Atlanta Braves to host their third annual 44 Classic presented by Nike this Saturday and Sunday at Coolray Field

ATLANTA (November 5, 2020) – The Atlanta Braves will host their third annual 44 Classic presented by Nike on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, at Coolray Field, home of the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers. The 44 Classic will showcase the top, diverse high school baseball talent from the Southeast to college coaches and professional baseball scouts.

The 44 Classic presented by Nike serves as a platform to increase accessibility and exposure for young, diverse baseball talent in various aspects of baseball including scouting, data analytics, and front office careers.

The top 44 players from the Braves’ RBI Fall Development League presented by Nike were selected to participate in an exclusive pro-style workout with professional scouts and college coaches on Saturday, November 7 from noon – 5 p.m. The workout will consist of a 60-yard dash, throwing and fielding drills, batting practice, and more. On Sunday at 2 p.m., the athletes from high school classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023, will be split into two teams to play in a showcase game in front of college and professional baseball scouts.

Players will be coached by Braves alumni Marquis Grissom, Marvin Freeman, Johnny Estrada, and Everett Stull, along with former Major Leaguer Lou Collier.

“We are excited to welcome 44 talented athletes to participate in this year’s showcase,” said Adrian Williams, Senior Director of Diversity and Community Marketing. “As an organization, we are committed to increasing opportunities for the next generation of minority baseball talent to ensure more athletes have exposure throughout baseball’s scouting system.”

As part of the 44 Classic presented by Nike, the Atlanta Braves Foundation partnered with Rapsodo, a leading technology company in sports analytics, to capture, track and deliver player statistics for the athletes participating in the exhibition game. The partnership will also provide students from surrounding Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) an educational introduction into data analytics and scouting throughout the weekend.

Tickets to the showcase game on Sunday are free to the public and can be reserved in advance at https://braves.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0IJS9RmdqieTcMZ. Fans will need to adhere to all safety protocols including wearing a face mask when not drinking or eating and staying six feet or more apart to social distance.