The 2016 season is starting to heat up as we look back on last week’s Historically Black College and University (HBCU) baseball action.
Alabama State University (6-5) won five straight games including a sweep of Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) rival Jackson State. The Hornets’ starting pitching was a key ingredient in those five victories. After losing their first four games to open the season, Alabama State has won six of their last seven games. Ace of the staff, Joseph Camacho was lights out against Jackson State hurling seven strong innings allowing only four hits, two runs, walking two and striking out a season-high eight. Also, starter Tyler Howe pitched eight innings of three-hit baseball while walking none and striking out five in a 6-1 win over Jackson State. Alabama State has a two-game mid-week series against Bowling Green in the Perfect Game Challenge in Emerson, Georgia and a weekend series against Northern Kentucky.
Huston-Tillotson (7-4) netted victories in three of four games versus Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) foe Wiley College this past weekend as the first two wins were decided by two runs. Head coach Alvin Moore’s team, loaded with freshman and sophomores who can hit a ton, scored 32 runs during the four game series. The Rams won game game one by the score of 7-6, game two 9-6 and then a 10-6 victory to clinch the series. The Rams have a four game RRAC weekend series verses Our Lady of The Lakes.
Florida A&M University (7-5) recorded a three-game sweep of Western Michigan University this past weekend scoring 23 runs while Rattler pitching held the Broncos to just six runs. In a thrilling pitching duel in game one, FAMU prevailed 2-1, then blanked Western Michigan 9-0 in the second game, which featured Rattler infielders turning a rare baseball triple play. FAMU completed the sweep by pounding out 16 hits, winning its fourth straight game by defeating Western Michigan 12-5. Alec Wong, Dylan Dillard, AJ Elkins and Peter Jackson, who belted his first career home run, help pace the Rattler offense the entire series. FAMU plays a mid-week home game against the University of Toledo and then a big Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) series against rival Bethune-Cookman University.
On the downside, Black College Nines’ HBCU preseason No. 4 Jackson State University lost three straight at home to SWAC adversary Alabama States as the Tigers’ big offense guns were shut down. The ball club, now 5-6, has scheduled one mid-week non-conference game against Tougaloo College and a weekend series versus Alcorn State University.
West Virginia State University, another BCN preseason top pick , is just three and five in its first eight games to start the season. The Yellow Jackets next schedule games are two doubleheaders against Urbana University on March, 19th and Notre Dame College on March 20th.
Other teams hoping to improve in the win column include Clark Atlanta University (4-16), Texas Southern University (4-8) and Tuskegee University (3-13). Clark Atlanta will have weekend action with Benedict College while Texas Southern faces a mid-week game with Houston Baptist and a three-game weekend series versus the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Tuskegee will take on Columbus State University and then has a weekend Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) game with LeMoyne-Owen College.