HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University softball team will return home this weekend for a three-game series against Delaware State on Friday and Saturday at the Lady Pirates Softball Complex, the team's first home conference series of the season.

The two teams will square off on Friday at 2 p.m., before playing a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.

The Lady Pirates (16-18, 3-0 MEAC) have won five straight games after a three-game sweep over Morgan State this past weekend – a series in which Hampton scored a combined 33 runs. Freshman Taylor McCoy (Riverview, Fla.) was named MEAC Rookie of the Week for her efforts this past weekend.

McCoy went 6-for-11 (.545) at the plate against Morgan State, driving in six runs and scoring three.

Hampton was picked to finish third in the MEAC Northern Division this season, returning five starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad – a team that won 25 games and advanced to the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament.

McCoy, who is on an 11-game hitting streak, leads the team in batting average so far this season, hitting .384, and she is tied for the team lead with seven doubles. She is also second on the team with 21 RBIs.

Junior Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) is batting .362, with a team-high 42 hits in 116 at-bats. She also leads the Lady Pirates with five home runs, and she is tied for the team lead in RBIs with 22. She also leads the MEAC in hits and runs scored (27).

Sophomore Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.) is 12-8 on the mound this season, one win shy of tying her win total from last season, with a 3.19 ERA. She leads the team and the MEAC in strikeouts with 131 over 131.2 innings of work.

Jackson has recorded at least five strikeouts in 13 of her last 16 appearances.

Delaware State (4-18) is the preseason favorite to win the MEAC Northern Division, and this will be the MEAC opener for the Lady Hornets. Delaware State comes into the weekend having lost its last eight games.

The Lady Pirates are 42-29 all-time against Delaware State, though the Lady Hornets won all three of last season's meetings. Overall, Delaware State has won five of the last six meetings between the two teams, though Hampton did take two out of three in 2010.

For more information on Hampton University softball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.