Historically Black College and University baseball (commonly referred to as HBCU baseball or black college baseball) has been part of the collegiate baseball scene dating back to 1887 when Southern University and Straight University faced off in New Orleans, Louisiana. Those two black college "nines" (the moniker that was first used in the nineteenth century referencing a baseball team) paved the way for other student-athletes to flourish and move on to have impactful professional careers such as civil rights icons like former NAACP executive directors James Weldon Johnson and Walter White, community leaders, educators and college presidents, as well as Negro League all-time greats like Buck O'Neil, Dave Malarcher, and Hilton Smith, and Major League Baseball Hall of Farmers like Lou Brock and Andre Dawson. Black College Nine s is a detailed history with illustrations of baseball at Historical Black Colleges and Universities through the completion of the 2019 spring season, and includes African-Americans who integrated baseball programs at Historically White Institutions. An appendix includes national statistical leaders and recordholders from HBCUs, conference champions, drafted players and more. "A well written and researched book on a part of baseball that is rarely talked about." "HBCU Baseball gets its proper royal treatment in Jay Sokol's book. His thorough research results in enlightening details going back to 19th century baseball played on HBCU campuses through the modern day. This book is extremely valuable in documenting people and events responsible for contributing to HBCU culture and making broader impacts in sport and society. This is ground-breaking work that enhances our understanding of college baseball history." Jay Sokol is the founder of blackcollegenines.com, a website dedicated to preserving the legacy of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) baseball. A longtime writer and researcher of the sport, Sokol is a member of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Society For American Baseball Research, a founding member of the HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association and chairperson of the Black College Legends and Pioneers Committee of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.