Benedict College Tigers
Conference: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
Head Coach: Selwyn Young 16th Season
2023 Record: 14-20 (.412)
Black College Nines (BCN) 2023 HBCU Baseball Final Poll: Unranked
Top Returning Players:
Justin Murray, UTL
Isaiah Canty, OF/INF
Taj Bates C/INF
Jalen McDuffie, OF/INF
Jamel Mitchell, OF
Jacob Hall. C/OF. Jr
Top Freshman Recruits:
Nick Giola, RHP/UTL
Shane Williams, RHP/INF
Top JUCO Transfer:
Rishon Pearl, OF (Amarillo College)
Kent Johnson, LHP/OF (Harbor College)
Cameron Haley, INF/OF (West Los Angeles College)
Top Transfer/Portal
Preseason Overview:
Benedict will start the 2024 season employing the same antics it has since head coach Selwyn Young arrived on campus to helm the baseball program. The Tigers, under Young, continue to set NCAA Division II records on the base path going station to station in a heart beat. Labeled “those base stealing bandits” and “the west coast offense of baseball”, Benedict has set NCAA DII records that might only be broken by future Tiger teams . Expect another banner year in 2024 for the Tiger base thieves.
Last season, Benedict College hit .328 as a team and hit 41 home runs in 34 games. They stole 192 bases and led HBCU baseball in stolen bases and stolen bases per game for the 15th year in a row. When the team steals its 55th base this year that will give them 3000 stolen bases since Young has been the coach. Oh, by the way they have been called safe 85 percent of the time.
This should be another exciting year. Fall baseball grades were excellent with four players attaining a 4.0 grade point average (sophomore Jayden Jones, freshman Shane Williams, senior Jalen McDuffie, and junior Kent Johnson).
A top returning player this spring will be Justin Murray, a 2023 HBCU Baseball Black College Nines All-Elite, 1st team All-SIAC, considered by Major League Baseball to be a potential draft pick.
Benedict will open the 2024 season with three of the top five NCAA stolen base per game players from last year in the line up. Isaiah Canty, OF/INF, All SIAC, Top 5 in NCAA Division II stolen bases per game, Taj Bates, in 2023 led NCAA in on base percentage. Jalen McDuffie, OF/INF, 2022 HBCU Baseball (BCN) Elite. McDuffie is the only senior on the team. Jamel Mitchell, OF/RHP, this past season 2023 led the NCAA DII in stolen bases per game. He has 97 career steals in two seasons. Another Black College Nines Elite from the 2022 team, and Jacob Hall, C/OF, was in the Top 5 nationally in stolen bases per game.
Top newcomers who will play key roles in 2024 include JUCO transfers Kent Johnson, a left handed pitcher/outfielder from Harbor College and Cameron Haley, an infielder/outfielder from West Los Angeles College. Carson Fellows is an outfielder/righthanded pitcher who transferred in from Barry College and Nick Giola is a utility player and pitcher from Florida. Another California recruit is Shane Williams, a righthanded pitcher/infielder from Serrano High School and Rishon Pearl is an outfield transfer from Amarillo College in Texas. Another transfer is left handed pitcher/outfielder Preston Hall Pointer.