North Miami-Dade News

Florida Memorial is ranked fourth in the Small School Division in the recent Black College Nines HBCU Baseball Pre-Season Top 10 Polls. Prairie View A&M tops the Large School Division while Edward Waters lands at the top spot for the Small School Division.

The Prairie View A&M baseball team returns several starters at key positions. The Panthers brought in more pitching depth with a great group of veterans added a few more pieces to the lineup that will make an impact. Veterans will continue to lead the defense as they will have 25 returnees which includes pitching starters from last season will return along with some key bullpen guys will also return.

Coppin State University is No. 2, Alabama State University No. 3, Florida A&M University has garnered a preseason ranking of No. 4 and Bethune Cookman University is the No. 5 preseason pick.

In the small school division, Edward Waters concluded last season winning the Black College World Series earning its second HBCU national baseball title and will begin the 2023 season in the top spot in Black College Nines' 2023 preseason Top 10 poll.

The Tigers returned key position players only losing 3 key members from the national title team. The collection of talent is extraordinary and with a talented recruiting group, the Tigers' pitching staff is expected to be much stronger than last season.

The remaining teams in the small school poll, made up of NCAA Division II schools as well as those in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), includes Savannah State in the No. 2 position, followed by No. 3 Rust College, Florida Memorial University at No. 4, and another SIAC member, Albany State University, is preseason No. 5.

Black College Nines is dedicated to preserving the tradition of baseball at historically black colleges and universities with our coverage of HBCU baseball.

Staff selections for the two divisional preseason polls are as follows…

Large School Division

1. Prairie View A&M University
2. Coppin State State University
3. Alabama State University
4. Florida A&M University
5. Bethune Cookman University
6. Southern University
7. Delaware State University
8. Jackson State University
9. Grambling State University
10. Texas Southern University

Small School Division

1. Edward Waters University
2. Savannah State University
3. Rust College
4. Florida Memorial University
5. Albany State University
6. Miles College
7. Kentucky State University
8. West Virginia State University
9. Bluefield State University
10. Paine College

#4 Florida Memorial University

Conference: The SUN Conference (SUN)

Head Coach: Tino Burgos

2022 Record: 25-22 (.532)

BCN 2022 HBCU Baseball Final Poll: No. 6

Team Preview: FMU baseball is looking forward to the 2023 baseball season with a great group of veteran guys that will continue to lead. The Lions added a few more pieces to the lineup that will make an impact. Veterans will continue to lead the defense as they will be pretty solid in that area. On the mound all three starters from last season will return along with some key bullpen guys will also return, those being RHP Samuel Briceno, RHP Jamal Johnson and RHP JJ Baez. Head coach Tito Burgos is hopeful that the pitching staff will show gains this spring after the work they have been put in this fall. "Overall, I feel FMU's baseball program is going to have a great year. I believe we have a chance to be a top competitor, not only in HBCU baseball, but in the Sun Conference and all of NAIA."

Key Returners: Jalen Young OF, Luis Ruiz INF, Ulises Rodriguez INF, Nathan Harris INF, RHP Max Charnin, RHP Juan Hernandez and RHP William Hiciano, RHP Samuel Briceno, RHP Jamal Johnson, RHP JJ Baez, Aubrey Yarbrough, Ricky Alvarez, LHP Mateo Ferguson, LHP Diego Coss

Key Newcomers: Levis Aguila CA, Albert Míreles OF, Genesis Nuñez INF, Ivan Zombrano UTL.

The voting committee during the 2023 season is made up of an informed and impartial group of individuals who follow college baseball on all levels, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) baseball. Included in the group are college athletic administrators and educators, college baseball writers and other sports journalists and broadcasters, former HBCU and other college ballplayers and above all else… college baseball enthusiasts who have an interest in promoting HBCU baseball.

As the college baseball season concludes, champions will be named in two divisions… the "large school" division composed of the 17 HBCU schools representing NCAA Division I and a "small school" division made up of 35 HBCU schools from the NCAA Division II, NAIA, and NCCAA.  The baseball programs in the small school division will compete for a national title in the Black College World Series scheduled for May 9 – 14, 2023, in Montgomery, Alabama.

Original source can be found here.