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HBCU Athletic Conference

Talladega advances to Winner's Bracket Final, Wiley, SUNO reach semifinals

Nick Rodriguez earned his eighth win while helping Wiley advance to the semifinals
Nick Rodriguez earned his eighth win while helping Wiley advance to the semifinals
May 2, 2025

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. - May 1, 2025 - The second day of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Hope Credit Union 2025 Baseball Championship opened with No. 6 seed Southern University at New Orleans pulling the first upset with an 8-5 victory over No. 3 seed Stillman College. No. 2 seed Wiley University downed No. 7 seed Rust College to set up a semifinal matchup against the Knights. No. 1 Talladega College punched their ticket to the Winner's Bracket Final with a lopsided 17-1 victory over Dillard University. No. 8 seed Wilberforce and Stillman continued their tournament runs Thursday at CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey Stephens Park.

 

No. 6 SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AT NEW ORLEANS 8, No. 3 STILLMAN COLLEGE 5
Boxscore

  • The game started Wednesday afternoon but was stopped with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and competed Thursday morning.

  • Javian Rives gave Stillman a 2-1 lead with a single in the fourth. Mekha Hicks extended it with a sacrifice fly

  • SUNO claimed the lead with four runs in the fifth inning.

  • Kyler Sheppard led off with a single and stole second. Damian Lantigua followed with a walk.

  • Both runners scored on a throwing error by the pitcher on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Brandon Watson

  • An error by the third baseman scored Kerrigan Edmondson to give SUNO a 4-3 lead.

  • Enrique Herazo Jr. brought home a run by drawing a bases-loaded walk

  • Miles Bowens hit a two-RBI single in the eighth to extend the lead to five

  • Rives hit a two RBI single to pull Stillman within three in the eighth

 

No. 2 WILEY UNIVERSITY 10, No. 7 RUST COLLEGE 4
Boxscore

  • Wiley University catcher Jaziel Martinez went 3-for-4 with three RBI. 

  • The Wildcats took the lead with runs in the second inning

  • Shamaar Stapleton hit a two-run home run with two outs in the third which trimmed the margin to one.

  • An RBI double by Martinez and a two-RBI single by Amir Mason extended the lead to 7-3.

  • Jhan Carlos Javier went 2-for-3 with three runs

  • Mason went 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI

  • Nick Rodriguez picked up his eighth win, holding the Bearcats to four runs on eight hits and four strikeouts

  • Stapleton went 2-for-4 and drove in three of Rust's four runs

  • Marques Smith went 2-for-4 with a run

 

No. 8 WILBERFORCE 8, No. 5 VOORHEES 6
Boxscore

  • Wilberforce took a 4-2 lead in the third inning. 

  • Darius Woodson led off with a single, stole second and scored on an error

  • Christian Diaz-Alcantra singled and scored  on a bases-loaded walk.

  • Voorhees tied the game at five in the seventh inning on a two-RBI single by Emory Guilford -scoring Yajairon Juan and Jaiden Godette

  • Wilberforce retook the lead immediately. Diaz-Alcantra hit an RBI single to right and Amir Bergen drove in two with a single to left

  • Woodson went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI

  • Bergen went 2-for-3 with two RBI

  • Guilford went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run

  • Miguel Rubio went 2-for-4 with a run

  • Wilberforce will face the loser of No. 6 SUNO and No. 2 Wiley

  • Voorhees finishes the season 24-21, setting the record for most wins in program history

 

No. 3 STILLMAN 10, No. 7 RUST COLLEGE 2

Boxscore

  • Stillman took the lead in the fifth inning when catcher Sieas Elliot drew a bases loaded walk.

  • Kameran Belser extended the lead in the sixth with a two-RBI single

  • Thedrick Harris delivered the critical blow with a three-run home run to left-center field, increasing the lead to 8-2.

  • Harris drove in six runs with two hits

  • Kobe Lewis went 3-for-4 with four runs

  • Belser went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI

  • Griff Minor earned his eighth win, going the distance 

  • Rust third baseman Jalik Demar went 3-for-4 with a run

  • The Bearcats finish the season 22-28

 

No. 1 TALLADEGA 17, No. 4 DILLARD 1, 7 INNINGS
Boxscore

  • The Tornadoes took the lead with four runs in the first and scored in five of the six innings they batted

  • Joshua Catala led off with a walk and scored on a passed ball.

  • Isaac Guzman gave Talladega the lead with an infield single to second, which scored Miguel Oropeza

  • A throwing error brought home two more runs

  • Guzman hit a two-RBI triple and scored on a passed ball to increase the lead to 7-1 in the second.

  • The Tornadoes increased their lead to double-digits in the sixth inning

  • Victor Rivera went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI

  • Miguel Oropeza reached base in all five plate appearances and scored three runs

  • Guzman went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI

  • Emilio Duque pitched a complete game and only allowed a run on four hits and struck out six batters

  • Angel Polanco scored Dillard's only run with a home run that left the stadium in left field

 

FRIDAY's GAMES

Game 8: No. 6 Southern University at New Orleans (22-23) vs. No. 2 Wiley University (33-15), 8:30 a.m.

Game 9: No. 4 Dillard University (26-21) vs. No. 3 Stillman College (26-21), Noon

Game 10: No. 8 Wilberforce University (16-31) vs. SUNO/Wiley loser, 3:30 p.m.

Game 11: SUNO/Wiley winner vs. No. 1 Talladega College (40-12), 7 p.m.

 

-HBCUAC-

About HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Oakwood University (AL), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.