Play Ball! Plans Underway for Inaugural Baseball Event to Benefit Students

By Eva D. Coleman
Lifestyle and Culture Editor

The State Fair Diamond Classic (SFDC) is coming to North Texas and community playmakers gathered Saturday, January 2, 2021 for an Ambassador Meet & Greet at Tender Smokehouse in Frisco; owned by former Major League Baseball player, Torii Hunter, who pledged his support for the event. The SFDC is a triple-header college baseball matchup between the Grambling State University Tigers and Prairie View A&M Panthers, scheduled for March 26-28, 2021 at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco.

The event is so much more than a game. Organizers hope to hit a home run in connecting urban youth with higher education and career opportunities, especially with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). “We don’t seek to reinvent the wheel, we seek to collaborate,” event founder Prentiss Hill told the 17 ambassadors in attendance. Explaining the many incentives for being an ambassador, including a percentage of sponsorships brought in going back to benefit the charitable organization of your choice; he said he hopes to secure 50 ambassadors to bring the SFDC to life and help secure its future.

Recognizing the challenges with planning the SFDC during the coronavirus pandemic, Hill shared that the Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco is an outdoor arena and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for masks and social distancing will be followed. “We’re waiting for further instructions as we move through this pandemic from Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball as well as what participating conferences and the health agencies will mandate as we move forward,” Hill added, stressing that the safety of athletes, attendees and all stakeholders is a priority.

The event will also feature college and career fair opportunities, special honors, scholarship and award presentations and more. Organizers say they are proud to have Texas Metro News (TMN) as the Media Partner for the State Fair Diamond Classic, pointing out that TMN publisher Cheryl Smith is a proud and active Florida A&M alum and former college softball player. For more information on sponsorship or to learn how you can get involved, email prentiss@bcsg360.org.