After a season of HBCU baseball cut short, Alabama State University, in the “large school” division, and Lane College, in the “small school” division, have been named Historically Black College and University “Shortened Season” Poll Champions for 2020 by the polling committee at Black College Nines.
Unlike previous seasons, and this has definitely been unlike any previous seasons, we are acknowledging these teams as “poll champions” contrasted with “national champions” of past years.
Though the season did not play out in its entirety, Black College Nines feels that teams, players and coaching staffs still deserve some recognition for the hard work and dedication from fall until the termination of the season in mid-March.
Alabama State topped the voting in the first week’s poll of March 10th and the final poll for the 2020 season claiming the top spot in our final polls for the third time in the last six years. The Hornets won back to back championships from 2015-2016. ASU was undefeated in conference play and during the season had a HBCU baseball best seven game winning streak, for season record of 14-4.
Lane College, ranked second in the first week of the “small school” March 10th poll, barely leapfrogged into the No. 1 spot in the final top ten small school poll to become small school poll champion. The Dragons ball club, from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, thus wins it’s first-ever HBCU baseball small school title. Lane finished the short season with a record of 10-6.
The HBCU 2020 baseball season was cut short by COVID-19 (Coronavirus) which is affecting the health, safety and well-being of our entire nation. It was in the best interest for the intercollegiate governing bodies, the (NCAA) and the (NAIA) along with each HBCU conferences, to cancel all remaining baseball spring activities for the 2020 spring season.
Black College Nines is dedicated to preserving the tradition of baseball at historically black colleges and universities by selecting its top teams. 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: 1-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 232 | 14 | 4 | 1 | |
| Alcorn State (SWAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 238 | 5 | 7 | 6 | |
| Bethune Cookman University (MEAC) This Past Week: 1-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: 269 | 6 | 12 | 8 | |
| Florida A&M University (MEAC) This Past Week: 1-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 9 Current RPI: 214 | 5 | 10 | 10 | |
| Grambling State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 0-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: 226 | 6 | 10 | 7 | |
| Jackson State University (SWAC) This Past Week: 0-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 122 | 9 | 7 | 2 | |
| North Carolina A&T University (MEAC) This Past Week: 0-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 255 | 7 | 9 | 3 | |
| North Carolina Central University (MEAC) This Past Week: 1-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 10 Current RPI: 278 | 6 | 11 | 9 | |
| Southern University (SWAC) This Past Week: 0-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 131 | 6 | 10 | 4 | |
| Texas Southern University (SWAC) This Past Week: 2-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 156 | 7 | 12 | 5 |
Teams Dropped From Top Ten... None
Small School Poll
| Rank | School | Won | Lost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 8 Current RPI: 135 | 8 | 10 | 9 | |
| Benedict College (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 6 Current RPI: Not Indicated | 6 | 5 | 8 | |
| Bluefield State College (USCAA) This Past Week: 2-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 3 Current RPI: 398 | 9 | 6 | 4 | |
| Jarvis Christian College (RRAC) This Past Week: 1-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 7 Current RPI: 322 | 12 | 12 | 5 | |
| Kentucky State University (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-2 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 1 Current RPI: 411 | 12 | 8 | 2 | |
| Lane College (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 2 Current RPI: 421 | 10 | 6 | 1 | |
| Miles College (SIAC) This Past Week: 0-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 4 Current RPI: 333 | 9 | 9 | 7 | |
| Savannah State (SIAC) This Past Week: 1-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 291 | 7 | 8 | 10 | |
| Virginia State University (CIAA) This Past Week: 4-1 Previous BCN Poll Rank: 5 Current RPI: 289 | 13 | 10 | 3 | |
| Wiley College (RRAC) This Past Week: 2-0 Previous BCN Poll Rank: N/A Current RPI: 546 | 11 | 9 | 6 |
Teams Dropped From Top Ten... Talladega College, West Virginia State
2020 Poll Dates (with links to poll results):
Pre-Season
Week 1 (March 10, 2020)
Week 2 (March 24, 2020)*
Week 3 (April 7, 2020) Season Cancelled
Week 4 (April 21, 2020) Season Cancelled
Week 5 (April 28, 2020) Season Cancelled
Week 6 (May 5, 2020) Season Cancelled
Week 7 (May 12, 2020) Season Cancelled
Week 8 (May 19, 2020) Season Cancelled
Week 9 (May 26, 2020) Season Cancelled
*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 18 HBCU schools representing NCAA Division I and a “small school” division made up of the 29 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 26th, 2020 on the Black College Nines’ website, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Proud of NCAA for continuing this tradition in spite of COVID epidemic. Congratulations to Alabama State and Lane College. Proud of you guys for staying the course and being crowned “National Champions “!!!! HBCU❤️
Congrats Coach Pat Barbour from Lane. You pour your heart and souls into your team and this is a wonderful crowning achievement for you all!