The 2024 MLB Draft featured drafting two HBCU baseball players, Randy Flores (Alabama State) and Canyon Brow (North Carolina A&T). Their drafting underscores the increasing recognition of talent emerging from HBCU baseball programs.

The HBCU Swingman Classic has two major purposes. One, to put a spotlight on Black players who typically go under-recruited, under-scouted and underrepresented in baseball in recent years. The other is to highlight the culture of Black baseball,

A year ago, this is what the Swingman Classic was: a great idea. The All-Star Game was going to Seattle. Made sense to get Ken Griffey Jr. involved in helping to promote the game. Major League Baseball wanted to create more outreach in the Black community.

Texas Southern’s band, the “Ocean of Soul” echoed throughout the Rangers’ home of Globe Life Field. During pregame ceremonies, representatives from each of the “Divine Nine” Black Greek organizations