NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State softball team has been picked to finish first while junior pitcher Cam Andersen was named the MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year as announced by the league office on Thursday. Including Andersen, seven Spartans have been named to the Preseason All-MEAC team.
Senior first baseman Gabby Vaughan, redshirt senior catcher Tuli Iosefa, junior pitchers Andersen and Alexis Robinson, and junior outfielder Imani Moore were selected to the preseason first team. Senior outfielder Alison Guckin and redshirt sophomore outfielder Yrral Davis each landed on the second team.
The Spartans three of the 16 first-place votes while picking up 107 total points to finish tied with Morgan State for first place in the overall voting. The Bears had six of the first-place votes while picking up two preseason all-conference selections. NSU and MSU finished three points ahead of Howard's 104 with the Bison collecting five first-place votes. N.C. Central (77 points, one first-place vote) and Delaware State (64 points) round out the top five. Coppin State (59), MDES (one first-place vote), and S.C. State (23) complete the team poll.
Voting was done by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Andersen enters the season after going 7-5 a season ago with a 3.07 ERA in 16 appearances with 14 starts. Of the 326 batters she faced in 73 innings of work she struck out 66 while forcing hitters into a .217 batting average. At the plate she had nine hits including three doubles to go along with her five RBI's.
Vaughan finished last season with a .324 batting average and started 36 of 39 games for the Spartans. She was named to the All-MEAC First Team in the outfield while also selected to the VaSID All-State Second team. Vaughan stood third in the MEAC in home runs (5), fourth in total bases (60), fifth in hits (35), RBI (23) and slugging (.556), and 10th in hitting (.324).
An All-MEAC First Team selection in the spring, Iosefa led the team with a .330 average, eight home runs, 36 RBI, 66 total bases, 17 walks, a .641 slugging percentage and a .434 on-base percentage. She led the league in RBIs and sacrifice flies (4) and stood second in home runs and slugging percentage. For her efforts she was named to the MEAC All-Tournament team and named to the VASID All-State First Team.
Robinson made nine starts with 15 total appearances last spring while going 6-6 with a 2.16 ERA in 64.2 innings of work. She finished with 40 strikeouts and just eight walks. She stood second in the MEAC in ERA and fourth in opposing batting average (.239). Her 0.87 walks per seven innings ranked 10th in all of Division I last season.
A Third Team All-MEAC selection last spring, Moore made 29 starts in her 32 appearances all in the outfield. She hit .320 on the year in 100 at bats, finishing with 25 runs on 32 hits, with three doubles, two triples, seven RBI, 12 walks and 15 stolen bases. Moore was second in the MEAC in stolen bases and runs scored. She ranked 68th in all of Division I for stolen bases per game (0.47). She was also named to the MEAC All-Tournament.
Guckin was fourth in the MEAC in stolen bases with 11 last season. She ranked 126th in the nation in stolen bases per game (0.37). Guckin played in 30 games and made 18 starts on the year and had eight hits in 47 at bats with 11 runs scored, one double, four RBI, nine walks and 11 stolen bases.
Another MEAC All-Tournament team selection in 2021, Davis made nine starts in 20 appearances for the Spartans. She went 7-for-26 with five runs, one triple, seven RBI, five walks and two stolen bases.
Howard's Camille Navarro was named the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.
NSU gets its season going on February 11 with a double-head against Hartford starting at 1 p.m. as part of the NSU-Hampton Classic.
