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Could there soon be a changing of the guard in the SWAC?
It’s certainly possible, all thanks to a former MEAC head coach.
Alabama State went out last summer and aspired to hire a solid coach. The Hornets aimed incredibly high in the HBCU ranks, offering Bethune-Cookman’s Mervyl Melendez the opening. Melendez accepted the position to the surprise of many.
Melendez still must win games at ASU to truly make a difference, but he’s already making a substantial difference on the recruiting trail. The Hornets have already welcomed some talented Puerto Rican prep stars to campus for this season, while many more possibly could be on the way next fall if the MLB draft doesn’t gobble them up.
While Alabama State is a team to watch in the SWAC title race, usual suspects Jackson State and Southern are expected to fight for the league’s automatic bid. Meanwhile, Alabama State could become a contender with somewhat of a surprising spring, while it’s a good bet that Barrett Rey once again will do a stellar coaching job at Alcorn State.
As usual, this is a conference where the automatic bid will come down to the league tournament.
Keep your eyes out for Melendez and Alabama State.
HOW THEY STACK UP
Overall/conference won-loss records from 2011 indicated; preseason national ranking in parentheses, expectation level denoted -- College World Series= CWS, NCAA Super Regional= SR, NCAA Regional= R
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