The Southwestern Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament is set to unfold from May 20 through May 24 in Birmingham, Alabama, at the historic Rickwood Field. The eight‑team, double‑elimination event will bring together the conference’s top programs in a tightly contested battle for supremacy.
Opening Bracket A
Third‑seeded Florida A&M will open its campaign against sixth‑seeded Texas Southern in Bracket A, a matchup that pits a Rattlers squad boasting a 27‑22 record against a Texas Southern team sitting at 21‑22. The first pitch is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.
All games will be streamed live on the free SWAC TV platform, giving fans across the country access to the action without a subscription. The tournament’s structure places the winner of Bracket A against the champion of Bracket B in the final, which is slated for Sunday, May 24, at 2 p.m.
Beyond the pageantry, the stakes are high: the tournament champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, a pathway that Florida A&M hopes to secure for the second time in recent years. The Rattlers arrive with a potent pitching staff anchored by ace Caleb Granger and a hitting lineup led by Jay Campbell and Jackson McKenzie, who have helped the team win six straight games, including a 9‑8, 16‑inning thriller over Texas Southern on May 16.
Florida A&M’s recent history adds another layer of intrigue. The team captured the SWAC title in 2023 and finished as runners‑up in 2025, falling to Bethune‑Cookman. This year’s roster aims to rewrite that narrative, leveraging its depth and experience to challenge the likes of Southern, Jackson State, Bethune‑Cookman, Alabama State, Grambling State and Arkansas‑Pine Bluff.
With the eyes of the baseball community on Birmingham, the tournament promises a blend of grit, strategy, and unexpected moments that could reshape the postseason landscape for the conference.