Prairie View A&M’s Xavier Jefferson, Andrew Garcia, Victor Mendoza, Tyler Laux and Brayden Johnson will have the opportunity to participate in the inaugural 2021 HBCU All-Star Game.
The game is set to be played Tuesday, June 8 at the Hoover Met Stadium in Hoover, Ala., at 6:30 p.m. CT.
The purpose of this game is to provide a platform to top-level talent coming out of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and recognize the tremendous work of the coaches who have molded, developed and support these players. The teams were selected through an All-Star Vote lead by the guidance of current and former HBCU coaches and players.
The players selected will have the opportunity to compete against the best in the game, support the next generation of players through community efforts, highlight the rich history of HBCUs and show Major League scouts that HBCU ball players have what it takes to advance in the game.
Jefferson, a senior outfielder from Southfield, Mich., was a solid presence for the Panthers. He finished the 2021 season leading all players with a .345 batting average after playing in 26 out of 32 games for Prairie View. As the second-slot batter Jefferson slugged a .517 this season, which leads all players. He also posted 21 runs on 30 hits with six RBI. On the field he averaged .975 in 40 chances he had 38 putouts with one assist. Jefferson was named to the 2021 All Southwestern Athletic Conference Second Team.
The 6-2, infielder from Chicago, Ill., Garcia started in 25 games for PV this season. The senior second baseman/shortstop batted a .303 average after 89 appearances at bat. He posted 16 runs on 27 hits with 15 RBI and one HR during the 2021 baseball season. In the field, Garcia was nearly flawless, committing just five errors while recording 38 putouts and making 52 assists. He also received second team All-Conference honors this past season.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Mendoza was the Panthers second go to man on the mound for the 2021 season. He led the Panthers pitching staff with eight appearances maintaining a 3-1 record with a 2.53 ERA throughout the course of the season. He struck out 40 batters in 46.1 total innings pitched.
Laux another member of the senior class and pitching staff has had 51 appearances finishing with an 8.03 earned run career average, having allowed 129 earned runs of 195 runs on 231 hits. He finished his career with a 12-19 record, starting in 29 of his 51 career appearances and pitching a total of 115. 1 innings. Laux struck out 131 total batters, 28 alone in the 2021 season.
Sophomore outfielder from Longview, Texas Johnson was also a premier player of choice, playing in his first official season as a Panther he had 28 starts playing in 30 of 32 games this season. The left fielder finished his season ranked number two on the team with a batting average of .318. Batting in the fifth position Johnson consistently hit over .300 for the entire season. He logged 28 hits in 88 at bats, including eight doubles, one triple and 16 RBI in the course of the season. He led the team with a .451 on-base percentage and slugged a .432. In the outfield he’s had 12 chances, putting out 10 players with one assist. He averaged a .917 fielding percentage.