Black College Nines continued its Podcast Series with Alabama State University head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez for the latest installment of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) coaches who have influence the lives of the young men that have come through the many outstanding HBCU baseball programs and what impact as a mentor for those individuals they have coached. The podcast series focus on the daily grind of coaching HBCU baseball.
Over the years, coach Melendez has been a positive force to the many players, two institutions, as well as the community while putting a winning product on the field.
Melendez has changed Alabama State baseball into a Southwestern Athletic Conference powerhouse and one of the most respected mid-major baseball program nationally.
Since his arrival, Alabama State has won back-to-back SWAC Eastern Division titles, finishing as the SWAC runners-up in 2014. Heading into his 16th season as head coach, Melendez has posted 12 30-win seasons.
In 12 years at Bethune-Cookman University, Melendez won 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships, earning 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 2002 win over Florida International.
One of college baseball young up and coming head baseball coach in NCAA Division I, Melendez recently earned his 500th career win this 2016 season defeating Winthrop 5-4 this past February 26 marking February the same month he collected career win 400 during the 2013 season opener. Melendez, 509 career total wins put him among the elite college baseball coaches that succeeded successfully in two different major conferences.
