2021 Black College “Small School” World Series Superlatives

After witnessing stiff competition and competitive high energy play on the field last week in the Black College World Series, Black College Nines now wants to look back at some of the best that the world series provided.

Most Swag: The fifth seeded Florida Memorial baseball team played the spoiler role in the tournament, having won a doubleheader to open day one of the tournament and then went 3-0 with its third straight victory on day two.  The Lions play in SUN Conference, a top-tier NAIA baseball conference, and were battle tested, which gave them a leg up on the competition. 

Toughest: Tanner Brendon competed in the Gold Coast Logistics Home Run Derby and started on the mound for Bluefield State, right after the derby, against the No. 1 seed Xavier University of Louisiana. BSC defeated the Gold Rush 4-1 with Brendon throwing 7.0 Innings, while he recorded 7 Ks and belted a double that plated a run. 

Best Confidence Boost: Bluefield State. The eventual Black College World Series champions spent an enormous amount of time on the practice field, and it paid off.  

Hunger Strikes: After losing 16-2 in the first championship game, which forced a winner take all game two, Bluefield State sat in the dugout munching on hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, chips, power bars, protein, and water drinks. The Big Blue ended up winning the Black College World Series 7-2 over Xavier.

Best Game: The Florida Memorial vs Xavier University game had the intensity of a championship game. After winning its first two games, then falling to Bluefield State, Florida Memorial had to knock out Xavier to stave off elimination. FMU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to a 3-hit inning. Xavier responded in the bottom of the second with three runs of their own and tied the game at four in the bottom of the fifth inning.

It looked like Florida Memorial would burst the game wide open in the top of the seventh loading the bases with just one out in a 4-4 tie. A sacrifice brought home a run but that would be the only run FMU would get out of the inning. Clinging to a 5-4 lead FMU went scoreless in the top of the eighth while the Gold Rush put three runs on the board – aided by the Lions giving up three consecutive walks to load the bases and a error after the infield was draw in to cut the runner down at home plate, a wide throw pulled the catcher off the plate. Xavier went on to a thrilling 7-5 win.

Best Single-Game Performance By A Player: Xavier pitcher Blair Frederick struck out 17 opposing batters in a near perfect pitching performance against Bluefield State in its first game of the inaugural Black College World Series in a 4-1 losing effort. Frederick ran into trouble at the start of the game. Bluefield State jumped on him early for a 2-0 lead and could have caused more damage, but he managed to settle down and throw a six-inning gem-like performance. At one point he struck out eight of nine batters he faced. In the game, Frederick allowed two hits, two runs, all earned and walked four Big Blue batters. He also hit three batters and threw two wild pitches. His strikeouts were able to retire Bluefield State to get out of jams. Frederick’s 17 strikeout performance was one less than the NAIA individual high this season of 18 done by three other NAIA pitchers according to Dakstats. He was removed from the game at the end of the sixth-inning after his pitch-count reached 124. 

Best Pitcher: My pick here was Bluefield State’s Kendrick Mendez. In 9.0 innings pitched, Mendez had a 0.00 earned run average with 9 strikeouts, no walks and a .556 WHIP. Mendez had a 90s fastball with a sharp, controlled slider, must-watch stuff.

BLACK COLLEGE WORLD SERIES