Florida A&M University, the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions, will take on Southern University, the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference champs, in a Saturday afternoon exhibition doubleheader in Pensacola as both teams prepare to play in the NCAA Regional Tournament.
The doubleheader, featuring two seven-inning games, will begin at 12:00 PM on Saturday, May 25 with gates at Blue Wahoos Stadium opening at 11:30 AM. Tickets are free to the public.
Florida A&M University (27-32), located in Tallahassee, rose from the elimination bracket in the MEAC conference tournament, winning four consecutive games to take home the title by beating Norfolk State twice on the tournament’s final day. Led by two-time MEAC Coach of the Year Jamey Shouppe, the Rattlers went 14-10 in conference play during the 2019 season. In its proud baseball history, the FAMU baseball program has produced multiple major leaguers, most notably Hall of Famer Andre Dawson and six-time National League stolen base leader Vince Coleman.
Southern University (30-19), located in Baton Rouge, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title with a commanding 15-0 win over Alabama State in the conference’s championship game last week. Led by head coach Kerrick Johnson, Southern posted 15-5 record in conference play in 2019, best in the SWAC West Division. The Jaguars baseball program has produced 13 Major Leaguers, including Hall of Famer Lou Brock.
By winning their conference tournaments, both teams have secured an automatic bid in the 2019 College World Series Regional Tournament. Tournament seeding and brackets will be released on May 27 with Regional play beginning on May 31.