Bethune-Cookman’s baseball season ended on May 23 when the Wildcats fell 13-8 to No. 8 seed Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the SWAC tournament.
Bethune-Cookman was the reigning conference champion and 2026 regular-season champion, but the Golden Lions beat the Wildcats twice in four days to end their hopes of a repeat appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff led 3-0 in the fourth inning of the rematch of the Golden Lions’ 6-4 victory over Bethune-Cookman in the first round of the conference tournament on May 20.
The Wildcats caught fire, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth and six in the bottom of the sixth to take a commanding 8-3 advantage. But Arkansas-Pine Bluff refused to be the one eliminated. It scored 10 runs in the seventh and eighth innings to build a lead Bethune-Cookman was unable to rebound from.
Here are three takeaways from Bethune-Cookman’s loss on Saturday.
Both teams hit in bunches
Saturday’s scoreline was perhaps a more expected result than the 6-4 finish on May 20 considering the offensive firepower both teams displayed all season.
Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas-Pine Bluff both ranked inside the NCAA’s top 50 in runs, hits and batting average, with the Wildcats clocking in at No. 9 nationally in runs. And neither school’s bats disappointed on Saturday.
Ultimately, the Golden Lions were more productive with six players recording at least two hits, including three each from catcher Vinny Saumell and second baseman Aaron Grant. Outfielder Zyon Hamilton led all players with three RBIs.
Bethune-Cookman had four such players with Andrey Martinez, Jeter Polledo and Christopher Watson leading the Wildcats with two RBIs.
But, for the most part, hits and runs weren’t spread evenly throughout the box score. Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored the majority of their runs in spurts.
The Wildcats’ run happened earlier in the game with an eight-run outburst from innings four through six, including a six-run sixth inning. But unfortunately for the 2025 SWAC champions, the Golden Lions’ run was larger.
Bethune-Cookman still held on to an 8-6 lead after Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored three in the top of the seventh, but the dagger was the seven-run eighth inning that saw the Golden Lions complete a full rotation of their batting order — and then some.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff takes advantage of B-CU bullpen
The bulk of Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s 10 unanswered runs occurred after Bethune-Cookman replaced starter Tanner Boccabello.
Boccabello allowed only three runs in the first six innings. He was eventually pulled once his arm wore down and he allowed the Golden Lions’ three seventh-inning runs.
Jean Carlos Zambrano, Pablo Torres and Justin Morales handled relief duty beginning in the seventh inning and through the climactic eighth inning when Arkansas-Pine Bluff blew the game open.
It was similar to the sixth inning for Bethune-Cookman, when it scored six runs on a rotation of UAPB relievers.
Loss doesn’t discount great B-CU season
Bethune-Cookman wanted to repeat as SWAC champions and appear in the NCAA tournament, but the regular season the Wildcats had was one of the best in the history of their program.
Bethune-Cookman won a program-record 37 regular-season games, went undefeated in SWAC series and won the conference’s regular-season title.
The Wildcats defeated several opponents in the top 100 of the NCAA’s RPI, including road victories at LSU, the defending national champion, and No. 18 Florida that brought nationwide attention to the university’s baseball program.
Individually, Bethune-Cookman had the SWAC Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in Jose Fernandez and Edwin Sanchez, respectively. The Wildcats had nine players earn spots on All-SWAC teams, split between five First Teamers and four Second Team nominees.
Bethune-Cookman ended the season 38-20 with one of the most prolific offenses in the country.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 3 takeaways from Bethune-Cookman baseball’s loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Reporting by Zach Allen, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
