Now that Black College Nines’ first 2016 HBCU Top 10 baseball poll has been released for both large and small schools divisions, the rest of the regular season could be tough to sort out. There will be surprises and upsets in both non-conference and conference match-ups.
Upsets are just waiting to happen. A perfect example is No. 2 Florida A&M University surprising No. 1 Alabama State University this week with an astonishing 14-8 win in Montgomery, AL upsetting the 2015 BCN national champion.
This weekend’s slate of games featuring ranked teams could produce similar results. Will the landscape of HBCU baseball look different after this weekend? It is quite possible in the “large school” division with No. 4 North Carolina Central facing No. 9 Bethune-Cookman in Durham, NC, No. 8 Grambling hosting No. 5 Texas Southern in Grambling, LA and in the “small school” division, No. 1 Benedict faces No. 5 Paine in Augusta, GA. The most intriguing matchup pits a David verses Goliath matchup with NAIA Independent No. 2 Selma University (small school division) against Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) NCAA Division I Southern University (large school division).
The question is… could this be a big upset weekend or will it follow form with the higher ranked teams prevailing? The only numbers that really matter are those that determine the final score.
The full slate of games featuring ranked teams this weekend is below…
Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC)
3/18 – 3/19/2016
No. 6 Talladega vs Point Park University Talladega, AL 2:30 pm
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
3/19 – 3/20/2016
No. 4 North Carolina Central vs No. 9 Bethune-Cookman Durham, NC 1 pm
No. 2 Florida A&M vs Savannah State Savannah, GA 1 pm
No. 6 Norfolk State vs Delaware State Norfolk, VA 4 pm
Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC)
3/19/2016
No. 10 Jarvis Christian vs Louisiana State-Alexandria DH 4 pm
3/19 – 3/20/2016
No. 9 Huston-Tillotson vs Louisiana State -Shreveport 12 pm
No. 10 Jarvis Christian vs Louisiana State-Alexandria 4 pm
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
3/19 – 3/20/2016
No. 3 Miles vs Stillman Tuscaloosa, AL DH 2 pm
No. 1 Benedict vs No. 5 Paine Augusta, GA DH 2 pm
No. 8 Morehouse vs Albany State Atlanta, GA DH 12 pm
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
3/19 – 3/20/2016
No. 7 Prairie View vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, ARK 3 pm
No 2 Selma vs Southern Baton Rouge, LA 6 pm (Selma University Rank No. 2 in “Small School” Division)
No. 8 Grambling vs No. 5 Texas Southern Grambling, LA DH 6 pm
No. 3 Jackson State vs Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX 6 pm
No. 1 Alabama State vs Mississippi Valley State Montgomery, AL 2 pm