How HBCU Classic was formed
The HBCU Classic began with Baker's blessing during spring training in 2022, according to MLB.com, and Astros owner Jim Crane, a progressive in diversity, also jumped aboard.
The showcase is important for baseball but especially minorities at HBCUs. Only two players from the Southwestern Athletic Conference were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, both on the final day, a number that pales compared to bigger Power Five leagues. The SEC, for instance,
had 86 players taken in the same draft, and Jackson State hasn't had a player selected since outfielder Bryce Brown in the 15th round of the 2017 draft.
It all makes for a unique opportunity in Houston, with scouts expected to be in attendance.
It is an honor for the kids to have an opportunity to do that play," said JSU coach Omar Johnson, entering his 17th season. "We are excited about it."
Opportunity is the start. Baker shudders at the dwindling numbers of Black players at all levels of baseball, but especially in the majors. While 38% of MLB players were of color on Opening Day rosters last season, only 7.2% of the players were Black, according to
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.
At the grassroots level, the biggest disparity Baker sees is kids learning and receiving better instructions at a younger age. But he also cites a lack of affordability for parents who can't get off work to meet the demands of rigorous travel-ball schedules. Estimates vary, but the cost to compete in travel leagues can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand — or more — depending on the league or showcase circuit.
“We have to make it affordable for young kids to learn the game and travel,” Baker said. “And give them the same opportunities to learn at the same age. The difference is in economics, (so) make it affordable for young people to go to showcases.”
For Baker, the advice he'd give to young Black players today is the same he would give to his son, 24-year-old Darren, a second baseman in the Washington Nationals organization: Be prepared, be on time, be twice as good as anyone else, and persevere.
“You have to have someone in authority that believes in you,” Baker said.