By Kendrick Marshall
HBCU Sports
https://hbcusports.com/
At this year’s HBCU Swingman Classic, every player will take the field with a visible reminder of Roger Cador.
Cador, who died on June 30, will be remembered during MLB All-Star week in Philadelphia.
At this year’s event, each uniform worn by players at the HBCU Swingman Classic will feature a special patch to honor the legendary Southern University baseball coach.
Cador spent 33 seasons leading Southern, winning 14 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and making 11 NCAA Regional appearances along the way. His peers recognized him as a 13-time SWAC Coach of the Year, but his impact was bigger than trophies and awards.
He helped shape one of college baseball’s great careers by mentoring Rickie Weeks, the Swingman Classic manager and the only HBCU player ever to win the Golden Spikes Award.
Roger Cador was an HBCU baseball ambassador
That relationship reflected what Cador did best: develop players, build belief, and push HBCU baseball into spaces it had long deserved to occupy.
Cador was also a key ambassador for the HBCU baseball community, helping bring both the Swingman Classic and the Andre Dawson Classic to life. Those events became important stages for spotlighting HBCU talent, and they stand as part of his lasting imprint on the game.
To honor him during the HBCU Swingman Classic, the tribute will go beyond the patch.
There will also be a moment of silence and a special video tribute between innings, giving everyone in the ballpark a chance to reflect on a coach, mentor, and builder whose work will continue to echo through the sport.
Southern Chancellor John K. Pierre called Cador a legend whose impact extended far beyond baseball.
“He built one of the nation’s most respected baseball programs while helping to shape generations of young men into leaders,” Pierre said in a statement this week.
Kendrick Marshall
Kendrick Marshall is an award-winning journalist and a graduate of Jackson State University.
