Jackson State University and Chicago State University baseball teams will participate in a single game match-up in the inaugural Steel City Diamond Classic (SCDC) which kicks off a fundraising event on the baseball field as both teams will meet to showcase their respective baseball programs. The two-team affair is already gaining attention with its catchphrase “SWAC versus WAC showdown Midwest Meets Deep South” pitting the Southwestern Athletic Conference against the Western Athletic Conference.
The baseball event is estimated to welcome more than 6000 fans to The Steel City Diamond Classic at Gary, Indiana’s baseball showplace, U.S. Steel Yard, on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.
The Diamond Classic is special to many, not only because of the action on the field, but also because of the benefits and exposure it provides each participating school and respective conferences. This initiative is designed to promote higher education through exposure. Its mission is to educate students of the value and benefits associated with attending and graduating from Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Jackson State will enter into the May 2nd contest as the No. 1 ranked team in Black College Nines’ HBCU Top 10 baseball poll. If Chicago State pulls off an upset, this could lead to an interstate rivalry between both universities.