Florida A&M answers Texas Southern’s late rally, Alabama State run-rules Grambling, Southern walks off Jackson State in extras, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff knocks off No. 1 Bethune-Cookman after a weather-delayed nightcap at Rickwood Field.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Day One of the 2026 SWAC Baseball Tournament at historic Rickwood Field delivered a full bracket shakeup Wednesday, highlighted by No. 8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s 6-4 upset of No. 1 Bethune-Cookman in a nightcap that stretched past midnight after a rain and lightning delay.
Florida A&M opened the tournament with an 8-6 win over Texas Southern, Alabama State followed with a 10-0, eight-inning win over Grambling State, Southern rallied for a 4-3, 10-inning walk-off win over Jackson State, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff closed the night by sending the tournament’s top seed into the elimination bracket. All tournament games are broadcast on SWAC TV.
Game 1: Florida A&M 8, Texas Southern 6
Florida A&M looked in control for most of the opener, then had to answer after Texas Southern flipped the game in the seventh inning. The Rattlers scored twice in the first, added single runs in the third and fifth, and carried a 4-1 lead into the seventh before the Tigers erupted for five runs.
Texas Southern’s seventh started with Elijah Rodriguez’s double and Zachari Pace’s bunt single. Nate Lopez singled home a run, Anthony Ruiz followed with an RBI single that turned into more damage after an error, and Byron Robinson capped the inning with a two-run home run to right center to put Texas Southern ahead, 6-4.
Florida A&M immediately responded in the bottom half. Jay Campbell singled and Jackson McKenzie walked to start the rally. Colton Ryals, who entered off the bench, delivered an RBI single, then stole second. After an intentional walk to Josue Figueroa, Jordan Brown singled to center to drive in two runs and put FAMU back in front. William Brown followed with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 8-6, and Cody Williams worked a clean ninth for the save.
FAMU finished with 14 hits, led by Campbell, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. William Brown and Caden Kresak each added two hits, Ryals delivered the key bench RBI, and Jordan Brown produced the biggest swing of the Rattlers’ four-run seventh. Texas Southern had several hot bats in the loss, most notably Ruiz, who went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, and Robinson, who went 2-for-4 with a walk and the go-ahead two-run homer.
Pitch counts:
Texas Southern: Justin Mays 134; Joshua Prieto 34.
Florida A&M: Caleb Granger 101; Tanner Walker 22; Clark Lincoln 16; Cody Williams 13.
Game 2: Alabama State 10, Grambling State 0
Alabama State broke open a scoreless game in the third and never let Grambling State back in it, rolling to a 10-0 win in eight innings.
The Hornets loaded the bases in the third before Miguel Oropeza delivered the swing of the game, a grand slam to left field that put Alabama State ahead 4-0. ASU added another run in the fourth, then extended the margin with two runs in the sixth on RBI singles from Trey Callaway and Jackson Williams. The Hornets ended it in the eighth with three more runs, highlighted by Fabian Santana’s two-run single and Oropeza’s final RBI single.
Oropeza was the day’s biggest offensive star, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, five RBI, two runs scored and a walk. Santana also had a strong day, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Williams and Quentin Jenkins each added two hits in Alabama State’s 13-hit effort. Grambling was shut out, but Trey Bridges and Aidan Lopez gave the Tigers traffic at the top of the order. Bridges went 2-for-4, Lopez finished 2-for-3 with a walk, and Charles Ashe III and Chris Marcellus each added a hit.
Jorhan LaBoy earned the win for Alabama State, working five scoreless innings. James Peterson entered with the bases loaded in the sixth and shut the door with three scoreless innings and five strikeouts to earn the save.
Pitch counts:
Grambling State: Keyon Guillory 71; Hampton Phillips 57.
Alabama State: Jorhan LaBoy 88; Camden Matthews 5; James Peterson 32.
Game 3: Southern 4, Jackson State 3 — 10 innings
Southern produced the first walk-off finish of the tournament, rallying in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat Jackson State, 4-3.
Jackson State struck first in the second inning. Edwin Lemus Hudson walked, Payton Chace Boines doubled him home, and Isaac McClenty followed with an RBI single to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Southern answered with a run in the bottom half without a hit, as Jacoby Radcliffe was hit by a pitch, stole second and third, then scored on Kenyon Hughes’ groundout.
The score stayed 2-1 until the eighth, when Ryan Hunter tied it with a solo home run to right field. Jackson State went back in front in the top of the 10th when Diego Melendez scored on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Lemus Hudson, but Southern answered in the bottom of the inning. Glenn Green III walked, Edward Gregory Jr. entered as a pinch runner, and Beny Bikar Jr. doubled to right center to tie the game. After an intentional walk to KJ White Jr., Jaylon Lucky put the ball in play and brought home Bikar with the winning run on a fielder’s choice.
Jackson State outhit Southern 10-3, and Tyree Reed was one of the hottest hitters of the day, going 4-for-5. Shemar Harris added a 2-for-4 effort, while Boines and McClenty drove in the Tigers’ early runs. Southern’s hits were limited, but each one carried weight: Hunter’s eighth-inning homer tied the game, Bikar’s 10th-inning double tied it again, and Kameron Byrd added a double. Radcliffe also impacted the game with his speed, stealing second and third before scoring Southern’s first run.
Pitch counts:
Jackson State: Jayden Lopez 106; Jaedeyn Edwards 40; Derek Arrocha 12.
Southern: Bobby Spencer 101; Genesis Prosper 53; Caleb Ellis 7.
Game 4: Arkansas-Pine Bluff 6, Bethune-Cookman 4
Arkansas-Pine Bluff delivered the biggest result of Day One, jumping on top-seeded Bethune-Cookman early and holding on for a 6-4 win in a game delayed by rain and lightning for over an hour in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Golden Lions wasted no time, scoring three runs in the first. Zach Wieder doubled, Aaron Grant singled him home, Lazaro Alvarado doubled, Blake Coleman added an RBI single, and Nick Hockemeyer lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. UAPB added another run in the second on Weston Gingerich’s sacrifice fly, then pushed the lead to 5-0 in the fourth when Zyon Hamilton tripled and scored on Konner Giddley’s RBI single.
Bethune-Cookman made its push in the fifth. Jeter Polledo was hit by a pitch, Christopher Watson singled, and Sergio Rivera drove in a run with a bunt single. Andrey Martinez then launched a three-run home run to left field, trimming UAPB’s lead to 5-4. The Golden Lions found a key insurance run in the ninth when Gingerich doubled, Wieder reached on a bunt single, and Grant lifted a sacrifice fly to score Gingerich.
The bottom of the ninth turned tense. Watson singled and moved to third with one out before rain and lightning delayed play at 11:02 p.m CT. The game resumed at 12:14 a.m. CT on May 21, and Jaden Porter worked out of trouble. After Darryl Lee struck out, Martinez walked and pinch runner Sammy Seplowe stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position. Porter got Michael Rodriguez to ground out to shortstop to finish the upset.
UAPB’s offense was balanced with 13 hits. Wieder went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored, Grant went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Coleman added two hits and an RBI, and Giddley finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. For Bethune-Cookman, Martinez supplied the big swing with a three-run homer, Rodriguez went 2-for-5, and Watson went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Pitch counts:
Arkansas-Pine Bluff: Kenney Fabian 95; Jaden Porter 35.
Bethune-Cookman: Edwin Sanchez 73; Andris Barroso 31; Jean Carlo Zambrano 39.
Day Two Preview
Thursday shifts the tournament into elimination baseball while the winners’ bracket begins to separate contenders. In Bracket A, Texas Southern and Jackson State meet in the morning elimination game, while Florida A&M and Southern play in the winners’ bracket. In Bracket B, Grambling State and Bethune-Cookman meet in an elimination game, while Alabama State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff meet in the winners’ bracket.
Thursday, May 21 — All games on SWAC TV
9 a.m. — Game 5, Bracket A Elimination Game
Texas Southern vs. Jackson State
Season series: Texas Southern and Jackson State split four total meetings, 2-2. Texas Southern won the conference series, 2-1, while Jackson State won the neutral-site meeting at the Andre Dawson Classic.
This is a quick turnaround for two teams that played emotional Day One games. Texas Southern used 168 total pitches, including 134 from Justin Mays, while Jackson State used three arms in a 10-inning loss. The early question is which staff can get length without overexposing the bullpen.
12 p.m. — Game 6, Bracket B Elimination Game
Grambling State vs. Bethune-Cookman
Season series: Bethune-Cookman won the regular-season series, 2-1, beating Grambling State 23-1 and 12-1 around a 7-2 Grambling win.
Bethune-Cookman now has to quickly respond after falling as the top seed, while Grambling must reset after being shut out by Alabama State. BCU has less than 12-hours to make corrections. GSU needs to find their bats. The Wildcats used 143 pitches in the opener, and Grambling used only two pitchers, so the pitching plan could be a major factor.
3 p.m. — Game 7, Bracket A Winners’ Bracket Game
Florida A&M vs. Southern
Season series: Florida A&M won the regular-season series, 2-1. The Rattlers won 12-7 and 10-6, while Southern won the middle game, 9-5.
FAMU showed late-inning resilience, while Southern showed it can win even when the offense is held down for most of the day. The winner moves one step from the Bracket A final, and the matchup could come down to which bullpen is sharper after both teams used multiple arms Wednesday.
6 p.m. — Game 8, Bracket B Winners’ Bracket Game
Alabama State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Season series: Alabama State won the regular-season series, 2-1, taking the first two games before UAPB answered with a 26-1 win in the finale.
Alabama State enters with momentum after a run-rule shutout, but UAPB comes in with the biggest win of the tournament so far. The Golden Lions’ upset of Bethune-Cookman gives them confidence, but they will need to manage the short turnaround after a late finish that stretched into Thursday morning.
Remaining Tournament Schedule
Friday, May 22
Game 9 — 9 a.m.: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7
Game 10 — 12 p.m.: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8
Game 11 — 3 p.m.: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9
Game 12 — 6 p.m.: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 10
Saturday, May 23
Game 11b — 12 p.m.: Bracket A “if necessary” game
Game 12b — 3 p.m.: Bracket B “if necessary” game
Sunday, May 24
Championship Game — 1 p.m.: Bracket A Champion vs. Bracket B Champion
Winner-take-all SWAC Championship Game.