Bluefield, WV. - Bluefield State's baseball team has been invited to play in the first ever Black College World Series. The Series will be held April 28-May 1 at Riverwalk Stadium, home of the Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Big Blue will face the Edward Waters Tigers from Jacksonville, FL, on Wednesday, April 28, at 12 PM CT.
Big Blue head coach Drew Bailey said, "This is a terrific opportunity for our guys to get some national exposure. They've gone through a long season complicated by COVID. The Series is a great idea and wonderful reward."
The inaugural Series involves eight teams divided into two brackets, NCAA Division II and NAIA.
Bluefield State plays in the Division II bracket and is ranked second behind Savannah State. Kentucky State and Lane College are ranked third and fourth respectively.
Xavier of Louisiana is the number one seed in the NAIA bracket, followed by Rust College, Florida Memorial College and Edward Waters.
The Series is organized in a double-elimination format with bracket winners facing off for a one-game championship.
Bluefield State finished the season 11-11, ranked sixth nationally in the Small School Standings. It's coming off a doubleheader sweep of the Alice Lloyd Eagles.
Edward Waters finished at 13-24 and ranked 15th nationally.
All Bluefield State games will be broadcast by Zach Helton over the Big Blue Sports Network.
For a full view of the brackets and tournament schedule click here.
The Black College World Series is the brainchild of BSCG360 and Black College Nines, both supporters of Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Seeding was determined by the Black College Nines weekly poll.
A total of 15 games are scheduled.
A Home Run Derby on Thursday will also be a highlight.
