Though there is still over a month left in the season, 2025 has already been an exciting year for HBCU baseball. It seems that more fans than ever are paying attention to the game, and several teams and players have captured hearts across the country. This time, I wanted to present the information a bit differently. Instead of highlighting four key matchups—and a few others to watch—I will discuss the implications of teams and some of the HBCU conferences. Regardless of which team you support, there is plenty to follow across the nation this weekend.
SWAC
This weekend, a few key matchups in the SWAC, headlined by a marquee matchup between No. 4 Bethune Cookman and No. 5 Southern University. The Wildcats notched a big win over No. 2 Jackson State and put themselves in an excellent spot in the conference at 5-1, along with Florida A&M and Grambling State. Both teams want to win the series this weekend. Should Bethune take at least two games from Southern, they will have series wins over Alcorn State and Jackson State. Should the Jaguars win the series, they need a series win this weekend to put themselves back in the SWAC conference race, currently sitting at 2-4.
Elsewhere, No. 8 Prairie View A&M travels to No. 3 Florida A&M this weekend. The Panthers, however, must come away with a series win to remain in the running for the conference top spot, currently sitting at 4-2.
HBCUAC
The HBCUAC has been one of the more competitive—and tough to figure out—conferences all season. No. 1 Talladega College has separated itself from the pack a little bit and it appears to have already secured the regular-season title, and the Tornadoes have all but cemented themselves as the team to beat. Should they continue their winning ways, they have an important matchup on the road against Southern University at New Orleans April 12-13 which received votes in the latest Black College Nines’ Top 10 Poll.
Wiley University enters this weekend with an 11-4 conference mark, but it has a forgiving matchup against second-to-last-place Wilberforce. The Wildcats are on the right side of the conference. A series win throughout the remaining games would lock up a top seed in the HBCUAC Conference Tournament.
Black College Nines Small School Poll No. 8 Dillard University and Voorhees University (which received votes in the BCN’s most recent poll) is also an intriguing matchup, but it is a series that is far more important for the Voorhees than it is for Dillard. They have a solid record of 13-11, including 10-8 in the HBCUAC. Not only is this weekend a must win series for Voorhees, but it might even be a must sweep. Even if it picks up a pair of wins, the goal this weekend for them is simple: don’t get swept.
SIAC
The SIAC this year has been a pleasant surprise. It has been a highly competitive conference, and six teams are still vying for the regular-season title. While a number of teams have put together solid seasons, I don’t think anyone can feel safe about their resume, even with a series win this weekend. A series win for teams like Savannah State, Miles College, Albany State, Edward Waters, Morehouse College, and Lane College would simply keep its tournament hopes alive, while a series loss would be a brutal blow. No. 2 Savannah State and No. 3 Miles square off in Birmingham, AL, in what is essentially a “loser leaves town” matchup. The Tigers of Savannah State (13-5) are a game and a half ahead of Miles (11-5) in the conference standings, and a series win would provide a boost to its resume.
No. 6 Edward Waters has a tricky series on the road against Tuskegee University. With a sweep, the EWU Tigers would not be safe when it comes to earning a conference title. They are probably in the best spot of any of the other teams mentioned, though a series loss to the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee this weekend would likely spell disaster.
RRAC
Huston-Tillotson (8-10) has a potential path to make a postseason run where eight teams make the conference postseason field. They are currently in the eighth position. The Wildcats are playing some good ball but they must win this weekend series over No. 10 Houston-Victoria (NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll).
NCCAA
No. 10 Paine College is playing the best baseball right now of any team in the NAIA—is also in the mix. The Lions currently sit at 12-4 on the season. They have a tall task ahead this weekend, hosting No. 4 (NCCAA Top 10 Coaches Poll) Fort Lauderdale, one of NAIAs top hitting baseball programs.