For the third straight week Southern University remains the No. 1 ranked team in Black College Nines’ 2019 Historically Black College and University (HBCU) “large school” baseball poll announced on May 7, 2019.
The Jaguars, 28-20 overall and 18-6 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), captured the Western Division title and will enter the 2019 SWAC Conference Tournament in New Orleans as a No. 1 seed.
There were changes up and down in this week’s rankings for the remaining teams in HBCU baseball Top 10 Large School Poll. Both North Carolina A&T and Jackson State moved up one spot to No. 2 and No. 3 in the rankings. Norfolk State who was picked in preseason polls to finish last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is the Northern Division champ and climbed three spots to No. 4 while Coppin State fell three spots to No. 5. Grambling State maintains the No. 6 spot for the second week, Alabama State moved down two spot to No. 7, Florida A&M flipped one spot to No. 8 with North Carolina Central sliding one spot to No. 9 as Delaware State moves back into the Top 10 Poll at No. 10.
Winston Salem State, for the third week remains No. 1 in the Small School Top 10 Poll. The Rams, 35-16 overall, won the NCAA Division II Independent Tournament and will make the field in the NCAA DII Regionals, making its 6th NCAA tournament appearance since 2010.
For the third straight week in the small school poll, there were changes across the board for NCAA Division II schools as well as those in the NAIA and USCAA. Jarvis Christian, in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Championship game, received an automatic bid from the RRAC to the first round of the National NAIA Tournament, and moves up two spots to No. 2. Albany State drops down to No. 3 and Kentucky State drops to No. 4, as Claflin holds on to the No. 5 ranking.
Talladega, who received the automatic bid from the A.I.I. to the first round of the National NAIA Tournament, marking its third straight appearance in the tournament, remains at No. 6. Miles jumped up two spots to No. 7. Selma, who will be making its tenth straight playoff appearance and second straight in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Small School World Series, falls one spot to No. 8. Rounding out the final two spots, moving into the top 10 is Virigina State at No. 9 and Florida Memorial No. 10.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference continues to have six teams in the Top 10 in the large school division while in the small school division, the Independents have four representatives.
The two divisional polls are as follows…
Large School Poll
| Rank | School | Won | Lost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State (SWAC) This Past Week: 0-4 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 257 | 25 | 24 | 7 | |
| Coppin State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 0-4 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 276 | 24 | 21 | 5 | |
| Delaware State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 3-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 280 | 17 | 23 | 10 | |
| Florida A&M University (MEAC) This Past Week: 3-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 9 Current RPI: 253 | 21 | 28 | 8 | |
| Grambling State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 1-3 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 233 | 24 | 23 | 6 | |
| Jackson State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 2-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 248 | 29 | 21 | 3 | |
| Norfolk State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 3-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 264 | 22 | 21 | 4 | |
| North Carolina A&T University (MEAC) This Past Week: 2-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 202 | 25 | 21 | 2 | |
| North Carolina Central University (MEAC) This Past Week: 0-3 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: 270 | 19 | 27 | 9 | |
| Southern University (SWAC) This Past Week: 3-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 208 | 28 | 20 | 1 |
Teams Dropped From Top Ten... Bethune-Cookman
Small School Poll
| Rank | School | Won | Lost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 3-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 314 | 32 | 20 | 3 | |
| Claflin University (CIAA) This Past Week: 2-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 442 | 25 | 17 | 5 | |
| Florida Memorial University (SUN) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 409 | 20 | 26 | 10 | |
| Jarvis Christian College (RRAC) This Past Week: 2-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 266 | 34 | 22 | 2 | |
| Kentucky State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 1-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 556 | 27 | 16 | 4 | |
| Miles College (SIAC) This Past Week: 3-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 9 Current RPI: 456 | 26 | 23 | 7 | |
| Selma University (USCAA) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: Not Indicated | 12 | 8 | 8 | |
| Talladega College (GCAC) This Past Week: 1-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 224 | 23 | 21 | 6 | |
| Virginia State University (CIAA) This Past Week: 4-3 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 516 | 21 | 20 | 9 | |
| Winston Salem State University (CIAA) This Past Week: 4-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 285 | 35 | 16 | 1 |
Teams Dropped From Top Ten... Texas College, West Virginia State
2019 Poll Dates (with links to poll results):
Pre-Season
Week 1 (March 12, 2019)
Week 2 (March 26, 2019)
Week 3 (April 9, 2019)
Week 4 (April 23, 2019)
Week 5 (April 30, 2019)
Week 6 (May 7, 2019)
Week 7 (May 14, 2019)
Week 8* (May 21, 2019)
*Final Poll
The voting committee is made up of an informed and impartial group of individuals who follow college baseball on all levels, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) baseball. Included in the group are college athletic administrators and educators, college baseball writers and other sports journalists and broadcasters, former HBCU and other college ballplayers and above all else… college baseball enthusiasts who have an interest in promoting HBCU baseball.
As the college baseball season concludes, champions will be named in two divisions… the “large school” division will be composed of the 19 HBCU schools representing NCAA Division I and a “small school” division made up of the 30 HBCU schools with NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA and independent status.
The crowning of Black College Nines National Champions will be announced on Tuesday, May 21st, 2019 on the Black College Nines’ website, Twitter and Facebook pages.