The Florida A&M Rattlers (29-28) hoisted their first SWAC championship trophy by defeating longtime rival Bethune-Cookman (33-27) 9-6 at the SWAC Championships in Atlanta this past Sunday.
The Rattlers also earned the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history since 2015, all under head coach Jamey Shouppe, former coach at Florida State.
Sebastian Greico and Ty Hanchey each racked up two extra base hits to help propel the Florida A&M Rattlers past the Bethune-Cookman.
Staff ace Hunter Viets (7-1) started on the mound and picked up the win for Florida A&M (29-28). Viets went 7.2 innings, giving up five runs, all of them earned, on 12 hits, allowing two walks and striking out five.
Hanchey’s 3-for-5 day, and included a double, a home run and three runs batted in. Greico made his contribution with a double, a home run and three runs batted in, part of a 3-for-5 performance at the plate. Jared Weber two hits included a home run and a run batted in.
Shouppe, the former assistant coach and recruiting coordinator who spent 21 years at Florida State, since he was named the first full-time head coach of the baseball program at Florida A&M University in July 2013, has guided the Rattlers to three NCAA Regionals, led the program’s first ever NCAA Regional Tournament appearance in 2015 , earned a second trip in 2019. Shouppe, a native of Chattahoochee, Florida, commented on his baseball program winning the SWAC.
“FAMU Baseball is extremely excited about the opportunity to represent FAMU, the SWAC and HBCU Baseball in the NCAA Regional Tournament! I couldn’t be more proud of our players for winning the SWAC Tournament in only our second year in the league! Fighting back through the losers bracket made it even more special! It will definitely be a day our players, administrators and fans will always remember.”
TOURNAMENT AWARDS
Janmikell Bastardo, Sebastian Greico, Jared Weber, Hunter Viets, and Zach Morea were named to the All-Tournament Team and Morea was named the Tournament MVP after picking up four saves in the tournament.
SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NOTES
* Four Rattlers had multiple hits in the ballgame.
* Florida A&M hitters hit three homers in the ballgame.
* Florida A&M went 5-for-14 (.357) with runners in scoring position.
* Florida A&M pitchers faced 40 Bethune-Cookman hitters in the game, allowing 15 ground balls and four fly balls while striking out five.
* Hanchey led the Rattlers at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI.
SELECTION MONDAY
The Rattlers will find out which NCAA Regional they will play in as they turn their attention to the 2023 NCAA Tournament Selection Show Monday, May 29 at noon at ESPN2.