NEW ORLEANS - April 28, 2025 - The defending conference tournament champion Talladega College baseball team defending its rank, claiming the 2025 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) regular season title and top seed for the 2025 Hope Credit Union HBCUAC Baseball Championship, Wednesday through Sunday at the Arkansas Travelers' CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park. Media can apply for credentals via the HBCUAC Media Hub. Tickets are on sale now via HBCUAC Baseball Tournament Central.

The Tornadoes (36-14, 27-3 HBCUAC) won nine of ten conference series with eight sweeps. They enter the tournament on a 10-game winning streak. Miguel Oropeza, who was last season's Most Valuable Player, has continued where he left off. He leads the HBCUAC and NAIA with a .535 batting average, hitting .602 during conference play. Oropeza is also the conference's home run (15) and RBI (75) leader. Armando Jackson ranks in the top five of the conference with nine home runs and 48 RBI. Darlin Fernandez follows with eight home runs and 46 RBI.

On the mound, Talladega is led by Emilio Duque, who ranks second in the HBCUAC with a 3.07 earned-run average and nine wins. He is fifth with 63 strikeouts. Samuel Guadamuz, the Preseason All-HBCUAC Pitcher of the Year, leads the conference with 10 wins and ranks in the top five with a 4.77 earned-run average and 80 strikeouts. The Tornadoes open the 2025 HBCUAC Baseball Championship against No. 8 seed Wilberforce University (15-30, 11-19 HBCUAC) at noon on Wednesday.

Wiley University (32-15, 24-6 HBCUAC), last season's regular season champion and tournament runner-up, finished second with practically the same team it had last season. Their win total is the Wildcats' highest since before the 2007 season. Ivan Del Villar ranks second in the conference with 10 home runs and third with 49 RBI. He is hitting .377. Ryan Ready is hitting .340 and has 40 RBI. Smauri Abram improved his hitting significantly - raised his batting average from .150 to .353. He has five home runs, including two walk-offs and 26 RBI. Jacob Perez increased his power with six home runs and 34 RBI.

The Wildcats have one of the top pitching staffs in the conference led by the reigning HBCUAC Pitcher of the Year Keyon Guillory. He leads the HBCUAC with a 2.52 ERA and shares the lead in strikeouts with his teammate Jalen Porter at 97. Guillory won three HBCUAC Pitcher of the Week awards. Porter has seven wins with six coming during HBCUAC play. He won three HBCUAC Pitcher of the Week awards. Nick Rodriguez, who was primarily a reliever last season, transitioned to the rotation. He is 7-2 with a 5.87 ERA and struck out 59 batters. Wiley opens the championship against No. 7 seed Rust College (22-26, 13-17) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

In their first season in the HBCUAC, Stillman College (25-20, 21-9 HBCUAC) finished third, taking eight of 10 series, including being the only school to take one from the HBCUAC leader Talladega College. Samuel Fleming leads the Tigers with 35 RBI and hitting .317. Griff Minor leads the team with a .346 batting average and ranks second on the team with 27 RBI. He is also the Tigers' top pitcher - ranking third with a 4.28 ERA and is tied for fourth with seven wins. John Roland Jr. leads Stillman with 55 strikeouts. Raymon Vaughn leads the HBCUAC with three saves. The Tigers open against No. 6 seed Southern University at New Orleans (21-23, 16-14 HBCUAC) at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Dillard University (25-21, 19-11 HBCUAC) once again had a strong second half and surged into the fourth-seed. It was one of two schools to take a series from Wiley University. Braylon Guerin ranks second in the conference with a .441 batting average. He has 32 RBI. Angel Polanco is fifth in the conference with a .415 batting average. He is tied for fifth with eight home runs and ranks 10th with 41 RBI.

On the mound, Dontre Henry is 6-3 with 39 strikeouts in 56 innings. Kejuan Burnett is 5-3 with 55 strikeouts in 55 ⅔ innings pitched. He held the powerful Wiley lineup to one hit. Landin Tircuit has been key in closing out games for the Bleu Devils with a 3-1 record and one save. Dillard opens against No. 5 seed Voorhees University (24-19, 19-11 HBCUAC) at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Fans can see all the championship action on the Urban Edge Network. Complete broadcast details are available on the Tournament Central page.

WEDNESDAY's GAMES (Click below for live stats)

No. 5 Voorhees (24-19, 19-11 HBCUAC) vs. No. 4 Dillard (25-21, 19-11), 8:30 a.m. 

No. 8 Wilberforce (15-30, 11-19 HBCUAC) vs. No. 1 Talladega (36-14, 27-3), Noon

No. 6 Southern University at New Orleans (21-22, 16-14) vs. No. 3 Stillman (25-20, 21-9), 3:30 p.m.

No. 7 Rust College (22-26, 13-17) vs. No. 2 Wiley University (32-15, 24-6), 7 p.m

2025 Hope Credit Union Baseball Championship to air live on Urban Edge Network's new platform

Urban Edge Network is thrilled to unveil its brand-new streaming platform launched in collaboration with Visaic, a leader in groundbreaking technology. This marks an exciting return to the Azure platform by Microsoft, elevating how you experience the game! 

Catch live, uninterrupted coverage of the HBCUAC 2025 Hope Credit Union Baseball Championship, right at your fingertips. With a redesigned platform, you'll enjoy a sleek and user-friendly interface packed with innovative features and enhanced ad placements aimed at generating essential revenue for the HBCUAC.

Here's what makes it special:

• Expertly Curated Live Streams for every thrilling moment of the game.
• On-demand replays of each game.
• Enjoy unparalleled ease-of-use designed for seamless navigation.
• Support HBCUs while staying connected to your community like never before.

Don't wait to be part of the movement. Click the link below to explore our upgraded website and experience the future of HBCU sports broadcasting.

Tune in for LIVE coverage of the 2025 Hope Credit Union Baseball Championship and stay locked in for incredible upcoming events, all available on-demand!

HBCUAC, WBOK ink partnership to simulcast 2025 Hope Credit Union Baseball Championship

WBOK 1230 AM in New Orleans will simulcast select games from the 2025 HBCUAC Hope Credit Union Baseball Championship, marking the first time an HBCUAC championship will be available both via livestream and radio broadcast. WBOK will air the live audio feed from Urban Edge Network's on-site coverage during the following games: Wednesday, April 30 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, May 1 at 7 p.m.; all games on Saturday, May 3; and the Championship Game(s) on Sunday, May 4. Fans can listen live in New Orleans on 1230 AM or online at wbok1230.com.