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Everything you need to know about the 2025 HBCU Swingman Classic
Everything you need to know about the 2025 HBCU Swingman Classic
The HBCU Swingman Classic will start the weekend festival All-Star 2025 Mlb on Friday, July 11 and organizes the third annual event and HBCU All-Star.
The classic contains 50 players on 17 different HBCU programs, allowing them to show their talent and skills on the largest scene – this year in the Truist Park, the Atlanta Braves Home.
The event will start at 19:00 et and can be watched on MLB Network and MLB.com.
Here’s all you need to know about an exciting event.
History history
HBCU Swingman Classic enters its third year, dating back to 2023 MLB All-Star Weekend in Seattle, WA and trying to illuminate the history of HBCU and the importance of its baseball programs.
50 players are selected by a committee that includes Hall of Famer and MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation Foundation Global Ambassador Ken Griffey Jr., after which the event is named. In addition, representatives of MLB, MLBPA and Scouts are involved in the selection process.
The event is closely linked to other highly recognized development events associated with MLB, such as the breakthrough series and Hank Aaron Invitational. Among the two invitations played throughout the season are the classic Cactus Jack HBCU organized by Houston Astros and Andre Dawson Classic, named after inducing the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010, which went to Florida A&M (FAMU).
2025 List
The players were divided into two teams to represent the American and National League. The event managers are former Atlanta Braves Brian Jordan and David Justice, who were for Braves All-Stars. Jordan will lead the National League while justice takes the American league.
The lists were announced on Tuesday, June 17th in the MLB network during MLB Draft Combine.
American league
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Smith | Catcher | North Carolina A & T |
| Vinny Saumell | Catcher | Arkansas Pine-Bluff |
| Jonathan Gonzalez Perez | Catcher | Maryland Eastern Shore |
| Andrey Martinez | First base | Bethune-Cookman |
| Milestone | Second base | South |
| Cold Duncan | Second base | Alabama A & M |
| Taj Bates | Third base | South |
| Curl | Shortstop | State Mississippi Valley |
| *KJ White | Shortstop | South |
| Chenar Brown | Inflield/Designed Hitter | GRAMBLING STATE |
| Justin Journette | Outfield | Norfolk condition |
| Darryl Lee | Outfield | Bethune-Cookman |
| Jordan McCladdie | Outfield | Jackson State |
| Jalan Jones | Outfield | Norfolk condition |
| *Joseph Eichelberger | Outfield | Jackson State |
| Jaylon Burrell | Outfield | State alcorn |
| Cameron Hill | Outfield | GRAMBLING STATE |
| Eric Elliott | Levorub | Jackson State |
| Jean Carlos Zambrano | Right -handed pitcher | Bethune-Cookman |
| Jorhan Laboy | Levorub | Stand alabama |
| Garrett Workman | Levorub | Florida A & M |
| ESaid Peña | Right -handed pitcher | Stand alabama |
| *Jafet Martinez | Right -handed pitcher | Stand alabama |
| Yoansell Diaz | Right -handed pitcher | Bethune-Cookman |
| Nick luckett | Right -handed pitcher | South |
National League
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| Broedy Poppell | Catcher | Florida A & M |
| ** Irvin Escobar | Catcher | Bethune-Cookman |
| Demarkus Smiley | Catcher | Stand alabama |
| *Juan Cruz | First base | Stand alabama |
| Jt taylor | Second base | North Carolina A & T |
| Daniel Moore | Second base | Coppin State |
| Jesus vanegas | Third base | Bethune-Cookman |
| Elijah Pincney | Shortstop | Morehouse |
| *Robert Tate Jr. | Shortstop | Jackson State |
| Ahmar Donatto | Inflield/Designed Hitter | Praire View A & M |
| Cardell Thibodeaux | Outfield | South |
| Cameroon Douglas | Outfield | Stand alabama |
| Jacoby Radcliffe | Outfield | South |
| Trey Bridges | Outfield | GRAMBLING STATE |
| Kelton Phillips | Outfield | Texas Southern |
| Trey Rutledge | Outfield | Alabama A & M |
| *Jamal Ritter | Outfield | Norfolk condition |
| Edwin Sanchez | Levorub | Bethune-Cookman |
| Reagan Rivera | Right -handed pitcher | Coppin State |
| Diego Barrett | Right -handed pitcher | North Carolina A & T |
| *Erick Gonzalez | Right -handed pitcher | Jackson State |
| Nkosi | Right -handed pitcher | Jackson State |
| Kenney Fabian | Right -handed pitcher | Arkansas Pine-Bluff |
| Calvin McClendon | LHP | Texas Southern |
| Jay Campbell | Third pitcher/right handed | Florida A & M |
*Represents the participant of the other
** represents the third participant
Bethune-Cookman, who won the SWAC 2025, has the most players with seven. Alabama State (6), Jackson State (6) and Southern (6) are the only other schools that compete with more than three players.
Players who will look
Southern’s Cardell Thibodeaux
If during the 2025 season for HBCU, the name could be known, Thibodeaux was the only correct answer.
The SWAC player and the newcomer of the year took the conference and the nation of the storm. He led the ground in a percentage of peeling (0.847), held the second best launch diameter (0.439) and third in a percentage at the base (0.544).
He was one of the three HBCU athletes invited to MLB Draft Combine.
Eric Elliot from Jackson State
In SWAC there was no dominant starter than Elliot, ie the SWAC jug of the year.
The left-handed ace was organized by 2.54 Era in conference matches, 6-1 on 13 starts and 18 performances throughout the season. But it wasn’t Kicker-Vyched SWAC in the shift strokes (1.33) and at the conference ended the second most strokes (108).
Andrey Martinez of Bethune-Cookman
Martinez was part of the strong set of Bethune-Cookman, which helped the program to achieve the program for the first time since 2017 at the NCAA tournament. And he wasn’t just a wheel in the machine, he was a key bat for Wildcats.
SWAC co-hitter of the year, he tied the school record for one-off Homers (20) and third at the RBIS conference (75).
His most important moment came at the SWAC tournament tournament and hit the home run to send Bethune-Cookman to the NCAA tournament.
This is how you win a @TheSwac TITLE!!! Andrey Martinez is leaving !!! B-cu wins, 11-9! pic.twitter.com/o0xwvcqioy
-⚾bethune-Cookman baseball (@bcudiamondcats) May 25, 2025
Morehouse’s Eliáš Pinckney
For the first two years, Swingman Classic was only a division players from HBCU.
Enter the morhouse shortstop Elijah Pinckney.
Junior undressed this title of the event and became the first player of DII to be selected for him. The lone representative for Morehouse, Pinckney was elite in 2025, hit 0.407 with 0.599 percent at the base and 1.217 OPS. He hit only 10 times and maintained 0.982 percent of the field.
Alumni have developed
The classic has seen five of its graduates in the last two years. See them below.
| Player | College | Swingman Classic Year | Proposed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nolan Santos | Bethune-Cookman | 2023 | 7. Round, select 207 from Minnesota twins |
| Xavier Meachem | North Carolina A & T | 2023 | 10. Bike, choose 293 from Miami Marlins |
| Trey Paige | Delaware | 2023 | Wheel 17, select 515 from St. Louis Cardinals |
| Randy Flores | Stand alabama | 2023, 2024 | 8. Round, select 232 from Los Angeles Angels |
| Canyon Brown | North Carolina A & T | 2024 | 9. Wheels, select 257 from Kansas City Royals |
Flores won the MVP’s opening prize in 2023 and won the winning run in the eighth shift. Krtstop hit twice the right field line, stole the third and scored on a wild playground.
More details of the event 2025
This year’s event will also present the band performance, philanthropic events, Divine Nine Step Show and more.
Honorary VIP for classics is:
- Hall of Famer and Famu Alumni Andre Dawson
- 26 -year -old manager of the main league Dusty Baker
- Three-time All-Star and double champion of the world series Ken Griffey Sr.
- All-Star and Grambling State Alumni Ralph Garr s.
