7 HBCU teams ready for 'Andre Dawson Classic' in New Orleans

Major League Baseball today announced the seven participating Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) in the 2023 Andre Dawson Classic – the 15^th annual MLB-hosted showcase of HBCU baseball around the start of the college season. Held the weekend of February 24^th-26^th in New Orleans, La., the tournament will receive a national spotlight through a LIVE doubleheader feature broadcast by MLB Network and stream on MLB.com.

The Andre Dawson Classic is returning to New Orleans for the ninth time. As they have each year, Maestri Field at University of New Orleans will co-host the tournament alongside the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy. In celebration of Black History Month, the tournament launched in 2008 by MLB to highlight HBCU baseball programs. Participating teams in the 2023 event, including seven HBCUs, are as follows:

• Alabama A&M University (Huntsville, Ala.) – 1^st appearance
• Alabama State University (Montgomery, Ala.) – 7^th appearance; 2012-2013, 2018-2020, 2022-2023
• Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Fla.) – 3^rd appearance; 2019, 2022-2023
• Grambling State University (Grambling, La.) – 11^th appearance; 2011-2012, 2014-2020, 2022-2023
• Jackson State University (Jackson, Miss.) – 2^nd appearance; 2022-2023
• Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas) – 8^th appearance; 2012-2013, 2016-2020, 2022-2023
• Southern University (Baton Rouge, La.) – 15^th appearance; 2008-2020, 2022-2023
• University of New Orleans (New Orleans, La.) – a non-HBCU – will co-host games of the tournament as they make their 9^th overall appearance (2014-2020, 2022-2023)

Four of the HBCU schools, including Alabama State University, Florida A&M University, Grambling State University and Southern University will be featured LIVE on MLB Network and MLB.com on Friday, February 24^th. Southern will face Florida A&M (Dawson’s alma mater) in a matinee game beginning at 1:00 p.m. CT (2:00 p.m. ET), with Alabama State vs. Grambling State following at 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET). Gregg Caserta and Bo Porter will be on the call for MLB Network.

In addition to Dawson, who is one of only three Baseball Hall of Famers who are HBCU alumni (including Lou Brock and Larry Doby), other special guests in New Orleans will include HBCU alumni and former Big Leaguers Marquis Grissom and Marvin Freeman, former Major League Manager & current MLB Baseball Development Consultant Jerry Manuel, and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, among others.

The Andre Dawson Classic is a precursor to the HBCU Swingman Classic, which is powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., scheduled for Friday, July 7^th at T-Mobile Park during 2023 MLB All-Star Week in Seattle.

Full tournament schedule (all times CT) is as follows (_dates, times and match-ups subject to change_):

• Alumni of both MLB Development Initiatives and RBI programs are included on every Andre Dawson Classic roster, most notably including:

  • 42 players who have participated in MLB Development initiatives (such as the Dream Series, Breakthrough Series, and the Hank Aaron Invitational)
    -- A 121% increase from 2022

• 44 alumni from Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), a 47% increase from 2022

  • 10 players from the Houston Astros RBI and Youth Academy (across five ADC teams)

  • 5 players from the Ron “Papa Jack” Jackson Baseball Foundation RBI program in Birmingham, AL

  • 5 players from Atlanta Braves RBI

  • 5 players from Puerto Rico RBI

• 19 alumni of MLB Youth Academies, including 10 from Houston and six from New Orleans

A corresponding 12u tournament consisting of teams from RBI and/or Youth Academy programs in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans will be held in celebration of the Andre Dawson Classic, with games played at the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy and Avenger Baseball Field in New Orleans. Teams include:

• Atlanta Braves RBI
• Chicago White Sox ACE (two teams)
• Houston Astros MLB Youth Academy
• New Orleans MLB Youth Academy
• Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy