Hampton Softball Begins 2025 Season at the 901 Classic

WHO: Hampton at 901 Classic
WHEN: February 7-9
WHERE: Memphis Tenn.
LIVE STATS: Click Here
WEEKEND SLATE:
Feb. 7 vs Rust 11:30 a.m. ET
Feb. 7 vs Lindenwood 1:30 p.m. ET
Feb. 8 vs Rust 11:00 a.m. ET
Feb. 8 at Memphis 4:00 p.m. ET
Feb. 9 at Memphis 11:00 a.m. ETHampton also returns one of the best outfielders in the CAA with Carmynn Bonner. Bonner finished her sophomore campaign with an impressive .320 batting average, 25 RBIs, and three home runs. The Dayton, Ohio native, tallied the fifth most hits in the CAA with 56. Bonner also produced 13 games with multiple hits. The outfielder went the first 34 contests without committing an error on the defensive end.Irelynn West was named the OVC player to watch. The outfielder had a .252 batting average last season but saw an increase during conference play. In league play, West produced a .296 batting average and a team-high 24 hits and 11 home runs. The Lions also return another top hitter in Mya Bethany. Bethany finished the 2024 campaign with a .297 batting average. Offensively, Memphis retained one of their top producers from the 2024 campaign. Zoe Adebayo led the Tigers in batting average (.280), hits (35), doubles (6), home runs (4), RBIs (24), and OPS (.831). McKaylee Pol and Arianna Cox-Cole also return for Memphis. Pol and Cox-Cole finished second and third for batting average a year ago. Cox Cole poses a speed threat on the bases tallying 15 stolen bases last season. 

HAMPTON, Va. (Feb. 6, 2025) … The Coach Cat Tarvin era is set to begin for Hampton softball this weekend at the 901 Classic. For the Pirates, it will be the first of four multiple-team events. The weekend’s field consists of the host Memphis along with Lindenwood and Rust. Out of the field of competition, Lindenwood is the only team the Pirates faced last season. The Lions posted a 25-25 overall record and went 13-14 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Hampton faced Lindenwood a year ago in a neutral site contest in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Lions were victorious defeating the Pirates 4-1. Heading into the program’s third season at the Division I level, the Lions are selected to finish sixth in the OVC. Lindenwood is coached by Erin Brown, who is in her fourth season with the program. Throughout her coaching career, Brown has tallied 441 wins. While the Bearcats have nine freshmen on their roster, they bring back one of its best hitters from last year Leona Joshua. Joshua produced a team-high 34 hits, which accounted for 21.7 percent of Rust’s total hits. The redshirt junior was one of the team’s best arms from the 2024 campaign as well. In her sophomore season, she tallied a team-high 108 strikeouts averaging 9.95 per seven innings. Joshua made 14 starts on the mound and posted a record of 4-9.The Pirates return major production on the mound and in the field. HU’s strikeout leader from the past campaign Angelina Branch returns for her sophomore season. As a freshman, Branch tallied the second most strikeouts on the team with 53. The Chesterfield, Va. product became the first student-athlete in program history to receive Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Week. In her first collegiate start Branch pitched the full seven innings while producing 10 strikeouts. She held opponents to the 10th-best batting average in the conference (.234).The Tigers posted a 6-44 overall record and went 1-26 in American Athletic Conference play. Heading into the 2025 season, Memphis is coached by Trena Prater. Under Coach Prater, Campbell won the CAA regular season title in the program’s inaugural season in the conference. During her two seasons with the Camels, Campbell posted a record of 79-39-1. ABOUT HAMPTON ABOUT RUSTHampton softball enters the 2025 campaign with a new head coach Cat Tarvin. Coach Tarvin spent the past four seasons at North Carolina Central. During her tenure with the program, the Eagles showed consistent progress and improvement. In 2023, Tarvin was named the MEAC Coach of the Year after guiding North Carolina Central to their first-ever MEAC Championship. During the same season, the Eagles earned a bid to the NCAA Softball Regionals in Athens, Ga. Coach Tarvin guided 18 student-athletes to receive All-MEAC honors.ABOUT LINDENWOODThe Bearcats posted a record of 5-21 during the 2024 season. Rust did not play a single Divison I opponent last year. The Bearcats are coached by Kendrick Vivians, who is in his fourth season with the program. Coach Vivians played college baseball for Rust starting for two seasons before transferring to Mississippi State. ABOUT MEMPHIS