leading the Maroon and Gold in batting average with a .339 clip, adding 18 stolen bases in 20 attempts.
▪ Thais Uyema continues to be one of the hardest players to strike out, as she has just seven strikeouts in 66 at-bats on the campaign.
▪ As a pitching unit, the Wildcats have an ERA of just 3.49 on the year, and just a 2.44 mark in the SWAC.
 


▪ In a series that began when Bethune-Cookman joined the SWAC in 2021-22, the Wildcats own a commanding 15-3 advantage all-time against Mississippi Valley State.
▪ The Wildcats outscored the Delta Devilettes 35-3 in the previous series this season in Daytona Beach.
▪ The Cats have never lost to MVSU in Daytona Beach, owning an impressive 9-0 mark all-time at Sunnyland Park.
▪ B-CU has won the last 10 games consecutively, including five of the last six in Itta Bena.
 

HEAD COACH LAURA COACH WATTEN
"Back on the road this weekend. And we're going to a place we've struggled to get runs, traditionally. Mississippi Valley [State] plays well at home, and they will be up for the series – believe that. It's a long trip, and the team is going to have to be ready to lock in from the start because we're playing two in the opener, and not the following day."
 
"We did something different last week to try and get Halyne [Gonzalez] a bit of a rest, as well as giving Alyssa [Lopez] a chance to step into the opening day role as a starter. I think it worked well, and both pitched extremely well on the weekend. The runs gave them both confidence, and it really put us into a position to have a big weekend against a good Alabama A&M side."
 
"Shania [Owens] has always had this power in her with her home runs, and she's showing it this season. Her timing is great, and she's just put in a lot of work during the offseason that's allowed her to play to another level this year as a senior. I'm so happy for this young lady because she works hard every day – on the field, in the weight room, and most importantly, in the classroom as a nursing major."
 
"We haven't had the best record away from home this year in the SWAC. It was a pair of tough weekends both at Jackson State and Alabama State. But that's where we need to step up and take control. The SWAC is a tough league – and we always say it. And the SWAC Tournament is not in Daytona Beach, if we're fortunate enough to make it. The push for that tournament begins now, and that makes this weekend huge for us."
 

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (2-25, 0-13 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Taliyah Riddick-Waters (First season)
2025 Batting Average: .210; Runs Per Game: 3.2; Hits Per Game: 4.6; Slugging Percentage: .261
2025 ERA: 12.03; K/BB Ratio: 0.5; Opp. Batting Avg: .436
 

RECAPPING B-CU'S LAST GAME (vs. Alabama A&M)
For the second time this season, senior third baseman Shania Owens led off with a home run as Bethune-Cookman sprinted to a 17-0 win over Alabama A&M and completed a three-game series sweep of the Bulldogs in SWAC play at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman erupted for 10 runs in the third inning to break the game open, increasing the Wildcats previous 4-0 advantage. Junior left fielder Emma Bradley-Tse led B-CU's offensive attack, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBIs and two stolen bases, respectfully.
 
Shania Owens kick-started the scoring with a first-inning solo home run, her fourth of the season, while finishing the day with four runs scored and two stolen bases. Joslynn Davis contributed significantly to the Wildcats' attack, driving in two runs and crossing the plate three times herself.
 
The Wildcats offense collected 12 hits, drew eight walks, and stole 10 bases against Alabama A&M's pitching staff consisting of Alyssa Charter-Smith, Susanna Cruit and Linzie Wilson in the game. The Wildcats were hit by pitch three times and capitalized on aggressive base running throughout the contest as well.
 
Alyssa Lopez was dominant in the circle for the second consecutive game for the Maroon and Gold, tossing a complete game shutout while scattering just four hits, walking one and striking out seven Bulldogs over five innings. Alabama A&M starter Charter-Smith took the loss after allowing nine earned runs on six hits in 3.1 innings of work. The Bulldogs' bullpen combined to surrender eight more runs in relief.
 
The Wildcats wasted no time establishing control, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Owens' leadoff homer and Briana Velazquez's RBI groundout that scored Davis after the senior centerfielder stole third base. B-CU made it 4-0 in the second frame when Thais Uyema scored on Davis' sacrifice fly and Bradley-Tse drove in Owens with a single to left.
 
The game was effectively decided in the third inning when Bethune-Cookman sent 15 batters to the plate, scoring 10 runs on seven hits. Right fielder Joyce Bloome and Bradley-Tse each drove in two runs during the frame, while pinch hitter Alana Cypress, Molly Blackwood and Jessica Alaan contributed one RBI apiece, respectively. The inning was highlighted by Bradley-Tse's two-run double to left center and aggressive baserunning that included Alaan stealing home.
 
The Cats increased the lead by three in the fourth inning which saw Bradley-Tse swipe home to cap the scoring. Right fielder Allyson Riches led Alabama A&M offensively with two hits.
 


The Wildcats stay on the road when traveling to Florida A&M for a return SWAC series against the Rattlers in Tallahassee, Florida taking place April 18-19.