After another outstanding season of HBCU baseball, Southern University in the “large school” division and Winston-Salem State University in the “small school” division, have been crowned Historically Black College and University National Champions by the polling committee at Black College Nines.
Southern, after a 9-33 record last year, fought through a tough regular season conference and non conference schedule and won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship where the Jaguars had a dramatic conference tournament run with two come from behind victories and a walk off win in the tournament.
During the regular season, Southern University upset the nation’s then No. 8 ranked LSU Tigers and ultimately had one of collegiate baseball’s best worst-to-first finishes in NCAA history with a record of 32-22 in 2019. Southern has earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I post-season regionals and now awaits the NCAA regional selection pairings. As well, the Jags will play in the inaugural HBCU Baseball World Series scheduled to take place on Friday, May 24, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
Through the regular season, Winston-Salem State University climbed into the No. 1 spot in the fourth week of the HBCU baseball poll season and ultimately became the unanimous small school champion.
The team was 14-7 when school made an announcement that the baseball program would be dropped after the conclusion of the season. After the fateful announcement, the Rams went 21-9 and finished the season at 35-16. Winston-Salem closed its season winning the NCAA Division II Independent Tournament (a post season “conference” tournament for baseball programs not affiliated with an actual conference) . In the last seven years, the Rams have won more that 30 ball games each year including a 40 win season in 2017. The Winston-Salem State program leaves HBCU baseball having built a powerhouse program and are now going out as champions.
Black College Nines is dedicated to preserving the tradition of baseball at historically black colleges and universities by selecting its national champions. The “large school” division is made up of HBCUs in the NCAA Division I classification and the “small school” division consists of HBCU schools in the NCAA Divisions II and III, as well as those schools in the NAIA and USCAA.
The two final divisional polls are as follows…
Large School Poll
| Rank | School | Won | Lost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State (SWAC) This Past Week: 3-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 250 | 28 | 26 | 3 | |
| Coppin State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 0-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 282 | 24 | 24 | 8 | |
| Delaware State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 2-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 10 Current RPI: 274 | 20 | 25 | 10 | |
| Florida A&M University (MEAC) This Past Week: 5-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: 227 | 27 | 32 | 4 | |
| Grambling State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 3-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 229 | 27 | 25 | 5 | |
| Jackson State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 1-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 245 | 31 | 24 | 6 | |
| Norfolk State University (MEAC) This Past Week: 2-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 264 | 24 | 26 | 7 | |
| North Carolina A&T University (MEAC) This Past Week: 1-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 201 | 29 | 24 | 2 | |
| Southern University (SWAC) This Past Week: 4-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 195 | 32 | 22 | 1 | |
| Texas Southern University (SWAC) This Past Week: 3-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 259 | 20 | 34 | 9 |
Teams Dropped From Top Ten... North Carolina Central
Small School Poll
| Rank | School | Won | Lost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 300 | 32 | 20 | 2 | |
| Claflin University (CIAA) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 484 | 25 | 17 | 5 | |
| Jarvis Christian College (RRAC) This Past Week: 0-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 285 | 35 | 25 | 3 | |
| Kentucky State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 568 | 27 | 16 | 4 | |
| Miles College (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 476 | 26 | 23 | 7 | |
| Selma University (USCAA) This Past Week: 1-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: Not Indicated | 13 | 10 | 8 | |
| Talladega College (GCAC) This Past Week: 1-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 219 | 26 | 25 | 6 | |
| Virginia State University (CIAA) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 9 Current RPI: 523 | 21 | 20 | 9 | |
| West Virginia State University (MEC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 10 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... None
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.