By Vaughn Wilson, special to Florida A&M Athletic Communications


Five years ago this weekend, Florida A&M University head coach Jamey Shouppe and his baseball team would engage in a dominant and historic weekend. Coming off a mid-week game where they outhit the Auburn Tigers 11-4 in a disappointing 3-2 loss, the potent Rattlers headed to Boston, Mass., for a three-game series against North Carolina Central to determine first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

The teams squared off for two games at the Boston Red Sox AAA Pawtucket, R.I. facility and played the final game in historic Fenway Park. It would mark the first time an HBCU conference game was played at a Major League Baseball (MLB) venue.

The event was part of the first ever Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) Legacy Weekend Celebration put on by the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Area Church League, Inc. In addition to the games being played, other events over the weekend included a reception on Thursday, a debate hosted by Harvard University on Friday, April 24, and a college career fair hosted by the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday, April 25. 

The opening ceremonies to the weekend were held at Jim Rice Park, a community park in Boston. Boston’s newly-appointed police chief William G. Gross threw out the first pitch as the Rattlers and Eagles hosted a youth camp prior to the first game. Gross was the first black Chief of Police and has since been elevated to Boston’s first black Police Commissioner.

FAMU President Elmira Mangum, voice of the Marching “100” Joe Bullard, FAMU Board of Trustees Spurgeon McWilliams, M.D. and Rufus Montgomery, Sr. Associate Athletic Director Angela Suggs and Interim Director of Athletics Dwayne Robinson all accompanied the Rattlers to Boston. 

The game was broadcasted live on the New England Sports Network (NESN), the same network that broadcasts games for the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox. Red Sox great Jim Rice attended the game and expressed his pleasure in seeing so many black players in a sport where their presence is declining.

In the historic game, the Rattlers fell behind early. Catcher Jeremy Barlow hit a double off the Green Monster to spark an amazing comeback. Relief pitcher Brandon Fleming came in and shut down the Eagle offense. Senior third baseman Ryan Kennedy sent a shot over the Green Monster to give the Rattlers the lead for good. In the end, the Rattlers would emerge with the 9-4 win and first place in the MEAC.

The Rattlers clinched the MEAC Southern Division the following week, propelling them into the MEAC tourney on a hot streak. FAMU would win the MEAC Tournament in Salisbury, Md., earning their first outright entry into the NCAA Regional Tournament.

It was the first time in FAMU history that a team made it to the full field of the NCAA Tournament. 

Coach Joseph Durant and his Rattlers of 1994 won the MEAC Tournament and earned a play-in bid to the NCAA Tournament. At the time, the MEAC was not an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament. Years later, the NCAA restructured the tournament, allowing the MEAC champion an automatic bid into the full field.

Click here for photos and a video recap of the historic game.