TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The top two teams in the Eastern Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) meet on the softball field this weekend, as Bethune-Cookman travels to Florida A&M for a three-game league set taking place at Veronica Wiggins Field at University Softball Complex. The series kicks off with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 19, at 1 p.m.
 


Saturday, April 19
1 p.m. – at Florida A&M | Live Stats
3 p.m. – at Florida A&M | Live Stats
 
Sunday, April 20
Noon – at Florida A&M | 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.
 


▪ Alyssa Lopez threw her first collegiate no-hitter last weekend in the series opener away to Mississippi Valley State. She became the first Wildcat to accomplish the feat since Alexis Bermudez in the 2019 MEAC Tournament in Ormond Beach, Florida.
▪ Lopez was named SWAC Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season this past week.
▪ Molly Blackwood was tabbed SWAC Co-Newcomer of the Week, and Emma Bradley-Tse was SWAC Co-Hitter of the Week.
▪ The Wildcats enter the series at FAMU riding a season-high six-game winning streak – all in SWAC play.
▪ In the last two SWAC series, Bethune-Cookman has outscored its opponents, 80-3. In fact, the Wildcats pitching staff has not allowed an earned run since March 29 at Alabama State.
▪ Bradley-Tse is one of the hottest hitters in the conference, using a .372 average with 48 hits and a team-high eight sacrifice bunts.
▪ Senior third baseman Shania Owens has reached base in 20 consecutive games and enters the weekend on a six-game hit streak. Meanwhile, classmate Kendall Macauley is on a career-best 17-game streak reaching base safely.
▪ Joslynn Davis, a senior centerfield, has an eight-game hitting streak intact.
▪ As a team, B-CU has allowed double-digit hits in just one (1) SWAC game all year – that being 14 by Alabama State in the series finale on March 29.
▪ The Cats swiped a season-best 18 bases in the series opening win at Mississippi Valley State last weekend.
 

B-CU VS. FAMU SERIES HISTORY
▪ Bethune-Cookman versus Florida A&M is one of Historically Black College/University (HBCU) Softball's most iconic and historic rivalries, often times throughout the years with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season or tournament title on the line in the meeting(s), at the time.
▪ B-CU leads the series by an 81-56 count dating back to 1995.
▪ The Wildcats claimed the final two games of the series earlier this season, allowing B-CU the series win stemming from a doubleheader sweep after dropping the opener.
▪ In the last 10 meetings, the Cats hold a narrow 6-4 edge between the two "Sunshine State" opponents.
▪ The Wildcats hold a narrow 9-6 advantage since both teams moved to the SWAC prior to the start of the 2022 season.
 

HEAD COACH LAURA WATTEN
"We're focused and ready for what is going to be a huge challenge. This group knows what's at stake this weekend, and we're approaching every inning with purpose. Florida A&M is red hot right now, and they're always a tough opponent, especially at their place. Not to mention, they're going to want revenge from the series in Daytona Beach last month. But I think the team is ready for this weekend's challenge."
 
"In this series, it always comes down to the little things – executing in key moments, staying sharp defensively, and putting pressure on them at the plate and on the base path. We've been working on a few things this week to clean up some details, and I expect to see the results of that hard work when we take the field this weekend."
 
"There's always extra energy when we play FAMU. It's a historic rivalry, and our players understand the intensity. The newcomers, they learned quickly last month the first time we played them. But at the same time, we've got to stay within ourselves, play our game, and not let the moment get too big."
 
"Right now, I love the way our team is clicking. The chemistry in the dugout, the way they're picking each other up – it's something we've been waiting to happen all season. And it's started to happen these last few weeks. But this one is different. This series is different. This is where we can leave nothing back."
 

FLORIDA A&M (18-17, 14-4 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Brittany Beall (1st season)
2025 Batting Average: .293; Runs Per Game: 5.1; Hits Per Game: 7.3; Slugging Percentage: .410
2025 ERA: 3.90; K/BB Ratio: 0.94; Opp. Batting Avg: .245
 

RECAPPING B-CU'S LAST GAME (at Mississippi Valley State)
Emma Bradley-Tse recorded three hits and scored three runs while Alyssa Lopez tossed a shutout in the pitcher's circle to help Bethune-Cookman Softball complete a three-game SWAC series sweep of Mississippi Valley State courtesy a 12-0 score at MVSU Softball Field in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
 
Bethune-Cookman wasted no time establishing control, with third baseman Shania Owens catalyzing the offense by singling to third base to lead off the game. After stealing second, Owens eventually scored on Emma Bradley-Tse's bunt single. The Wildcats stole five bases in the opening frame, including a perfectly executed double steal that allowed Kendall Macauley to swipe home. In all, B-CU swiped 19 bases in the series finale. A pair of costly errors by Mississippi Valley State shortstop Aulora Edwards contributed to the damage as Bethune-Cookman batted around in the inning.
 
Bradley-Tse, who finished the day 3-for-4 with an RBI and four stolen bases, was a constant threat on the base path.
 
B-CU led 8-0 after the opening frame. The Wildcats added two more runs in the third to move the score to 10-0.
 
Pinch-hitter India Stokes led off with a bunt single before Davis scored on a single by Bradley-Tse combined with a throwing error by MVSU third baseman Hailey Akers. Macauley then drove in Bradley-Tse with a single to center. B-CU plated two insurance runs in the fifth inning for the 12-0 final score.
 
Bradley-Tse again sparked the rally with another bunt single before stealing second. After advancing to third on yet another stolen base, she scored on shortstop Briana Velazquez's single to left field. Jessica Alaan's groundout brought home Macauley for the run of the contest. A day removed from notching her first collegiate no-hitter, senior right-hander Alyssa Lopez (9-4) turned in another shutout in the circle for the Maroon and Gold, scattering just three hits and no runs allowed in five-inning complete-game fashion. She fanned nine and walked just two on the day.
 
MVSU starter Ashtyn Clark took the loss, falling to 1-11 on the season. Clark allowed 12 runs (five earned) on 12 hits while walking seven and striking out just one over five innings. The Delta Devilettes' defense committed four errors that led to seven unearned runs. The Wildcats' baserunning included five stolen bases by Macauley, four by Bradley-Tse, and three by Velazquez. Eight different Bethune-Cookman players recorded at least one steal, respectfully.
 
Also notable offensively were Macauley, Davis and Owens each tallying multiple hits. Meanwhile, Owens posted her first triple of the season, which was also the only extra base hit of the day for the visitors. MVSU used hits from centerfielder Jade Smith, as well as Kelsey Kaluna-Thomas and Aulora Edwards for the three hits collected in the game by the host Delta Devilettes.
 


Bethune-Cookman returns home to welcome nonconference opponent Memphis to Sunnyland Park for a single game on Wednesday, April 23, at 5 p.m.