KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — The Minority Prospects HBCU Baseball All-Star Game brought more than a showcase to Atrium Health Ballpark. It brought a full day of service, skill, speed, power and HBCU baseball excellence to Kannapolis.
Before the first pitch, MBP Helping Hands opened the day by conducting a baseball clinic for local youth, giving young players in the Kannapolis area a chance to learn the game, interact with college standouts and experience baseball inside one of the premier minor league venues in the region. That community-centered start set the tone for an event built around exposure, development and celebration.
The competitive portion of the day began with the showcase events. KJ Davis of Alcorn State captured the fastest man contest, adding another highlight to a day filled with athleticism. The Home Run Derby followed with finalists representing multiple levels of college baseball: Cameron Laffitte of Bishop State (AL), Robert Robinson Jr. of Morehouse and Jackson Williams of Alabama State advanced as the final three, giving the event a junior college, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I presence in the power competition.
Then came the main event.
Team Wilbert Ellis jumped ahead early and later held off a determined Team Larry Watkins rally to earn a 9-6 victory in the 2026 MBP HBCU Baseball All-Star Game.
The winning side struck first in the bottom of the opening inning. Kelley White Jr. of Southern reached base, stole second and came around to score when Miguel Oropeza of Alabama State delivered an RBI double. Robinson, representing Morehouse, followed with a single, and Niguel Jenkins of Alabama State reached on an error that brought in another run. Emory Stephens of Albany State added an RBI single later in the inning, giving Team Wilbert Ellis a 3-0 lead after one.
Morehouse standout Elijah Pinckney extended the advantage in the second, launching a solo home run to make it 4-0. But Team Larry Watkins answered in the third, showing the depth of offensive talent on its roster.
Jaden Greenridge of Lincoln (Pa.) and Jordan Treadwell of Coppin State helped spark the rally with base hits. Kameron Byrd of Southern drove in a run with a single, Treadwell later stole home, and Trey Bridges of Grambling State added an RBI single to trim the deficit to 4-3.
Team Wilbert Ellis responded immediately. Tyvon Moore of Prairie View A&M worked a walk in the bottom of the third, and Devin Chandler of Alabama State followed with a two-run home run, pushing the lead back to 6-3.
The back-and-forth continued in the fifth. Team Larry Watkins tied the game behind a productive inning that included a single from Jackson Williams of Alabama State, a hit-by-pitch by Jaquez Akins of Benedict, an RBI single from Johan Sandoval of Savannah State and a two-run single from Greenridge. Just like that, the game was even at 6-6.
The decisive swing came two innings later, and it belonged to the eventual Most Valuable Player.
In the bottom of the seventh, Chandler drew a walk and White was hit by a pitch. Ryan Hunter of Southern then singled to bring Chandler home with the go-ahead run. Oropeza followed with his second double of the night, scoring White and Hunter and giving Team Wilbert Ellis a 9-6 lead it would not relinquish.
Oropeza, representing Alabama State, was named the game’s MVP after going 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. His run-scoring double in the first opened the scoring, and his two-run double in the seventh provided the separation Team Wilbert Ellis needed to close the night.
Chandler, also of Alabama State, added a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Pinckney of Morehouse homered, Stephens of Albany State collected two hits and an RBI, and Hunter of Southern drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh.
Team Larry Watkins finished with 13 hits and continued to apply pressure throughout the game. Greenridge of Lincoln (Pa.) helped lead the comeback effort, while Byrd of Southern, Bridges of Grambling State and Sandoval of Savannah State each produced key run-scoring moments.
Team Larry Watkins made one final push in the ninth, getting singles from Akins of Benedict and Sandoval of Savannah State, but Team Wilbert Ellis held firm. Camden Matthews of Alabama State recorded the final out with a strikeout, sealing the 9-6 win.
From the youth clinic to the speed contest, from the Home Run Derby to Oropeza’s MVP performance, the day reflected the purpose of the Minority Prospects platform: creating opportunities, elevating HBCU baseball talent and giving players from across the country a stage worthy of their ability.