Texas Southern upset, SWAC standings shift heading into Saturday
The top of the SWAC baseball standings shifted Friday after Texas Southern was knocked off by Arkansas-Pine Bluff, opening the door for a new look at the top of the conference race.
Texas Southern entered the weekend tied for first place, but its 6-4 loss in Pine Bluff dropped the Tigers to 12-4 in SWAC play. That result moved Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M into a tie for first at 13-3 heading into Saturday's games.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Delivers Friday's Biggest Result
Arkansas-Pine Bluff turned in the most important result of the day by taking down Texas Southern at home.
The Golden Lions built an early lead with two runs in the second inning and never fully gave it back. Texas Southern tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth, but UAPB answered right back and kept pressure on the Tigers throughout the afternoon.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff got key production from Weston Gingerich, who drove in two runs, and Konner Giddley, who added another RBI. The Golden Lions finished with 12 hits and scored in five different innings.
Texas Southern stayed within reach thanks to multi-hit games from Anthony Ruiz, Christopher Chavez, and Evan Joubert, but the Tigers could not come up with the big inning they needed late. UAPB added an insurance run in the seventh, and reliever Brendan Hamlin shut the door over the final three innings.
With the win, Arkansas-Pine Bluff improved to 11-5 in conference play and stayed firmly in the title chase.
Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman Take Advantage
While Texas Southern slipped, both Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman capitalized.
Florida A&M edged Mississippi Valley State 6-5 in Tallahassee to move to 13-3 in SWAC play. The win kept the Rattlers in the thick of the title race and gave them a share of first place heading into Saturday.
Bethune-Cookman had the most decisive result among the league leaders, rolling past Alabama A&M 15-4 in a seven-inning game. The Wildcats improved to 13-3 and continued their strong run with a fourth straight victory.
Southern, Alabama State and Grambling Stay in the Mix
The middle of the standings also tightened Friday.
Southern beat Alcorn State 8-4 to improve to 9-7 in conference play. Alabama State slipped past Jackson State 3-2, also moving to 9-7. Grambling State handled Prairie View A&M 12-2 in eight innings, joining Southern and Alabama State at 9-7.
Those three teams remain just behind Arkansas-Pine Bluff and could still make noise if the leaders stumble this weekend.
Updated SWAC Baseball Standings Entering Saturday
After Friday's results, the top of the conference looks like this:
- Bethune-Cookman - 13-3
- Florida A&M - 13-3
- Texas Southern - 12-4
- Arkansas-Pine Bluff - 11-5
- Alabama State - 9-7
- Southern - 9-7
- Grambling State - 9-7
What Saturday Now Means
Texas Southern's loss raised the stakes for the rest of the weekend.
Instead of waking up tied for first, the Tigers now enter Saturday trying to avoid falling further behind. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, meanwhile, has a chance to turn one upset into a major statement series win.
Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman now control their own momentum, and both teams will try to hold serve as the SWAC baseball race continues to tighten.
With two games left in each series, Friday's results made one thing clear: the top of the conference is far from settled.
The post Texas Southern upset, SWAC standings shift heading into Saturday appeared first on HBCU Gameday.
HBCU Gameday
This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 10:41 AM.