HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University softball team will return to the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium this weekend for a three-game set against Coppin State. Saturday's doubleheader will start at 1 p.m., with Sunday's finale set for 12 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Lady Pirates (15-22, 7-4 MEAC) lost both games of a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at Liberty, including a 5-4 loss in nine innings. Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) extended her hitting streak to 15 games in the first game of the doubleheader, before having that streak snapped in the second game.
 
The Series: The Lady Pirates are 67-14 all-time against Coppin State, including a three-game sweep last season in Baltimore, Md. Hampton has won the last six meetings between the two teams, though Coppin State swept a three-game set against the Lady Pirates in both 2011 and 2012.
 
New Era: The 2015 season marks Joe DiPietro's first 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. She struck out a season-high seven against Delaware State on March 28, and she added six strikeouts at Morgan State on April 9.
 
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 .367 and she was on a 15-game hitting streak prior to the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader.
 
Wilkins A Record Setter: Wilkins recorded her 232nd career hit this past Sunday at Maryland Eastern Shore, becoming the Lady Pirates' all-time career hits leader. She surpassed Maggie Wolfe, who from 2004-07 amassed 231 hits.
 
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. So far this season, McCoy is second on the team in batting, hitting .354, and she is second on the team with eight doubles and 25 RBIs. She has hit safely in 12 of her last 15 games, including a 3-for-4 performance on Tuesday in the second game against Liberty.
 
Babinsack Making an Impression: Freshman Allyson Babinsack (Hampton, Va.) leads the Lady Pirates with four home runs and nine doubles so far this season, and she is also the team's top pitcher so far in 2015 with a mark of 12-9 and a 3.14 ERA. She struck out eight batters against Liberty on March 24, and Babinsack has recorded wins in nine of her last 12 outings. She was named MEAC Rookie and Pitcher of the Week following the Delaware State series, and she earned MEAC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors following the Howard series. After striking out a season-high nine batters at Howard on April 12, Babinsack struck out eight this past Saturday at Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
Schedule Shuffling Galore: With their six games at the season-opening USF Under Armour 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 in March, competing in eight games over the course of five days. In addition, Hampton's MEAC series finale at Morgan State was postponed due to weather; no make-up date has been announced.
 
Winning and More Winning: The Lady Pirates have won 104 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.