CATONSVILLE, Md. – The Hampton University softball team will compete in the Dawg Pound Invitational hosted by University of Maryland Baltimore County this Saturday and Sunday at the UMBC Softball Stadium.
 
The Lady Pirates (9-8) will take on Rhode Island on Saturday at 9 a.m., before taking on Drexel at 3:45 p.m. On Sunday, Hampton will face Niagara at 11:30 a.m. and the host Retrievers at 3:45 p.m.
 
Hampton has won eight of its last 11 games after splitting a doubleheader against Drexel this past Monday.
 
The Lady Pirates are in their first season under interim head coach Michael Pelegrino, who was an assistant coach last season as Hampton won 34 games, taking the MEAC Northern Division regular-season title and winning its first MEAC Tournament crown since 1996.
 
Jackson was a large part of last season's success, earning MEAC Pitcher of the Year honors after winning 26 games for the Lady Pirates and striking out a MEAC-best (and school-record) 255 batters in 252.0 innings pitched.
 
She was also an NFCA Second Team All-Region selection and a Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Second Team All-State honoree. Jackson led the MEAC in wins, ERA (2.64), and strikeouts last season, while setting school records in innings pitched, appearances, and starts.
 
Jackson also threw 25 complete games last season.
 
The Lady Pirates return seven letterwinners and five starters (as well as two pitchers) from last season's squad, including Wilkins, who was named First Team All-MEAC last season after hitting .343 with six home runs and 32 RBIs.
 
She tied for second in the MEAC with 49 runs scored last season, and Wilkins was also third in the conference in hits, fifth in total bases, seventh in doubles, and tied for eighth in the home runs.
 
McCoy was the Most Outstanding Player of last season's MEAC Tournament, and she earned VaSID Second Team All-State honors after hitting a team-best .398. She also led the Lady Pirates in hits, doubles, TBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and fielding percentage.
 
McCoy was second in the MEAC in hits, doubles, and total bases last season, while ranking third in the conference in batting average and tying for fourth in RBIs. She was also fifth in the MEAC in on-base percentage.
 
Junior Kerissa Burruel (Phoenix, Ariz.) was a Second Team All-MEAC selection last season, after hitting .285 for the season, recording a .350 on-base percentage, and going 3-for-4 in stolen bases. She also had a .925 fielding percentage, committing just 11 errors on the season.
 
Sophomore Diamond Ponds (Riverside, Calif.) was tied for fifth in the MEAC last season with 22 stolen bases.
 
Hampton is 3-8 all-time against UMBC and 2-1 against Drezel. The Lady Pirates beat the Retrievers 14-0 last season, and Hampton has taken two of three meetings against the Dragons this season.
 
The Lady Pirates have never faced Rhode Island or Niagara.
 
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.