BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference revealed its 2020 Preseason Softball honors on Wednesday as softball teams from around the league begin final preparations prior to the start of the season next month.
Defending 2019 SWAC Softball Champion Alabama State was selected as the favorite for the Eastern Division, while Texas Southern is projected to claim the SWAC Western Division title.
The vote was conducted by the league's Sports Information Directors and Head Softball Coaches.
The Lady Hornets, who seek their sixth straight appearance in the league tournament championship, garnered 85 first-place votes as they edged in-state rival Alabama A&M by 11 in the predictions with 74. Alcorn State was picked to finish third with 49 total points.
In the West, the TSU Lady Tigers earned 80 first place votes while in-state foe Prairie View A&M finished second with 77 total votes. Grambling State finished third with 60 total points.
Individual honors were also announced, with Alabama A&M's Tamia Lee-Barbadillo and Prairie View A&M's Crystal Castillo tabbed as Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively.
Lee-Barbadillo, the 2019 SWAC Softball Player of the Year, hit .358 last season, with 43 base knocks, and 18 of them going for extra bases. A premier big bat in AAMU's line up, the senior from Antioch, Calif. hit 11 home runs while driving in 30 runs, boasting a .708 slugging percentage. She is one of two Lady Bulldogs to receive preseason All-SWAC recognition.
Castillo, a first-team choice on the All-SWAC Preseason team, is coming off a stellar 2019 season where she led the SWAC in batter strikeouts (104), batter strikeouts looking (24), and opposing batting average (.200). The redshirt-senior from San Benito, Texas is one of four Lady Panthers to earn preseason All-SWAC honors.
Rounding out the preseason teams, Texas Southern accounted for six total selections, while Prairie View A&M had five honorees, respectively. Alabama State tallied four selectees, while Alabama A&M, Alcorn State and Southern each had a pair of selections. Grambling State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State each had one student-athlete selected.
2020 All-SWAC Preseason Softball Teams and Predicted Order of Finish
Preseason Player of the Year:
Tamia Lee-Barbadillo, Alabama A&M
Preseason Pitcher of the Year:
Crystal Castillo, Prairie View A&M
Preseason First Team:
1B – Lauryn Banks, Texas Southern
2B – Ebony Wiltz, Texas Southern
3B – Amari Ramsey, Alcorn State
SS – Tamia Lee-Barbadillo, Alabama A&M
C- Danielle Hansell, Alabama A&M
OF – Alexis Sydnor, Alabama State
OF – Simone McKinney, Alcorn State
OF – Zariah Robins, Texas Southern
P – Crystal Castillo, Prairie View A&M
P – Destiny Ricks, Texas Southern
P – Naomi Reyes, Texas Southern
DP – Rikkelle Miller, Grambling State
Preseason Second Team:
1B – Hailey Walker, Alabama State
2B – Gabrielle Fonseca, Prairie View A&M
3B – Alexis Massie, Alabama State
SS – Roxy Segura, Southern
C- Serena Antone, Prairie View A&M
OF – Terren Vinson, Texas Southern
OF – Shanice Akins, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
OF – Cameron Lavergne, Prairie View A&M
P – Aubrion James, Southern
P –Kayla Owens, Jackson State
P – Justine Jean, Alabama State
DP – Daneisha Hinton, Prairie View A&M
Eastern Division Predicted Order of Finish
Alabama State, 85 points
Alabama A&M, 74 points
Alcorn State, 49 points
Jackson State, 45 points
Mississippi Valley State, 32 points
Western Division Predicted Order of Finish
Texas Southern, 80 points
Prairie View A&M, 77 points
Grambling State, 60 points
Southern, 36 points
Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 32 points
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and Scurrently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
Women's competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.
