USA Baseball has HBCU representation on field and in dugout

Historically Black Colleges and Universities will have a strong presence when the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team travels to Japan this summer. The national squad features HBCU coaches and student-athletes who have established themselves among the best in college baseball.

Leading the HBCU coaching contingent is Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) head coach Johnny Hernandez, whose Hornets captured the 2026 SWAC Baseball Championship. Hernandez has been named SWAC Coach of the Year in both 2025 and 2026 and continues to build an impressive résumé on the national stage. Hernandez is an assistant coach on the Stripes squad management team.

This marks Hernandez’s second summer on the USA Baseball coaching staff. Last year, he served as manager of the Stripes Team and the Collegiate National Team Prospects squad during Training Camp. His relationship with USA Baseball dates back to 2012, when he began serving on Task Force identification teams. He also worked as a pitching coach for the 2015 14U National Team Development Program.

Joining Hernandez on the coaching staff is Grambling State head coach Davin Pierre. Widely regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters, Pierre has built a reputation for developing elite defensive teams while producing All-SWAC selections, All-Americans, and Major League Baseball draft picks.

HBCUs are also well represented on the field.

Four players with HBCU ties participated in training with the USA Baseball Stripes Team: Thomas Ealey of Norfolk State, Trey Calloway and John Laboy of Alabama State, and Pablo Torres of Bethune-Cookman.

Ealey is a sophomore two-way standout at Norfolk State. He emerged as one of the Northeast Conference’s most dynamic players during the 2026 season. Ealey started 49 of the Spartans’ 51 games and led the team with a .370 batting average. He totaled 74 hits, 48 runs scored, 35 stolen bases, 20 RBIs, four doubles, and three triples. Ealey also made four appearances on the mound.

His outstanding season earned him a spot on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Watch List. He also won John Olerud National Player of the Week honors on March 17. Nationally, Ealey ranked 15th in stolen bases per game and 16th in total stolen bases. He finished among the NEC leaders in batting average, hits, and stolen bases before receiving the Rising Star Award at the Spartan Choice Awards.

Calloway earned an invitation to the training camp in Cary, North Carolina, after establishing himself as one of the SWAC’s premier power hitters. The Alabama State slugger blasted 17 home runs while batting .275 with 49 hits, 47 RBIs, and 37 runs scored. The sophomore also posted a .584 slugging percentage and a .374 on-base percentage. He showcased both power and discipline at the plate.

Laboy played a pivotal role in Alabama State’s championship run. The senior pitcher earned First-Team All-SWAC and SWAC All-Tournament honors while helping lead the Hornets to the 2026 SWAC Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.

He finished the season with nine victories, the second-most in the conference. Laboy also had a 4.25 ERA, 67 strikeouts, and 87.1 innings pitched. Opposing hitters managed just a .246 batting average against him. The SWAC Pitcher of the Week went to him twice during the season.

Bethune-Cookman connection

Bethune-Cookman reliever Pablo Torres concluded one of the most accomplished careers by a pitcher in Wildcats history. A native of St. Cloud, Florida, Torres finished his four-year career as one of the program’s premier bullpen arms. He was named SWAC Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2024 and earned All-SWAC Second Team honors twice during his career.

With accomplished coaches guiding the national team and standout players earning opportunities to represent the United States, HBCUs continue to demonstrate that they are producing elite baseball talent capable of competing on the national and international stage.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 11:44 AM.