HUNTSVILLE, Ala.. - The Wildcats begin the most grueling road trip of the 2024 season as they open the first three of twelve straight on the road against Alabama A&M this weekend in Huntsville. 



Friday-Sunday, April 26-28
Opponent: AAMU (9-30, 5-13 SWAC)
Time: 2 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. 
Location: Huntsville, Ala.
Live Stats: https://aamusports.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary



 Bethune-Cookman erupted for 10 runs in the first inning Sunday afternoon, as the Wildcats completed a four-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball series sweep of Mississippi Valley State on the strength of a 16-7 decision at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. In the win, Bethune-Cookman runs its current winning streak to seven games – the longest of its kind since 2016.
 
Bethune-Cookman (24-17, 14-4 SWAC) sent 15 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning, as the Wildcats scored 10 runs in the frame.
 
First baseman Manny Souffrain plated the first run with a bases loaded walk, allowing leadoff man Daniel Figueroa, as the centerfielder walked in his at-bat as well. Sergia Rivera and Jose Gonzalez scored on back-to-back wild pitches from Mississippi Valley State starter Jesus Campa. Jorge Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch two batters later.
 
With the bases loaded for the second time in the inning, Figueroa drew a walk to score Ramses Cordova – who registered one of just two hits in the at-bat for the Wildcats, with the third baseman posting a double down the line in left. Jayme Villafane would come in on a passed ball by catcher Ty Washington, before a two-run scoring double to right brought around Garrett Chun and Figueroa, respectively.
 
The Wildcats added a pair of runs in the second inning as AJ Smith picked up a sac fly to deep left, allowing Cordova to race in from third and make it 11-0 in favor of the Maroon and Gold. A Chun single to left crossed Villafane on the next play.
 
Mississippi Valley State (9-25, 1-17 SWAC) scored two runs in the top of the third inning after BCU starting pitcher Joel Core was forced to leave with an injury. A Ty Washington single to right and a Will Menendez liner back up the middled scored the runs for the Delta Devils off freshman reliever Carlos Jazmin.
 
In the home-half of the third, the Cats used a Villafane triple – his first of the season, to move in Rodriguez and up the score, 13-2.
 
The Delta Devils added three runs in the top of the fifth, including a two-run single to center from Noah Bufford, as MVSU cut the lead 13-5. Then in the eighth, it was a Dreylin Holmes two-run shot from the top of the lineup to right field that scored himself along with Ortiz and bringing his side to within 13-7.
 
BCU would score three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Xavier Cintron tallied an RBI single to bring around Villafane, while later scoring alongside AJ Smith on an error charged to the MVSU infield.
 
The win went to Joel Core in earning his first victory of the season, as he proved most effective in the Wildcats victory. The loss was gathered by Campa (1-2) of MVSU, allowing five runs on zero (0) hits and four walks.
 
The Delta Devils used the offensive prowess of Holmes at the plate with a 3-for-5 afternoon, scoring one and driving in two. Holmes also pitched an inning of relief with one hit, one walk and a strikeout on the bump.
 
For BCU, Chun turned in a 2-for-5 day at the plate with a run and an RBI. Gonzalez was 1-for-1 before subbing off early-on, adding two RBIs as well.
 


B-CU swept through a three-game series with the Bulldogs back in late March by scores of 8-7, 6-2, and 10-6. AAMU led in all three games of the weekend but could not hold on.

The Bulldogs are 6-7 in games since, including taking wins ofer Jackson State (22-17) and FAMU (9-5.) 

AAMU ranks in the bottom three of the SWAC both at the plate and on the mound. They have scored only 5.8 runs per game, above only Alcorn State in the category. They have a 9.77 ERA as a team, with 242 walks to ony 200 strikeouts. 



Friday marks the 22nd meeting in the all-time series between B-CU and AAMU. Bethune-Cookman has won 18 to only 3 losses, including nine straight.


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