Morgan softball team set to face Oklahoma in NCAA Tournament

The Lady Bears will meet the tournament’s .No. 1 overall seed in Norman Friday

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The Lady Bears celebrate their first MEAC softball title in 2021.

Tariq Turner, Sports Editor

Morgan State’s softball team (24-15) will face the No. 1 seed Oklahoma Sooners (45-2) in the first round of the NCAA Softball Tournament after securing their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship in school history.

The Lady Bears (24-15)  will compete against the Sooners on Friday, May 21 in Norman, Okla. at 8:30 p.m. as the game airs on ESPN3. The Norman Regional tournament, featuring Wichita St. and Texas A&M., is a double-elimination round.

Morgan will be heavy underdogs in their matchup against the top-seeded Sooners (45-2). Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State on May 15 to secure their fourth consecutive Big 12 championship.

With the Big 12 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year all on the same team, the Sooners went on a 40-game winning streak this season before losing 7-6 to Georgia on April 20.

If the Lady Bears are able to pull off an upset, they will need to continue to have strong performances from Haylee Bobos, Stephanie Rundlett, Melissa Paz, and Aliya Ewell.

All four players were named to the 2021 MEAC All-Tournament Team. Rundlett was also named the tournament’s Outstanding Performer and head coach Larry Hineline was named Outstanding Coach.