braves new world

Southern University leads the Southwestern Athletic Conference in hitting, slugging and home runs and ranks second (to Grambling) in runs. Jackson State tops the loop in ERA. Mississippi Valley State has, statistically, the best defense. Color all of them contenders in the SWAC Tournament. But Alcorn State, which has never won the SWAC championship, looks like the team to beat in the eight-team event that starts today at Shreveport's Fair Grounds Field. The Braves handily won the SWAC East with a 19-4 mark. They've got a couple of outstanding hitters (Kilby Perdomo, Eduardo Gonzalez) and decent pitching. And the Braves have speed, which never goes into a slump. The one category in which Alcorn leads the league is stolen bases, sparked by individual steals leader Brandon Hollins. JSU's pitching is impressive, and two-way star Desmond Russell or the dynamic Kendall Logan could emerge as a scene-stealer. But don't be surprised if Barret Rey's Braves run away with this thing and earn their first NCAA invitation. Alcorn opens with Texas Southern at 3 p.m. today. Valley plays Grambling at 9 a.m. and J-State meets Prairie View at noon.