As an alum of an HBCU and a baseball fan, it’s no surprise that comedian and Have I Got News For You host Roy Wood Jr. would be all in for the HBCU Swingman Classic.
Wood, a graduate of Florida A&M’s famed journalism school, is conducting a series of interviews leading up to the game featuring HBCU baseball players.
The most recent appeared on his Facebook page on Friday afternoon, with Texas Southern grad student second baseman Jaden Jones, who participated in last year’s HBCU Swingman Classic.
Wood asked Jones why he chose Texas Southern, and Jones responded, “I’m a California kid, but I was ready to explore a bit. I wanted to have the culture of an HBCU and play baseball at one.”
The key for Jones, who hit .347 with 4 homers and 46 RBIs this past spring, was immersing himself in Houston’s rich Black culture, along with a suggestion from Tigers head coach Michael Robertson.
“I came out here and Coach Rob told me to try this place called The Breakfast Club,” he said. “Chicken and waffles. Ate it, one of the best meals I’ve ever had. I knew that was going to be the spot.”
Wood asked if the food gave Jones an insight into the culture of Houston, and the Riverside, California native answered, “Exactly. Coach said he would develop me. I looked at those three aspects – food, culture, and development – and I knew this was going to be pretty special.”
The third annual HBCU Swingman Classic will be held on Friday, July 11, at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia.