LORMAN, Miss. – Alcorn hosts Alabama State for a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball series beginning Thursday, May 14, as the Braves also enjoy a "Senior Appreciation Weekend" during the course of the series, as it represents the final regular season series of the campaign for both clubs.
 
THE SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 14
6 p.m. – Alabama State | Lorman, Miss. | McGowan Stadium | Listen
 
Friday, May 15
2 p.m. – Prairie View A&M | Lorman, Miss. | McGowan Stadium | Listen
 
Saturday, May 16
1 p.m. – Prairie View A&M | Lorman, Miss. | McGowan Stadium | Listen
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Alcorn is not ranked in any of this week's five major polls
▪ Alabama State is not ranked in any of this week's five major polls
 
STATS & NOTES
▪ Alcorn enters the series sitting at 9-39 overall, and holding a 3-22 record in league play.
▪ Despite being injured the last two series, shortstop Asher Friedman tops the team in batting average (.318), while it's Jaylyn Bennett leading the Braves in hits (46) and doubles (9). Bennett also holds a .426 slugging percentage – topping the Purple and Gold in that category as well.
▪ Keaten Hawk and Cooper Harris each share the team lead with three (3) home runs apiece, even with Harris missing the last three series for the Braves due to injury.
▪ Harris and Hawk each own 29 RBIs for the season as well.
▪ Chase Moore has reached base safely in his last seven games – including a six-game hitting streak.
▪ Bennett (14), Davis (10) and Hawk (10) have all registered double-digit multi-hit contests for the Braves across the campaign.
▪ As a pitcher, Davis owns a 3-4 record for the Braves, adding a 7.45 ERA to go along with 34 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched.
▪ Freshman left-hander Devin Kriley owns a team-high 44 strikeouts amongst the pitching staff.
 
ALCORN VS. ALABAMA STATE SERIES
▪ Going back to 2006, Alabama State leads the series against Alcorn by a 55-22 advantage.
▪ The Hornets have taken the last three consecutively in the series – a series sweep last year in Montgomery, Alabama.
▪ Alcorn collected a 3-2 win from Alabama State in the SWAC Tournament back on May 20, 2021.
▪ Until that win in 2021, the Hornets had rolled off 41 consecutive wins against the Purple and Gold, respectfully, beginning in 2014.
▪ The Braves have not defeated Alabama State in a series since 2013 in Montgomery.
▪ The last win for Alcorn in Lorman against the Hornets was a 5-3 win on April 12, 2014.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH HARDY
"Alabama State doesn't need any motivation because they're a good ball club. We have to come out with energy and take care of business on our own field."
 
"This one means a lot. These seniors have given everything to this program – not just on the field, but in the locker room, in the weight room, and in the classroom. You can't replace what they've meant to Alcorn overall, and towards the baseball program."
 
"Senior Weekend always hits different. When you watch these young men walk across that field with their families, you realize what it's all about. We would love nothing more than to send them out the right way – with a win."
 
"What better way to honor our seniors than to go out there and handle business against a perennial power like Alabama State in front of our home crowd? These guys deserve a great sendoff, and we're going to fight to give them one."
 
SCOUTING ALABAMA STATE (27-21, 17-10 SWAC)
Rankings: D1Baseball.com – NR | USA Today Coaches – NR
Head Coach: José Vazquez
2026 Batting Average: .272; Runs Per Game: 6.3; Hits Per Game: 8.9; Slugging Percentage: .427
2026 ERA: 6.35; K/BB Ratio: 1.35; Opp. Batting Avg: .301
 
NOTING THE HORNETS
▪ Alabama State used Niguel Jenkins at the top of the team with a .366 batting average, followed closely by Miguel Oropeza (.353) and then Breydon Divine (.316).
▪ Divine has knocked in a team-best 47 runs, adding a team-high 66 hits and 15 doubles in the process.
▪ Alabama State has stolen 27 bases on the year, while opponents have swiped 64 bags against the them, respectfully.
▪ The home runs are supplied by Trey Callaway (14) and Jackson Williams (12).
▪ Jorhan LaBoy returned to the Hornets from last season, owning a team-best 7-5 record on the bump with a 5.03 ERA across 73.1 innings worked.
▪ James Peterson has a 3.18 ERA out of the bullpen with 24 appearances and recording a 6-1 record with 40 strikeouts and two saves.
 
RECAPPING ALCORN'S LAST GAME (vs. Prairie View A&M)
Jordan Williams drove in three runs, and Isaac Herrera was virtually untouchable for six innings as Prairie View A&M rolled to an 11-1 victory over Alcorn in the opening game of a series at Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium.
 
Jordan Williams, the Panthers' left fielder, went 3-for-4 and proved to be the centerpiece of a Prairie View offense that pounded out 12 hits and drew six walks against an Alcorn pitching staff that struggled to find any answers.
 
Panthers first baseman Hunter Ham added a home run and two RBIs, while Ethan Walker reached base repeatedly and swiped three bases to keep constant pressure on the Braves all evening.
 
Isaac Herrera (2-1) made the outcome academic with a masterful effort on the mound, scattering five hits and striking out seven over six scoreless innings before Jaxton Fipps came on in relief in the run-rule decision of the seventh inning.
 
Prairie View broke through in the third inning – ending an early pitcher's duel between Herrera and Alcorn's freshman lefty Devin Kriley – when centerfielder Ethan Walker singled up the middle, promptly stole second, and came around to score on a Ryland Duson RBI double to right field to crack the deadlock and put the visitors up, 1-0.
 
Then the levee broke in the fourth.
 
Ham led off the frame with a solo home run to left field to make it 2-0.
 
John Lawson followed with a walk, stole second, and eventually scored on a Jordan Williams single to third base. Basilio Williams, who was aboard after his own single, came in on an Ethan Walker base hit, and Jordan Williams crossed the plate on a Tyvon Moore sacrifice fly to cap a four-run burst that chased Kriley from the game.
 
Kriley (0-8) was tagged for five runs on six hits and two walks over 3.1 innings on the bump. He did, however, strike out five batters in his time on the mound for the Braves.
 
Prairie View added a single run in the fifth when shortstop DeShon Middleton grounded into a force out that plated Basilio Williams, extending the lead to 6-0.
 
The Panthers then broke the game open for good with a five-run sixth inning to put the run-rule into effect.
 
Moore began the top of the sixth with a double, and after Duson was hit by a pitch, Zacarias Salinas singled through the right side to score Moore and push the lead to 7-0. Ham followed with an RBI single to right-center to make it 8-0 before Nicholas Johnson came on in relief of Kayden Sutton for the Braves.
 
Jordan Williams delivered a two-RBI single to center field that scored Ham and Salinas, respectively, and the inning's wild-pitch chaos allowed Basilio Williams to score moments later, pushing the advantage to 11-0.
 
Alcorn opened its scoring account in the home-half of the seventh to avoid the shutout.
 
With Fipps now on in relief for the Panthers, Braves third baseman Jamir Hollway worked a walk, and after Chance Jackson moved him to second on a groundout, left fielder Kanious Davis singled through the left side to score Hollway. Davis, who was one of the few bright spots in the Alcorn lineup on the night, finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.
 
The Braves threatened once more in the fifth when they strung together three consecutive singles from Clayvonjae Wright, Hollway, and Jackson to load the bases with one out. But it would be Herrera escaping the jam by striking out Davis and coaxing Rayfield Adams III into a pop-up to end the inning.
 
Walker was a menace at the top of the lineup for Prairie View, going 2-for-4 with an RBI, a hit-by-pitch, and three stolen bases. Duson was 1-for-2 with an RBI double, two walks, and a stolen base. Ham finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and the home run.
 
For host Alcorn, Wright and Jackson each singled in the fifth as part of the Braves' best threat of the night, but neither came around to score. Moore and catcher Nico Garcia also collected singles.
 
The Braves' bullpen absorbed the brunt of the damage.
 
Sutton came on in the fourth and was charged with five runs on five hits over 1.2 innings tossed, issuing two walks and hitting a batter while also throwing a wild pitch. Johnson surrendered one run on one hit over his two frames of work, but was charged with two wild pitches as Prairie View's baserunners continued to wreak havoc.
 
The three Prairie View pitchers combined to allow just six hits and struck out seven while walking only two Alcorn batters.
 
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