HBCUs highlighted at Classic honoring Braves legends

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- In more than two decades playing and coaching at Grambling State, head coach Davin Pierre has seen baseball grow quite a bit at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HBCUs are playing “a really good brand of baseball” -- they just need more investment and exposure, he says.

So when the Atlanta Braves invited his Tigers and the Florida A&M Rattlers to the third annual Ralph Garr-Bill Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic on Friday and Saturday, that made for a golden opportunity.

The Braves hosted these schools, alma maters of the two Braves legends, for a three-game series at the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers’ Coolray Field, which Florida A&M won by taking the first two games, 17-2 and 4-3, before Grambling's 20-16 victory in the finale. The players got a chance to speak with Garr, an All-Star outfielder out of Grambling, and Rubye Lucas, the widow of the Florida A&M product who was the first Black general manager in AL/NL history, and soak in the bigger stage.

“It was a beautiful thing because, for one, Ralph Garr has been through this and has set it up for Black athletes like us to continue to play this game at a high level and just enjoy it and give us the exposure that we need,” Grambling second baseman Kyle Walker said. “It’s a great thing for us to have the opportunity to be here.”

The Braves have prioritized investing in diverse communities at every level, from hosting RBI events for younger children to participants in the Hank Aaron Invitational for top high school players to this HBCU Baseball Classic. Other Major League teams have created HBCU tournaments of their own in recent years, including the Houston Astros’ inaugural Cactus Jack HBCU Classic in February, which Grambling also attended.

Both Florida A&M and Grambling State played at the 15th annual Andre Dawson Classic in New Orleans one week before this tournament, which also helps illustrate the interest in boosting HBCU baseball. The next step, Pierre says, is increased investing in facilities, clubhouses and more.

“For us, HBCU baseball doesn’t get the just due it deserves,” Pierre said. “But I think when we get a chance to play in these environments and these events and you get these young, special African American baseball players that are getting an opportunity to watch it, they get a chance to see ‘I can live out a dream, and I can do it at a historically black college.’ That’s one of the biggest things we want to do.”

The percentage of Black Major Leaguers has shrunk by more than half since 1991, according to a 2022 report from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, but playing at an HBCU is a point of pride for many of these players as they grow the game and build the sport’s next generation of stars.

Walker said he transferred from Louisiana Tech down the road to Grambling in part because he bought into the idea of wanting to “give back to the Black community” and “showcase that we’re more than just what the narrative is.”

“Growing up in my church, a lot of people went to HBCUs,” Florida A&M pitcher Raylan Wagner said. “It was honestly interesting. I would love to go to these big universities or have the opportunity to go wherever, but seeing the impact that they made on the people that were closest to me and my family, and saying, ‘Hey, I get the opportunity to get an education at one of the best HBCUs, if not arguably the best HBCU in the nation, and continue to play the game that I love,’ it honestly was a no-brainer.”

Seeing renewed interest in HBCU athletics puts a big smile on Garr’s face, especially coming from the organization he began his career with and has worked with after his retirement. Three HBCU graduates have gone on to make the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- Lou Brock, Larry Doby and Florida A&M's Dawson -- and Garr hopes the Braves’ investment can help more develop in the future while imparting the importance of education and caring about the community.

“The Braves have been a wonderful organization for me and my family,” Garr said. “It’s not a surprise with the Braves. The Braves have been doing it. ... They are a wonderful organization that cares about everybody. They share and care, and that’s a wonderful thing.”