Almost two years in the making! The 2023 Florida Memorial University baseball team members received their national championship rings this past Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in a special ceremony held in the Florida Memorial University Wellness Center before the basketball team’s home opener versus Florida National University.
The Lions baseball team was honored for winning the 2023 Black College World Series in a thrilling 5-4 championship victory over Albany State University in a 19 inning game, taking five hours, with FMU coming away with its first-ever baseball national title to claiming the Black College World Series.
The ceremony allowed fans in attendance the chance to see the baseball team receive its rings. The observance also permitted the current administration and athletic department heads to witness the occasion.
The Lions beat Albany State on the diamond in May 2023 at the Black College World Series final in Montgomery, Alabama to capture the national title, marking the first in program history and first under former head coach Florentino Burgos.
Burgos had been the baseball coach at Florida Memorial for eight seasons. Under his guidance, the Lions ring ceremony concludes the prestigious victory at the 2023 Black College World Series.
Max Charnin and Jalen Young, both Most Outstanding Pitcher and Most Valuable Player and fellow FMU teammates don’t have to point to an empty ring finger anymore.
Members of the Lions baseball team received their national championship rings with the Lion’s image in the center of the rings surrounded by diamonds, proof of the program’s title.
The top and bottom of the ring are lined with BCWS and Champions signifying FMU’s championships.
The 2023 Lions HBCU Baseball championship team title run featured two Black College Nines’ Small School Elite First-Team and Second-Team members in pitcher Max Charnin and infielder Luis Ruiz.