Huston-Tillotson, Wilberforce capture Week 6 HBCUAC Baseball Awards

NEW ORLEANS - Huston-Tillotson outfielder Joseph Brown wins Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference Player of the Week. Trey Garza earns Newcomer of the Week. Wilberforce University pitcher Juan Gomez claims Pitcher of the Week. Junior Veras Vasquez garners Freshman of the Week. The athletes were recognized for their performance between March 2-8.

Brown hit .500 and slugged 1.125 during Huston-Tillotson's three HBCU Athletic Conference games this week. He hit a game-tying two-RBI double with the bases loaded for his first collegiate hit during the Rams' four-run, ninth-inning 10-9 comeback win against Wiley University on Thursday. Brown hit a two-run home run and a two-RBI double in the series finale. In the three-game series, he scored three runs and stole two bases.

Garza went 7-for-10 at the plate during HT's weekend HBCU Athletic Conference series against Wiley, helping the Rams win two out of three games. In Thursday's 10-9 come from behind win, he went 4-for-5 with two RBI. He has now hit in eight consecutive games against non-NCAA Division I teams, and batted .538 during that stretch. Garza compiled a 1.000 fielding percentage in his 10 chances in conference play.  He committed only one error in 14 chances.

Gomez went the distance, limiting Voorhees to three runs with one earned on five hits and struck out four batters in six innings. 

Vasquez was a force at the plate as Wilberforce went 3-1 on the week. He posted a .385 batting average, .471 on-base percentage and a 1.077 slugging percentage. Four of his five hits went for extra bases with a double, a triple, and two home runs. Vasquez finished with nine RBI and was a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases

Additional weekly baseball nominees: Christopher Alcantra-Diaz (Wilberforce), Estevan Baca (Wiley), Weston Bailey (Huston-Tillotson), Bradley Brown (Philander Smith), Caleb Carter (Tougaloo), Daniel de los Rios (Wiley), Ivan Del Villar (Wiley), Diego Duque (Talladega), Yasser Flores Reyes (Talladega), Jamison Green (Oakwood), Jordan Jennings (Oakwood), Jonathan Phillips (Stillman), Sebastian Pizarro (Talladega), Yoangel Ramos (Talladega), Kyler Richie (Philander Smith), Ronnie Smith (Philander Smith), Lekedric Sutton (Tougaloo)

2026 HBCUAC Baseball Players of the Week

About the 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), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), 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 soccer, 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.