HBCU Twin Cities Diamond Classic

The St. Paul Saints made a promise when opening CHS Field in 2015: this beautiful facility would be more than a home for the Saints.  It would be home for youth, high school, collegiate, and adult amateur baseball.  In addition to baseball, the Saints promised that CHS Field would be a home for events that bring people together and impact communities on a local, regional, and national level.  With the announcement of the Twin Cities Diamond Classic, a series featuring HBCU powerhouse programs, Alcorn State and Florida A&M, CHS Field will continue to deliver on that promise.

From May 15-16 the Saints, in partnership with BCSG 360, will host a three-game series across two days at CHS Field. The Twin Cities Diamond Classic is the first of its kind HBCU showcase designed to connect urban communities to the game of baseball while promoting higher education to urban youth. Alcorn State and Florida A&M will battle it out on Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. and then will go head-to-head in a doubleheader on Friday, May 16 with game one beginning at 5:00 p.m. Prior to the three-game series, the two teams will have an opportunity to workout at Target Field on Wednesday, May 14, giving many of the players a chance to step foot on a Major League field for the first time.

2-Day Pass Package: https://mlb.tickets.com/?agency=MILB_MPV&orgid=57749&packageId=2832&packageListId=2831

"BCSG 360 is excited to partner with stakeholders in the Twin Cities to bring HBCU baseball to the market,” said Erwin Prentiss Hill, Executive Director of BCSG 360. “We are confident that the Twin Cities Diamond Classic's combination of HBCU baseball and college/career readiness programming will provide an experience for all to enjoy. Although this is BCSG 360's first event in the market, we’re already planning to bring more events like the Twin Cities Diamond Classic in the near future."

“The Diamond Classic series is an exciting opportunity to bring the dynamic spirit of HBCUs to our city,” said Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. “I am excited to welcome my alma mater, Florida A&M University, and Alcorn State to our community ballpark.”

Alcorn State’s baseball program began in 1959 and has been a member of the Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) since 1963. The Braves reached the NCAA Tournament once, in 2011 when they won their conference tournament,  playing in the Rice Regional. The Braves have had 13 different players drafted by Major League teams with outfielder Arthur Spann the highest pick in the second round by the San Francisco Giants in 1974. Pitcher Al Jones reached the Major Leagues in 1983 with the Chicago White Sox and pitched in 27 games over three years going 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA.

Florida A&M began it’s baseball program in 1979 and was a part of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) from 1979-84 and 1986-2021 before joining the SWAC in 2022. They were seven-time conference champs in the MEAC and won the SWAC conference tournament in 2023. They have reached the NCAA tournament thrice: 2015, 2019 & 2023. The Rattlers have had 28 different players drafted by Major League teams with outfielder Marquis Grissom, the highest drafted player in the third round by the Montreal Expos in 1988, who went on to a 17-year Major League career. Along with Grisson, the Rattlers have three other Major Leaguers that played for the school, including Hall of Fame outfielder Andre Dawson. He played 21 seasons in the Majors and hit 438 home runs going into The Hall in 2010. Hal McRae, a sixth-round pick in 1965, played 19 years in the Majors and Vince Coleman, who was drafted twice by the Phillies in the 20^th round in 1981 and the Cardinals in the 10^th round in 1982, played 13 years in the Majors.

Twin Cities Diamond Classic Series events, while raising the profile of HBCU baseball, is designed to promote higher education to urban youth through exposure to college and career readiness programming resulting in admittance and scholarship awards. In conjunction with the games, an HBCU College and Career Fair will be hosted in the Twin Cities. Proceeds from this event will benefit the participating universities (HBCU NCAA Div. I & Div. II, NAIA and NCCAA baseball programs), both the United Negro College Fund and Thurgood Marshall College Fund.