VERO BEACH — The Marching 100, the internationally-recognized premier marching band at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, will carry out the pre-game show at the annual Andre Dawson baseball classic this weekend. The marching band, known for its high-stepping precision, dance routines and innovative performances, will be a highlight of the three-day event featuring baseball teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
“This is a family event, something to make you feel good. We’re bringing this vision to life,” said co-organizer Teddy Floyd, a retired Indian River County sheriff’s deputy. “Our goal next year is to bring Bethune-Cookman University’s ‘Marching Wildcats’ as well as FAMU’s ‘The Marching 100.’ Our overall goal is to have a Battle of the Bands at the Andre Dawson Classic.”
The Marching 100 will hit the field at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex. The complex, formerly known as Historic Dodgertown where baseball icon Jackie Robinson once trained with the Dodgers, is located at 3901 26th Street in Vero Beach, east of 43rd Avenue and north of State Road 60.
The HBCU collegiate baseball competition is organized by Major League Baseball, along with Indian River County officials and local community leaders. The weekend matchup is named after former MLB outfielder and Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson.
Dawson, a graduate of Florida A&M University, will throw the ceremonial first pitch to a Special Olympics athlete during Saturday evening’s game. The event features long-standing school rivals including Dawson’s alma mater and Bethune-Cookman University.
Dawson will also present a donation to Special Olympics Florida during a pre-game presentation.
Dawson, an eight-time All Star outfielder who went by the nickname “The Hawk” during his 21-year baseball career, played with The Montral Expos and Chicago Cubs.
Tournament Schedule
Excitement is building as the Andre Dawson Classic returns to Vero Beach this weekend.
The competing HBCU teams will be Texas Southern University, Jackson State University, Southern University and A&M College, Grambling State University, Alabama State University, Florida A&M University, along with Yale University, which will be the first Ivy-League team to play in the classic. The tournament schedule is below:
Friday, Feb. 20, 2026
Texas Southern University vs. Jackon State University, 11 a.m., Holman Stadium
Southern University vs. Grambling State University, 3 p.m., Holman Stadium
Alabama State University vs. Florida A&M University, 7 p.m., Holman Stadium
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026
Southern University vs. Texas Southern University, 9 a.m., Holman Stadium
Grambling State University vs. Alabama State University, noon, Holman Stadium
Yale University vs. Jackson State University, 4 p.m., Holman Stadium
Bethune-Cookman University vs. Florida A&M University, 8 p.m., Holman Stadium
Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026
Grambling State University vs. Jackson State University, 9 a.m., Holman Stadium
Alabama State University vs. Texas Southern University, 10 a.m., Field Determination
Florida A&M University vs. Southern University, noon, Holman Stadium.
The games will be livestreamed on MLB.com. The MLB Network will broadcast two of Saturday’s matches: Yale University vs. Jackson State University at 4 p.m., and Bethune-Cookman University vs. Florida A&M University at 8 p.m.
Community Outreach
Dodgertown Elementary School students will get an exclusive tour of the Jackie Robinson Training Complex, enjoy a ballpark lunch and watch Friday morning’s matchup between Texas Southern University and Jackson State University. Dodgertown’s Principal Felice Bagley will throw the first pitch, which will be caught by Ryan Strickland, chief operating officer for Play Treasure Coast Sports Tourism.
Those attending Saturday’s games will have the chance to interact with the HBCU community, including members of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities which are known for community service initiatives, along with alumni associations.
HBCUs, established prior to 1964, were created to give higher education to African Americans who were prohibited from attending predominantly white institutions during the period of segregation.
On Sunday, Indian River County’s little league teams will participate in an on-field parade at 11:30 a.m. before the Florida A&M University vs. Southern University matchup at noon. Kids with tickets to the game at noon can enjoy free activities such as face-painting and lawn games.
Jackie Robinson Training Complex
The round-robin, 18th-annual Andre Dawson Classic relocated to the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in 2024.
The Jackie Robinson Training Complex was the first fully integrated MLB spring training site in the south. The sports facility was named a Florida Heritage Landmark in 2014 and added to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail – a series of nationally recognized locations that mark the struggle for equal rights – in 2019.
Tickets for the Andre Dawson Classic can be found here. Full coverage of this year’s baseball classic can be found here.
