Teams Will Be Managed by Jerry Manuel and Bo Porter, With Additional Coaches Including Andre Dawson, Cito Gaston, Ken Griffey Sr., and HBCU Alumni; Tickets for the Event, Which Includes a Post-Game Firework Show, On-Sale at AllStarGame.com; Proceeds Benefit the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation
The rosters of the 50 HBCU student-athletes playing in the inaugural “HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile & powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation” on Friday, July 7th at T-Mobile Park were announced tonight LIVE on MLB Network. The players for this special HBCU All-Star experience during MLB All-Star Week were selected by a committee which included Hall of Famer and MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation Ambassador Ken Griffey Jr. as well as representatives from MLB, the MLBPA, and the baseball scouting community.
The teams will be managed by former Major League Managers Jerry Manuel and Bo Porter, with coaching staffs including Hall of Famer & HBCU alumnus Andre Dawson, two-time World Series Championship Manager Cito Gaston, three-time All-Star & two-time World Series Champion Ken Griffey Sr. and former Big Leaguers who are HBCU alumni (Rickie Weeks Jr., Marquis Grissom, Marvin Freeman, Vince Coleman, Lenny Webster and Trenidad Hubbard). Additional coaches include HBCU alumni James Cooper, Troy Morrow and Lester Strode. Cooper and Morrow are coaches in the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles organizations, respectively.
The players were selected from the following Division-I HBCUs:
· 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
· University of Maryland Eastern Shore
· Mississippi Valley State University
· Norfolk State University
· North Carolina A&T University
· Prairie View A&M University
· Southern University
· Texas Southern University
Tickets for the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile, which includes a post-game firework show at T-Mobile Park, are now on-sale at AllStarGame.com. Proceeds from the sale of each $10 ticket for GA seating will benefit the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, a joint initiative by MLB and MLBPA to support efforts that focus on improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and internationally. MLB Network will air the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile LIVE, beginning at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET. The broadcast will include MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds, Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims, and HBCU Sports Journalist Symone Stanley as the sideline reporter. Griffey Jr. will join the broadcast from each dugout throughout the game.
Below is the full roster of the participants selected for the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile & powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation:
In addition to their upcoming participation in the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile, several student-athletes have participated in elite-level development program events, notably the Hank Aaron Invitational (powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation). These players include Noble Lawrence, Corey King, and Cameron Bufford, all of whom have participated in the Breakthrough Series specifically. Additionally, Irvin Escobar, Manny Jackson, and Hylan Hall have participated in both the Breakthrough Series and Dream Series, while Khyle Radcliffe has participated in both the Breakthrough Series and the Hank Aaron Invitational. Narvin Booker has competed in the Hank Aaron Invitational.
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About MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation
In 2016, Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) joined together to form a charitable foundation with a mission of increasing participation in, and expanding access to, youth baseball and softball across the United States and internationally. Since its inception, the **MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF)**has awarded millions of dollars in grants to community-based projects that encourage and empower youth through baseball and softball – on and off the field – in underserved communities. For mor information please visit https://www.baseballydf.com/.
Courtesy of MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation