By Randall Barnes
The Ken Griffey Jr.-backed HBCU Swingman Classic is returning for a second year and the MLB recently announced the rosters for the event, which is once again set to take place during MLB All-Star weekend. The Swingman Classic is set to feature 50 talented players from 16 Division 1 HBCUs.
The HBCU Swingman Classic aims to highlight the rich history and enduring legacy of HBCU baseball programs while spotlighting the sport’s current stars. Proceeds from the event will benefit the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, an organization dedicated to enhancing the quality and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs both in the United States and internationally.
Three-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion Ken Griffey Sr. will be managing one of the teams, alongside ex-Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon. MLB Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, who attended Florida A&M University, will also contribute his expertise as a coach.
Griffey Jr. played a pivotal role in selecting the rosters for the game, ensuring that the best and brightest from the HBCU baseball community are represented. Griffey Jr. was instrumental in launching this series in 2023, and his continued involvement signals the event’s growing importance and prestige.
“It’s all about trying to get seen. I mean, if I can give an opportunity for a kid, one kid, two kids, three kids to be seen, how many kids can that be over the next five, 10, 15 years?” Griffey said in a quote obtained by the Seattle Times about the classic in 2023. “How many lives will that one person change? That’s all we’re trying to do.”
The 16 HBCUs with players competing in the Classic are:
- Alabama A&M University
- Alabama State University
- Alcorn State University
- University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff
- Bethune Cookman University
- Coppin State University
- Delaware State University
- Florida A&M University
- Grambling State University
- Jackson State University
- Mississippi Valley State University
- Norfolk State University
- North Carolina A&T University
- Prairie View A&M University
- Southern University
- Texas Southern University