Jackson State to Open 2026 Baseball Season at MLB HBCU Power Series

PEARL, Miss. — Jackson State is set to open its 2026 baseball season Friday night at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi, participating in the MLB HBCU Power Series. The Tigers will face Prairie View A&M with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.

The weekend features six additional games involving six teams, including Jackson State’s matchups against Alabama A&M on Saturday and Alcorn State on Sunday. Other participating schools include Grambling State and Texas Southern.

Last season, Jackson State finished with a 30-21 record. The team returns several key players, including preseason All-Conference selection Wilbert Perez. The senior first baseman hit .324 with a .945 OPS, 12 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 32 runs scored, and 48 RBIs last season.

Perez is joined by second baseman Ledy Alvarez, who batted .309 with 10 extra-base hits and 42 runs scored. Third baseman Tyshon Patty, who hit .276 with eight extra-base hits and 36 runs scored, also returns. Shortstop Robert Tate Jr. batted .269 with 10 extra-base hits, 27 runs scored, and was perfect in stolen bases with eight.

At catcher, Hederick Torres and Pierre Cabral return, with Torres hitting .346 with 29 runs scored, and Cabral batting .273 with a .414 on-base percentage. Jackson State will look to fill the void left by departing top starters, relying on five returning pitchers and new talent to bolster the rotation.

All nine games this weekend will be streamed on MLB.com. Fans can follow Jackson State athletics on social media @GoJSUTigers on Twitter and Instagram, or visit GoJSUTigers.com for more information.

Source: Original Article