Baseball | 6/18/2025 12:34:00 PM
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – UMES catcher Jonathan Gonzalez Perez was announced as a selection live on MLB Network for the 2025 HBCU Swingman Classic in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Being selected to participate in this event is a huge opportunity from God,” Gonzalez said. “To be able to meet so many great players and hall of famers and, above all, be able to represent my Hispanic and African American communities at this amazing event is something that you dream of since you are little.”
The junior catcher from Syracuse, New York and Holguín, Cuba played in 38 games with UMES both as a designated hitter and behind the dish. Gonzalez led the Hawks in batting average with a .331 mark while producing 11 doubles and 26 RBI. Defensively, he caught nine runners stealing. Additionally, Gonzalez excelled in the classroom as he earned a spot on the NEC Spring Commissioner’s Honor Roll for achieving above a 3.75 GPA. For his stellar season, Gonzalez was selected as a top 50 player and top six catcher in HBCU baseball by a committee that included MLB Hall of Famer and YDF Global Ambassador Ken Griffey Jr. and MLB and MLBPA representatives across the baseball scouting community.
Gonzalez, a graduate of Solvay High School, is the second Hawk to be named to the HBCU Swingman Classic roster, joining former UMES outfielder Brantley Cutler, who earned a spot in the prestigious showcase game in 2023.
“One of the things former big leaguer Marquis Grissom told us is that a lot of people have an excuse that they don’t know what it is like to be on a national stage like that,” shared Cutler when asked about his experience at the inaugural 2023 HBCU Swingman Classic. “We all have now seen what it is like to play on a big time stage. Once you play in that atmosphere, it reignites your passion and fires you up as a baseball player.”
Gonzalez will get that same opportunity to showcase his skills on a big stage at the third edition of the HBCU Swingman Classic on Friday, July 11, at Truist Park during MLB All-Star Week. The game will air to a national audience on MLB Network at 7 p.m. ET.
More information on the HBCU Swingman Classic and the full roster and coaching staff is listed below:
HBCU Swingman Classic Roster and Info
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