OAKWOOD PLACES FOUR PLAYERS ON ALL-HBCUAC SOFTBALL TEAM, HOWARD NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR, JONES AND NEWBY EARN FIRST-TEAM HONORS

4/29/2026 10:07:00 AM

NORTHPORT, Ala. – Oakwood University placed four players on the All-HBCU Athletic Conference Softball Team, including Player of the Year Jordan Howard, league officials announced recently.

Joining Howard, a sophomore shortstop from Chelsea, on the first team, was catcher Anna Jones and pitcher Emma Newby. Toni Sims was named to the second team.

Howard, the HBCUAC Freshman of the Year last season, batted .489, scored 33 runs, had 12 doubles and 19 RBI while posting a .705 slugging percentage.

Jones, a senior from Attalla, batted .500, scored 27 runs, had 14 doubles and 31 RBI while posting a .788 slugging percentage.

Newby, a freshman from Huntsville, was a strong candidate for Freshman of the Year.

She had a .329 batting average to go along with 24 RBI and scored 19 runs.

In the circle, Newby was 15-10 with a 5.07 ERA. She led the league in strikeouts with 154 and strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 7.30.

Sims, a sophomore utility player from Douglasville, Ga., batted .387, had 13 RBI and scored 22 runs.

Oakwood finished third in the 2026 HBCUAC Championship.

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