Southern University has moved into the No. 1 ranking in Black College Nines 2019 Historically Black College and University (HBCU) regular season baseball poll announced on April 23, 2019.
The Jaguars, 24-16 overall and 15-3 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), received the most first-place votes and total points in the “large school” division made up of NCAA Division I baseball programs. The Jags have won ball games with pitching, timely hitting and good defense. They have a resume win against a nationally ranked opponent and series wins over SWAC conference foes. Right behind Southern and moving up into the No. 2 spot in the poll rankings from the SWAC is Alabama State University.
Changes occurred across the entire large school division landscape for the remaining HBCU baseball teams in the top 10 poll. Jackson State climbed two spots to No. 3, Coppin State from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) fell two spots to No. 4.
The previous top ranked team North Carolina A&T fell to No. 5 and Grambling State jumped up one spot to No. 6. North Carolina Central moved up a spot to No. 7, Norfolk State, tied for first place in the MEAC Northern Division, moves to No. 8. Florida A&M, unranked in the last poll, re-enters for the second time this season occupying the No. 9 spot and Bethune Cookman rounds out the top ten at No. 10.
In the small school division, made up of NCAA Division II schools as well as those in the NAIA and USCAA, Winston Salem State climbed into the No. 1 spot in the week four poll followed by Jarvis Christian which fell from the top spot to No. 2 and Claflin, which stayed put at No. 3.
The rest of the small school poll includes Albany State, up three spot to No. 4, Kentucky State, which remains at No. 5 from the previous week’s poll, Miles up four spots to No. 6, as Talladega falls one spot to No. 7. Texas College, unranked in the last poll and winners of 10 of their last 12 ball games, returns to the Top 10 poll at No. 8. Selma University falls five spots to No. 9 and rounding out the final spot in this week’s rankings is Benedict in at No. 10.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in the large school division has six teams in the Top 10 while in the small school division, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference continues to have four representatives.
Note… the records shown for the past week are actually for the past two weeks which represents the time since the last poll.
The two divisional polls are as follows…
Large School Poll
| Rank | School | Won | Lost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State (SWAC) This Past Week: 6-4 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 244 | 22 | 17 | 2 | |
| Bethune Cookman University (MEAC) This Past Week: 2-7 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: 260 | 16 | 27 | 10 | |
| Coppin State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 5-4 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 261 | 21 | 16 | 4 | |
| Florida A&M University (MEAC) This Past Week: 6-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 247 | 18 | 23 | 9 | |
| Grambling State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 6-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 246 | 20 | 19 | 6 | |
| Jackson State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 8-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 233 | 25 | 19 | 3 | |
| Norfolk State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 5-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 9 Current RPI: 268 | 16 | 19 | 8 | |
| North Carolina A&T University (MEAC) This Past Week: 2-4 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 188 | 20 | 18 | 5 | |
| North Carolina Central University (MEAC) This Past Week: 4-3 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 223 | 18 | 20 | 7 | |
| Southern University (SWAC) This Past Week: 7-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 187 | 24 | 16 | 1 |
Small School Poll
| Rank | School | Won | Lost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 6-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 253 | 25 | 17 | 4 | |
| Benedict College (SIAC) This Past Week: 2-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: 472 | 14 | 13 | 10 | |
| Claflin University (CIAA) This Past Week: 3-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 266 | 22 | 12 | 3 | |
| Jarvis Christian College (RRAC) This Past Week: 2-5 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 201 | 30 | 19 | 2 | |
| Kentucky State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 3-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 367 | 21 | 14 | 5 | |
| Miles College (SIAC) This Past Week: 7-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 10 Current RPI: 306 | 23 | 18 | 6 | |
| Selma University (USCAA) This Past Week: 0-3 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: Not Indicated | 10 | 7 | 9 | |
| Talladega College (GCAC) This Past Week: 2-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 159 | 22 | 18 | 7 | |
| Texas College (RRAC) This Past Week: 7-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 295 | 23 | 26 | 8 | |
| Winston Salem State University (CIAA) This Past Week: 3-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 215 | 28 | 14 | 1 |
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.