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.
