The Morgan State University softball team started their 2025 season in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association leadoff classic last weekend in Clearwater, Florida.
While in Florida, the Bears snagged the biggest win in program history and beat Notre Dame 5-4. This four-day showcase of collegiate softball featured 17 programs from eight different conferences.
“This weekend [NFCA leadoff] will be hard but we are going to come out learning so much,” said graduate pitcher Victoria Fletcher.
In 2025, the Bears came off of a historic season and went 35-20, which set the school record for wins. They won the MEAC tournament and advanced to the regional round of the NCAA championship before Duke and Utah booted them.
The Bears have a fairly new team after losing eight players like the two-time MEAC pitcher of the year Anaya Hunte, All-MEAC Pitcher Melissa Paz, and All-MEAC outfielder Mia Ewell the previous season.
They return with three all-MEAC preseason selections in pitcher/infield Fletcher, sophomore catcher/outfielder Amber Rivas, and junior catcher Alison Keener.
“I expect this season to be filled with lots of highs and a few lows. It’s a long season so we’re bound to run into obstacles. We just gotta keep learning and growing our game throughout the season,” said Fletcher.
As a team, the defending MEAC champions were picked to finish second in the conference in 2025 only behind the Howard University Bison, who they swept in their series last season.
“I expect to bring the same energy and drive that I brought last season along with another MEAC championship,” said Rivas.
Some of these new additions include freshman 2nd basemen Morgan Harrell-Alvarez who is in the four-time first team Cape-Atlantic league, and freshman third basemen Denver Obermeyer who earned Cape-Atlantic League first-team honors twice and holds several records for Mainland Regional High School in New Jersey.
In addition to adding eight freshmen to the team, they feel confident on what they can achieve moving forward.
“This team is very different from last year in all aspects. We brought in talented freshmen who are ready to get out there,” said Fletcher.
The Bears are back in action at the Elon Softball classic this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14 and 15 at Elon University.