In a period when it seems HBCU baseball investment is collectively regressing, one program is going full steam ahead in the sport next spring.
In 2023, there will be baseball at Dillard University for the first time in school history. The Bleu Devils will be housed in the new-look Gulf Athletic Conference setup along with Oakwood University, Wiley College and Philander Smith College.
The program — very much entrenched in the developmental stage — will be led by former Southern assistant coach Trennis Grant, who is attempting to execute the dual role of selling himself and a program that doesn’t quite yet have an established pedigree.
Dillard baseball, for now, is without a full allotment of recruits, equipment, or many of the essential items it takes to function as a baseball outfit.
However, there is something more than facilities Grant is selling.
“It’s history. You’re going to be a part of history,” said Grant. “You’re going to be a part of history when that first pitch is thrown. You’re going to be a part of history when we lose our first game. You’re going to be part of history when we win our first game.”
Grant appeared on The Boys on The Hill Podcast with HBCU Sports senior editor Kendrick Marshall along with former HBCU baseball players Ralph Johnson, Christopher Watts and Thomas Brown to detail his plan and expectations for Dillard baseball.