University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff catcher and infielder Edwin De La Cruz has been selected for the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday.
This will be the second-annual Swingman Classic, an all-star game for college baseball players representing Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It is held in conjunction with MLB’s All-Star Weekend.
This year’s game will be played July 12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Texas Rangers. It will be broadcast by the MLB Network starting at 7 p.m. CDT.
De La Cruz hit .428 last season, the best batting average in the SWAC. He drove in 34 RBIs and scored 34 runs. Defensively, he tied two other SWAC catchers for the most runners caught stealing with 16. De La Cruz was named Southwestern Athletics Conference Hitter of the Year and was named the All-SWAC First Team catcher.
He is the second Golden Lion to be selected for this event, which was founded by MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Lawrence “Q” Noble participated in last year’s inaugural event in Seattle.
Athletes from 16 HBCUs, including all 12 SWAC schools, were selected. The team managers will be former MLB player and manager Lloyd McClendon and two-time World Series champion Ken Griffey Sr.