NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Four years ago, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. debuted the Swingman Classic, a showcase for players at HBCU institutions to showcase their skills during All-Star week.
This year's roster will feature plenty of green and gold, as five Norfolk State players have made their way to Philadelphia for Friday's contest at Citizens Bank Park. Outfielders Justin Journette and Thomas Ealey, infielder Jayden Israel and pitchers Ethan Blakeney and Yasseel Samboy will suit up and hit the field under the bright lights.
Journette is making his third appearance in the contest while his four teammates are all experiencing the event for the first time. Ealey, a rising junior who led the Spartans with a .370 batting average and 35 stolen bases, will make sure he stops to smell the roses during his stay in the City of Brotherly Love.
"It's really exciting," the outfielder smiled. "I'm obviously a little nervous because it's something I've never done before, but my goal for the weekend is play as hard as I can, do what I can do, but also just soak it in. Don't take anything for granted. Understand how special this is."
Ealey has never played on a Major League field and will get a chance to cross that off his list Friday night. He was in Italy when he got the call from NSU head coach M.L. Morgan informing him he had been selected for the game as one of the best that HBCU schools has to offer.
"He was like 'hey, have you ever been to the Phillies stadium before?.'" Ealey recalled. "I was like 'no sir.' He was like 'well, you get to go now.' It was crazy. My family was really excited when they were all in the room on the phone call."
The junior outfielder and Norfolk State engineered an impressive turnaround this past season in Morgan's first year as a head coach. After finishing 4-38 in 2025, the Spartans grabbed 20 victories this spring and finished sixth in the 12-team NEC. The green and gold were picked to finish tenth in the preseason poll.
The HBCU Swingman Classic gets going Friday at 7 p.m. and can be seen live on MLB Network.
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