TALLADEGA, Ala. - Last year's conference tournament champion Talladega College baseball team is defending its rank, claiming the 2025 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) regular season title and top seed for the 2025 Hope Credit Union HBCUAC Baseball Championship, Wednesday through Sunday at the Arkansas Travelers' CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park.

As a team, Talladega has stolen 237 bases out of 266 attempts while out-hitting opponents .359 to .260. The Tornadoes have registered 157 extra-base hits (88 doubles, 26 triples, 43 home runs). Talladega's 465 RBIs, 267 walks, and 552 hits rank first in the conference.

The Tornadoes (36-14, 27-3 HBCUAC) won nine of ten conference series with eight sweeps. They enter the tournament on a 10-game winning streak. Last season's Most Valuable Player, Miguel Oropeza, has continued where he left off. He leads the HBCUAC and NAIA with a .535 batting average, hitting .602 during conference play. Oropeza is also the conference's home run (15) and RBIs (75) leader.

Armando Jackson ranks in the top five of the conference with nine home runs and 48 RBI. Darlin Fernandez follows with eight home runs and 46 RBI. His .357 batting average is third on the team, while his 46 RBIs tie for second, and his nine home runs rank second on the squad.

On the mound, Talladega is led by Emilio Duque, who ranks second in the HBCUAC with a 3.07 earned-run average and nine wins. He is fifth with 63 strikeouts.

Samuel Guadamuz, the Preseason All-HBCUAC Pitcher of the Year, leads the conference with 10 wins and ranks in the top five with a 4.77 earned-run average and 80 strikeouts.

The Tornadoes open the 2025 HBCUAC Baseball Championship against No. 8 seed Wilberforce University (15-30, 11-19 HBCUAC) at noon on Wednesday.

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