City Hall visit, packed entertainment slate highlight 2026 HBCU Swingman Classic schedule

Major League Baseball today announced the pregame and philanthropic details for the 2026 HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball, highlighted by a team visit to City Hall, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s first pitch, uniform patches honoring HBCU legend Roger Cador and pregame entertainment by Grammy-Award winner Durand Bernarr and two-time Grammy-Award nominee Eric Roberson. The fourth annual Swingman Classic will take place on Friday, July 10^th at Citizens Bank Park with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on MLB Network.

Tickets for the HBCU Swingman Classic, which includes a variety of performance elements inspired by HBCU culture, are on sale at AllStarGame.com/Swingman. Below are the details surrounding the event.

• HBCU Mixer, Pass & Stow Restaurant (Citizens Bank Park) – Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies and the HBCU Alliance will host an HBCU Mixer on Friday, July 10^th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. ET at Pass and Stow Restaurant inside Citizens Bank Park. This special event celebrates MLB All-Star Week by creating an engaging space for high school students to explore higher education opportunities and connect one-on-one with representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Students can learn about admissions, campus life and scholarship opportunities before attending the Swingman Classic.

• Octavius Catto Educational Program at Philadelphia City Hall – The entire HBCU Swingman Classic roster will participate in a meaningful and powerful tribute to Octavius V. Catto, an HBCU alum, athlete, civil rights activist and co-founder of one of America’s first organized Black baseball teams on Friday, July 10^th at Philadelphia City Hall. Hosted by the office of Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and the PA4WN Lab, the players will take part in an educational program on the significance of Philadelphia’s contribution to democracy and baseball through the life of Octavius V. Catto, which includes his founding of the Pythian Base Ball Club of Philadelphia in 1865. Following the program in City Hall, the players will visit the Octavius V. Catto Memorial for additional remarks, reflections and photos.

• “MLB Voices” Play-by-Play Broadcast Initiative – In an effort to broaden the voices delivering baseball to all fans and level the playing field, Major League Baseball, in collaboration with the Black Play-by-Play Grant & Scholarship Fund will continue the MLB Voices Program for the third year. This initiative aims to develop and grow the next generation of play-by-play talent in baseball. Participants selected for this program will gain hands-on opportunities to call play-by-play for select MLB Develops events—the League’s elite development arm. Additionally, MLB Voices participants will benefit from mentorship and guidance from experienced voices in the baseball broadcasting industry. Over the course of the seven-month program, participants will exit with tangible copies of high-level television broadcast tape, enhancing their professional reels. They will also establish meaningful connections within MLB and are highlighting their experience with a capstone visit to MLB All-Star Week. The visit will encompass shadow opportunities and participation in various events, including the HBCU Swingman Classic and All-Star Futures Game.

• Honoring a Legend – All uniforms at the Swingman Classic will feature a patch honoring HBCU baseball legend Roger Cador, who passed away on June 30, 2026. Cador spent 33 seasons at the helm of Southern University, guiding the program to 14 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championships and 11 NCAA Regional appearances. The 13-time SWAC Coach of the Year helped lead Swingman Classic manager Rickie Weeks to one of the best careers in college baseball history, as he became the first and only HBCU player to win the Golden Spikes Award in 2003. Cador was a crucial ambassador for HBCU baseball, helping build both the Swingman Classic and the Andre Dawson Classic, an annual college baseball tournament designed to highlight HBCUs. Cador was inducted into five Halls of Fame, most recently the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. In addition to the uniform patch, a moment of silence will also be held in Cador’s honor, as well as a special video tribute between innings at the Swingman Classic.

• Meet and Greet – Fans entering Citizens Bank Park will have a special opportunity to connect with Philadelphia Phillies alumni, including Mickey Morandini, Dickie Noles and Juan Samuel. Alongside other Phillies greats, the former players will be stationed inside the ballpark to meet, chat and take photos with Swingman Classic ticketholders prior to the game.

Several partners are leaning into the spirit of the overall event with several meaningful activations, including:

Getty Images

• Getty Images and MLB HBCU Mentorship Opportunity – For the fourth consecutive year, MLB and Getty Images will invite a group of three aspiring photographers from the Getty Images HBCU Photographer Mentorship and Grants Program, providing a unique opportunity to photograph the Swingman Classic and surrounding events. Participants for this year’s program include Chad Chevalier (Morgan State University), Amya Henley (Spelman College) and Stefon Young-Rolle (Alabama State University).

Additional details about the Getty Images Photo Archive Grants Program can be found here: https://www.gettyimages.com/corporate-responsibility/hbcu-partnership

Nike

• Nike is the uniform and apparel sponsor of the HBCU Swingman Classic, providing all uniforms, cleats and workout apparel for players and coaches.

MLB Network

• For the fourth consecutive year, MLB Network will exclusively broadcast the game with New York Yankees radio voice Dave Sims (play-by-play) and two-time MLB All-Star Harold Reynolds (analyst) on the call. Ken Griffey Jr. and Emily Haydel, granddaughter of Hank Aaron, will also contribute to the broadcast. The game will also be streamed live on MLB.TV, MLB.com and in the MLB App.

6-1-1 Podcast

• Swingman Classic manager Jimmy Rollins alongside former Phillies teammate Ryan Howard will host a special Swingman Classic edition of the 6-1-1 Podcast. Rollins and Howard will be joined by a list of guests to discuss the significance of the Swingman Classic and the history of Black baseball, with the episode also airing on MLB Network.

HBCU-Inspired Ceremonial, Anthem & Game Details

• First Pitch Ceremony – Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Parker, who has served as the 100^th Mayor of Philadelphia since 2024, is a graduate of HBCU Lincoln University.
• National Anthem – Two-time Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and master storyteller Eric Roberson will perform the National Anthem. Roberson, who graduated from HBCU Howard University, will be accompanied by ENON Tabernacle Baptist Church Choir.
• Lift Every Voice and Sing – Durand Bernarr, a Grammy Award-winning vocalist, songwriter and producer, will perform Lift Every Voice and Sing as part of the pregame ceremony. Bernarr earned his first Grammy Award in February for his album “BLOOM.”
• “Play Ball” announcement – North Philadelphia native Gillie da Kid will get the evening started with a “Play Ball!” announcement before first pitch. A podcaster and former rapper, Gillie da Kid brings strong Philadelphia ties to Citizens Bank Park.
• In-Ballpark Emcee – Roy Wood Jr., a stand-up comedian, actor and writer, will serve as the emcee throughout the evening. Wood Jr., who has served as a contributor on MLB Network, is an alum of HBCU Florida A&M University.
• In-Ballpark DJ – DJ Hollywood, a Philadelphia-based DJ who has worked with the Flyers, Phillies and more, will serve as the in-ballpark DJ, providing entertainment for fans throughout the night.
• Divine Nine Innings – Representatives from the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities will perform on the dugouts between each inning of the game.
• PA Announcer – Utah Jazz public address announcer Marques Demon will serve in that role for the Swingman Classic for the fourth year in a row.
• Umpiring Crew – The HBCU Swingman Classic will feature four umpires from the Southwestern Athletic Conference: Kevin Bradley (Home Plate), Kalen Hamilton (1^st Base), Brian Clark (2^nd Base) and Chris Booker (3^rd Base).