Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University will meet in a crucial Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) baseball series from April 24 to 26 at Moore-Kittles Field in Tallahassee, Fla. The winner of the weekend series will secure the top seed in the conference.
Both teams enter the matchup with identical conference records of 15-3. Bethune-Cookman holds an overall record of 29-12, while Florida A&M stands at 20-17. The Rattlers are coming off a sweep over Mississippi Valley State, scoring a total of 34 runs, and have posted a home record of 13-8 this season.
The Wildcats recently faced UCF, where Andrey Martinez hit a solo home run in the first inning and Maikol Lucena added an RBI double for an early lead. However, UCF came back to win after scoring two runs in the eighth inning off Pablo Torres, resulting in a final score that favored UCF. Despite this setback, Bethune-Cookman remains strong offensively, leading the league in runs, hits, and total bases. Lucena has raised his batting average to .345 with hits in six consecutive games and has successfully thrown out all attempted base stealers this season. Martinez is currently on a 14-game hitting streak with four home runs over his last eight games.
Florida A&M’s offense ranks lower within the SWAC but features standout performances from Jay Campbell (.324 average, four home runs) and William Brown (seven home runs). The team’s pitching staff is among its strengths—third-best ERA in the league—and walks fewer batters than any other team. Caleb Granger leads their pitchers with five wins and Tanner Walker has been effective out of the bullpen.
Friday’s opener marks the 189th meeting between these two programs. Historically, Bethune-Cookman has dominated this rivalry and enters on a seven-game winning streak against Florida A&M.
Observers will be watching closely as both teams vie for control atop the SWAC standings during this pivotal three-game series.
