Alabama State is dancing once again.
Fresh off its 2026 SWAC Baseball Tournament championship, Alabama State learned Monday that it will head to the NCAA Baseball Tournament as the conference’s automatic qualifier and the only HBCU in the 64-team field. The Hornets will face No. 7 national seed Alabama in the opening round of the Tuscaloosa Regional on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The matchup carries plenty of intrigue for an Alabama State program that has steadily climbed under head coach Jose Vazquez while continuing to carry the banner for HBCU baseball on the national stage.
Alabama earned the No. 7 overall seed as an at-large bid after finishing 37-19 and being selected as one of the 16 regional sites.
Alabama State carries HBCU banner into NCAA Tournament
While the SWAC champion has become a familiar sight in the NCAA Tournament, Alabama State enters this postseason with an opportunity to change the narrative around HBCU baseball nationally.
The Hornets are the lone HBCU in this year’s field — something that has become routine in Division I baseball after the MEAC discontinued baseball after the 2022 season. Alabama State earned its place by winning the SWAC Tournament title Sunday with an 8-6 victory over Florida A&M at Rickwood Field in Birmingham.
Now the Hornets shift their attention to one of college baseball’s blueblood programs.
Alabama State vs. Alabama history
The Crimson Tide have dominated the all-time series between the two schools.
Alabama owns a 9-0 record against ASU dating back to 2018, including a 13-4 victory earlier this season in Montgomery on March 4. The two teams also met in Tuscaloosa on Feb. 18, with Alabama escaping with a narrow 2-1 win.
Despite the lopsided series history, those two 2026 meetings gave Alabama State confidence it can compete with the SEC powerhouse.
The Hornets managed to hold Alabama to just two runs in the first matchup this season before falling late, showing they can match up on the mound against elite competition when playing clean baseball.
Crimson Tide chasing first super regional trip since 2006
Alabama enters the tournament with major expectations.
The Crimson Tide secured the No. 7 overall national seed and will host the Tuscaloosa Regional featuring Alabama State, Oklahoma State and USC Upstate.
The regional opener between the two teams is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Should the Crimson Tide advance through the regional and super regional rounds, it would mark the program’s first trip to the Men’s College World Series since 2006.
That pressure creates an interesting dynamic for the Hornets, which enters the postseason as a clear underdog but with momentum after winning four games in Birmingham to capture the SWAC crown.
Hornets entering NCAA Tournament with confidence
Alabama State arrives in Tuscaloosa playing its best baseball of the season.
The Hornets finished 34-21 overall and leaned on timely hitting and a resilient bullpen throughout the SWAC Tournament. Players like Miguel Oropeza, Fabian Santana and Trey Callaway delivered key offensive performances during the championship run, while James Peterson emerged as a stabilizing force late in games.
Now Alabama State gets a chance to test itself on college baseball’s biggest stage.
For the Hornets, the opportunity extends beyond one game. As the only HBCU in the NCAA field, Alabama State will once again represent a conference and culture eager to prove it belongs in the national conversation.