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Miami Herald
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU coach named manager of Team USA Prospects Squad
Bethune-Cookman University head coach Johnny Hernandez is having himself a year. He led the Wildcats to a record home runs in a season and ended the HBCU baseball season by winning the SWAC Baseball Championship on the last swing of the game. The team advanced to the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee. As if that wasn't a good enough conclusion to the season, Hernandez, who has been on the staff of Team USA baseball for some time now, was named manager of the Team USA prospects team. Based in Cary, NC, the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp trains select collegiate baseball players for international competition. Johnny Hernandez will lead his squad in the annual Stars vs. Stripes series, which will be held June 29 to July 3 at various locations across North Carolina. Following Training Camp, which features 56 of the premier non-draft-eligible collegiate players in the country, the Stars staff will lead Team USA at the 45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 8-13 at various venues across Japan. The Stripes staff will guide select players on a Collegiate National Team Prospects squad in a Fourth of July matchup with the Appalachian League Select Team in Kannapolis, North Carolina. 'We are excited about the coaching staff we have put together for this year's Collegiate National Team Training Camp,' said Eric Campbell, USA Baseball's General Manager of Collegiate and Professional National Teams. 'This is a strong group of coaches who will be able to provide our players with a world-class experience this summer. We look forward to not only competing at a high level with our two exposures, but also developing the select players we bring to Cary and providing them with a wealth of knowledge from this group of coaches.'For the most up-to-date information on the Collegiate National Team, including ticket information, visit and follow @USABaseballCNT and @USABaseball on Twitter/X. Bethune-Cookman University Athletics Communications provided portions of this story. The post HBCU coach named manager of Team USA Prospects Squad appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU in-state rivalry decides SWAC Baseball Championship
Bethune-Cookman University captured the 2025 SWAC Baseball Championship with an exciting 11-9 victory over Florida A&M on Sunday, May 25, at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The Wildcats (37-21) rallied late and outslugged the Rattlers (33-25) in a high-scoring HBCU affair marked by timely hits and defensive miscues. The offensive showcase featured a combined 24 hits and 20 runs. Bethune-Cookman's Andrey Martinez was the standout performer, going 3-for-6 with four RBIs, including a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth that sealed the game. Jorge Rodriguez added a two-run homer in the eighth, while Jeter Polledo went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a double. Florida A&M jumped into contention with a six-run surge across the sixth and seventh innings. William Brown sparked the Rattlers with a two-run homer and scored three times. Justen Crews matched the momentum with a two-run shot of his own in the seventh. Bethune-Cookman led 3-0 early, but FAMU fought back to tie and eventually take a brief lead. The Wildcats responded with three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth before Martinez's dramatic walk off blast in the bottom of the ninth. Reliever Joel Core (6-1) earned the win for BCU, closing the door with 1.1 innings of scoreless work. Florida A&M's Carson Kelly (6-2) took the loss after surrendering eight runs (four earned) over 7.1 innings. With the victory, Bethune-Cookman claims the SWAC Baseball Championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats will play on representing HBCU baseball in the postseason, capping a resilient conference season with championship gold. The post HBCU in-state rivalry decides SWAC Baseball Championship appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
