For the first time, MLB All-Star weekend will begin with the HBCU Swingman Classic.
The inaugural showcase event will take place Friday, July 7, in Seattle. It will kick-start a weekend that includes the All-Star Futures Game, MLB Draft, Home Run Derby and MLB All-Star Game.
The Swingman Classic, backed by Ken Griffey Jr., was created to put unheralded talent on teams' radar and become a mainstay on the All-Star weekend calendar. The 2023 game is set to take place at T-Mobile Park, where the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game will be held days later.
MORE: Complete MLB All-Star Game rosters
Here's what you need to know about who will be playing in the HBCU Swingman Classic and why the game was launched.
What is the HBCU Swingman Classic?
According to MLB, the HBCU Swingman Classic will feature 50 baseball players from historically Black colleges and universities. The players will have an opportunity to showcase their skills, and the game itself will be a celebration of HBCU programs.
The event was created with the help of Griffey, who is featured in the game's logo. "My dad gave back to baseball. It’s now my turn," Griffey told MLB Network in June.
"This is an opportunity for these guys to be out there on a big stage, to have some fun with some guys who played the game at a high level and learn some things," Griffey said, adding that the goal of the event is to make the players visible to MLB scouts.
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Two teams of 25 players will face off in the exhibition game. Rosters were announced on June 9. The teams will be managed by former MLB managers Bo Porter and Jerry Manuel.
HBCU Swingman Classic rosters
The HBCU Swingman Classic rosters were selected by a committee that included Griffey and representatives from both MLB and the MLB Players Association.
Team 1 (Manager: Jerry Manuel)
| Player | Position | School |
| Mike Dorcean | Catcher | Coppin State |
| Irvin Escobar | Catcher | Bethune Cookman |
| Manny Jackson | Catcher | Norfolk State |
| Keylon Mack | First baseman | Grambling State |
| O'Neill Burgos | First baseman | Southern |
| Randy Flores | Middle infielder | Alabama State |
| Kyle Walker | Middle infielder | Grambling State |
| Jalen Niles | Middle infielder | Florida A&M |
| Ty Hill | Third baseman | Jackson State |
| Daalen Adderley | Outfielder | Texas Southern |
| Ian Matos | Outfielder | Alabama State |
| Hylan Hall | Outfielder | Bethune Cookman |
| Narvin Booker | Outfielder | Mississippi Valley State |
| Khyle Radcliffe | Outfielder | Southern |
| Noble Lawrence | Outfielder | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| Janmikell Bastardo | Designated hitter | Florida A&M |
| Corey King | Designated hitter | Alabama State |
| Omar Melendez | Pitcher | Alabama State |
| Nicholas Wilson | Pitcher | Southern |
| Rashad Ruff | Pitcher | Coppin State |
| Erick Gonzalez | Pitcher | Jackson State |
| Michael Dews | Pitcher | Prairie View A&M |
| Abraham DeLeon | Pitcher | Texas Southern |
| Lorenzo Peterson | Pitcher | Grambling State |
| Xavier Meachem | Pitcher | North Carolina A&T |
Team 2 (Manager: Bo Porter)
| Player | Position | School |
| Ty Hanchey | Catcher | Florida A&M |
| Gustavo Sanchez | Catcher | Southern |
| Jamal George | Catcher | Alabama State |
| Alexander Olivo | First baseman | Texas Southern |
| Victor Figueroa | First baseman | Mississippi Valley State |
| Keanu-Jacobs Guishard | Middle infielder | Grambling State |
| C.J. Castillo | Middle infielder | Texas Southern |
| Tommy Easley | Middle infielder | Alabama A&M |
| Cameron Bufford | Third baseman | Grambling State |
| Ali LaPread | Outfielder | Alabama State |
| Jordan Hamberg | Outfielder | Coppin State |
| Jatavis Melton | Outfielder | Jackson State |
| Jaylen Armstrong | Outfielder | Southern |
| Camden Jackson | Outfielder | North Carolina A&T |
| Trevor Hatton | Outfielder | Grambling State |
| Trey Paige | Designated hitter | Delaware State |
| Brantley Cutler | Designated hitter | Maryland-Eastern Shore |
| Nolan Santos | Pitcher | Bethune Cookman |
| Jesse Caver | Pitcher | Jackson State |
| Joan Gonzalez | Pitcher | Bethune Cookman |
| Luis Rodriguez | Pitcher | Alabama State |
| Ricardo Rivera | Pitcher | Alabama State |
| Hunter Viets | Pitcher | Florida A&M |
| Phillip Bryant | Pitcher | Grambling State |
| Kewan Braziel | Pitcher | Alcorn State |
How to watch HBCU Swingman Classic
- Date: Friday, July 7
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT)
- TV channel: MLB Network
The HBCU Swingman Classic will be broadcast live on MLB Network at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time) on Friday, July 7.
Harold Reynolds and Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims will be on the call, with Griffey joining the broadcast during the game from both dugouts.