Arkansas Baptist College has announced plans to add wrestling and softball to its lineup of collegiate sports.

The school, a Region 2 member of the NJCAA, will fill a void among colleges offering wrestling which are Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU).

The last HBCU to field a wrestling team on any level was Delaware State, which cut the sport a few years ago.

College President Fitz Hill and athletic director Charles Ripley said in a news release that both sports will begin competing in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Roosevelt Hadley has been chosen to coach the wrestling team while Ronald Roland will coach softball.

Hadley has served as a volunteer wrestling coach at the Arkansas School for the Blind and at Central Arkansas Christian School. Roland is a former assistant softball coach at J.A. Fair High School.