Baseball is not an easily accessible sport. With the high cost of equipment, travel ball teams and private trainers, many young kids, especially in economically disadvantaged areas, do not receive the same opportunities to thrive and be successful in the sport as individuals who come from wealthier backgrounds. 

Along with this, baseball is a sport that is predominantly white. In 2025, 40.8% of players on MLB Opening Day rosters came from diverse backgrounds, with only 6.2% (59 total active and inactive) of those players being black. With such a low percentage of minority players in professional baseball, there is a severe underrepresentation of POC baseball players in the United States, especially those of African American descent. 

In Seattle, an organization called Baseball Beyond Borders (BBB) is looking to change this. Founded by Bookie Gates in 2014, BBB’s goal is to grow beyond the boundaries (financial, social and geographical) that restrict youth of color from engaging in the sport of baseball and softball. 

“They’re shedding light on players across the country that may not have the stage or the resources to really showcase their talents and what they’ve done here… they’re giving minorities an opportunity to showcase their talents and come out and compete on the highest level of baseball,” Seattle University Baseball’s Associate Head Coach Millard Dawson said, regarding BBB.

In 2024, BBB partnered with Seattle U Baseball to host the first annual HBCU Seattle Series, bringing Coppin State University to Seattle for a three-game series. This series aimed to highlight baseball and softball programs at historically Black colleges and universities, bringing the culture of HBCUs to the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle U hosted its second annual HBCU Seattle Series March 6-8, taking on Jackson State University, a historically Black university in Jackson, Miss., for a three-game series. The first two games took place at Seattle U’s home field, Bannerwood Park, where the Redhawks dropped the first two games 1-5 and 12-13, respectively. The third and final game of the series was played under the lights of the home stadium of the ALDS Champion Seattle Mariners, T-Mobile Park. 

“I’m a big proponent of ‘representation shapes belief’… you’re seeing so much of what we represent, what we bring to the table, and we just got to continue to expose it. It’s all about access and opportunity, and that’s what the HBCU Seattle Series is all about,” Gates said.

The culmination of the series kicked off with Junior right-handed pitcher Micah Hagler retiring the side, giving the Redhawks an opportunity to get up on the Tigers early in the game. Junior utility player Peyton Knowles led off for Seattle U, getting on base via a walk. Knowles advanced to second after a line-drive single to center field from Redshirt Junior outfielder Hunter Komine. With runners on first and second, Junior shortstop Kenny Rhein hit a fly-ball to right field, advancing Knowles, who went on to score on a sacrifice fly from Redshirt Junior infielder Sebastian Lopez, giving the Redhawks a 1-0 lead. 

The Tigers responded in the top of the second. An airrent throw from Hagler got away from the first-baseman, putting runners on first and third for Jackson State. The runner on third came around to score after a sacrifice fly to left field. The Tigers tied it up 1-1 going into the 3rd. 

After a scoreless third and top of the fourth, Seattle U tallied on two more runs after Senior first baseman Tyler Horner and Lopez both came around to score, giving Seattle U a 3-1 lead. The Redhawks added one more in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot from Lopez, already his third RBI of the game. 

Despite attempts at a late comeback where Jackson State tallied three runs in the bottom of the eighth, Seattle U held onto their lead, taking home the victory 6-4.

Four Redhawks picked up at least one RBI during this matchup, with Lopez tallying three of his own, going 2-3 on the night. The other three Redhawks were Rhein, Knowles and Horner. 

Hagler (1-2) picked up his first win of the season, going seven innings, only allowing four hits and two earned runs.  

For some Redhawks, this game meant more than just another win in the books.

“I come from a long line of Black baseball players. My grandfathers, my great-grandfathers, my dad, my uncle, so it’s just a beautiful thing to see another school with a bunch of African Americans sharing their talent on the field with us,” Sophomore catcher Josh Cunnigan said. 

Bringing this series to Seattle gives an opportunity for young athletes of color to see people who look like them playing baseball at a very high level. Dawson touched on the importance of having this minority representation in baseball. 

“You have little kids in the stands saying ‘I can do that,’ I can be a shortstop, I can be a coach, I can be an associate head coach,” Dawson said. “Seeing representation is very important across the board because it gives hopes and dreams and aspirations to little kids that want to one day be in our shoes.” 

At the time of publishing, the Redhawks took on the University of Washington March 10, falling to the Huskies 4-7. Seattle U returns to Bannerwood this Saturday, March 14, facing off against Central Washington University in a doubleheader. The Redhawks kick off conference play March 20 in Stockton, taking on Pacific University (Calif.).