ESOneEOSone ORIGINALS โ†—
โ† HOME/FLORIDA HBCU
FLORIDA HBCU

PREDICTION TIME: A Florida Classic for the SWAC Championship

By Jae Fortune ยท 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,ย Janmikell Bastardo, and pitcherย 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 Hernandezย 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 NEXT READ.

COLLEGE HUDDLE

Five Picks Derail BCU in Pine Bluff

Bethune-Cookmanโ€™s two-game winning streak ended with a road performance that unraveled almost immediately. Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored on the first play from scrimmage and intercepted five passes on the way to a 63โ€“21 victory at Simmons Bank Field on October 31. The result left the Wildcats at 5โ€“4 overall and 3โ€“2 in SWAC play. Jaylen Jennings [โ€ฆ]

Kevyn Bryant II ยท 2 min readCOLLEGE HUDDLE

How BCUโ€™s Ground Game Matched Up With Mississippi Valley Stateโ€™s Pressure

Before Bethune-Cookmanโ€™s October 17 visit to Mississippi Valley State, the matchup presented a clear question: could the Wildcatsโ€™ rushing strength overcome a defense capable of creating negative plays? In its October 16 preview, BCU Athletics listed Bethune-Cookman at 3โ€“3 overall and 1โ€“1 in SWAC play. The Wildcats were trying to recover from a 55โ€“17 loss [โ€ฆ]

Tramayne Wright ยท 2 min readCOLLEGE HUDDLE

Davis Takes Over as Bethune-Cookman Delivers a 35โ€“14 Road Win

An uneven offensive start did not define Bethune-Cookmanโ€™s trip to Mississippi Valley State. Jaden Davis and a disruptive defense made sure of that. Davis intercepted two passes, led BCU with nine tackles and returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown as the Wildcats earned a 35โ€“14 victory on October 17 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. [โ€ฆ]

Kevyn Bryant II ยท 2 min read