Hernando Reporter

The defending HBCU National Champion, Edward Waters baseball squad will have a major target on their backs as they enter the 2023 season. The Tigers were selected as preseason #1 in the initial Black College Nines HBCU Small College Poll. 

The Purple & Orange will enter their first full season as a member of the SIAC in 2023 and several of their key pieces from last season's national championship run will return this season. Against SIAC competition in 2022, the Tigers finished with a 13-5 mark, including a 3-2 victory over Kentucky State in the championship game of the 2022 Tyson Foods Black College World Series.

Edward Waters will return seven of their nine starters from last year's team, including the Tigers' top two hitters in shortstop Payton Shubert and catcher Anthony Roman and top two arms in RHP's Alexander Davila and Will Valenti all return for 2023. Shubert, who comes back as a graduate student this season, led the way for the Tigers at the plate in 2022 with a .293 batting average with 40 RBI's, four homeruns, and 12 stolen bases. Junior backstop Anthony Roman was second on the team in batting with a .283 batting average with 25 RBI's and one homerun. On the mound, Alexander Davila led the team with a 5.54 ERA in 14 appearances, with 59 strikeouts. Valenti was not too far behind with a 7-2 overall record in 14 appearances, a 6.23 ERA, and 56 strikeouts. 

Head Coach Reginald Johnson begins his 12th season in charge of the program in 2023 and has an opportunity to capture his 300th career victory this season. Through his first 11 seasons at EWU, Johnson has a 284-251-1 record at Edward Waters, with two HBCU National Titles to his credit in 2011 and last season.

The Tigers will begin their defense of their championship on Friday, February 3rd as they will face rival Florida Memorial in a three-game weekend series at Henry L. Aaron Field at James P. Small Memorial Baseball Park.

Original source can be found here.