HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University softball team will wrap up the regular season on Friday and Saturday with a three-game set against Norfolk State at the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium. Friday's game will start at 3 p.m., with Saturday's doubleheader kicking off at 1 p.m.
 
TV: ESPNU (Friday only).
Live Video: ESPN3 (Friday only).
Live Stats: Click here.
 
Seniors: On Saturday, seniors Kerissa Burruel (Phoenix, Ariz.), Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.), Raenelle Taylor (Aquasco, Md.), and Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) will be honored as they play their final home games.
 
Last Time Out: The Lady Pirates (18-22, 10-4 MEAC) swept a three-game series over Coppin State this past weekend and have won 13 of their last 19 games. Hampton currently sits in third place in the MEAC Northern Division, a half-game behind Delaware State and Norfolk State, which are tied atop the standings at 11-4.
 
The Series: The Lady Pirates are 65-36-1 all-time against Norfolk State, including Hampton's three-game sweep of the rival Spartans on the road last season. Hampton also defeated Norfolk State 8-0 in last season's MEAC Tournament, and overall, the Lady Pirates have won seven of the last nine meetings between the two teams.
 
The Opponent: Norfolk State (12-24, 11-4 MEAC) had a three-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with a non-conference doubleheader loss to George Mason. The Spartans lost the first game 8-0 in six innings before falling 9-0 in five innings in the second game. The Spartans are in their fifth season under head coach Heidi Cavallo.
 
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: Jackson, 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 eight against Coppin State this past Sunday, after striking out seven at Liberty on April 21.
 
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 .372 and she was on a 15-game hitting streak from March 24 to April 21. She has hit safely in 17 of her last 19 games.
 
Wilkins A Record Setter: Wilkins recorded her 232nd career hit at Maryland Eastern Shore on April 19, becoming the Lady Pirates' all-time career hits leader. She surpassed Maggie Wolfe, who from 2004-07 amassed 231 hits. Heading into this weekend's action, Wilkins has 237 career 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 .358, and she is tied for the team lead with 10 doubles. She also leads the team with 33 RBIs. She has hit safely in 14 of her last 18 games, including an eight-RBI performance in Sunday's doubleheader against Coppin State – driving in five runs in the first game before pushing across three more in the second game.
 
Babinsack Making An Impression: Freshman Allyson Babinsack (Hampton, Va.) is tied for the team lead with four home runs and 10 doubles so far this season, and she is also the team's top pitcher so far in 2015 with a mark of 14-9 and a 2.98 ERA. She struck out eight batters against Liberty on March 24, and Babinsack has recorded wins in 11 of her last 14 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 at Maryland Eastern Shore. She had a combined nine strikeouts in 11 innings pitched in the Coppin State series this past weekend, en route to again earning MEAC Rookie of the Week honors.
 
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 earlier this month was postponed due to weather; no make-up date has been announced.
 
Winning and More Winning: The Lady Pirates have won 107 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.