Among the festivities that will take place in July when the Major League Baseball All-Star Game hits T-Mobile Park in Seattle is the Inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic.
About 50 Division I HBCU baseball players will go head-to-head while putting Black college baseball in the spotlight.
During the recent MLB Combine in Phoenix, two standout performers — North Carolina A&T pitcher Xavier Meachem and Bethune-Cookman outfielder Hylan Hall — spoke with MLB Network broadcaster Harold Reynolds about the experience of the MLB Combine and the upcoming Swingman Classic.
“I’m excited to represent North Carolina A&T,” said Meachem, who also is a part of the United States collegiate baseball training camp roster. “It’s going to be fun to see all the talent from other schools.”
Introducing the roster for the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic presented by @TMobile & powered by the @Baseball_YDF ⚾️🔥 pic.twitter.com/kODXwxDZLj
— MLBDevelops (@MLBDevelops) June 9, 2023
“I’m very thankful to be there,” added Hall, who was a big part of Bethune-Cookman’s drive to its first SWAC championship game this past spring. “Coming from an HBCU, having a chance to be seen by scouts is a great opportunity, and I just want to make the most of it.”
Hall had a great year for the Wildcats, making First-Team All-SWAC in the outfield thanks to a .376 batting average with 5 homers and 53 RBI. He also featured a .979 fielding percentage. Meachem was a reliable arm out of the bullpen for the Aggies, going 2-1 with 5 saves (seventh overall in the Colonial Athletic Association) and 47 strikeouts. Meachem has clocked in at 97 mph on the radar gun, a bonus for Major League teams that covet hard-throwing, durable arms.
Loved seeing @xmeach & @Hylan1k repping the #HBCUSwingmanClassic on @MLBNetwork! We can’t wait to see them showcase their talent at @TMobilePark on July 7 ⚾️@MLBPA | @MLBDevelops | @TMobile pic.twitter.com/29fCxxjKI1
— MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (@Baseball_YDF) June 22, 2023
The MLB Combine was also a chance for Meachem and Hall to see how they fared against the top draft-ready prospects in America, and they were happy to have the experience.
“I’m comparing myself to guys I haven’t seen before and just trying to hold my own,” Hall said.
Said Meachem about the experience: “I’m here learning, picking everybody’s brain. Just seeing how they play and how I can improve as a player.”
