For the first time in HBCU baseball history, four HBCU programs are receiving votes in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) national rankings for 2024, the organization announced on Monday, February 26th.
This is monumental that two Florida baseball programs, Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, along with Jackson State and Prairie View A&M received votes in the same national poll this season. All four are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). All four HBCU baseball teams off to good starts in the early part of the 2024 season.
Bethune-Cookman, 4-3 to the start of the season, has a tough strength of schedule… one of the toughest in baseball at the D1 level which has raised their RPI. The Wildcats took two-of-three from Stonehill, lost the series finale by one run 9-8, after loading the bases in a ninth-inning with no outs. They beat Florida International in a nonconference game and they defeated Florida Gulf Coast University this past Sunday. Bethune plays No. 6 Florida Gators this week.
Florida A&M has taken two of three games from the last two three-games series they have played. The Rattlers are 4-2 to date. They won two-of-three games in the recently concluded Andre Dawson Classic this past weekend.
Both Bethune-Cookman and FAMU face a daunting schedule filled with ranked opponents along with Jackson State and Prairie View A&M.
Jackson State finally filled a much-needed pitching coach position by adding JT Thomas who was being targeted by other DI programs. This takes a load off Head Coach Omar Johnson who has struggled with the pitching staff around conference tournament time. The Tigers won two-of-three in the season opening Cactus Jack HBCU Classic. They won two of three this past weekend over Mississippi Valley State and currently are 6-2.
Prairie View A&M (6-1) is getting hot at the right time. The Panthers have plenty of arms that throw hard. Plus, the coaching staff has this team primed. Prairie View won both HBCU tournaments, Cactus Jack, and Andre Dawson Classic.
Keep an eye on North Carolina A&T baseball (5-1). They play the nation’s No. 1 team this week in Wake Forest which remains the No. 1 team in the country.
The SWAC has a strong conference in baseball. However, there’s a long way to go. Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Jackson State, and Prairie View A&M have not played their season conference openers yet. The SEC is typically baseball’s toughest conference. Move over SEC, the SWAC is coming.
The 2024 poll voters come from among 33 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation.
The ’24 season features 305 NCAA Division I baseball-playing schools, and for more information or to join the NCBWA, please go to www.ncbwa.com.
| 2024 NCBWA DIVISION I POLL (FEB. 26) | ||||
| Rk. | School | Conference | Record | Pvs. |
| 1. | Wake Forest | ACC | 6-1 | 1 |
| 2. | LSU | SEC | 7-1 | 2 |
| 3. | TCU | Big 12 | 7-0 | 3 |
| 4. | Oregon State | Pac-12 | 7-1 | 4 |
| 5. | Arkansas | SEC | 5-2 | 5 |
| 6. | Florida | SEC | 5-1 | 6 |
| 7. | Tennessee | SEC | 7-1 | 7 |
| 8. | Texas A&M | SEC | 7-0 | 9 |
| 9. | Duke | ACC | 7-0 | 12 |
| 10. | Virginia | ACC | 7-0 | 11 |
| 11. | Clemson | ACC | 6-1 | 8 |
| 12. | East Carolina | American Athletic | 5-2 | 13 |
| 13. | Vanderbilt | SEC | 5-3 | 10 |
| 14. | Texas | Big 12 | 6-1 | 15 |
| 15. | Alabama | SEC | 8-0 | 18 |
| 16. | North Carolina | ACC | 5-2 | 14 |
| 17. | South Carolina | SEC | 7-1 | 16 |
| 18. | Texas Tech | Big 12 | 6-2 | 20 |
| 19. | NC State | ACC | 4-2 | 17 |
| 20. | Auburn | SEC | 6-1 | 22 |
| 21. | Indiana | Big Ten | 6-1 | RV |
| 22. | Coastal Carolina | Sun Belt | 5-2 | RV |
| 23. | DBU | CUSA | 7-0 | 25 |
| 24. | Campbell | CAA | 6-1 | RV |
| 25. | UC Irvine | Big West | 6-0 | RV |
| Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Austin Peay (7-1), Bethune-Cookman (4-3), California (6-1), Creighton (5-0), Florida A&M (4-2), Florida State (6-0), Georgia (7-0), Georgia Tech (6-1), Houston (6-1), Indiana State (7-0), Iowa (3-4), Jackson State (4-2). Kansas State (4-3), Kentucky (6-1), Long Beach State (5-0-1), Louisiana Tech (7-0), Maryland (5-2), Miami (Fla.) (5-2), Notre Dame (5-3), Oklahoma (5-3), Oklahoma State (4-3), Oregon (6-1), Penn State (5-2), Prairie View A&M (6-1), Rutgers (5-1), St. John’s (2-2), Saint Louis (6-0), Sam Houston (5-2), Southern Miss (6-2), Troy (7-1), UCF (5-0), UCLA (3-3), UC Santa Barbara (3-3), West Virginia (4-4), William & Mary (6-1). | ||||