Hank Aaron Sports Academy Selected as Host Venue for the GCAC Baseball Championship Presented by Hope Credit Union

The 5,200-seat venue in Jackson, Mississippi, will hold the conference championship for the next three years beginning in 2023

JACKSON, Miss. – Today, Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) Commissioner Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes announced that baseball is returning to the league as a sponsored sport, and along with that news was revealing that the Hank Aaron Sports Academy (HASA) will serve as the host site for the 2023 GCAC Baseball Championship Presented by Hope Credit Union (HOPE).

Formerly known as Smith-Wills Stadium and former home of the N.Y. Mets and Houston Astros MLB / MiLB teams, the 5,200-seat venue located in Jackson, Mississippi, will host the league’s showcase baseball event for the next three seasons beginning in 2023, with an option to extend the stay at the famed venue for another two seasons after that.

“Baseball is a premier sport in our region, and for years we’ve had teams in our league that have qualified for the HBCU World Series without having a chance to win a conference title until today,” Barnes said. “Thanks to the Hank Aaron Sports Academy and Hope Credit Union, our student-athletes will have a chance to showcase their talents and the best of Black college baseball in a historic venue.”

Originally opening in 1975, the stadium has hosted professional baseball as well as musical concerts. With the addition of FieldTurf, the venue was converted into a true multipurpose facility, able to host a variety of sports and events including football and soccer.

“This is yet another great opportunity for the city of Jackson, MS., as well as for all of the student-athletes in the GCAC, we have been very fortunate to be selected as the host and we are looking forward to a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with the GCAC,” said Tim Bennett, HASA President and CEO. “The financial impact of this tournament will certainly be appreciated here in the capital city as we continue to grow and improve with the assistance of Commissioner Kiki Baker Barnes and the GCAC.

HASA is designed to host youths from economically-disadvantaged areas of Mississippi and the southeastern region of the United States. The academy is the home of Jackson Public High School baseball, the Atlanta Braves RBI program, and a number of other youth initiatives (summer/fall youth leagues) as part of the mission of Henry “Hank” Aaron.

“The economic, social and cultural contributions of HBCUs and their graduates cannot be overstated,” said HOPE CEO Bill Bynum. “We are particularly proud to partner with GCAC and the Hank Aaron Sports Academy to build on this legacy.”

 HOPE is the Official Financial Institution of the GCAC, and lead sponsor of the league’s basketball and baseball tournaments. HOPE also collaborates with GCAC member schools to advance economic opportunity for students, staff, faculty, alumni and to improve conditions on and around their campuses.

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About the GCAC

The GCAC is celebrating its 40th year as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The GCAC is one of only five conferences comprised of 8 members representing Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States. The GCAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Oakwood University (AL), Philander Smith College (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Tougaloo College (MS), and Wiley College (TX).

About HOPE 

HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation, Hope Credit Union and Hope Policy Institute) provides financial services; aggregates resources; and engages in advocacy to mitigate the extent to which factors such as race, gender, birthplace and wealth limit one’s ability to prosper. Through these efforts, HOPE has generated or leveraged more than $3.6 billion in financing that has improved the lives of more than 2 million people in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Learn more at www.hopecu.org.

About Hank Aaron Sports Academy

The Hank Aaron Sports Academy (HASA) is designed to host youths from economically-disadvantaged areas of Mississippi and the southeastern region of the United States. For so long the Jackson Public School District, located in the capital city of Jackson, has had the unfortunate designation of being one of the few if not the only school districts to have seven high schools and not one of them having its own (on-campus) baseball field. In 2017, a group of concerned coaches, parents and political leaders came together to determine how best to solve this issue. Through local and national financial support HASA will provide an opportunity for each of the seven high schools to host, practice and play games on a modern and up-to-date baseball facility. The Academy will also serve as the host for as many as 36 – 40 weekends of tournament baseball for youth ages 6-16 featuring both recreational leagues and travel leagues, many playing with and against each other for the first time, in a unique setting such as this one offers. It is our hope and goal that this level of competition, exposure and training will increase our youths and their parents’ interest and success in the sport of baseball.

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