MLB renames HBCU spotlight college baseball tournament Andre Dawson Classic

Games Played at the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy on Saturday, Feb. 17^th   

Will Air LIVE on MLB Network & MLB.com

Major League Baseball today announced that its annual collegiate tournament designed to highlight baseball programs at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) has been renamed the “Andre Dawson Classic,” after the Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos legend who is one of only two HBCU alumni enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The 2018 edition of the event, formerly known as the “Urban Invitational,” will feature six HBCU teams, the most in the event’s 11-year history, as well as the University of New Orleans (UNO) and University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dawson said: “It is with the utmost appreciation that I take this opportunity to thank MLB for this honor. I am a product of an HBCU program that provided me an opportunity to pursue a college education while chasing a childhood dream. I am both honored and humbled to play a role in empowering students to be leaders in their communities and strive to improve and impact the lives of others.”

The Andre Dawson Classic will be hosted primarily at the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy (MLBYA), with games also being played at Maestri Field, the home of the UNO baseball team, from Friday, February 16^th through Sunday, February 18^th. Two of the games played at the MLBYA on Saturday, February 17^th will air LIVE on MLB Network and MLB.com at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET, with play-by-play from Scott Braunand analysis from former All-Star outfielder Cliff Floyd.

Alabama State University (Montgomery, Ala.; 2^nd appearance), Alcorn State University (Alcorn, Miss.; 4^th appearance), Grambling State University (Grambling, La.; 7^th appearance), Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas; 4^th appearance), Southern University (Baton Rouge, La.; 11^th appearance) and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, Ark.; 1^st appearance) will represent the HBCU programs at the round-robin tournament. Southern University is the only school to have participated in every tournament, while the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will be making its tournament debut. The University of New Orleans has participated in every event hosted in the New Orleans area (5^th overall appearance) while the University Illinois at Chicago is making its second straight appearance.

Below is the tournament schedule (all times CT):

*These games will air LIVE on MLB Network and MLB.com.

Former Major Leaguers, including Dawson, two-time MLB All-Star Dmitri Young, former MLB PitcherMarvin Freeman, and former American League Manager of the Year & current MLB Youth Programs consultant Jerry Manuel all will attend various portions of the event. Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Curtis Granderson will also make a special appearance to support his alma mater, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday’s contest between UIC and Southern. Additionally, Granderson’s cousin, Calvin Rucker, is an infielder on Prairie View A&M. Young’s son, Owen Young, is a member of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff baseball team and Freeman’s son, Justin Freeman, is participating in the tournament for the second consecutive year as a Pitcher for Southern University.

HBCUs have long offered quality educational and athletic programs and have a proud tradition of attracting outstanding baseball players. Baseball Hall of Famers Lou Brock (Southern University) andDawson (Florida A&M University) played in HBCU baseball programs. In the event’s 11-year history, more than 25 HBCU players who have participated in the tournament have been selected in the MLB Draft. In 2015, Earl Burl III, who played for Alcorn State University and was the first player to be drafted out of the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy, was selected. Since then, Tyree Thompson (Texas Rangers – 2016) and Tyler James (Kansas City Royals – 2017) have also been drafted out of the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy.

MLB’s youth initiatives will be well represented at the Andre Dawson Classic, as 22 players on this year’s rosters are alumni of MLB Youth Academies, RBI programs or MLB Amateur Development Camps.  Nine players on Prairie View’s roster have participated in one of the aforementioned programs, the most out of all participating schools. Additionally, eight players will represent the White Sox A.C.E and RBI program in the tournament, six of whom have also participated in the Breakthrough Series (BTS), MLB’s signature amateur development camp. Among them are Tyler Laux (BTS), Tyler Gordon (BTS), and Andrew Garcia (BTS) from Prairie View A&M; Reggie Johnson (BTS) and Robert Fletcher II (BTS) from Alcorn State; Marshawn Taylor (BTS) and Nick Wheeler from Grambling State; and Freeman from Southern University. MLB’s RBI program will have 17 total alumni, with six coming out of Prairie View, five out of Grambling State, four out of Southern University and two out of Alcorn State.