Softball | 2/7/2019 8:28:00 AM

Lady Braves Host North Alabama to Begin 2019 Campaign

Alcorn Game Notes | Live Stats

LORMAN, Miss. – The two-time defending SWAC East Division champion Alcorn State University softball program will open its 2019 slate with a 2 p.m. game Friday, followed by an 11 a.m. doubleheader Saturday against North Alabama at the Alcorn Softball Complex.
 
"We're excited about the start of our season. We've had some good preseason practices and inter-squads, and now we are just ready to play someone else," said head coach Josef Rankin. "North Alabama has a great program. Coach Cozart does a phenomenal job; 168-59 since she's been there is pretty dang impressive. Divisions matter to a degree, but they have players who can compete at a very high level. We are all working to be good at what we are doing, whether it's DI, DII or whatever."

The Lady Braves (0-0) are coming off three consecutive winning seasons in conference for the first time in program history. Alcorn is 24-14 SWAC the last two seasons and 35-18 SWAC the last three seasons; both marks are the best in the SWAC East Division.
 
Alcorn landed a pair of Preseason All-Conference selections. Sophomore shortstop Amari Ramsey was named to the Preseason First-Team, and senior first baseman Victoria Tyler to the Preseason Second-Team.
 
The Lady Braves bring back five starters in the field from last year, and their top-two pitchers in ERA. Among those is senior pitcher Paige Taylor who earned 2018 SWAC Newcomer of the Year honors. Taylor, who did not allow a home run the entire season, notched a 2-1 record in conference with a 3.25 ERA.
 
As a program, Alcorn has won SWAC Newcomer of the Year three seasons in a row and SWAC Hitter of the Year two consecutive seasons.
 
Ramsey returns as Alcorn's top hitter statistically from last year. She led the Lady Braves with 12 doubles, six homers and a .592 slugging percentage. Ramsey hit for a .338 batting average including .390 in conference. She's a perfect 15-for-15 in stolen base attempts in her career.
 
Tyler hit for a .311 average with eight doubles, two triples and eight homers a year ago. She needs five more hits to reach 100 in her career. Tyler is also two RBI's away from breaking into the top-10 in the Alcorn career record book, and also needs three more doubles.

"Our players are just ready to elevate the program. Victoria is probably the best leader we've ever had. It's more about what she does, the example. The work and the grind she embraces to be better," Rankin said. "Ambria Dorsey and Paige have done well to prepare themselves to be two pitchers we can count on for a lot of innings. Ambria hasn't pitched an inning yet this year, but I am very proud to see how much she's developed mentally and physically to be a leader for our pitchers. I am really looking forward to see what they will do."
 
Other returning starters include sophomore outfielders Desirea Lindsey and Malea Dickerson, and sophomore second baseman Ashley Arnold.

"We just have to keep getting after it. Our sophomores were thrown in the deep end last year, now it will be interesting to see how they adjust after a year of experience," Rankin said.
 
Alcorn added 10 newcomers to the roster which included five freshmen and five JUCO transfers.

"We've added some newcomers who should help us continue to compete and elevate our program. Brittney Triplett, Eva Scott, Simone McKinney, Keelee Huff and Alexsis Ramirez should all be able to add experience and help the program be better," Rankin said. "Our freshmen are in a better position than the past because we don't have to throw too many of them in and see if they can swim. We have some time to develop a lottle more and put them in better positions to be successful."
 
The Lady Braves will look to replace Taylor Hughes who graduated last year. Hughes was a SWAC Player of the Year, two-time SWAC Hitter of the Year and three-time All-Conference First-Team selection. She ended her four-year career as Alcorn's all-time leader in hits (188) and doubles (35), and second in RBI's (108) and walks (73).
 
Rankin enters his fifth season at the helm. He's coached the Lady Braves to back-to-back SWAC East Division titles and was the 2016 SWAC Coach of the Year. He inherited a squad that had only seven student-athletes on the roster including just one pitcher and three walk-ons.
 
North Alabama (0-0) is in its first season at the Division I level and is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. UNA will open its season at UAB tonight before heading to Alcorn. The team finished 46-7 last year in its final run at the Division II level. They brought back five starters, two pitchers, three All-Conference and one All-American.
 
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