ATLANTA – Morehouse baseball standout, Derrick Odom, has been selected for the inaugural HBCU All-Star game set for this evening June 8 at Hoover Met Stadium in Hoover, Ala.

Odom, a junior outfielder from Albany, Ga., has provided the power for the Maroon Tigers the last two years. In just 43 games in the last two years he has batted .313, hit six homeruns and drove in 34 to go along with 19 extra-base hits.

"This is a surreal feeling, said Odom." "I'm happy I've been granted the opportunity to come here and represent Morehouse baseball and play with some of the top HBCU baseball players from around the country."

The purpose of this game is to provide a platform to top-level talent coming out of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and recognize the tremendous work of the coaches who have molded, developed and support these players.  The teams were selected through an All-Star Vote lead by the guidance of current and former HBCU coaches and players.
 
"It's a great opportunity for a hardworking young man," said Morehouse head baseball coach, Antonio Grissom. "I know he will represent our institution well."

The players selected will have the opportunity to compete against the best in the game, support the next generation of players through community efforts, highlight the rich history of HBCUs and show Major League scouts that HBCU ball players have what it takes to advance in the game.

Odom will play on the Rickie Weeks' team alongside student-athletes they compete against in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and from several HBCU's in both NCAA Division I and Division II. Desmond Jennings is set to coach the other team.

Weeks is a graduate of Southern University, an HBCU located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Weeks is the only HBCU player to win a Golden Spikes Award for best amateur player. He holds NCAA records in batting average as well. He was the second overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2003 MLB draft and was named an MLB All-Star in 2011. Weeks currently plays for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Morehouse baseball only played 10 games in a COVID-19 shortened 2020 season and did not play in 2021.

First pitch of the HBCU All-Star game is set for 7:30 ET and can be watched via live stream by CLICKING HERE.