Alabama State Wins SWAC Baseball Championship

Alabama State Baseball Championship Run Sends Hornets Back To NCAA Tournament

The Alabama State baseball championship run is not over yet. Alabama State University captured the 2026 SWAC Baseball Tournament title with an 8-6 win over Florida A&M on Sunday at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The win gave the Hornets their third SWAC tournament championship and sent them back to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. Alabama State finished the tournament unbeaten and earned the league’s automatic bid.

The Hornets entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed, but they played like a team built for the moment. Alabama State opened with a dominant win over Grambling State, kept rolling through the bracket, and then beat Florida A&M twice to close the week. The final victory came against a Rattlers team that refused to go away.

Florida A&M pushed late, but Alabama State held on. The Hornets built an 8-2 lead, gave up four runs across the seventh and eighth innings, and still found a way to finish the job. That closing stretch showed the toughness of a team that now gets to keep playing on the national stage.

Hornets Win Third SWAC Baseball Championship

This title adds another major chapter to Alabama State baseball history. The Hornets also won SWAC tournament championships in 2016 and 2022. Now, the 2026 group joins that list after a strong week in Birmingham.

Alabama State finished the championship game with 13 hits. The Hornets scored in the first inning, added another run in the third, and broke the game open with three runs in the fourth. A three-run home run from Trey Callaway in the sixth gave Alabama State the breathing room it needed.

Callaway’s swing became the biggest moment of the title game. With Alabama State already leading 5-2, he launched a three-run shot to right-center field. The home run stretched the lead to 8-2 and gave the Hornets enough space to survive Florida A&M’s late push.

The SWAC Baseball Tournament win also secured Alabama State’s spot in the NCAA Tournament. That makes this championship more than a trophy moment. It also gives the Hornets a chance to represent HBCU baseball on a national field.

Miguel Oropeza Leads The Way

Miguel Oropeza delivered one of the strongest performances of the tournament. He earned tournament MVP honors after hitting .571 with eight hits, 13 RBIs, two home runs, and a 1.143 slugging percentage across four games.

Oropeza also came through in the championship game. He recorded two hits, drove in a run, walked, and scored twice. His bat helped set the tone for Alabama State throughout the week.

He was not alone. Fabian Santana, James Peterson, and Jorhan LaBoy also earned All-Tournament Team honors for the Hornets. Santana added two hits and an RBI in the title game. Peterson picked up the win on the mound, and LaBoy helped anchor the pitching staff during the tournament.

That balance mattered. Alabama State did not win the championship with one player carrying the entire load. The Hornets won because their lineup, pitching staff, and defense all found ways to respond.

Florida A&M Made Alabama State Earn It

Florida A&M made the championship game tense late. The Rattlers tied the game in the first inning after Jackson McKenzie drove in Jay Campbell with an RBI double. They later chipped away at Alabama State’s lead with runs in the fourth, seventh, and eighth innings.

McKenzie and Campbell both had strong tournaments for the Rattlers. McKenzie hit .529 during the week, while Campbell hit .500. Alex Monile also stood out at the plate for Florida A&M.

Still, Alabama State kept its composure. The Hornets gave up 14 hits, but they limited the damage when it mattered most. Peterson settled in during the ninth inning and forced the final out with runners still threatening.

That final inning mattered because championship teams often need to win messy games. Alabama State did not need perfection. It needed poise. The Hornets found it.

A Big Moment For HBCU Baseball

The Alabama State baseball championship gives HBCU baseball another national postseason storyline. The Hornets will enter the NCAA Tournament as the SWAC’s automatic qualifier and one of the key HBCU programs to watch this postseason.

The NCAA later placed Alabama State in the Tuscaloosa Regional. The Hornets will open against No. 1 seed Alabama on Friday, May 29, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The regional also includes Oklahoma State and USC Upstate.

That matchup gives Alabama State a major in-state stage. The Hornets will face one of the top national seeds, but they enter with momentum. They have won eight straight games and come in with a 34-21 record, according to SWAC standings.

For head coach José Vázquez, this run adds to a strong era for the program. Alabama State has now won two SWAC tournament titles in the last five seasons. The Hornets continue to show that they can build winning teams, develop talent, and compete when the stakes rise.

Hornets Carry Momentum Into NCAA Regional

Alabama State now turns its focus from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa. The stage gets bigger, and the challenge gets tougher. Still, the Hornets have already shown that they can handle pressure.

Their tournament run had everything a team needs in May. They got timely hits. They had stars step up. They survived delays, late rallies, and elimination-style pressure. Most importantly, they kept winning.

Now, Alabama State gets a chance to carry the SWAC banner into NCAA regional play. The Hornets earned that opportunity with a championship week that proved they belong in the postseason conversation.

For Alabama State, the celebration is real. So is the next challenge.