Black College Nines previews the 2024 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) baseball season and predicts the GCAC’s order of finish as some conference members get their season started at the end of January while others start play the first week of February. The league has a little bit of everything from power hitters to power hitting, base stealers to extra base takers, starting pitching to pitching relievers, and my favorite the inning killing double play combinations.
The league is absolutely stacked this year with the addition of Talladega College (rejoining the conference) and Southern University at New Orleans, thus giving the conference eight members. Baseball playing conference members include Dillard University, Oakwood University, Philander Smith College, Rust College, Southern University at New Orleans, Talladega College, Tougaloo College and Wiley University.
Three more HBCU baseball programs (Stillman College, Voorhees University and Wilberforce University) are slated to join the conference in 2024 – 2025 giving the GCAC 13 baseball members to petition the NAIA for two conference members receiving postseason play in the NAIA National Opening Round Tournament as the conference regular season champion and the conference tournament champion.
Sources have confirmed that the possibility of the NAIA’s Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) HBCU members Arkansas Baptist College and Morris College are planning to make the move, as well.
In the future, the Black College Nines Top 10 small school poll could have many teams from the GCAC ranked as the conference will have 13 NAIA members playing competitively when the conference expands during the 2024-2025 season.
Naturally, the league will cannibalize itself throughout the conference schedule, and it’ll be interesting to see how many teams will wind up in the postseason tournament following the conference tournament.
This upcoming season, reigning GCAC conference champion Dillard is predicted to compete for the top spot and ranking in BCN HBCU Baseball small school regular season Top 10 Poll along with Talladega, Rust, and Wiley. The preseason small school Top 10 poll is scheduled to be released on January 15, 2024.
Below is Black College Nines’ GCAC Baseball predicted order of finish:
- Talladega College
- Dillard University
- Rust College
- Wiley University
- Philander Smith College
- Oakwood University
- Tougaloo College
- Southern University at New Orleans
Although the GCAC had three teams make postseason tournaments a year ago, they could have easily had four teams. Two teams were selected to compete in the 2023 Black College World Series (Rust and Wiley). Rust made its’s third straight appearance while it was Wiley’s first. Dillard enjoyed an impressive run through the conference tournament to claim the league’s automatic NAIA Opening National Tournament.
Talladega College
Talladega has a loaded group; they returned the entire 28-18 team of a year ago and have added some arms to the pitching staff instantly given the strong impressions made in the fall and once again landed right at the top when it comes to the outlook of this conference’s season as they look to reclaim past glory days. Talladega baseball has had recent success at the national level, with baseball national tournament bids in four NAIA National Opening Round tournaments (2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019) and four Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) championships. The Tornadoes continue to schedule the nation’s top ranked baseball teams in the NAIA Top 25 scheduling 20 to 25 games each season.
Dillard University
Dillard took a massive step forward last spring. After their first-ever season, flipped the script in year one featured six straight wins to end their year making an incredible run into the NAIA tournament. Now, in 2024, expectations are through the roof. They have the pieces to accomplish what they want, but its about living up to these very lofty dreams.
Rust College
How good is Rust and what can the Bearcats be? There’s reason for optimism, but still several questions need to be answered as well to determine if they can reach the heights that the two teams above them can. If they’re going to, though, the buck starts with head coach John Bates. The question from there is if Bates, specifically his pitching staff, can give a chance to get them there. I hear he recruited some arms, big time. Expect a fourth return to the Black College World Series this spring with a chance for NAIA Tournament.
Wiley University
After opening last season winning games, Wiley never truly got where they wanted to go. If they can rekindle what they had from start to finish during the entire season, head coach Kennth Biggs could have another recipe for success. Wiley looks to surprise teams in the conference and make another run to the Black College World Series with a chance for NAIA Opening Round in 2024.
Philander Smith College
Keep in mind that in 2023, Philander Smith was in its first year and the baseball program had a taste of college level competition. So, the verdict is out for the coaching staff now that they’ve had better time to prepare, and they have games under their belts.
Oakwood University
There’s plenty of room for Oakwood to overachieve, underachieve, or be right where they are expected to finish. Now, with the season almost here, it’s almost time to see just how the second season turns out for head coach Richard Hodnett. Hear he had some good recruiting trips.
Tougaloo College
Finding more consistency on the field will be important for Tougaloo as they enter their tenth season under head coach Earl Sanders.
Southern University at New Orleans
The jury is still out on what to expect from this first year program. Coach Olen Parker is setting his goals for 2023-2024 both modestly and realistically. “We want to be competitive and we want to win as many games as we can.”