Bethune-Cookman University and Talladega College claim Black College Nines 2025 Baseball Crowns.
Bethune-Cookman University and Talladega College sit atop the final Black College Nines Historically Black College and University (HBCU) “large school” and “small school” top 10 polls of 2025 presented by Guardian Baseball and announced on May 28, 2025. Each now can claim an HBCU national baseball title.
Jackson State, Alabama State and Florida A&M (for two straight polls) held the top spot in the first four regular season rankings, before Bethune-Cookman moved to the top and then never relinquished it over the next five large school polls.
The Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman claimed the regular season Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title and then, in dramatic fashion, won the conference tournament and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I regional tournament. Read about the dramatic walk-off win versus instate rival and No. 2 ranked Florida A&M here.
The title of HBCU National Champion is nothing new for Bethune-Cookman University. Since our predecessor, blackcollegebaseball.com began naming champions in 2002 and continues through the present with blackcollegenines.com, the Wildcats have claimed the title now a tenth time; eight under former coach Mervyl Melendez, one under former coach Jason Beverlin and now one under present coach Jonathan Hernandez.
Defending large school champion of 2024, Grambling State University, with an impressive run in the conference tournament finished fourth in the final 2025 poll.
In the “small school” division, made up of HBCU schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Christian College Athletic Association, the Talladega College Tornadoes has earned its first crown.
Unlike Bethune-Cookman’s climb to No. 1 in the large school division, Talladega College, thanks to a thirteen-game win streak, opened the small school’s first poll of March 5th at No. 1 and remained on top each of the next eight polls. And like Bethune-Cookman, Talladega, coached by Marcos Dominguez, won both the regular season title in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the conference tournament.
Last year’s small school No. 1, Bluefield State University, ended up out of the running for a spot in the 2025 top 10.
Black College Nines HBCU Baseball Ranking Committee determines the Top 10 rankings for both large schools and small schools.
Records indicated are through May 25, 2025.
The two divisional polls are as follows…
Large School Poll
| Rank | School | Current Record | Winning Pct. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State University (SWAC) | 31-29 | 0.517 | 3 | |
| University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (SWAC) | 19-34 | 0.358 | 7 | |
| Bethune Cookman University (SWAC) | 37-21 | 0.638 | 1 | |
| Florida A&M University (SWAC) | 33-25 | 0.569 | 2 | |
| Grambling State University (SWAC) | 26-28 | 0.481 | 4 | |
| Jackson State University (SWAC) | 30-21 | 0.588 | 5 | |
| North Carolina A&T University (CAA) | 15-37 | 0.288 | 9 | |
| Prairie View A&M (SWAC) | 17-36 | 0.321 | 10 | |
| Southern University (SWAC) | 24-27 | 0.471 | 6 | |
| Texas Southern University (SWAC) | 22-32 | 0.407 | 8 |
Receiving Votes: Alabama A&M, Coppin State
Small School Poll
| Rank | School | Current Record | Winning Pct. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany State University (SIAC) | 31-22 | 0.585 | 2 | |
| Benedict College (SIAC) | 24-18 | 0.571 | 8 | |
| Edward Waters University (SIAC) | 34-19 | 0.642 | 4 | |
| Florida Memorial University (SUN) | 21-26 | 0.447 | 10 | |
| Miles College (SIAC) | 27-25 | 0.519 | 7 | |
| Savannah State (SIAC) | 32-14 | 0.696 | 3 | |
| Southern Univ at New Orleans (HBCUAC) | 24-27 | 0.471 | 9 | |
| Talladega College (HBCUAC) | 43-14 | 0.754 | 1 | |
| West Virginia State University (MEC) | 27-23 | 0.540 | 6 | |
| Wiley University (HBCUAC) | 34-17 | 0.667 | 5 |
Receiving Votes: Dillard University, Huston-Tillotson University, Paine College, Rust College, Stillman College, Voorhees College
2025 Poll Dates (with links to poll results):
Pre-Season
Week 1 (March 5, 2025)
Week 2 (March 19, 2025)
Week 3 (April 2, 2025)
Week 4 (April 16, 2025)
Week 5 (April 23, 2025)
Week 6 (April 30, 2025)
Week 7 (May 14, 2025)
Week 8 (May 21, 2025)
Final Poll (May 28, 2025)
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 are named in two divisions… the “large school” division will is composed of the 17 HBCU schools representing NCAA Division I and a “small school” division made up of the 37 HBCU schools with NCAA Division II, NAIA and NCCAA status.