Talladega, Huston-Tillotson, Stillman take Week 9 HBCUAC Baseball Honors

NEW ORLEANS - Talladega College second baseman Victor Rivera wins Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Week. Huston-Tillotson University pitcher Sam Lozano claims Pitcher of the Week. Stillman College infielder Kane Shellhouse garners Freshman of the Week. Pitcher Zack Munger earns Newcomer of the Week. They were honored for their performance between March 23-29, the conference announced on Monday.

Rivera led Talladega College's offensive onslaught against Oakwood University. He went 7-for-12 with seven RBI and five runs. He hit for the cycle in the series finale on Friday. For the week he slugged 1.083. His performance helped keep the Tornadoes unbeaten in HBCUAC play.

Lozano pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out 14 batters in a 6-0 win over Philander Smith University on Saturday. He allowed just four hits and two walks. Lozano recorded the first individual, nine-inning shutout by an HT pitcher since 2023. His 14 strikeouts were the most in a single game by a Rams pitcher this decade.

Shellhouse recorded eight hits and eight RBI, helping the Tigers to a sweep over Wilberforce University. He had multiple hits in three of the four games this week, including going 4-for-6 in the finale. Four of Shellhouse's five runs came in the finale. For the week he hit .471 with a .500 on-base percentage and a .529 slugging percentage.

Munger threw two complete game victories this week. On Tuesday, he tossed a four-hit shutout against Miles College, with five strikeouts. In Sunday's finale, he allowed one run on seven hits and struck out eight batters. His performance helped the Tigers remain in second in the HBCUAC East Division.

Additional baseball weekly nominees: Tucker Allen (Huston-Tillotson), Weston Bailey (Huston-Tillotson), Tony Bradley Jr. (Tougaloo), Terrance Carr (Oakwood), Caleb Carter (Tougaloo), Jayden Clay (Voorhees), Darius Coble (Rust), Kyrent Cole (Rust), Ethan Farrell (Voorhees), Robert Gage (Stillman), Jamison Green (Oakwood), Jordan Jennings (Oakwood), Dylan Jimenez (SUNO), Ethan Jones (Wiley), Nathaniel Lebron (Philander Smith), Amir Mason (Wiley), Eli Payne (Talladega), Luis Perdomo (Talladega), Kyler Richie (Philander Smith), Ronnie Smith (Philander Smith), Avery Spriggs (SUNO), Kyle Terry (Rust), Chace Varnado (Tougaloo), Chandler Wade (Tougaloo), K'Wality Williams (Dillard), Kobe Wimberly (Dillard)

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.