Jackson State and Albany State repeat as “large school” and “small school”baseball poll toppers in week two of 2023.
Jackson State University continues its hold on the top spot as North Carolina A&T University moves from No. 8 to the No. 2 ranking in Historically Black College and University (HBCU) regular season Top 10 baseball poll in the large school division as announced by Black College Nines (BCN) on March 22, 2023.
After the first regular season poll of March 7, there was major movement in week two. Texas Southern, with nine of its 16 wins coming against NAIA opponents, moved up two spots to No. 3 and Alabama State fell one spot to No. 4. Bethune Cookman dropped two spots to No. 5 to round out the top five.
The remaining rankings saw Florida A&M hold steady at No. 6 , Alabama A&M dropped three spots to No. 7. Unranked Grambling State enters the Top 10 for the first time this season at No. 8. Southern had occupied the seventh spot since the first poll, but they tumbled to No. 9 followed by previously unranked, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff which enters at No. 10 to round out the Top 10.
In the small school division, made up of NCAA Division II schools as well as those in the NAIA and NCCAA, Albany State and Savannah State stayed put at No. 1 and No. 2. The rest of the small school poll includes Talladega, up one spot to No. 3, Florida Memorial unranked in the previous poll leapfrogging to No. 4 and Virginia State, which moved up two spots to No. 5. Edward Waters fell from No. 5 to No. 6, Paine down from No. 6 to No. 7. Unranked Kentucky State climbs to No. 8, while Stillman dropped from No. 3 to No. 9, and Miles entered the rankings for the first time this season rounding out the remaining top 10 at No. 10.
The small school Top 10 poll will have national implications throughout the 2023 regular season which will lead to HBCU baseball programs competing for a national title in the third annual Black College World Series scheduled for May 10-13, 2023, at Riverwalk Stadium (home of the Tampa Bay Rays Double-A affiliate Montgomery Biscuits) in Montgomery, Alabama.
Black College Nines HBCU Baseball Ranking Committee determines the Top 10 rankings for both large schools and small schools.
Records indicated are through March 19th.
The two divisional polls are as follows…
Large School Poll
| Rank | School | W/L Record | Winning Pct. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | 9-9 | 0.500 | 7 | |
| Alabama State University | 11-10 | 0.524 | 4 | |
| Arkansas Pine-Bluff University | 8-11 | 0.421 | 10 | |
| Bethune Cookman University | 10-10 | 0.500 | 5 | |
| Florida A&M University | 9-11 | 0.450 | 6 | |
| Grambling State University | 6-13 | 0.316 | 8 | |
| Jackson State University | 13-5 | 0.722 | 1 | |
| North Carolina A&T University | 10-9 | 0.526 | 2 | |
| Southern University | 5-13 | 0.278 | 9 | |
| Texas Southern University | 16-7 | 0.696 | 3 |
Small School Poll
| Rank | School | W/L Record | Winning Pct. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany State University | 16-4 | 0.800 | 1 | |
| Edward Waters University | 10-9 | 0.526 | 6 | |
| Florida Memorial University | 11-9 | 0.550 | 4 | |
| Kentucky State University | 8-8 | 0.500 | 8 | |
| Miles College | 11-13 | 0.458 | 10 | |
| Paine College | 9-7 | 0.562 | 7 | |
| Savannah State | 14-5 | 0.737 | 2 | |
| Stillman College | 10-9 | 0.526 | 9 | |
| Talladega College | 15-10 | 0.600 | 3 | |
| Virginia State University | 12-8 | 0.600 | 5 |
2023 Poll Dates (with links to poll results):
Pre-Season (1/10/23)
Week 1 (March 7, 2023)
Week 2 (March 21, 2023)
Week 3 (April 2, 2023)
Week 4 (April 18, 2023)
Week 5 (April 25, 2023)
Week 6 (May 2, 2023)
Week 7 (May 16, 2023)
Week 8 (May 23, 2023)
Week 9 (May 30, 2023)
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 17 HBCU schools representing NCAA Division I and a “small school” division made up of the 35 HBCU schools with NCAA Division II, NAIA and NCCAA status.