DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team makes its 2025 season debut in the competitive Elon Softball Classic this weekend.

The Elon Classic begins Thursday, Feb. 6, and runs through Saturday, Feb. 8 in Elon, N.C. Admission is free.

NCCU will be among six teams competing at Hunt Softball Park. The field includes Ohio, Power Four team Ohio State, UNC Greensboro, Connecticut and Elon, the host team. Each program is expected to contend in its respective conference.

The Eagles, led by new head coach Now-Allah James, open on Thursday with two games. They face Ohio at 11 a.m. and UNC Greensboro at 4 p.m.

NCCU will play one game each on Friday and Saturday. The Eagles meet Ohio State on Friday at noon and Elon on Saturday at 5 p.m.

FloCollege will livestream the Elon contest. Click HERE to watch.  Live stats featuring Eagles' games will appear on elonphoenix.com and nccueaglepride.com.

NCCU, picked fourth in the MEAC preseason poll, returns 12 players from last year's squad which posted a 14-7 conference mark. The Eagles reached the MEAC Tournament semifinals last year after winning the championship in 2023.

The Eagles bring back four Preseason All-MEAC performers - senior pitcher Jaden Davis, junior first baseman Takia Nichols, junior shortstop Makiya Graves and sophomore outfielder Tyler Suttles. NCCU added eight newcomers, including seven freshmen, to the roster.

Davis led the MEAC in strikeouts with 116 in 2024. She ranked third in the league in wins (12) and second in innings pitched (188.1). Nichols ranked eighth in the MEAC in on base percentage (.438) and second in walks (25).

Graves ranked fourth in the conference in putouts (233) and second in fielding double plays (11) while producing 10 RBIs and 17 runs. Suttles ranked among the MEAC's top 10 players in five major hitting categories including third in batting average (.435) and hits (27).

Ohio, the Eagles' first opponent, is favored to win both the MAC regular season and tournament crowns. Ohio State tied for 6^th in the Big Ten last year.

UNC Greensboro is picked to finish second in the Southern Conference and Elon is sixth out of 12 teams in the CAA preseason poll. Connecticut is predicted to finish second in the Big East.

After this weekend, NCCU heads to Covington, Ga., for the HBCU Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 14-16.