LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University baseball program starts its quest for a SWAC Championship this weekend in Itta Bena where it will face Eastern Division foe MVSU in a three-game series to kick-off the 2021 season.
The Braves (5-7, 3-3 SWAC in 2020) were originally slated to open the season at the University of New Orleans but Mother Nature put an end to those plans.
The men in Purple and Gold bring back 18 student-athletes from last season's squad who closed out the season with a three-game sweep of Alabama A&M including ten position players and eight pitchers.
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Among the returning position players, the two that standout are Preseason All-SWAC First Teamer
Brandon Rembert and Preseason All-SWAC Second Teamer
Tristin Garcia.
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Rembert, who appeared in Sports Illustrated and was on the MLB Draft radar, is making his second straight appearance on the Preseason All-SWAC First Team. He started all 12 games in a COVID shortened season while logging three multi-hit contests, reached base safely in five consecutive ballgames and tied for the team lead with 11 runs scored. In the 2020 campaign he notched 16 total bases, 13 hits, six RBI, six walks and a round-tripper.
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Garcia, who was named to the 2020 All-HBCU First Team by the Black College Nines, also appeared on the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team last year and had a top-50 average of RBI per game (1.22) in the entire NCAA. Primarily a second baseman, he was the second-toughest batter to strikeout in the conference (9.8), ranked ninth in the SWAC in batting average (.333), fronted the Braves in multi-hit (4) and multi-RBI (4) outings plus on-base percentage (.413). In the nine games, Garcia reached base safely during six-in-a-row and recorded 17 total bases, 13 hits, 11 RBI, five runs scored, three walks, a home run and a double.
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Other key position players back for the Braves include
Kyle Jenkins (seventh on program's all-time homers list – 14),
Tyler Daniels (top-ten in NCAA for walks per game in 2020 – 1.18),
Hunter Wilson (.318 Avg. three doubles) and
Jordan McGowan.
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On the mound,
Jose Fernandez is back at the top of the rotation for one last go-round, fronting all starters with an ERA of 4.13 and 25 strikeouts in 24.0 innings pitched.
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Scouting the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (0-3, 0-0 SWAC)
Mississippi Valley had a difficult time in its 2021 debut series, failing to score a single run in three games at Southeastern Louisiana while surrendering 66 runs to the Lions during the sweep.
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Aaron Brazleton was a bright spot for the Delta Devils offense, recording four of the club's nine base hits on the weekend with multi-hit outings in games one and two plus two walks in the third.
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Isaiah Valenzuela had a decent stat line on the pitching side of the equation, giving up three earned runs over four innings of work.
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The Baseball Braves have played Mississippi Valley State more times (251) than any school outside of Jackson State in program history, with Alcorn leading the series comfortably (161-89-1).
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#FearTheBrave
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