BIRMINGHAM, AL. -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced its 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Softball team highlighted by Preseason Player of the Year Amari Ramsey (ALCN) and Preseason Pitcher of the Year Vanessa Bradford (ASU). The preseason team, individual awards and predicted order of finish were voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Alcorn State's Ramsey ranked first in the SWAC in doubles with 8, fourth in RBIs with 15 and sixth in hits with 19. She won SWAC Hitter of the Week on Feb. 19 and hit for a .284 average and a team-high .493 slugging percentage on the season. She also notched four multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games while going on a six-game hitting-streak. Ramsey tallied a team-high 33 total bases while starting in 25 of 26 games. She was a 2019 All-Conference First-Team selection while leading the Lady Braves in batting average (.367) and slugging percentage (.667). She contributed 22 hits in 60 at-bats including eight doubles, two triples and a pair of homeruns with team-highs of 16 runs scored and 16 RBIs.
 
Alabama State's Bradford participated in the Lady Hornets 2019 SWAC Championship. She finished with an 8-10 record in the circle while recording a 4.83 earned run average in 87.2 innings pitched. She also started in 20 games and recorded five saves with one complete game. Bradford allowed 47 earned runs and struck out 54 on the year. She also played in 26 games with 21 starts and finished the season with a .344 batting average, 21 hits, 14 RBIs and two home runs.
 
Mississippi Valley State (5) led all member institutions with five preseason selections followed by Prairie View A&M (4), Alabama State (3), Alcorn State (3), Southern (3), Texas Southern (2), Alabama A&M (1), Grambling State (1), Jackson State (1) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1).
 
In the league's preseason poll Alabama State was tabbed as the favorite to win the East division heading into the season. Alcorn State, Alabama A&M, Jackson State, and Mississippi Valley State were tabbed to finish 2-5 respectively. 
 
Prairie View A&M was picked as the West division favorite followed by Texas Southern, Southern, Grambling State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff to round out the preseason rankings.
 
A complete listing of the 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Team, Predicted Order of Finish and individual award selections can be found below.
 
SWAC East

1. Alabama State (81)
2. Alcorn State (56)
3. Alabama A&M (53)
4. Jackson State (51)
5. Mississippi Valley State (31)

 SWAC West

1. Prairie View A&M (80)
2. Texas Southern (69)
3. Southern (48)
4. Grambling State (40)
5. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (27)  

 

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
1B	Mariyah Sandoval	Junior	Southern	Garden Grove, Calif.
2B	Gabrielle Fonseca	Senior	Prairie View A&M	San Juan, Texas
3B	Amari Ramsey	Senior	Alcorn State	Gulfport, Miss.
SS	Roxsanna Segura	Junior	Southern	Laredo, Texas
C	Serena Antone	Junior	Prairie View A&M	Wharton, Texas
OF	Shanice Akins	Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Arlington, Texas
OF	Cameron Lavergne	Graduate	Prairie View A&M	Houston, Texas
OF	Morgan Adams	Junior	Grambling State	Monroe, La.
P	Destiny Ricks	Junior	Texas Southern	Fresno, Calif.
P	Naomi Reyes	Junior	Texas Southern	Edinburg, Texas
P	Vanessa Bradford	Senior	Alabama State	Atlanta, Ga.
DP	Demi Slater	Junior	Mississippi Valley State	Dickinson, Texas

 

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
1B	Kyra Lunford	Sophomore	Prairie View A&M	Pearland, Texas
2B	Cailyn Peterson	Junior	Mississippi Valley State	Dickinson, Texas
3B	Alexis Massie	Junior	Alabama State	Pottsboro, Texas
SS	Ayana Taylor	Sophomore	Mississippi Valley State	Ackerman, Miss.
C	Sandrea Hord	Sophomore	Alcorn State	Raleigh, Miss.
OF	Brianna Alston	Junior	Mississippi Valley State	Rocklin, Calif.
OF	Jaylon Davis	Junior	Mississippi Valley State	Murrieta, Calif.
OF	Desirea Lindsey	Senior	Alcorn State	Gulfport, Miss.
P	Aubrion Alexis James	Graduate	Southern	Madison, Ala.
P	Kayla Owens	Junior	Jackson State	Moreno Valley, Calif.
P	Lisabelle Hansell	Junior	Alabama A&M	Hayward, Calif.
DP	Kindall DeRamus	Sophomore	Alabama State	Helena, Ala.

  
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently 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.