Arlington, Texas – In the second consecutive year of the HBCU Swingman Classic at Globe Life Field during the 2024 Major League Baseball All-Star Game festivities, the American League beat the National League 5-4 in the heart of Northern Texas.
The HBCU Swingman Classic highlighted the legacy of HBCU baseball programs and provided 50 players the opportunity to showcase their talent on an MLB All-Star stage. All players came from 16 Division I HBCUs from the South Western Athletic Conference. The rosters were selected by a committee that included Ken Griffey Sr. with the AL and former Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates manager Llyod McClendon for the NL.
All of the players that were selected from the following Division-I HBCUs schools were from 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, Mississippi Valley State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University and Texas Southern University.
The MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation organized the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic.
Dallas native and American Gospel Singer Kirk Franklin sang the United States national anthem and Lift Every Voice before the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic.
Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of Negro League legend Josh Gibson threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Friday night.
Last year’s inaugural HBCU MVP NL second baseman Randy Flores led the game off in the top of the first inning with a single to right center field.
A few moments later, third baseman Cameron Bufford swung at a dropped third strike that went behind catcher Jamal George near the backstop, with Flores scoring from third base to plate the game’s first run.
In the bottom of the third inning, AL shortstop Robert Tate Jr. led off with a triple down the right field line to threaten their first run of the game.
Shortly after, center fielder Ty Jackson drove a double down the left field line, scoring Tate to tie the game up at 1-1.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, the AL grabbed their first lead of the night with left fielder Tiger Borom ripping a two-run single to center field, scoring shortstop Jamal George and catcher Manny Jackson to grab a 3-1 lead. Borom advanced to second base on center fielder Brycen Hammonds throw to the plate.
A few batters later, second baseman KJ White lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Borom to extend the lead to 4-1.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, George rocked a double to left center field, scoring designated hitter Edwin DeLaCruz to extend the lead to 5-1.
The AL did not lose hope of closing in on the win on Friday night, even with the NL cutting the lead to one run in the top of the ninth inning in Northern Texas and with the support of the HBCU faithful in attendance, who were behind all the young athletes.
“I think it’s a great way to showcase our skills in front of scouts, and that you can play baseball at the next level,” Bufford told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com on Friday night.
Next year, with the All-Star Game heading to Atlanta, a lot will be drawn for fans to witness the future of MLB talent play in the 2025 HBCU Swingman Classic.
Borom was named MVP for the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic on Friday night after driving in the two-run single in the bottom of the fifth and batting ninth.
2024 HBCU Swingman Classic Rosters
2024 MLB Futures Game:
The 2024 MLB Futures Game will be on July 13 at 3 p.m. EST on MLB Network and will feature all of the top prospects from the 30 MLB organizations in the minors.
2024 MLB Draft Information:
The 2024 MLB Draft will be held at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday, July 14, at 7 p.m. EDT on MLB Network, MLB.com, and ESPN.
The remaining rounds will be from July 15-16 at 2 p.m. EDT on MLB.com.
The Cowtown Coliseum opened in 1908 and is part of the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District. The Cowtown Coliseum is the first-ever indoor arena for rodeos in the United States, holds 3,418 seats, and is home to the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.
This will be the fourth consecutive season that the MLB Draft will be held during ASG weekend and opened to the public.
The 2023 MLB Draft was held at Lumen Field, home to the National Football League Seattle Seahawks franchise from July 9-11; the 2022 Draft was held at Xbox Plaza at L.A. Live in Los Angeles from July 17-19 and the first Draft opened to the public for ASG weekend was in 2021 at the Bellco Theatre in Denver from July 11-13.
College Baseball Events At Globe Life Field For 2025 Regular Season:
The Big 12 Conference tournament is the only college baseball conference to have ever been hosted at a retractable roof stadium. It will return to Globe Life Field in 2025 for its fourth straight season.
Globe Life Field hosted the 2024 Shriners Children’s College Showdown from February 16 to 18, the beginning of the 2024 regular season, and six programs participated.
The three Big 12 Conference programs that participated at the 2024 SCC Showdown were Baylor University, Texas Tech University, and Oklahoma outside of the University of Tennessee from the Southeastern Conference, the University of Nebraska from the Big Ten Conference, and the University of Oregon from the PAC-12 conference in the first year of the event.
The University of Arizona will join the Big 12 Conference in the 2025 regular season after calling the PAC-12 Conference home since 1978. At the start of the 2024 season, all of Arizona’s fall sports will participate in the Big 12 Conference.
Arizona will play at the 2025 SCC Showdown at Globe Life Field in the first season of the Big 12 Conference from Feb. 14-16. Texas and Oklahoma State University will participate at the 2025 SCC Showdown from the Big 12 Conference, Clemson University and the University of Louisville from the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the University of Mississippi from the SEC.
The 2025 SCC Showdown will also occur at Globe Life Field during weekends from February until early March.
TCU, the University of Arkansas, the University of Georgia from the SEC, and the University of Michigan from the Big Ten Conference will compete on the second weekend from Feb. 21-23. Baylor University, Auburn University from the SEC, Ohio State University from the Big Ten Conference, and Oregon State University from the PAC-12 conference will complete the slate from the third and final weekend of the 2025 SCC Showdown from Feb. 28 until Mar. 2.
Photo Credit: Jamal George #11 of Alabama State University poses with the trophy following his team’s victory in the HBCU Swingman Classic at Globe Life Field on July 12, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Emmanuel Durojaiye/Getty Images)
