| The HBCU baseball and softball all-star weekend in Charlotte and Kannapolis put Black college athletes on a national stage. |
Minority Prospects’ all-star baseball game put the best Black college players on the big stage.
This year is the showcase’s fifth, this time in Charlotte and Kannapolis. The Battle of the Bands and baseball game were hosted at Atrium Health Ballpark. For Southern’s Cardell Thibodeau Jr. it was special to participate in an event that puts HBCUs in the limelight.
“We were all out here having fun,” he said. “We wanted to come out here and show what HBCU baseball was all about and put on a big show for the fans and give them something to be excited about. Overall, I think it was a big success.”
Thibodeau said he aspires to play professionally, so to play at the home of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers was a great experience.
“For me, playing here shows that this is just the next step closer to the [big leagues],” he said. “We build and stack days on days and I believe this is just the beginning for me to achieve something great.”
Alexander Wyche, the founder of Minority Prospects said he hopes to come back to Kannapolis and Charlotte in the future, adding this year’s all-star event was a success in furthering the organization’s mission.
“We’re very [grateful for] the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers,” Wyche said. “Out of all the places we’ve been, they have shown us the most love, so I am very appreciative of this opportunity. For the fans to come out on both the baseball and softball side (at Stick Williams Field in Charlotte) it was top level hospitality. I can’t wait to make it bigger and better.”
African Americans are critical to baseball history, which often is overlooked. Without the contributions of the Negro Leagues and those who pioneered desegregation of the Major Leagues, organizations like Minority Prospects may not exist.
“This is why we try to put minorities on the biggest stage,” Wyche said. “Not just this game but all the events we do in a year from kids’ clinics to showcases and other things. We feel by interacting with people we can help create a change. Baseball and softball [are] just the tool for the overall goal to help change the world.”
Cannon Ballers general manager Matt Millward expressed gratitude to further the mission of Minority Prospects.
“Our community focus is to ensure the Cannon Ballers aren’t just stewards of the game on the field, but champions of its history and its future — a future that is inclusive, diverse, and deeply rooted,” he said. “This weekend’s HBCU All-Star Game reminds us that baseball is not only America’s pastime, but also a mirror of our nation’s journey toward equity and inclusion.
“For me personally, hosting an event like this is both humbling and deeply meaningful. African American history is woven into the fabric of baseball — from the courage of players who broke barriers to the communities that kept the game alive in their own hometowns and backyards. Recognizing that legacy isn’t just important, it’s necessary.”