Southern remains No. 1 for the fourth week in a row in Black College Nines’ 2019 Historically Black College and University (HBCU) “large school” baseball poll announced on May 14, 2019.
The Jaguars, 28-21 overall and 18-6 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), will enter the 2019 SWAC Conference Tournament in New Orleans as a No. 1 seed starting play on May 15. They will take part in the inaugural HBCU Baseball World Series on Friday, May 24, 2019, that will crown a HBCU baseball champion.
There were some changes for this week’s Top 10 rankings. North Carolina A&T (who will play Southern in the HBCU World Series) and Jackson State stayed at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the poll. Alabama State climbed to No. 4 while Grambling State moved up one spot to No. 5. Coppin State dropped to No. 6 from the previous week’s fifth spot and Norfolk State fell four spots to No. 7. Florida A&M, North Carolina Central and Delaware State remain in the previous week rankings to round out the Top 10.
For the fourth straight week Winston Salem State stays at No. 1 in the Small School Top 10 Poll. The Rams, completed its season with a 35-16 overall record and won the NCAA Division II Independent Tournament.
Changes took place this week as Albany State moved up a spot into No. 2, while Jarvis Christian playing in the NAIA National Tournament dropped to the No. 3 spot. Kentucky State stays at No. 4, as Claflin holds on to No. 5.
Talladega, playing in the NAIA National Tournament, remains at No. 6. Miles maintains the No. 7 spot and Selma playing in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Small School World Series, holds in at No. 8. Virigina State continues in at the No. 9 spot as West Virginia State climbs back into this weeks poll at No. 10 to round out the small school Top 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: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 250 | 25 | 24 | 4 | |
| Coppin State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 0-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 278 | 24 | 22 | 6 | |
| Delaware State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 1-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 10 Current RPI: 277 | 18 | 23 | 10 | |
| Florida A&M University (MEAC) This Past Week: 1-3 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: 251 | 22 | 31 | 8 | |
| Grambling State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 234 | 24 | 23 | 5 | |
| Jackson State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 1-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 228 | 30 | 22 | 3 | |
| Norfolk State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 0-3 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 271 | 22 | 24 | 7 | |
| North Carolina A&T University (MEAC) This Past Week: 3-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 190 | 28 | 22 | 2 | |
| North Carolina Central University (MEAC) This Past Week: 2-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 9 Current RPI: 260 | 21 | 28 | 9 | |
| Southern University (SWAC) This Past Week: 0-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 211 | 28 | 21 | 1 |
Teams Dropped From Top Ten... None
Small School Poll
| Rank | School | Won | Lost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 296 | 32 | 20 | 2 | |
| Claflin University (CIAA) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 483 | 25 | 17 | 5 | |
| Jarvis Christian College (RRAC) This Past Week: 1-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 259 | 35 | 23 | 3 | |
| Kentucky State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 570 | 27 | 16 | 4 | |
| Miles College (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 471 | 26 | 23 | 7 | |
| Selma University (USCAA) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: Not Indicated | 12 | 8 | 8 | |
| Talladega College (GCAC) This Past Week: 2-3 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 219 | 25 | 24 | 6 | |
| Virginia State University (CIAA) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 9 Current RPI: 517 | 21 | 20 | 9 | |
| West Virginia State University (MEC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 473 | 24 | 23 | 10 | |
| Winston Salem State University (CIAA) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 260 | 35 | 16 | 1 |
Teams Dropped From Top Ten... Florida Memorial
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.