Major League Baseball will expand its support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with the launch of its three-school "HBCU PLAY BALL Series," featuring special events with Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Fla. – Saturday), Stillman College (Tuscaloosa, Ala. – March 30) and Claflin University (Orangeburg, S.C. – May 3).
 
Florida A&M University alumni, including former MLB All-Star outfielder Vince Coleman and former MiLB outfielder Antonio Grissom will appear at the first event of the Series in Tallahassee, which will be held at Florida A&M University's Moore-Kittles Field on Saturday. MLB's signature youth engagement activity, designed to showcase the fun and casual activities of the sport, will bridge a connection to the HBCUs and highlight them as viable options for both baseball and academics.
 
The brand new series will build on MLB's existing efforts, most notably the Andre Dawson Classic (formerly Urban Invitational) – an annual tournament named after the Baseball Hall of Famer and FAMU alumnus designed to highlight HBCUs and their baseball programs. Since its inception in 2008, dozens of HBCU athletes who have played in the tournament have been selected in the MLB Draft.
 
WHO:              Vince Coleman– Two-time MLB All-Star Outfielder; 1985 Rookie of the Year; Florida A&M University Alum
                        Antonio Grissom – Former MiLB Outfielder; Head Coach, Morehouse College; Florida A&M University Alum
                        David James – Vice President, Baseball & Softball Development, MLB
                        Del Matthews – Vice President, Baseball Development, MLB
 
WHEN:           Saturday, February 29, 10:00 a.m. ET
 
WHERE:         Moore-Kittles Field, 2370 Wahnish Way, Tallahassee, FL 32310
 
About PLAY BALL
The PLAY BALL initiative (www.PlayBall.org) is baseball's collective effort to encourage young people and communities to engage in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, special events and casual forms of play.  PLAY BALL events demonstrate the positive way the game can serve as an outlet for physical activity, fun with friends and learning how to play the sport at its most basic levels.  PLAY BALL also serves as the League's youth umbrella in which all associated programs and events derive from the initiative's consistent, simple message: However You Play Ball, PLAY BALL! Chevrolet, Scotts and Kingsford generously support PLAY BALL. For three consecutive years, baseball and softball have combined to rank as the most participated team sports in the United States in 2019 (25.1 million participants), according to the annual Topline Participation Report produced by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). Also, according to the report, baseball has seen a 55% rise in casual participation since the launch of the PLAY BALL initiative.