GULFPORT, Miss. – Bethune-Cookman will begin its quest for a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball Tournament title as the No. 4 seed (Eastern Division) as the Wildcats take on the top-seeded team from the Western Division in the form of Prairie View A&M – winners of the 2022 and '23 SWAC Tournaments, on Tuesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) at Gulfport Sportsplex in Gulfport, Mississippi.
 


Tuesday, May 6
7 p.m. – vs. #1 Prairie View A&M | Watch | Tournament Bracket
 

SOCIAL MEDIA
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ADMISSIONS
Ticket packages and information for the SWAC Softball Tournament can be accessed here.
 


▪ Senior first baseman Kendall Macaukey arrives to the SWAC Tournament with a career- and season-best 25-game on-base streak, while sophomore Jessica Alaan has reached safely in a similar career-best 18 games.
▪ While sitting atop the squad in batting average (.360), senior centerfielder Joslynn Davis owns a team-high 15 multi-hit games across the campaign.
▪ The Bethune-Cookman pitching staff has the lowest ERA in the league (3.38), while the defense is fourth in fielding percentage (.950).
▪ Thais Uyema leads the SWAC in being hit by pitches (14) – also ranking her 40th nationally in that department, while proving to be the hardest player on the squad to strike out.
▪ Uyema is No. 1 nationally in catching players attempting to steal, having thrown out 23 thus far on the season.
▪ Senior third baseman Shania Owens is ranked tied for No. 10 nationally in stolen bases (34), followed Emma Bradley-Tse (29) in a tie for 20th.
▪ As a team, the Wildcats are third in the nation with 3.08 stolen bases per game – trailing only Prairie View (3.56) and Southeastern Louisiana (3.25), respectively.
▪ In her first season with the Maroon and Gold, Bradley-Tse is tied for the team lead with 54 hits, and ranks herself tied with teammate Davis for fourth in the SWAC in category. The Canadian is atop the B-CU list of RBIs (26) on the year.
▪ Owens not only leads the Wildcats in home runs (4), but she is also one of the league leaders in runs scored (39).
 

B-CU VS. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
▪ Prairie View A&M holds a 2-0 advantage all-time between the two schools, both of those meetings occurring in the SWAC Tournament (2022, '23).
▪ The Panthers hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning in 2022, handing B-CU a 5-3 setback in a winner's bracket contest between the two sides.
▪ The Panthers took down the Cats, 6-1 in a winner's bracket game during the 2023 edition of the tournament.
▪ Senior right-hander Halyne Gonzalez has pitched in both previous meetings against Prairie View, while the Panthers' Cailin Massey has countered with action in both games which includes a complete game (2023) and a save (2022), respectfully.
 

HEAD COACH LAURA WATTEN
"Prairie View A&M has had another impressive season, and they're looking to avenge last year's upset because that's a strong and powerful team that's well-coached and for all intents and purposes, considers the SWAC Tournament trophy to be their property – and I say that with all respect, of course. They have a similar makeup to ours; they recruit like us; and they have almost a mirror game of ours whereas they steal a ton of bases and really put pressure on their opponents on the base path. It's like looking in a mirror and asking how do you defeat, well, yourself, in a way. Make no mistake about it, that's just a good team all the way around."
 
"But it's not really about Prairie View, respectfully, because we know exactly what they're capable of in this tournament because we've seen it firsthand in years gone by. But it's more about being focused on Wildcats Softball and making sure we are peaking at the right time – and I think we're doing that despite the loss at Jackson [State], which was already a tall task to climb back from in the suspended game."
 
"Our approach in Gulfport will be simple: one pitch, one inning, one game at a time. We respect every opponent, but we're not intimidated by anyone. The SWAC Tournament is always competitive, but our players are embracing the challenge. There's a quiet confidence in our dugout right now that I really appreciate as a coach."
 
"What makes this team special is their resilience. They've faced adversity all season and responded with determination and grit against some of the best teams from around the nation – and it started the opening weekend with three, THREE, nationally-ranked teams in Clearwater [Florida]. That mental toughness will be crucial against a top seed like Prairie View. Our seniors have provided tremendous leadership throughout the season, as well. They understand the opportunity in front of us and are setting the tone with their work ethic and positive attitude late in the season."
 

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M PANTHERS (27-19, 21-3 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Vernon Bland (13th season)
2025 Batting Average: .284; Runs Per Game: 5.5; Hits Per Game: 7.2; Slugging Percentage: .385
2025 ERA: 4.97; K/BB Ratio: 0.83; Opp. Batting Avg: .259
 

RECAPPING B-CU'S LAST GAME (at Jackson State)
In the conclusion of a game that began 57 days ago, Jackson State held off Bethune-Cookman 4-2 at JSU Softball Field to conclude the SWAC regular season for both teams. The contest, which began as the second game of a doubleheader between the two sides on March 8, before being suspended due to inclement weather, resumed Sunday morning with Bethune-Cookman at bat in the top of the seventh inning with a runner on base and one out.
 
The long-awaited conclusion featured Bethune-Cookman mounting a late rally, but ultimately falling short as Jackson State grabbed the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Division for the SWAC Tournament. The game comes on the heels of B-CU taking the return series from the Tigers in Daytona Beach last weekend.
 
Jackson State used a decisive three-run second inning to seize control.
 
The frame began with designated player Beija Allen lacing a single to right field before advancing to second on one of three (3) B-CU errors in the contest. Following a perfectly executed bunt single by Kristina Carlson that loaded the bases, left fielder Gabrielle Willis delivered an RBI single to left field to open the scoring. After some defensive confusion allowed Carlson to score on a catcher's interference call, centerfielder Hermariya Stephens drove in the third run with a productive groundout to give the homestanding Tigers a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Wildcats broke through in the fourth inning when Jessica Alaan was hit by a pitch and subsequently scored on Kendall Macauley's sharp double to center field. B-CU threatened for more with the bases loaded, but JSU starting pitcher Brooklyn Morris induced a groundout from Aysiah Gonzalez to break the Cats scoring threat.
 
JSU immediately answered in the bottom of the frame when Willis singled and came around to score on Stephens' two-out RBI single, extending the lead to 4-1.
 
When play resumed Sunday morning – picking up at the exact moment the game was suspended on March – Bethune-Cookman made things interesting. India Stokes, who had already singled when play resumed, advanced to third on Joyce Bloome's double down the left field line. Senior third baseman Shania Owens then drove in Stokes with a groundout to shortstop, cutting the deficit to 4-2 with the potential tying run at third base. However, junior left fielder Emma Bradley-Tse popped up on the infield to close the game and complete a game that began 57 days earlier.
 
Morris (10-8) went the distance for Jackson State, allowing just two runs on five hits over seven innings with two strikeouts to secure the complete game victory. B-CU sophomore Sofia Vallejos-Coleman (0-4) was saddled with the loss as she worked 3.1 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and a strikeout. Halyne Gonzalez pitched effectively in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit.
 
Stephens led JSU offensively, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Willis contributed a 2-for-2 game with an RBI and two runs scored. Allen added a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. For Bethune-Cookman, Macauley and Bloome each recorded doubles, while Bradley-Tse, Briana Velazquez, and Stokes pounded out singles. For Macauley, she upped her current on-base streak to a career- and team-high 25 games, while Alaan made it 18 consecutive games reaching safely for the sophomore.