Howard University Softball: A History of Growth, Triumph, and a Bright Future

Howard University's softball program has a history marked by perseverance, growth, and recent triumph. With a foundation built on dedication and strategic leadership, the team has evolved into a force to be reckoned with in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and beyond. This article explores the journey of Howard University softball, highlighting key moments, influential figures, and the promising trajectory of the program.

The Tyson Era: Building a Foundation for Success

The program's trajectory shifted significantly with the arrival of head coach Tori Tyson in 2018. Tyson inherited a team of 19 freshmen, a situation that presented both challenges and opportunities. The team had previously gone 8-37 (6-12 MEAC), but Tyson rolled up her sleeves and began to build the program. Tyson admits that there were times of doubt when she inherited a team that had 19 freshmen. Moreover, in her attempt to build the program to respectability, COVID-19 struck and temporarily put things on hold.

In her first season, the team improved to 19-29 (8-7 MEAC). From there, the program began to take off, posting its first winning season under Tyson at 17-13 (10-9 MEAC) in 2021. "When I accepted the job at Howard, there were some challenging times," recalled Tyson.

Since Tyson's initial year, things have changed dramatically with regard to recruiting. "We lost a lot of veteran players who have played a major role in our success over the past three years," said Tyson. "Once I accepted that, I realized that you have to recruit out to make it work.

Strategic Recruiting and the Transfer Portal

Recognizing the need to enhance the team's talent base, Tyson strategically utilized the transfer portal to add depth at crucial positions. She brought in graduate Taylor Ames-Alexander (Lancaster, S.C.), a transfer from South Carolina State (SC State) and the 2025 MEAC Player of the Year. "Taylor chose Howard to pursue her future," said Tyson of her top recruit. "She recognized things in the (Howard) program that would enable her to get better.

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"We are really excited about Aiko and Destiny and what they will add to the program, Tyson stated.

Overcoming Challenges and Building Team Chemistry

"I remember when I first came here, we were very young," recalled Holt. "We spent a lot of time trying to figure things out. The problem was that there were so many young players that there was no one with the experience to guide us along the way. But since then, we have all grown together. Last year was exciting with what we accomplished but we lost a lot of those veteran players who have been a part of this building process. We have what we call the merging process.

Triumphs on the Field: MEAC Champions

Howard University’s women’s sports shone this season with many historic wins and titles for each program. The softball team defeated reigning MEAC champion Morgan State in a winner-take-all bout to claim the league title. With that victory, Howard softball won its first MEAC championship since 2007, the second time in program history.

The Bison earned their ticket to the NCAA tournament after storming through the MEAC Tournament last week with a 5-1 win over Morgan State University, a 17-5 thrashing of Delaware State University, and a 6-1 victory over South Carolina State University in the championship game on Saturday. The accomplishment comes on the heels of the ladies earning the program’s first regular season MEAC title in 15 years and winning a program-record 21 conference games.

Individual Accolades and Team Recognition

The team's success was further highlighted by individual accolades. Last season, Holt made the 2025 All-MEAC First Team after producing 94 Ks in 113.0 innings of work. Additionally, a total of nine Bison were named to the All-MEAC First Team: pitcher Julia Holt, 1st Base Alyssa Vasquez, 2nd Base Lealani Ricks, 3rd Base Kenna Higa, shortstop Sidney Fletcher, catcher Merci Hart, outfielder Lauryn Jones, relief pitcher Mia Gonzalez, and utility player Ameenah Ballenger.

And the team earned regular season honors - MEAC Rookie of the Year Lauryn Jones and MEAC All-Tournament selection Mia Gonzalez - as well as MEAC Softball Tournament honors - Most Outstanding Player of the Year Ameenah Ballenger and Most Outstanding Coach (Tyson).

Challenging the Best: A Rigorous Schedule

Tyson, who is in her seventh season at Howard, decided the 2025 season would look and feel much different. To play like the best, she wanted her team to play the best. She worked to ensure that the schedule included nationally ranked teams such as UCLA, Nebraska, and Maryland.

As for the schedule, the Bison had a very challenging nonconference schedule last year that included nationally ranked teams like Duke, Nebraska and UCLA. This year's schedule is equally challenging, playing in five tournaments before opening MEAC play. "We learned a lot from last year's schedule," noted Tyson.

“You have to be able to do hard work together and that’s exactly what we did,” Tyson said. “We trained hard, and we played hard, tough games. Howard women are special, and these ladies have shown me all season long that I always had the most prepared team on the field.”

On Friday, Tyson’s team will aim to show how prepared they are when they face the 14th ranked Duke University (38-18) in the Durham Regional of the NCAA Softball Tournament. Davis has been impressed with how Tyson has turned around the program and is confident that her players will continue to shine bright on the field as they face Duke University and perhaps become the first HBCU team to win an NCAA Division I Softball Tournament game. “Our goal remains the same as it has been throughout this entire season: to win. Coach Tyson developed a tough (regular season) schedule to prepare the team for this very moment,” Davis said.

A Leader's Background and Coaching Philosophy

Tyson herself was a standout pitcher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she appeared in the 2009 NCAA Regional and had a career high 47 starts in 2010 before serving as team captain in 2011. As a coach, she had stops at Bethune Cookman College, California State University-Fullerton, Maryland, and the National Pro Fastpitch League’s Chicago Bandits before being hired by Howard University Athletics Director Kery Davis in November 2018. Tyson earned her 150th career win during last week’s MEAC Tournament.

Academics and the Howard Brand

Off the field, Howard Athletics is having one of its best runs in terms of academic accomplishment in recent memory. "We are in a great position here at Howard when it comes to recruiting," noted Tyson. "It is easy to sell because the brand is well known.

"When I first came to Howard," I was considered shy," confessed Holt, who was named to the MEAC All-Academic Team. "There were only five Blacks at the high school that I attended. Initially coming to Howard was a big cultural shock for me. I was one of those students who would not speak up or present myself as I should. But by being in the culture here at Howard, I got a lot of support and encouragement from everyone at the University.

Athletics as a "Front Porch"

“Athletics is the front porch of a university - it’s the thing people unaffiliated with the school see the most often,” said David Oliver, director of track and field. “The success we’re having on a national stage in the track and field program is opening up the eyes of individuals that are unfamiliar with the greatness that Howard University produces in the classroom and on the playing field. It has been a banner year for women’s athletics at Howard.

Setbacks and Determination

After a 32-13 campaign in 2024, including a 16-5 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) record, the Bison went 0-2 in the MEAC Tournament - a disappointing end to a season Tyson thought should have been much better.

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