The Lady Eagles softball team will open their 2011 campaign this weekend as they host seven teams in the Lady Eagles Invitational. St. Paul's, Western Carolina, Morgan State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Winston-Salem State, Barton and Peace College will all make the trip to Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C., as they participate in NCCU’s home opener this Saturday and Sunday. For a complete schedule of the Lady Eagles Invitational click here.

Here is a closer look at the 2011 Lady Eagles softball team…

2011 Season Outlook
The North Carolina Central University softball team enters its fourth year as a division one program and finally has a place to call home. After being accepted into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) on July 1, 2010, NCCU will take on its first season as a new member to the league. Although the Lady Eagles will not be eligible to compete for a conference title until the 2012 season, NCCU will be given a chance to make a name for themselves in the MEAC during their 2011 campaign as they will be presented with a predominately conference-filled schedule.

Head coach Mike Charlton enters his fourth season with the Lady Eagles and senior Ashanti Stroud has been by his side since day one. Stroud will be Charlton's first student-athlete to graduate from the program with four complete years under his guidance. Charlton and Stroud have both experienced the growth of the team together and this year will be an exciting year for the both of them as the program continues to grow.

Alongside Stroud is senior returner Kristina Williams, who was also a part of Charlton's first class during the 2008 season. Under the leadership of two seniors, the Lady Eagles remain a youthful program, dominated by underclassmen. NCCU returns three juniors, four sophomores and welcomes four freshmen to its 2011 squad. Although they may be small in age and numbers, the Lady Eagles will continue to have great leadership, which will help them build upon the foundation that has been started under Charlton's guidance for the past four years.

The Lady Eagles will be under a great group of guidance this season as their captains for the 2011 term have proven themselves to be a group full of heart and extremely hard workers. Stroud will be joined her senior season with junior Andrea Searls and sophomore Mae'Risha Watts. This group of ladies has spent their time with NCCU softball completely dedicated to helping this young program grow and develop into something special.

PITCHERS
NCCU enters the 2011 season with a three-person pitching staff, Aurora Baker, Kayla McPeek and Shamika Chavis-Hodge, all returners from last year's squad. Baker returns to the Lady Eagles with the most experience coming in as a junior. Last season Baker started in eight games, finishing with a 1-8 record on the mound. She saw 59.1 innings of action, while leading the team in strikeouts in 2010 with 22. Along with her experience, she also brings a lot of speed and strength to the mound, which should help the Lady Eagles as they compete in the 2011 season.

McPeek returns to the circle in 2011 as a sophomore. Last season McPeek was the winning pitcher in three out of NCCU's seven wins, appearing in 74.1 innings. On the mound her earned run average was 6.50 and she posted a total of 17 strikeouts. McPeek, who is very versatile, also appeared at the plate for the Lady Eagles 30 times, hitting .200 on the season. The versatility brought to the field by McPeek will be a huge asset on and off the mound throughout the Lady Eagles' season.

Chavis-Hodge rounds out the pitching crew for 2011, returning as a sophomore. She had a solid freshmen season with 11 appearances on the mound. After spending most of last season under great upperclassmen guidance, Chavis-Hodge is expected to step up this season and be a powerful contributor for the Lady Eagles.

"Of course it will be a challenge going from a five-man pitching staff to three," said Charlton. "Aurora wasn't healthy the first half of last season, and that hurt us, so we are looking for a better show from her this season. We also have two sophomore pitchers returning with McPeek and Chavis-Hodge, so we will be looking for our younger pitchers to step up and Aurora to lead the way."

CATCHERS
Behind the plate will be held down by a familiar face for the Lady Eagles, Andrea Searls. The junior has been the anchor for NCCU for the past two years as the primary catcher. Last season Searls played in 40 games and was named to the NCAA Division I Softball All-Independent Team. She hit .337 on the season, with six doubles and two triples. On the defensive end she had a total of 92 putouts with only 10 errors and 12 passed balls.

"We have people that can back Andrea up," Charlton added, "but she has a very important roll on this team. She had some great achievements last year and now that she has become a more vocal leader we are looking for her to continue to anchor our team and lead us into our conference play next season."

INFIELD
The infield for the Lady Eagles will be drastically different from last season. All fresh faces will enter the rotation in the infield for NCCU. Returning for the Lady Eagles will be senior Ashanti Stroud, a previous outfielder, junior Nadia Moreta, another previous outfielder, along with the return of senior Kristina Williams, who last lettered during the 2008 season.

Stroud has been a key component for the past three years as a Lady Eagle, but has spent the past two seasons predominantly as an outfielder. Last season Stroud played in 42 games for NCCU while she hit .216. On the defensive end, Stroud spent majority of her time in the outfield where she had 44 putouts with four assists and only four errors on the season. Stroud's versatility, leadership and experience will bring a lot to the infield this season in helping them fill in the gaps they lost.

Moreta, a returning junior, had a much improved season last year where she appeared in 23 games. She spent most of her time in the outfield for the past two years, but will return to her natural infielding position this season, where she is expected to step up on the defensive and offensive end.

Williams returns to the Lady Eagles as a senior. In her 2008 freshmen campaign Williams also was mainly an outfielder, but she returns to NCCU this season ready to work at any position that her team needs her.

Stroud, Moreta and Williams will welcome newcomers Regina Diaz and Amanda Bullock to the infield. According to Charlton, a freshmen class filled with infield talent is exactly what the Lady Eagles needed this season to help continue building their program. Diaz is one of Charlton's North Carolina recruits coming from Lincolnton, N.C., where she attended North Gaston High School. Diaz came to NCCU as a natural third baseman, but will be making the switch for the Lady Eagles over to shortstop, where she will have to step up and become an immediate leader on the field.

Bullock, another North Carolina native, rounds out the infielding staff for the Lady Eagles this season. Bullock joins NCCU from Henderson, N.C., where she played at Northern Vance High School. She is another young player for the Lady Eagles that will have to set up in a leadership position right away as she will take over the duties at first base.

"Regina and Amanda will be very big players for our team this season," said Charlton. "They are both coming in with big shoes to fill and I believe they will be able to get the job done very well."

OUTFIELD
The 2011 outfield will have some key similarities to last season, as two players from last year's squad will remain as outfielders, including one of this year's captains, Mae'Risha Watts. Returning with Watts will be fellow sophomore Nadia Jefferies. They welcome red-shirt freshmen Whitney Boykin and freshmen Cember Carmichael to the green.

Watts returns to the outfield this season as last year's most improved player. She joined the 2010 Lady Eagles' team as a walk-on before making her way into the starting line-up and now has found a spot as one of the team's captains as a sophomore. Last year she hit .245 with four doubles, one triple and one homerun. On the defensive end, she had 11 putouts in her time in the outfield. Watts's hard work and dedication to the Lady Eagles softball program will be essential for the growth of this team.

Jeffries also returns to the Lady Eagles this season as a sophomore. After an impressive freshman campaign, she will be looked at this season to lead her teammates in the outfield. In 2010 Jeffries posted some huge numbers despite just being a freshman. She hit .250 on the season as the Lady Eagles lead-off batter, while coming up successful in 10 out of her 11 stolen base attempts. On the defensive end, Jefferies had 74 putouts as she shared time as an infielder and outfielder. This season Jefferies' speed and experience will help guide this young group of outfielders.

Boykin, who is a new face to the playing field, is not new to the Lady Eagles program. She came in last season as freshman who struggled with injuries and was not able to see the playing field. Boykin has worked extremely hard in the off-season to get back healthy and prepare for her first season on the field. Her excitement for the game and eagerness to play will help inspire some of the younger student-athletes to perform to their fullest potential.

Carmichael comes to NCCU from Conyers, Ga., where she attended Spaulding High School. She is expected to be a huge impact player for the Lady Eagles immediately on the defensive and offensive end. Carmichael has been compared to the likes of former NCCU standout Desanbra Franklin and is going to be a great addition to the Lady Eagles program.

"We are very excited about the outfield this season," Charlton continued. "We have a lot of speed and intelligence in returners, and we also have a lot of other players who can hold it down in the outfield if need be."

SCHEDULE
This year the Lady Eagles will remain close to home for a majority of their season as they begin to witness some conference play. NCCU will be hosting two early tournaments to kick off their 2011 campaign before they start to get a taste of some MEAC play.

"This season is what will give us an opportunity to see where we measure," added Charlton. "It will be a trial run for the young ladies to see where we stand in the conference. We will be playing more in our division this year and get a chance to see how we compare and what we need to continue to work on."

NCCU will also take a trip back up to Charlton's hometown of Dover, Del., as the Lady Eagles participate in the Delaware State tournament in March. Also on the Lady Eagles schedule for this season will be five other major division one universities (Western Carolina, Furman, Campbell, UNC Wilmington and Elon), giving them the chance to play at the highest level of competition.

NCCU will be competing in a schedule similar to one that they will see next season as they enter the running for a conference title. This will give the Lady Eagles one last chance to work out all the kinks before they hit the main stage in 2012.

CONCLUSION
This 2011 season for the Lady Eagles is expected to be one to remember, as the team is given one last chance to make a name for itself in the division one pool before becoming eligible for post-season competition. With a team filled with underclassmen, this season will be one that goes down in the history books for Charlton and his lone three-time letterwinning senior Ashanti Stroud.

Over the past few years as NCCU has gone through the transition from division two to division one, there has been one player that has stuck by coach Charlton's side through it all. Stroud will graduate this spring as Charlton's first full-term student-athlete.

"Ashanti has been here since day one," noted Charlton. "It has been tough for her because of all the struggles we have been presented with as a program. This year will be very special to me because I get to see one of my kids make it, and how many changes have happened since she has been here."

Charlton also commented on what it is going to be like for him on Stroud's senior day this May.

"It's going be a great day because you always want to see one of your kids graduate," he continued. "But it will also be sad because she has been here since day one and has helped me build this program. She will always be a part of our history here at NCCU."

Under the guidance of Charlton and his lone true senior Stroud, the young Lady Eagles look to make great things happen in 2011 as they continue to close the gaps and look to become a true division one softball program.