Michael Coker, a pioneering force in HBCU baseball and contributor to Black College Nines, passed away Tuesday, April 22, after a lengthy battle with pancreatic and prostate cancer, according to the website.He was 65.Coker’s legacy is woven deeply into the fabric of HBCU baseball. As executive director of Black College Championships LLC and the architect behind the Black College World Series, Coker spent more than two decades championing the visibility and advancement of HBCU student-athletes and programs nationwide.A native of Evanston, Illinois, Coker’s baseball career began as a first baseman at Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida, where he played under coach Jeffrey Lee Jr.
