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PREDICTION TIME: A Florida Classic for the SWAC Championship

By Jae Fortune · 2 min read

PREDICTION TIME

In Tallahassee, Coach Jamey Shouppe and his Rattlers are enjoying a record-breaking year for the baseball program. This season, the Rattlers ended regular season play with at .500, and a winning 18-12 record in SWAC conference play. Outfield-playing standouts Ty Jackson, Janmikell Bastardo, and pitcher Hunter Viets have been invited to participate in the Minority Baseball Prospects’ 2023 HBCU All-Star game at Gwinett County, Georgia’s Coolray Field on June 3rd.

Meanwhile in Daytona, the Cardiac ‘Cats have been terrorizing opponents throughout the playoffs. Coach Johnathan Hernandez has led his program to a winning record at home, and the second-best record in the conference. One game ahead of their in-state rivals, the Wildcats have defeated FAMU in four out of six regular season games.

PREDICTION: A FAMU GRANDSLAM

And just as during football season, whenever the Florida Classic comes up, both BCU and FAMU put their best foot forward. We can expect an exciting match-up between these two well-matched teams. One of the deciding factors in this title game will be which team’s seniors rise to the occasion.

Lastly, the Rattlers coaching staff is simply more experienced. Coach Shouppe has led the FAMU baseball program all the way to the NCAA tournament three times (the only times FAMU has qualified), while BCU Coach Hernandez is quietly building the Wildcats into a regular contender.

I see FAMU pulling out the win, and clinching the program’s first SWAC championship.

 

UPDATE: Following their victory on Sunday, the Rattlers will travel to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators in the NCAA Tournament in June.

THE CONVERSATION.

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