UAPB Baseball: Golden Lions Fall to Jackson State, Secure #8 Seed for SWAC Tournament

Jackson, MS– The UAPB Golden Lions closed out the regular season with a hard-fought weekend series against the Jackson State Tigers in Jackson, Mississippi, earning a split over the first two games before dropping the finale as both teams secured spots in the upcoming SWAC Baseball Tournament.

UAPB opened the series Thursday with an impressive 8-6 victory at Braddy Field behind timely hitting and clutch late-inning execution. Second baseman Aaron Grant delivered one of his best performances of the season, finishing with three hits and three RBI, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning and another RBI hit in the ninth. Lazaro Alvarado also starred offensively with three hits and three RBI as the Golden Lions jumped out early and answered every Jackson State rally.

Starter Kenney Fabian gave UAPB six solid innings on the mound, allowing four runs while working through several difficult situations to keep the Golden Lions in front. Jackson State tied the game twice late, but UAPB responded each time with clutch offense to secure the opening-game win.

The Tigers answered Friday by taking game two, 6-4, evening the series heading into Saturday’s finale. UAPB again struck first and led 2-0 through four innings after manufacturing runs with disciplined situational baseball. However, Jackson State rallied in the fifth inning and used steady offensive pressure the rest of the night to pull away.

Despite the loss, the Golden Lions continued to show resilience throughout the weekend. Aaron Grant remained productive at the plate, while UAPB’s defense and pitching staff battled through multiple pressure situations against a Jackson State lineup fighting for postseason positioning.

In Saturday’s regular-season finale, Jackson State earned a decisive 12-6 win to claim the series and edge UAPB in the final conference standings. The Tigers used a six-run third inning to seize momentum after the Golden Lions briefly cut the deficit to one run early in the contest. Catcher Vinny Saumell drove in two runs for UAPB, but Jackson State’s explosive offense proved too much to overcome.

Both programs finished SWAC play with identical 16-14 conference records, but Jackson State secured the No. 7 seed for the SWAC Tournament while UAPB claimed the No. 8 seed. The Golden Lions enter postseason play with a 23-32 overall record after battling through one of the conference’s most competitive stretches to secure a tournament berth.

The 2026 SWAC Baseball Championship Tournament will be held May 20th-24th in Birmingham, AL at Rickwood Field. UAPB will face the #1 seed Bethune-Cookman Wednesday at 6pm. Live coverage on Deltaplex Radio’s 99.3fm The Beat, brought to you by Central Maloney Inc.