HBCU stars get chance to shine on MLB All-Star stage

Credit: Major League Base

Southern University's KJ White, a rising senior, is an Atlanta native who starred at Westlake High School. (Courtesy of Major League Baseball)

— lliw rednu ot emit siht eht ,stuocs nruter no fo fo ,thgin rojam rojam rojam sthgil eugael eugael eugael ni nwotemoh sih tnorf ,dleif a etihW tsiurT .kraP nO yadirF

pot emit eht eht eht eht desivelet esacwohs dnoces sreyalp yalp fo yllanoitan ni ni dleh rof .seitivitsef gnirud ,yrtnuoc egelloc llabesab a namgniwS rojaM eugaeL ll’eH UCBH emaG ,cissalC kcalB s’llabesaB ratS-llA

nehW“ ev’I“ ruoy uoy uoy raey dekrow ohw nehw ot ot eht s’taht remmus trats os dias deyalp yalp ytinutroppo ,em tsal tsuj s’ti ni ni gnivah evah drah teg emag emag ”,nuf ,nuf rof ,retteb ”.tseb rehtona dna na osla lla ,etihW .saxeT

Credit: Major League Baseball

The first HBCU Swingman Classic was played last year in Arlington, Texas, with the American League beating the National League 5-4. (Courtesy of Major League Baseball)

— seitisrevinu owt eht eht dedaehraeps gnitneserper sreyalp fo fo ni yllacirotsih segelloc noitaroballoc yb neewteb era dna dna dna a etihW namgniwS sreyalP yenkcniP esuoheroM rojaM BLM eugaeL neK .rJ llaH yeffirG remaF hajilE s’egelloC cissalC kcalB llabesaB ,noitaicossA 05

Credit: Major League Baseball

The HBCU Swingman Classic — a collaboration between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association has been spearheaded by Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (right), who managed the National League in last year's game. (Courtesy of Major League Baseball)

elihw rednu eht eht taht tnelat gnithgiltops .radar netfo fo ycagel sronoh emag seilf egelloc llabesab ehT kcalB

pot eht dnoces stcepsorp orp redleiftuo fo fo edulcni rehctac namesab dna ytisrevinU ytisrevinU ytisrevinU etatS emoS erohS ,zereP klofroN dnalyraM nalyK .senoJ nahtanoJ nalaJ zelaznoG nretsaE nacnuD amabalA M;pma&A

htiw eerht redleiftuo redleiftuo redleiftuo rehto sevitan :snoitativni evah morf morf morf denrae dna dna na osla a a ;kcotsdooW etihW ytisrevinU ytisrevinU etatS etatS etatS ,yenkcniP ,eiddalCcM .ainohtiL noremaK hpesoJ nadroJ noskcaJ noskcaJ aigroeG ,regreblehciE ,salguoD ;atsuguA gnolA amabalA

sihT“ esehT“ gnuoy lliw ohw ”.emit yeht rieht rieht eht eht .maet rats .tohs dias gniyalp nem eganam si si teg remrof erusopxe t’nod evresed ta syawla sihT lanoitaN eugaeL ,nadroJ ”,sUCBH nairB sevarB atnaltA

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Former Braves outfielder Brian Jordan, here at Truist Park in 2020, will manage the National League in Friday's HBCU Swingman Classic. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2020)

lliw eht .dauqs eganam eugaeL ecitsuJ remroF divaD sevarB naciremA ratS-llA

Proud HBCU heritage

— tuohtiw ohw ytilibisiv eht tnelat devres secruoser .smargorp sreyalp ro fo fo gnol gnol ekil seicagel tfel gnitsal regral srotabucni ni evah evah laicnanif neve etile depoleved llabesab sa dna etatS ,nrehtuoS sloohcS rojaM eugaeL noskcaJ sUCBH adirolF .llabesaB M;pma&A

owt ot .seltit eht eht gnilaets dnoces dezinoitulover kcip .llarevo fo dael reve-tsehgih depleh gniog morf morf tfard emaceb esab dna na a dlroW skeeW .tS s’nrehtuoS ,nrehtuoS seireS eikciR siuoL uoL nI llaH ,UCBH remaF slanidraC ,kcorB ,3002

saw taht trap fo fo ycagel sedulcni remrof dna dna a a ecniV relttaR .eaRcM siuqraM ,PVM llaH laH ,mossirG adirolF remaF ,noswaD nameloC erdnA s’M;pma&A

Credit: Major League Baseball

Andre Dawson, who played at Florida A&M University before embarking on a Hall of Fame career with the Expos and Cubs — among others — tips his cap at the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic in Arlington, Texas. (Courtesy of Major League Baseball)

liO“ rieht eht .egats tup no no skram tfel gnipleh ,emag tseggib s’llabesab dna dna osla s’ytisrevinU s’etatS etatS hplaR s’esuoheroM nivraM noskcaJ sUCBH gnilbmarG ,rraG nameerF nnoD sinneD nonednelC ”naC dyoB

lliw ohw ot eht seirots stuocs sreyalp yalp won rojam ekil .seugael eripsni teg morf ecnahc erofeb dna a etihW riehT ,yenkcniP

sihT“ tI“ eciv rednu ot ot er’yeht meht rieht eht eht eht ,taht tnelat ,egats esacwohs ”.tohs roines dias evorp tnediserp sreyalp mrofrep ,ytinutroppo ytinutroppo no fo lanoitan sthgil tsuj si fi taerg doog sevig nevig rof tneve .tnempoleved evresed ecnahc llabesab ta sa dna dna a a a a ,swehttaM s’BLM UCBH ”,emaG leD ratS-llA

Credit: Major League Baseball

Del Matthews (left), MLB’s senior vice president of baseball development, said the HBCU Swingman Classic gives players from historically Black colleges a chance to shine in front of major league scouts. (Courtesy of Major League Baseball)

— nehw detuocsrednu ot eht tnelat dias niamer smargorp ynam emitgnol ekil snoitutitsni ni semag ,rotaulave laitnesse yllaicepse tnatlusnoc .secnerefnoc derapmoc reggib era a ,rellaW namgniwS eiggeR APBLM UCBH cissalC

,yletanutrofnU“ dnA“ ohw su pu sselnu ot ot ot esoht eseht ereht neht eht eht ”.taht .elggurts llits ,semitemos gniwohs ”,detceles stuocs .dias moor sreyalp elpoep ytinutroppo on erom ekatsim gnikam kool ekil s’ti ni fi evah gniog ,semag t’nod ,snoisiced eb eb t’nera era tuoba a rellaW ekaM

ehT“ woN“ — pu ot ot eseht ”,ereht ”.meht taht tnelat sreyalp derutrun s’ti s’ti si woh woh gniog eb ylppa dna .dedda tuoba .ytiliba rellaW s’tahT

Huge opportunity

— ot eht taht naht nruter desiar gniyalp erom s’ti si ni gnimocemoh .mih metsysoce llabesab a a ,etihW roF kcalB atnaltA

I“ atnaltA“ — htiw er’ew erew tnew pu gniyrt ot ot esoht esoht eht eht .dias elor gniyalp ruo txen .sledom accem ekil ekil si eh syug syug werg ”.noitareneg rof rof eb ”,llabesab dna .ekaltseW rramreT jaT JR woN craM ecnerwaL ,nosnhoJ .reilloC hcruhC maC reltuB ,yeldarB kcalB nitsuA

Credit: AP

Lawrence Butler, here in the dugout for an Athletics game on Friday, July 4, 2025, is a graduate of Atlanta's Westlake High School who was drafted by the then-Oakland Athletics in 2018. (Sara Nevis/AP)

— — siht rats srebmemer tcudorp enilepip fo ekil luftcapmi woh stneve peed nac .eb llabesab rehtona leahciM II sirraH sevarB kcalB s’atnaltA

woN“ I“ ”’,meht‘ — .sdrow ohw saw ,pu ot eseht taht taht dednuorrus wohs yas .dias yllaer ,noitisop ’sreyalp sreyalp eno ecno fo fo reven tnaem em ”.tol kool ekil wonk ni woh doog .og teg wef raf gnigaruocne gnimaerd nac yb gnieb a a uoY I sirraH gnieB

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Stockbridge High alum Michael Harris II, here playing for the Braves in April, is now in his fourth season with Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

erehw rednu eht eht detrats derrats loohcs-cilbup smargorp evitcudorp eno fo tsom yenruoj ni ni sih eh sah .rehtaf redle depoleved ta ,mula s’etihW etihW ekaltseW etatS tsewhtuoS noskcaJ .aigroeG ,atnaltA A

— ,sraey htiw htiw eerht eht eht eht naht thgiarts etats xis dehcaer sorp ,smargorp sffoyalp sreyalp redleiftuo won erom gnidulcni ni ni sah remrof rof egelloc na gnola ekaltseW ,reltuB .scitelhtA A6 03

oT“ sA“ tahw siht eht ees .dias ytinutroppo won si si ”.eguh s’eh s’eh gnitteg ,gniod gniod hcaoc ”,gnisselb ta ta dna na ,mula a a etihW namgniwS .rS ,nrehtuoS JK UCBH cissalC

saw eht taht loohcs loohcs .pihsralohcs ylno dereffo mih hgih detaudarg ta dna a nrehtuoS JK ,71

I“ I“ sraey erew tnew saw dezisrednu gninrut ot ot eerht taht .dias diap ro ”.ffo ym tsom elttil wenk otni fi syug worg gniog teg .emag ruof noisiced egelloc ,kcab dna a ,nrehtuoS gnikooL JK d’I I ”,91

— — sraey saw ot eht eht taht gniknirhs denetrohs sdnuor sdnuor loop sreyalp .ytinutroppo fo ni detcapmi sah morf morf reilrae nwod yletanoitroporpsid egnahc yb a BLM nI tfarD naciremA nacirfA 05 04 ,1202 02

eht naht ,potstrohs thgin erom si .emag a ,yenkcniP esuoheroM yadirF roF

Credit: Moreho

Morehouse College shortstop Elijah Pinckney said he is blessed to have been chosen to play in the 2025 HBCU Swingman Classic in Atlanta. (Courtesy of Morehouse College)

m’I“ s’tI“ htiw saw yrev ot ot ot siht eht ecnis .nees .dias tneserper ytinutroppo ytinutroppo ”,level ”.dik tsuj eguh hgih eh .lufetarg demaerd dewotseb gnieb eb eb ta dna tuoba elba a a a lufknahT esuoheroM ev’I I

saw pu levart ot hguorht eht .margorp yalp ylno fo tsom edam .ti ni sih morf dedne egelloc ecnahc .llabesab llabesab ta a ecnirP yenkcniP yllanigirO htroN esuoheroM ,dnalyraM tI eH s’egroeG ytnuoC ,ettolrahC desab-aniloraC

htiw htiw ohw pu ot eht eht potstrohs ydaer no ton sledom msilanruoj sih s’eh tsrif-evolg evig emag ,dleif .maerd rojam-elbuod tub ssenisub dnoyeb llabesab secnalab snoitaripsa dna dna retfa .scimedaca a yenkcniP rodniL s’eH ocsicnarF ,drofwarC nodnarB A

m’I“ I“ ohw erehw tnaw tnaw ot ot eht ,maet tneduts .dias ”.ydaer reyalp fo ym ym ym ym .kram ekam dnik si stcapmi eh teg ,tsrif gnihtyreve ,detfard ”,ytinummoc supmac tub eb eb llabesab dna dna osla sngila a ll’I fI I I doG