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‘Hell Baby’ tattoos signify Grambling State players’ bond ahead of NCAA tournament
Several teammates got matching ink to commemorate program’s first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 2010
Grambling State head baseball coach Davin Pierre isn’t the biggest fan of tattoos and has spent over three decades of his life without one. However, that will soon change.
When his players talked about getting matching tattoos during their season he thought they were joking. But when several of them decided to permanently ink “Hell Baby” on various parts of their bodies to commemorate the program’s first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 2010, Pierre couldn’t help but smile.
“When I got on the bus and saw it, I was like, ‘‘Yall crazy.’ But that’s a testament to show how serious those guys are,” said Pierre, whose team will face No. 3 seeded Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, today in the opening round of the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. “I thought it was funny, but I’m getting one, too. It’s just the bond that we have, man. … This team is really a family.”
“Hell Baby” has special meaning to Grambling State alum Pierre and the wider Grambling State community. Pitcher Esteban Tavarez, catcher Chris Marcellus and pitcher Miguel Baez currently have the tattoo, and more members of the team, including Pierre, plan on getting it after the NCAA regionals.
“[It] comes from Coach Eddie [Robinson] and Coach Wilbert Ellis! It’s about the passion they have for our university and athletic programs. And I’m just holding and pushing what they started. ‘Hell Baby We Grambling’ means we can overcome anything, we can do anything, and the expectation is for us to be the best. It means we are family,” Pierre said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It means we have a respect for our university. It means that we just don’t wear the G. It’s in our heart, and it means no matter what we will always fight for Grambling.”
The Tigers (26-26 overall, 18-8 SWAC) earned the third NCAA DI tournament appearance in program history after pulling out a close 6-5 win over Jackson State in the SWAC championship game on Sunday. Pierre believes the team’s resilience, which players displayed during the SWAC tournament, will help them in postseason play.
“I think they learned that when they come together there’s nothing that they can’t accomplish,” Pierre said. “We talk about it all the time. When something good happens, keep playing. When something bad happens, keep playing. No matter what happens, keep playing. That’s what they did, and they fought together.”
The team arrived at the regional site Wednesday, and Pierre and the coaching staff are making sure the Tigers are ready to compete.
“I’m telling them that we are champions. There are 64 teams in his tournament and we’re one of the best, so go out and play with a lot of confidence,” Pierre said.
“[I told them] you don’t have to be fearful or feel inferior to anybody that’s in the tournament. If we play our best brand of baseball, we can give ourselves a chance to win no matter who we play.”