Riverwalk Stadium | Montgomery, Alabama
The opening day of the Minority Baseball Prospects HBCU Final 4 showcase at Riverwalk Stadium saw dominant pitching, timely extra-base hits, and a last-minute shakeup to the tournament format after Dillard University was forced to withdraw, leaving just three teams — Miles, Tuskegee, and Morehouse — to compete in a modified round-robin.
Game 1: Miles 5, Morehouse 0 (7 innings)
Behind a masterful performance from junior right-hander J. Rhynes, the Miles Golden Bears (25-25-1) shut out the Morehouse Maroon Tigers (19-25) in the seven-inning opener. Rhynes tossed a complete-game one-hitter, striking out six and walking just one on 73 pitches, earning his ninth win of the season.
Miles struck early and often, scoring in four consecutive innings:
- 2nd inning: B. Leroy scored after being hit by a pitch and later driven in by a sacrifice fly from J. Williams.
- 3rd inning: N. Copen drove in a run with a single.
- 4th inning: T. Spruill added an RBI groundout.
- 5th inning: Miles tacked on two insurance runs, fueled by aggressive baserunning and another RBI from Copen, who finished 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two RBIs.
Morehouse’s lone hit came from senior N. Culpepper, but the Tigers never advanced a runner beyond second base. Freshman starter Ve. Clay allowed three earned runs across four innings and took the loss.
Game 2: Tuskegee 2, Morehouse 1 (7 innings)
A two-run sixth inning proved to be the difference as the Tuskegee Golden Tigers held off the Morehouse Maroon Tigers, 2-1, in Thursday afternoon action at the Minority Baseball Prospects HBCU Final 4 Showcase at Riverwalk Stadium.
With the game scoreless through five innings, Tuskegee broke through in the top of the sixth. J. Slaughter ignited the rally with a triple down the left field line, and T. Ware followed with an RBI double to bring him home. One batter later, R. Morrow doubled to left, plating Ware and giving Tuskegee a 2-0 lead.
Morehouse responded with a threat in the bottom of the seventh. N. Pittman led off with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. A walk and a sacrifice fly from M. Tucker brought Pittman home to make it 2-1. Morehouse loaded the bases with two outs, but J. Johnson, who had come in to close the game, induced a groundout to third from R. Robinson to end the threat and seal the save.
Friday Now Championship Day as Weather Alters MBP HBCU Final 4 Schedule
The Minority Baseball Prospects HBCU Final 4 showcase has adjusted its format and schedule due to anticipated severe weather in Montgomery on Saturday. As a result, the Saturday games have been canceled, and Friday, May 9 will now serve as Championship Day.
The tournament has shifted from a traditional bracket format to a modified round-robin showcase, with all three teams — Miles, Tuskegee, and Morehouse — playing each other once. Final standings and bragging rights will be determined by win-loss records from these games.
The updated Friday schedule at Riverwalk Stadium is as follows:
- 10:30 AM (EDT) – Home Run Derby
Players from all three programs will participate in a power showcase to open the day. - 11:30 AM (EDT) – Miles vs. Tuskegee (7-inning game)
Tuskegee seeks redemption after a split on Day One, while Miles enters unbeaten and can clinch the top spot with a win. - 7:00 PM (EDT) – Miles vs. Morehouse (9-inning game)
The final game of the showcase will close the event under the lights, with Miles looking to complete a clean sweep and Morehouse aiming for a statement win.
All games and events will be live streamed on the Minority Prospects TV YouTube channel:
youtube.com/@minorityprospectstv
Live stats will be provided on the Morehouse Athletics website:
morehouseathletics.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Despite the schedule change, the MBP HBCU Final 4 continues to spotlight elite talent and energy from Black college baseball — now condensed into a Friday finale for fans across the country to enjoy.
About Minority Baseball Prospects
Minority Baseball Prospects (MBP) is a national organization dedicated to increasing exposure, access, and opportunities for minority baseball players across the country. MBP provides player development, showcases, national tournaments, and media platforms specifically focused on elevating Black and minority athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. The HBCU Final 4 is part of MBP’s mission to spotlight HBCU baseball programs and create meaningful experiences for student-athletes at historically Black institutions. For more information, visit www.minoritybaseball.com.
A.D. Drew currently serves as the Director of Athletic Marketing at Morehouse College. Previously Drew has served as an independent consultant in athletic communications, having worked events such as The Celebration Bowl, MEAC-SWAC Challenge, Black College World Series, SWAC Championship Game, multiple SIAC championship events, and Gulf South Conference events, in addition to regular season sports and events at every NCAA and NAIA level. Drew has also completed athletic communications consulting work for institutions on NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA levels. Drew was previously the SIAC contributor to D2Football.com.
Drew does work for the Black College Sports Network, where he has worked as a producer, director, and on-air talent. Drew has provided either play-by-play or color analysis for the Orange-Blossom Classic, the Black College World Series, the GCAC (now HBCUAC) basketball tournament, SIAC Baseball, Softball, and Men’s Volleyball Championships, and regular season games for football, flag football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and softball. Drew regularly hosts a podcast, the BCSN SportsWrap with Bryan and A.D., most Sundays on the BCSN.
Drew currently is a board member of the HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association. Drew is a member of the College Sports Communicators. In the past, Drew has served as the Director of Administration for the Black College World Series (2022) and as the Director of Athletic Communications at Thomas University.