TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Baseball stays in the "Sunshine State" when traveling to Tallahassee this weekend competing in the NCAA Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional hosted by Florida State at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. The Wildcats enter as the No. 4 seed in the regional facing off against No. 9 national seed FSU – also ranked Noi. 7 in the latest Baseball America Top 25 poll, on Friday, May 30, at 3 p.m.
 
Joining B-CU in the Tallahassee Regional alongside the host Seminoles are Northeastern (No. 2 seed) and Mississippi State (No. 3 seed).
 

THE SCHEDULE
Friday, May 30
3 p.m. ET – vs. #7 Florida State | Listen | Live Stats | Watch | Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional Central | B-CU Game Notes

Saturday, May 31
TBA – vs. #19 Northeastern/Mississippi State | Listen | Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional Central
 
ADMISSIONS
Ticket packages and information for the NCAA Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional can be accessed here.
 

SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Baseball this season by following the Wildcats social media platforms. Follow Bethune-Cookman Baseball on X/Twitter (@BCUDiamondCats) and Instagram (@BCUDiamondCats) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on X/Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Bethune-Cookman is not ranked in this week's D1Baseball.com Top 25
▪ Florida State is ranked No. 7 in this week's D1Baseball.com Top 25
▪ Northeastern is ranked No. 19 in this week's D1Baseball.com Top 25
▪ Mississippi State is not ranked in this week's D1Baseball.com Top 25
 

IN THE TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL
▪ For the sixth time in program history, Bethune-Cookman is traveling to the Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional hosted by Florida State.
• The Wildcats have faced off against the host Seminoles five times previously in the Tallahassee Regional, with the last coming in 2011.
• Bethune-Cookman is 0-10 all-time in the Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional, despite having a lead against the Seminoles in 2007 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
BCU VS. FLORIDA STATE SERIES
▪ Bethune-Cookman is 0-9 all-time against Florida State, with the first meeting occurring on May 26, 2000, as part of the Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional hosted by the Seminoles.
▪ During the regular season portion of a schedule throughout history, the Cats have faced off against the Noles on four occasions, with the last taking place on March 5 of this season.
▪ B-CU is 0-5 all-time in NCAA Regional contests when facing FSU, despite leading in two Regional games, including 2007, heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
 

HEAD COACH JONATHAN HERNANDEZ
"We come into this Regional with nothing to lose. I think that makes us a dangerous team, if you ask me. Nobody outside of our program is expecting us to win, and that gives us momentum like none other. All season, we've felt it's kind of us versus everyone. Naturally, that feeling extends over to the Tallahassee Regional where there are three phenomenal teams with such great history here like Florida State, Northeastern and Mississippi State. But we believe, and that's what matters most. We believe."
 
"The guys are loose. The momentum doesn't seem too big for them. I think with it being our first experience in an environment like this since 2017, the guys are almost oblivious to the pressure and what's at stake here. I think that will play well for us this weekend."
 
"It's not about us. It's about Dr. Bethune's legacy and the university. We hope to showcase that to the world. It's bigger than sports. It's about putting on a great showcase for Bethune-Cookman University and advertising what we have as, not only a baseball and athletics program, but the family that the school atmosphere encompasses overall."
 

SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE (38-14)
Rankings: D1Baseball.com – 7 | Baseball America – 9
Head Coach: Link Jarrett (3rd season)
2025 Batting Average: .315; Runs Per Game: 7.9; Hits Per Game: 10.4; Slugging Percentage: .530
2025 ERA: 4.77; K/BB Ratio: 2.25; Opp. Batting Avg: .233
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE NOLES…
• The Florida State Seminoles are the No. 9 national seed, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the 61st time in program history. The Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional is also the 37th time the Seminoles have hosted.
• The Seminoles posted a runner-up finish in the ACC, its best since 2014, with a 17-10 record. Overall, on the year, the Noles hold a record of 38-14, respectfully.
• Junior shortstop Alex Lodise was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
 

#DidYouKnow...
• Bethune-Cookman has been in just one (1) NCAA regional outside the state of Florida? That occurred in 2006 when the Wildcats traveled to the Oxford [Miss.] Regional hosted by the University of Mississippi.
 
A FATHER BEFORE A COACH…
• Head Coach Jonathan Hernandez missed Media Day and the Wildcats practice at Dick Howser Stadium on Thursday afternoon, with the skipper attending his daughter Katelynn's graduation in Port Orange, Florida.
• Together with his wife Olly, Hernandez saw his only daughter graduate from Spruce Creek High School from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, also earning Summa Cum Laude recognition in her class. In the fall, Katelynn will attend the University of Florida where she plans to study Neuroscience.
 
CRISIS – WHAT CRISIS?...
• When trailing this season, Bethune-Cookman feels "right at home" and never feels a crisis, as the Wildcats have a host of come-from-behind or late winners on the campaign.
•The Wildcats have trailed at some point and come back to win in 19 games this season, including all four games of the SWAC Tournament a week ago at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
 

RECAPPING B-CU'S LAST GAME (vs. Florida A&M)
Andrey Martinez's two-out, three-run home run to straightaway center field gave Bethune-Cookman a walk-off come-from-behind 11-9 win over Florida A&M in the championship game of the SWAC Tournament at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
The dramatic walk-off blast capped a wild finish to a game that saw multiple lead changes and clutch hitting from both teams. Andrey Martinez's 20th home run of the season – tying him for the single-season school record with Peter O'Brien (2010), came with two outs and turned what appeared to be a certain Rattlers victory into celebration for the Wildcats, who claimed their first SWAC Tournament title.
 
Florida A&M appeared to be in control after building a 9-6 lead midway through the eighth inning, but the Wildcats scored five runs in the final two frames to steal the championship.
 
Bethune-Cookman jumped out to an early lead in the second inning when redshirt freshman All-SWAC shortstop Jeter Polledo doubled to left-center and eventually scored on Daniel Figueroa's sacrifice fly. The Wildcats added two more runs in the frame when Sergio Rivera stole home as part of a double-steal, and Martinez drove in Darryl Lee with an RBI single to put the Maroon and Gold up, 3-0. The three-run outburst came against Florida A&M starter Trevor Hanselman, who was lifted after just 1.1 innings. Carson Kelly came on in relief and settled things down for the Rattlers.
 
FAMU began its comeback in the sixth inning, breaking through against B-CU starter Edwin Sanchez for three runs. William Brown started the rally with a single, and the Rattlers loaded the bases before Justen Crews delivered an RBI single. Colton Ryals drove in the second run with a bases-loaded walk, and Matthew Perez added a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.
 
The seventh inning belonged entirely to the Rattlers, who exploded for four runs to take their first lead of the afternoon. Justin Lopez, playing at shortstop for the injured Jalen Niles, started the frame with a walk, and Brown followed with a towering home run to left field for his 12th of the season. After Jay Campbell reached on an error, Crews launched his seventh home run of the year, a two-run shot that swelled the Rattlers lead, at 7-3.
 
The Cats responded in the bottom-half of the seventh to trim the deficit with three runs of their own. Designated hitter Armani Newton singled and eventually scored along with Jesus Vanegas on Polledo's two-RBI single. Rivera then drove in Polledo with an RBI double to bring his side to within 7-6.
 
The Rattlers would tack on a pair of runs in the eighth inning on Campbell's RBI double, stretching their lead to 9-6 and seemingly putting the game away. However, the bottom-half of the frame saw more clutch hitting from the Wildcats as Martinez singled and Jorge Rodriguez followed with a two-run homer, his 14th of the season, to pull within 9-8 heading to the ninth.
 
The ninth inning provided a fitting conclusion to the championship game at Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in America and site of numerous historic baseball moments. Joel Core worked a clean top-half of the ninth to keep the Cats within striking distance heading to the bottom of the frame.
 
In the home-half of the ninth, it was Polledo kicking things off with a single before he was replaced by pinch runner Jayme Villafane. Rivera's sacrifice bunt attempt was unsuccessful in trying to advance Villafane, allowing Figueroa to reach safely on an error charged to the FAMU infield. The Wildcats had runners on first and second with one out. Lee followed with a fly out that appeared to signal the end of Bethune-Cookman's hopes, but Martinez stepped to the plate with two outs and delivered the biggest hit of his collegiate career.
 
The three-run blast sent the Wildcats pouring out of their dugout in celebration and gave them their first-ever baseball SWAC title, and the first conference title in the sport overall since 2017. For Florida A&M, Brown and Crews each homered and combined for five RBIs. Campbell contributed two hits and two RBIs, while Lopez scored twice despite going hitless. Martinez led Bethune-Cookman's offensive attack, going 3-for-6 with four RBIs and the game-winning home run. Rodriguez contributed a home run and two RBIs, while Polledo was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Rivera added two hits and an RBI while stealing a base.
 
On the mound, Core (6-1) earned the victory for B-CU with the right-hander working 1.1 innings of work out of the bullpen. Kelly (6-2) took the loss for Florida A&M after allowing eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits over 7.1 innings.