The 2026 SWAC baseball tournament sets up as a tournament of heavyweights at the top, but the bracket also leaves room for a sleeper run.
Here is everything you need to know about the field that will compete for a conference title at historic Rickwood Field this week.
Who are the SWAC Tournament favorites?
Bethune-Cookman is the safest pick to make a deep run because it finished 23-7 in SWAC play, won the league title, and entered as the No. 1 seed.
The Wildcats also bring the league’s preseason player and pitcher of the year into the mix in Andrey Martinez and Edwin Sanchez, which is exactly the type of star power that travels well in a short tournament. Sanchez posted a SWAC-leading 12-1 mark with a 2.52 ERA.
Southern is the most dangerous threat to Bethune-Cookman because the Jaguars arrive as the No. 2 seed and, more importantly, on a 15-game SWAC winning streak. That kind of momentum matters in a double-elimination format, especially when a team is playing clean, confident baseball at the end of the year.
Florida A&M also belongs in the favorite tier after earning the No. 3 seed with a 22-8 SWAC record, which gives the Rattlers both résumé strength and a favorable early path.
Teams that could shake up the bracket
Alabama State feels like the best sleeper in the field because the Hornets are the No. 4 seed and open with Grambling State, a matchup that is tough but manageable if Alabama State’s pitching holds up. The Hornets will roll with Jorhan Laboy (8-4, 4.12 ERA) and Trey Power (6-3, 1.56 WHIP) on the mound, which hints at the kind of arm depth that can matter over several days.
In a tournament where one hot weekend can flip expectations, Alabama State’s pitching — if it can hold up — has a shot backed by an offense that is second in the SWAC in homers, with 52 during the regular season.
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Jackson State is another sleeper because its No. 7 seed looks modest, but the Tigers are still 16-14 in league play and carry a team batting average of .308 and 400 runs scored into the tournament.
The Tigers draw Southern in the opener, a team that JSU had not played during the regular season.
SWAC Tournament players to watch
Andrey Martinez is the name that jumps off the page because he was the preseason SWAC Player of the Year and one of the league’s most dangerous bats.
Edwin Sanchez is just as important, since he was tabbed preseason pitcher of the year and gives Bethune-Cookman an ace who can shorten a tournament game. If the Wildcats win it all, chances are one or both of them will have played a central role.
For a broader watch list, Southern’s Benny Bikar and KJ White Jr., (who leads the SWAC in batting average at .415) give the Jaguars more lineup depth, while Florida A&M’s Jay Campbell and Garrett Workman add two-way and pitching intrigue.
Grambling State’s Cameron Hill and Trey Bridges also stand out as players who can swing a game or two if the Tigers get hot. In a tournament this compact, the difference between a quick exit and a run to Sunday often comes down to one or two impact players getting hot at the right time.
How the SWAC Tournament could be decided
The opening day slate creates some immediate pressure points: Florida A&M vs. Texas Southern, Alabama State vs. Grambling State, Southern vs. Jackson State, and Bethune-Cookman vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Bethune-Cookman’s first game is the cleanest on paper, but tournament baseball rarely stays tidy for long.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧 🚨
The road to the SWAC Title runs through Birmingham 😤
Catch every game live on SWAC TV | May 20–24 #SWACBSB | #BuildingChampionsForLife pic.twitter.com/2vCvKXSDPP— Southwestern Athletic Conference (@theswac) May 17, 2026
If the bracket breaks as expected, Bethune-Cookman and Southern feel like the most likely title-game sides, with Florida A&M and Alabama State the teams best positioned to disrupt that script.
The safest championship pick is Bethune-Cookman, but Southern’s latest streak makes it the most believable challenger.
2026 SWAC Baseball Tournament
- When: May 20-May 24
- Where: Rickwood Field in Birmingham
- How to watch: SWAC TV
