4:55AM UTC
2023 Andre Dawson Classic – MLB’s annual baseball showcase featuring historically black colleges and universities ( HBCU) – now in New Orleans.
The 15th round robin started in 2008 and there will be 7 HBCUs, One of them was debuted at the event. The event kicks off with two games Friday on MLB Network, MLB.com and the MLB App.
Alabama A&M started Friday with a 13-1 win over Prairie View A&M. Dawson’s alma mater Florida A&M beat Southern University 12-6 in the afternoon. Jackson State shut out New Orleans, the co-host of the tournament and the only non-HBCU school participating, 3-0. In the bedtime game, Alabama scored six runs in a 10-4 victory over Grambling State in the 10th inning.
“We are honored to be in the competition, especially because of the competition of the same name,” Florida A&M head coach Jamey Shouppe said. “It’s clear that Andre is not only a baseball legend and Hall of Famer, but he walks on the same campus that our players currently walk on and practices on some of the same fields that our players practice on.”
Dawson starred for the Diamondbacks from 1972-75 until the Expo called him Name selected in the 11th round of the 1975 MLB draft. However, he wasted no time making a name for himself at the next level, winning the 1977 NL Rookie of the Year award. He went on to win the 1987 NL MVP Award, ’87 Home Run Derby Award, 8 Gold Glove Awards and 4 Silver Slugger Awards with the Cubs while being an eight-time Hall of Fame All-Star during his 21-year career .
Dawson is one of only three HBCU alumni — along with Lou Brock and Larry Doby — — in the Hall of Fame. , which has been renamed Dawson since 2018. Regardless of the name, one school where all 15 games are played is Southern University.
“It’s a rich tradition,” Southern coach Chris Kerr Renshaw said.
At the other end of the spectrum is Alabama A&M, led by head coach Liot Jones leads. While the school will be making its debut at the Andre Dawson Classic, Jones himself has extensive experience with the event.
As a former player and assistant coach for the Southern team, Jones has participated in some of these the match of. That includes the 2012 version, when he played at Minute Maid Park in Houston as part of a three-day showcase.
“That was a great opportunity. At a historically black university, There aren’t many guys who get a chance to play at a major league ballpark, and we’re one of the programs that got a chance to play at Minute Maid,” said Jones, whose Alabama A&M club ended Sunday’s matchup with the South Contest. “It’s going to be exciting. Coach Crenshaw has done a great job with the South, where there’s a tradition of winning, so it’s going to be an exciting Sunday game and I’m looking forward to it.”
Every club participating in this year’s Andre Dawson Classic has an MLB Development Initiative or Inner City Alumni of Baseball Revival (RBI)) programs.
A total of 42 players participated Supported MLB Development initiatives such as the Dream Series, Breakthrough Series and the Hank Aaron Invitational. This is a 121% increase over 2022. The ’23 edition also includes 44 alumni from the RBI program (a 47 percent increase over 2022) and 19 alumni from the MLB Youth Academy.
“For those who have passed our Development Program and passed the RBI Program or Breakout Series or For the kids at the Hank Aaron Invitational, the opportunity to eventually go to these schools and play baseball,” said Del Matthews, MLB vice president of baseball development. “The HBCU environment and the culture there, especially baseball, is unique.”
The annual showcase is not only a great opportunity for current student-athletes, but also provides a great boost for schools in terms of recruiting high school baseball players.
“I think the climate we live in right now, for kids, any Every time you get an opportunity to be on MLB Network or wherever you get an opportunity to be on TV,” said Davon Pierre, who has been Grambling State’s recruiting coordinator since 2012 and was the program’s head coach when he the second year. “It lets the kids know that this is where they can be seen. Going into this tournament, there will be a lot of scouting – so our kids will actually have a chance to be seen by scouts. So that’s important for recruiting “
On the field this weekend, the coaches also emphasized that the athletes The importance of not only being proud to play on the national stage, but having the opportunity to represent Dawson.
“Not only was he a legendary baseball player, he was an amazing human being , “Shouppe said, “That’s what we try to instill in the players: a legacy. Playing in a tournament like this, it’s not just how you play, it’s how you handle yourself during the game, and that’s Andre something he has been doing throughout his career.”
