Rosters and coaching staff finalized for fourth annual HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball

By | 9:19 AM EDT

Major League Baseball today announced the 50-man roster and coaching staff for the fourth annual HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball, which is scheduled for Friday, July 10th, at 7:00 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. The rosters comprise 50 of the top players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities from across the nation.

Led by 2007 National League MVP and Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Famer Jimmy Rollins and HBCU legend and 14-year MLB veteran Rickie Weeks, the Swingman Classic roster will be broken up into two teams: National League (Rollins) and American League (Weeks). Rollins will be joined on staff by Wes Chamberlain, Wayne Gomes, Jason Maxwell, Milt Thompson and Lenny Webster. Weeks’ staff will feature Marlon Anderson, Courtney Duncan, Derrick Lewis, Jemile Weeks and Corey Wimberly. For the fourth consecutive year, MLB Network will exclusively broadcast the game with Dave Sims (play-by-play) and Harold Reynolds (analyst) on the call. Ken Griffey Jr. and Emily Haydel, granddaughter of Hank Aaron, will also contribute to the broadcast.

The event will also include the following three honorary VIPs: Andre Dawson, Ralph Garr Sr. and Ken Griffey Sr. Dawson (Florida A&M) and Garr (Grambling State) are two of the most decorated players in the history of HBCU baseball, and Griffey Sr. spent 19 seasons playing in the Major Leagues.

Players were selected by a committee that includes Griffey Jr., representatives from Major League Baseball and professional scouts and evaluators. In total, 22 athletes on the roster have previously participated in Major League Baseball’s elite-development events (MLB Develops). Trey Callaway, Thomas Ealey, Aaron Grant, Tervell Johnson, Chris Marcellus, Solomon McKinney, Eric Williams and Bruce Wyche are all products of Nike Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) programs. Nine players on the roster have previously participated in the Hank Aaron Invitational, six played at the DREAM Series and four are alumni of the Breakthrough Series. Eleven athletes will return to the Swingman Classic after previously playing in the event, including two-time participants Justin Journette, Robert Tate Jr. and KJ White. Additionally, Philadelphia native Santino Harwood and Lincoln University’s McKinney were both named to the Swingman Classic roster.

In total, the 50 players were selected from the following HBCU’s:

The HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball will feature special pregame activities designed to honor and celebrate HBCU culture. Pregame festivities, which will be announced at a later date, are set to feature an in-ballpark DJ, an in-game “Divine Nine” recognition and much more.

Tickets for the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball are on sale NOW at AllStarGame.com.

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