Hinds Softball earns postseason spot, prepares for play-in game against Southwest

Wesson, Mississippi — Hinds Community College softball has clinched a postseason berth as the No. 8 seed in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament. The Lady Eagles will face No. 9 Southwest in a play-in game hosted by Copiah-Lincoln Community College. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. May 2 at Lady Wolves Field.

The winner advances to the four-team, double-elimination semifinals starting May 1, where they will face top seed Copiah-Lincoln. On the other side of the bracket, No. 4 LSU-Eunice will play No. 5 Northwest at 6 p.m. Hinds finished the regular season with a 33-16 record, including a 16-10 mark in conference play. They went 16-10 at home, 10-6 on the road, and 7-0 in neutral-site games.

Offensively, the Lady Eagles have a team batting average of .308. Emma Hudson leads the squad with a .407 batting average, 61 hits, 56 RBIs, and a .700 slugging percentage. Abigail McLean has contributed with a .360 average, 45 hits, and 31 RBIs. Alyx Hall (.333) and Jalia McDaniel (.322) have also been key contributors.

The pitching staff has posted a 3.59 ERA over 319.2 innings. Mattie Gibson has been a consistent presence with a 2.33 ERA and a 5-0 record. Claire Mellard owns a 2.94 ERA with four complete games. McLean has pitched 108.2 innings, compiling an 11-6 record with 103 strikeouts.

The Region 23 Tournament features two brackets. While Hinds plays in Wesson, Pearl River Community College hosts the other side, including Jones, Itawamba, Meridian, and Northeast. The winners of each bracket earn automatic bids to the NJCAA Division II World Series, set for May 19–24 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The two bracket winners will meet May 9 for the Region 23 Championship at the highest remaining seed.

Tickets are available in advance for $15 or at the gate. Children under five are admitted free. Only MACCC passes are accepted, with both cash and card payments available. Fans can purchase tickets through links provided by the college’s athletic department. Copiah-Lincoln will stream all games online at colinathletics.com/general/livestream.

With postseason play secured, Hinds now prepares for a matchup against Southwest, aiming to advance further in the tournament and pursue the Region 23 title. For updates, follow @HindsAthletics on Twitter and Instagram, and like Hinds Athletics on Facebook.

Source: Original Article