With the start of the season officially in the books for all Historically Black College and University (HBCU) baseball programs, Black College Nines (BCN) takes a look at which players are making some chatter so far during the 2022 season. Players selected by each program’s coaching staff and SIDs can impact and garner weekly attention to their play on the field leading to possible post season honor awards.
HBCU baseball has a large pool of player potential from starters to role players. Our coverage of who’s hot hopefully draws notice to the student athlete individual play as well as his efforts to help his team.
Players nominated for their performance this weekend in our first edition for the 2022 season Who’s Hot In HBCU Baseball:
Mississippi Valley State University
April 26, 2019 was the last time Mississippi Valley State had won a baseball game before this season. On Sunday, they managed to change that, winning its first game in more than two-years. MVSU captured its first win in 730 days beating Rust College 15-3. It was new head coach Stanley Stubbs’ first win at the helm of the Valley baseball program.
Clark Atlanta University
In a 5-2 win in game two of a scheduled doubleheader against Miles College, Panther RHP Lorenzo Petersen earned a complete game victory for CAU, giving up only two hits and striking out 12 Miles hitters. At one point, Petersen retired nine of ten Miles hitters he faced over the final three innings for the win.
Grambling State University
Grambling opened its 2022 season defeating Jackson State 10-1 in the Andre Dawson Classic hosted by Major League Baseball in New Orleans. Shemar Page (1-0) got the start on the mound for GSU, working 6.1 innings, allowing two hits and striking out nine batters.
Benedict College
On Saturday’ 22-17 losing effort to Lane College, Benedict Tigers’ outfield Brandon O’Connor was 5 for 5 at the plate, scored 4 runs, 3 runs batted in, while stealing 8 bases.
Morehouse College
Casey Coates LHP (1-0) threw 5 innings in an 8-2 win over Tuskegee University to open the first game of a scheduled three-game series. Coates allowed two hits and two runs, recorded eight strikeouts to earn his first victory of the season.
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern completed its opening weekend sweeping doubleheaders twice over Arlington Baptist. Tigers scored 46 runs in the four-games, winning game one 12-0, then scored a 13-0 win in both games two and three, and a sweep in the series finale by the score of 8-2. Jordan Martinez (1-0) in his first start of the season, threw a near perfect 7.0 innings of shutout baseball allowing four hits and nine strikeouts.
Tougaloo College
The Tougaloo Bulldogs swept Arkansas Baptist College scoring 23 runs during the doubleheader, winning game one 14-0 and sealing the deal in game two by the final score of 9-3. On the mound, Bradford Patton pitched a one-hitter. He threw 5.0 innings ,while striking out eight batters in the game one win.