Pregame and philanthropic details announced for the third annual HBCU Swingman Classic

Following are the key details surrounding the ceremonial, community schedule and partnership activations for the 2025 “HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile & powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation”. The game will be played on Friday, July 11^th at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET airing LIVE on MLB Network, MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB app.

Tickets for the HBCU Swingman Classic, which includes a variety of performance elements inspired by HBCU culture, at Truist Park are on-sale at AllStarGame.com/Swingman. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF), a joint initiative by MLB and MLBPA to support efforts that focus on improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and internationally.

Following are several philanthropic, educational and business-focused efforts specifically designed around the HBCU Swingman Classic:

• Private HBCU Fair, Chophouse at Truist Park – In partnership together, YDF, Griffey Jr., the Atlanta Braves and HBCU Alliance are excited to host an invite-only HBCU reception at Chophouse at Truist Park prior to the HBCU Swingman Classic. The reception will be held at Chophouse at Truist Park from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. High school students, families, and community leaders can look forward to meeting with recruiters and alumni groups from over 25 HBCUs as well as Divine 9 sororities and fraternities.

• HBCU Swingman Classic Player Activities – HBCU Swingman Classic players will participate in a variety of educational, philanthropic and wellness activities throughout the weekend:

• Realize the Dream – On Saturday morning, Swingman players will participate in a meaningful conversation on personal growth, hosted by Realize the Dream, a collaboration between the Martin Luther King III Foundation and Legacy+. Realize the Dream is a movement led by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and Yolanda Renee King, to inspire generational change and track 100 million hours of service by 2029, marking the 100th anniversary of Dr. King’s birth. By uniting Americans through service, the movement fosters connection, builds a culture of empathy, and drives collective action to achieve this historic milestone in creating the Beloved Community.

• Swingman Classic Community Service – Swingman players will participate in community service-focused activity with Foster Love through which they will assemble care packages for children at a local foster care agency. By building awareness and volunteer opportunities, Foster Love hopes to better the lives of children in foster care and provide them with a sense of normalcy and comfort through a turbulent time in their lives.

• “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 second 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 7-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.

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

T-Mobile

• Impact Award – During the HBCU Swingman Classic, a participating athlete will receive the “T-Mobile Impact Award,” honoring their leadership and commitment to being an impactful member of their community on and off the field.

Chevrolet

• “Discover The Unexpected” (DTU) – For the third year, Chevrolet, the official vehicle of MLB, welcomes DTU fellows to the HBCU Swingman Classic. These HBCU students will provide a behind-the-scenes documentation of their experience of this event, including interviewing HBCU Swingman Classic players.

• DTU is a Chevrolet brand-building partnership with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), reinforcing their long-standing relationship with the Black community. DTU provides students from HBCUs an immersive internship jumpstarting their careers in Marketing and Journalism while being change agents in their local communities.

Getty Images

• Getty Images HBCU Mentorship Program – MLB and Getty Images will again invite three mentees from Getty Images’ HBCU Photographer Mentorship and Grants Program for a unique opportunity to photograph the Swingman Classic and surrounding events. Getty Images will also curate a photo exhibit showcasing HBCU traditions, sports, and culture inside player lounge spaces of the hotel. Participants for this program include Carson Ming (Morehouse College), Jayden Mack (Jackson State University) and Kyrease Desseau (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU))

o Additional details about the Getty Images Photo Archive Grant Program can be found here:
https://grants.gettyimages.com/en/grants/hbcu-grant

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, MLBPA, and the YDF, alongside Hall of Famer & YDF Global Ambassador Ken Griffey Jr., collaborated to create an HBCU-inspired experience in and around Truist Park, inclusive of the following:

HBCU-Inspired Ceremonial, Anthem & Game Details

• HBCU – “Georgia Mass Band” will perform pregame, in-game and post-game, thrilling the Truist Park crowd with the vibrant sounds of HBCU culture.
• National Anthem & Life Every Voice and Sing – Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer AverySunshine will perform the National Anthem and a special performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” will be performed by Spelman College Glee Club.
• National Pan-Hellenic “Divine Nine” Unity Step & Step Show – During pregame ceremonies, representatives from each of the “Divine Nine” Black Greek-letter organizations will perform on each dugout with a step routine that will feature individual customized performances, to be followed by a joint performance as a sign of unity and strength among the organizations.
• Roy Wood Jr & “PLAY BALL!” – Roy Wood Jr, FAMU alum, comedian and host of the T-Mobile Path to the HBCU Classic Series will announce “Play Ball!” prior to the start of the game.
• In-ballpark DJ – DJ PNUT – Morehouse College alumni and Atlanta-based entertainer DJ PNUT– will perform a set while gates are open until the pregame ceremonies begin. Additionally, DJ PNUT will be featured in-game playing music reminiscent of The Divine Nine during the Unity Step show.
• PA Announcer – For the third year in a row Marque Denmon, who is the SWAC Baseball Public Address Announcer will serve as the in-game PA announcer.
• Pregame In-ballpark Host – Big Tigger On-Air Radio talent and BET (Black Entertainment Television) alumni will serve as the pregame host within the ballpark.
• Post-Game – Georgia Mass Band performance and firework show to celebrate the evening.
• Umpiring Crew – The HBCU Swingman Classic will feature an all-black umpire crew, all of whom regularly work SWAC college baseball games. These include Derrick Everett (HP), Eric Goshay (1B), Kevin Bradley (2B), Joe Smith (3B).

** Indicates working the 2023 and 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic

* Indicates working 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic

Additional Broadcast Details

• MLB Network Broadcast Team – Analyst & two-time Mariners All-Star Harold Reynolds, Yankees radio broadcaster Dave Sims, and Emily Haydel (granddaughter of Hall of Famer and Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron) as the sideline reporter. Griffey Jr. will join the broadcast from each dugout throughout the game.