Bowie State Softball Team Headed to NCAA Tournament
Bulldogs Set Record for Wins in a Season
MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan Saxon, jsaxon@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-3607
(BOWIE, Md.) – The Bowie State University softball team is in the midst of a history making season, as the Bulldogs earned their fourth ever NCAA Tournament appearance after defeating Claflin University 8-2 in the CIAA championship and set a new record for wins in a season with 31 victories. Head coach Ed Powell says he and the team aren’t minimizing what they’ve accomplished, but they haven’t taken the time to smell the roses as they focus on the next portion of the postseason.
“That has not really sunk in,” said Powell. “That is part of the journey. The young ladies deserve all their accolades. But our goal is to be in the national tournament.”
Winning the conference championship allowed the Bulldogs to extend their season, but the game represented more than just another win. Bowie State came up short in last season’s conference tournament against Claflin, and that loss stayed with the team long after the final out was recorded. A lot of the core group returned for the 2023 season, and they had their sights set on getting back to the conference championship for a chance at redemption.
“Out of all the games, this is the one they wanted,” said Powell. “They really wanted to beat Claflin.”
The Bulldogs navigated through a season that included enduring an early COVID outbreak that affected six players before the SIAC-CIAA Challenge and experiencing a 12-game win streak during the back half of their schedule. Through it all, the team maintained a nose-to-the-grindstone mentality and experienced growths in their confidence with every win they achieved.
“We were pushing ourselves by playing these different teams,” said sophomore first baseman Brittany Brewer. “We kind of hit a point where we were like, ‘Wow, we’re really good. We definitely can do this.’”
The Bulldogs carried that confidence into the conference tournament and rolled through their first three games, which included a 3-2 win over Claflin in the semifinals before meeting the Panthers again in the championship round. Bowie State dropped the first game against Claflin before roaring back in the second game with a dominant 8-2 win to claim the CIAA crown.
“It was an incredible experience,” said sophomore pitcher Lindsey George, who was named the CIAA Player of the Year after leading the conference with 10 wins. “Everyone on the team had that mindset that we were going to work as hard as we could throughout the entire year so we could achieve that goal.”
Getting a bit of revenge was sweet for the team, but now the Bulldogs are preparing to start regional play as they prepare to face No. 1 seed East Stroudsburg on Thursday, May 11 at Creekview Park. The team is anticipating more tough games ahead, but they’re excited to still be playing softball with a chance to add more wins and accolades to their historic season.
“It’s a privilege,” said George. “We’re not taking it for granted because a lot of teams don’t get the opportunity that we’re given. So we’re going to take it one step at a time every chance that we get.”
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