TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Stillman College will open the 2026 Hope Credit Union HBCU Athletic Conference Baseball Championships as the No. 2 seed from the East when games begin Saturday at noon at River Run Park in Northport. 

The Tigers (23-16, 14-6) will meet West three-seed Philander Smith University (13-23, 10-11) in the first game on Field 4. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season, after Stillman swept a three-game series in Arkansas last year. The winner of the opening game will play Sunday at 10 a.m. against the winner of West Division winner Huston-Tillotson and Voorhees. The losers fo the two game will play Saturday night at 7 p.m. The double-elimination tournament will conclude Tuesday evening, April 28.

Stillman opened HBCUAC play on Feb. 19 with a no-hitter from John Roland, sparking a three-game sweep of the Oakwood Ambassadors. They went on to go 5-0 in the East against Oakwood, 3-0 over both Wilberforce and Voorhees, 2-1 against Rust and 1-5 against Talladega. 

This season, Stillman out-scored HBCUAC opponents 168 to 108 through 20 games. The Tigers scored 10 or more runs in 10 of their 20 conference wins, including two 20-run games. Stillman was 3-0 in one-run games.

Robert Gage leads the Tigers, hitting .425 at the plate with 45 total hits, 41 runs and 32 RBI. Freshman outfielder Jonathan Phillips is second on the team with a .390 average, 25 RBI and 26 runs scored. Stillman has 10 players with 14 or more starts hitting over .300, including including Cameron Sipp (.394), Matt Rivers (.368), Gavin Rehorn (.366), Davion Wilkins (.351), Kane Shellhouse (.344), Mekha Hicks (.333) and Kameran Belsar (.323).

Roland leads the pitching staff in starts (10), posting a 4-4 record and 5.43 ERA with 45 strikeouts. Caleb Vallejo is a perfect 5-0 with a 4.22 ERA in 49.0 innings pitched, while Zack Munger is 4-2 through 13 appearances and 52.2 innings. He has struck out 43. 

 

12:00 p.m. - Game 1: W3 Philander Smith vs. E2 Stillman (Field #4)

12:00 p.m. - Game 2: E4 Voorhees vs. W1 Huston-Tillotson  (Field #2)

3:30 p.m. - Game 3: E3 Wilberforce vs. W2 SUNO (Field #4)

3:30 p.m. - Game 4: W4 Dillard vs. E1 Talladega (Field #2)

7:00 p.m. - Game 5: G1 Loser vs. G2 Loser (Field #4)

7:00 p.m. - Game 6: G3 Loser vs. G4 Loser (Field #2)

SUNDAY, APRIL 26

10:00 a.m. - Game 7: G1 Winner vs. G2 Winner (Field #4)

10:00 a.m. - Game 8: G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner (Field #2)

1:30 p.m. - Game 9: G6 Winner vs. G7 Loser (Field #4)

1:30 p.m. - Game 10: G5 Winner vs. G8 Loser (Field #2)

5:00 p.m. - Game 11: G7 Winner vs. G8 Winner (Field #2)

MONDAY, APRIL 27

2:00 p.m. - Game 12: G9 Winner vs. G10 Winner (Field #2)

5:30 p.m. - Game 13: G12 Winner vs. G11 Loser (Field #2)

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

6:00 p.m. - Game 14: G11 Winner vs. G13 Winner (Field #2)*

9:00 p.m. - Game 15: G14 Winner vs. G14 Loser (Field #2)*

*Game Times could begin two hours earlier if Softball Game 3 is not played