HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University softball team will return to the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game conference series against Delaware State, playing a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and a game on Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Lady Pirates (8-16) have won three straight games after Wednesday's doubleheader sweep at North Carolina A&T; Hampton won the first game 7-2 and the second game 6-4. Senior Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) went a combined 6-for-7 at the plate on Wednesday, including her first home run of the season, and freshman Allyson Babinsack (Hampton, Va.) picked up two wins in the pitcher's circle.
 
The Opponent: Hampton is 45-33 all-time against Delaware State, though the Hornets won three of four games against the Lady Pirates last season. In 2013, when the Lady Pirates won the MEAC championship, they took two of three from Delaware State.
 
New Era: The 2015 season will mark Joe DiPietro's first season as head coach of the Hampton University softball program; he takes over after serving in the same capacity at Temple for five seasons – where he won 115 games. DiPietro will be joined on the staff by assistant coaches Michael Pelegrino and Kendra Knight; Pelegrino served as interim head coach last season for the Lady Pirates, winning 29 games.
 
Lady Pirates Picked to Win North: The Lady Pirates were picked to win the MEAC Northern Division this season, racking up 10 first-place votes in a preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. The Lady Pirates won a share of the MEAC Northern Division crown last season with a 15-3 conference record, a season after winning the regular-season crown outright.
 
Jackson Preseason Pitcher of Year: Senior Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.), the two-time reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Year, has been named the conference's Preseason Pitcher of the Year, as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Jackson won 19 games – including 10 in conference play – en route to a 2.69 ERA and First Team All-MEAC honors.
 
Budden, Wilkins Recognized: Sophomore Danielle Budden (Jackson, N.J.) and Wilkins were each named Preseason First Team All-MEAC. Wilkins was fourth in the MEAC in batting last season at .403, and she was second in the conference with 46 runs scored. Budden, who was named First Team All-MEAC last season, was third on the team with a .342 batting average, and she led the team with six home runs. Wilkins currently leads the team in batting at .368 and she is on a three-game hitting streak.
 
McCoy Also Recognized: Junior Taylor McCoy (Riverview, Fla.) was named Preseason Second Team All-MEAC, coming off a 2014 season that saw her lead the team with a .979 fielding percentage and rank second on the team in batting with a .348 batting average. She had a team-high 15 doubles and was 8-for-9 in stolen bases.
 
Babinsack Making An Impression: Babinsack leads the Lady Pirates with two home runs so far this season, and she is also the team's top pitcher so far in 2015 with a mark of 6-6 and a 3.53 ERA. She struck out a season-high eight batters against Liberty this past Tuesday, and Babinsack has recorded wins in each of her last three outings.
 
Schedule Shuffling Galore: With their six games at the season-opening USF UnderArmour Invitational, the Lady Pirates were set to embark on a packed schedule – particularly in non-conference play. However, inclement weather throughout the second half of February kept Hampton from competing in tournaments in both Greenville, S.C. and Greensboro, N.C., and the Lady Pirates had to cancel the Lady Pirates Classic. But in addition to four games in Elon, Hampton competed in the Rebel Games earlier this month, competing in eight games over the course of five days. In addition, Hampton's MEAC series at Morgan State was re-scheduled to April 8-9 because of inclement weather.
 
Winning and More Winning: The Lady Pirates have won 97 games over the past three-plus seasons, including 34 wins in the 2013 season in which Hampton won both the MEAC Northern Division regular-season title and the MEAC Tournament crown. Hampton won 29 games last season, advancing to the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament.
 
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.