Price earns MVP: Landry, Hunter and Battiste earn All-Tournament Honors

NEW ORLEANS (May 6,2026)– Dillard University captured its first postseason championship, earning the 2026 HBCUAC tournament title and securing the program's first-ever berth in the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round. 

Today, the Lady Bleu Devils found out they will be playing against Southeastern Fire in Lakeland, FL.  The opening rounds will be from May 11-14 and will be streamed on Urban Edge Network.

Championship Game Recap:

The Lady Bleu Devils (27-14) navigated a hard-fought tournament that featured momentum swings and late-game drama, punctuated by standout pitching and timely hitting throughout the bracket. 

Stillman struck first in the teams' Game 1 matchup, jumping to a 3-0 lead after Anna Sullivan's RBI double and Olivia Hobson's two-run single. Dillard responded in the fourth when Haley Weatherspoon singled and Jessica Battiste drove in a run with an RBI double. The Lady Bleu Devils tied the game in the sixth behind a two-run double from Grace Hunter that scored Ja'Lise Stewart and pinch-runner Jyah Hamilton. Stillman ultimately walked it off in the seventh on Avary Lumpkin's gap-shot double, with Karli Crocker earning the win in the circle.

Dillard answered decisively later in the series, highlighted by an explosive Game 3. Stewart set the tone early with a two-run home run in the first inning. Sa'Vya Sutherland added an RBI double, and Weatherspoon delivered again with a two-RBI single as Dillard built a five-run cushion in the second. Stillman mounted a late push—powered by Alex Erwin's two-run homer and additional run-scoring hits—but Dillard closed the door when Mary-Elizabeth Landry induced a pop out with the tying run looming to clinch the championship.

Kylie Price anchored Dillard's title run and was named tournament Most Valuable Player after compiling five wins across three pitching appearances. Price also recorded a shutout and struck out 12 batters in 24.2 innings, underscoring the depth and dominance that carried Dillard to its breakthrough trophy.

2026 HBCUAC Softball All-Tournament Team:
MVP: Kylie Price, Dillard
Karli Crocker, Stillman
Jordan Howard, Oakwood
Kylie Price, Dillard
Avary Lumpkin, Stillman
Jessica Battiste, Dillard
Katelyn Lankford, Stillman
Lilly Stone, Stillman
Grace Hunter, Dillard
Emma Newby, Oakwood
Jazmine Rodriguez, Wiley
Mary-Elizabeth Landry, Dillard
Kamryn Sariah, Rust

-Bleu Devils-