With another segment of the HBCU baseball season beginning this weekend, Black College Nines looks to provide even more coverage with the start of the HBCU large school division. Who will be the top dogs in HBCU baseball? Who will be the spoiler in the MEAC? A surprise coming in the SWAC? Or will we see repeats from last season?
A slew of non-conference and conference match-ups begin the weekend action. As I’ve stated before, “college baseball is really about four seasons – the non-conference schedule, the conference schedule, the postseason including the conference tournament and if it is really good, a national tournament.”
Starting this weekend as the large school season gets underway, the question is what’s in store for 2017?
Notable Storylines: Alabama State has won the last three SWAC Eastern Division regular season titles. The Hornets will be determined to win another conference championship this spring in what will be head coach Jose Vasquez’ first season. He inherits a team that went 38-17 last season and finished as the nation’s only undefeated team in conference play. They return nearly everybody…
Arkansas Pine-Bluff, under Head Coach Carlos James has a number of unknowns with a pitching staff capable of challenging and winning the Western Division for a fourth straight time this season.
Norfolk State, the runner-up in the MEAC tournament last season, returns with nearly everyone intact. Good pitchers will have to deal with a much improved Coppin State and Delaware State as the North Division looks to be much more open this season. Can the rest of the MEAC Southern Division deal with heavy hitting Florida A&M looking to go to the NCAA Regional’s?
Pencil in February 17, 20017 and follow HBCU baseball the entire season.
Scheduled Games this weekend (February 17 – 19th, 2017):
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
Baseball Friday February 17
Coppin State at Southern California 2:00 PM
North Carolina A&T vs. James Madison 3:00 PM
Wofford at Florida A&M 4:00 PM
Maryland Eastern Shore at Mercer 4:00 PM
Fairleigh Dickinson at Savannah State 5:00 PM
Villanova at Norfolk State 5:00 PM
Boston College at Bethune-Cookman 6:00 PM
Delaware State at Charleston Southern 6:00 PM
Saturday February 18
North Carolina A&T vs. Richmond 11:00 AM
Navy at North Carolina Central 1:00 PM
Wofford at Florida A&M 1:00 PM
Boston College at Bethune-Cookman 1:00 PM
Fairleigh Dickinson at Savannah State 2:00 PM
Maryland Eastern Shore at Mercer 2:00 PM
Villanova at Norfolk State 3:00 PM
Navy at North Carolina Central 4:00 PM
Delaware State at Charleston Southern 4:00 PM
Coppin State at Southern California 6:00 PM
Sunday February 19
Fairleigh Dickinson at Savannah State 12:00 PM
Villanova at Norfolk State 12:00 PM
Coppin State at Southern California 1:00 PM
Navy at North Carolina Central 1:00 PM
Wofford at Florida A&M 1:00 PM
Maryland Eastern Shore at Mercer 1:00 PM
Boston College at Bethune-Cookman 1:00 PM
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
Friday February 17
MLB Urban Invitational – Prairie View at Illinois-Chicago New Orleans, La 11:00 a.m.
Mississippi Valley State at North Dakota State Itta Bena, Miss. 1:00 p.m.
MLB Urban Invitational – Prairie View at Illinois-Chicago New Orleans, La. 2:00 p.m.
Alabama State at Louisville Clearwater, Fla 2:00 p.m.
Alabama A&M at Indiana Purdue – Fort Wayne 2:00 p.m.
MLB Urban Invitational – Alcorn State at Grambling State New Orleans, La. 5:00 p.m.
MLB Urban Invitational – Southern at New Orleans New Orleans, La 6:00 p.m.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at LA Tech 6:00 p.m.
Texas Southern at Texas Rio Grande Valley 7:00 p.m.
Saturday February 18
Alabama A&M at Indiana Purdue – Fort Wayne 11:00 a.m.
Mississippi Valley State at North Dakota State 11:00 a.m.
Jackson State at Morehead State 12:00 p.m.
Alabama State at Ball State Clearwater, Fla. 1:00 p.m.
MLB Urban Invitational – Alcorn State at Prairie View New Orleans, La. 2:00 p.m.
Texas Southern at Texas Rio Grande Valley 2:00 p.m.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at LA Tech 2:00 p.m.
Mississippi Valley State at North Dakota State 2:00 p.m.
Jackson State at Jacksonville 3:00 p.m.
Texas Southern at Texas Rio Grande Valley 5:00 p.m.
Sunday February 19
Alabama State at Maryland Clearwater, Fla. 9:00 a.m.
MLB Urban Invitational – Grambling State at Illinois-Chicago 12:00 p.m.
Texas Southern at Texas Rio Grande Valley 12:00 p.m.
MLB Urban Invitational – Prairie View at New Orleans New Orleans, La. 1:00 p.m.
Jackson State at Morehead State 1:00 p.m.