BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2024 All-SWAC Softball teams and individual award winners on Monday. The all-conference honors were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.  

Prairie View A&M’s Mia Nunez was named Player of the Year while her fellow teammate Biviana Figueroa was tabbed Hitter of the Year.

Florida A&M’s Zoryana Hughes was selected as Pitcher of the Year while her fellow teammate Samantha Smith was tabbed Newcomer of the Year.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Kayla Adams and Florida A&M’s Zoryana Hughes were named Co-Freshman of the Year.

Nunez has been a key member of the Lady Panthers softball team. She is averaging .378 after playing in all 45 games of the season. She has been at bat 135 times with 38 runs scored, 51 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, six home runs, and 42 RBIs to lead the team. Nunez also had a .951 fielding percentage during regular season play.

Figueroa has tallied a .383 batting average during the regular season. She has posted 27 runs, 46 hits, six doubles, one triple, six home runs, and 34 RBIs.

True freshman Hughes was the top pitcher for the Rattlers and the most winningest in the SWAC, as she had the most SWAC wins with 11. Hughes only had three losses for the whole season and one loss in SWAC play. She had a SWAC ERA of 0.94 and an opponent batting average of .219.

Smith was the Rattlers' most versatile player, as she was one of the best hitters and pitchers on the team. Smith was seventh on the team with 21 hits and had the second-most RBIs with 22. Smith's 22 RBIs ranked 15th in the league. In SWAC play, Smith had the 8th-best slugging percentage with a .619. 

Adams, a true freshman, is currently one of the best pitchers in the league. She made history by becoming the first freshman in her school's history to join the 10-win club at the halfway point of the season. She struck out over 190 batters during the regular season.

Prairie View A&M’s Vernon Bland and Florida A&M’s Camise Patterson were named Co-Coach of the Year after leading their teams to regular season divisional titles rounding out the list of individual award winners.
 
The complete listing of all-conference selections and individual awards winners can be found below.
 
2024 All-SWAC Softball Team and Individual Awards
 
Player of the Year
Mia Nunez, Prairie View A&M
 
Hitter of the Year
Biviana Figueroa, Prairie View A&M
 
Pitcher of the Year
Zoryana Hughes, Florida A&M 
 
Newcomer of the Year
Samantha Smith, Florida A&M
 
Co-Freshman of the Year
Kayla Adams, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
 
Co-Freshman of the Year
Zoryana Hughes, Florida A&M 
 
Co-Coach of the Year
Vernon Bland, Prairie View A&M
 
Co-Coach of the Year
Camise Patterson, Florida A&M
 
First Team
C – Biviana Figueroa, Prairie View A&M
1B – Ciera Clark, Bethune-Cookman
2B – Jaeda Gardner, Alabama State
SS – Amaya Gainer, Florida A&M
3B – Jaylyn Davis, Prairie View A&M
OF – Kindall DeRamus, Alabama State
OF – Kendall Smiley, Alabama State
OF – Mia Nunez, Prairie View A&M
P – Kayla Adams, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
P – Zoryana Hughes, Florida A&M 
P – Breanna Reyna, Prairie View A&M
DP – Alana Mark, Southern

Second Team
C – Nyah Morgan, Florida A&M
1B – Brianna Duggins, Florida A&M
2B – Alana Mark, Southern
SS – Julie Lopez, Jackson State
3B – Jace Jackson, Jackson State
OF – Mia Blasingane, Florida A&M
OF – Audrey Garcia, Prairie View A&M
OF – Paris Johnson, Texas Southern
P – Maren Berger, Texas Southern
P – Halyne Gonzalez, Bethune-Cookman
P – Madalynn Gonzales, Texas Southern
DP – Brooke Ramsey, Alabama State
 
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.