Mississippi’s capital city will be hitting the international baseball scene, collaborating with a South American country to advance the sport.
The city of Jackson is partnering with the Colombian cities of Rionegro and Medellin to put on the Legacy Baseball League — a summer developmental venture for college athletes across the globe. The league is set to be facilitated at Smith-Wills Stadium.
One of the goals of the Legacy Baseball League is to mirror other summer competitions such as the Cape Cod League in Massachusetts and the Northwoods League in the Midwest and part of Canada, but to give Southern players a chance to showcase their talents at a venue closer to home.
“I’m happy to announce that this partnership is an exciting development. It will enrich all cities involved, as well as the greater Jackson Metro area and the state of Mississippi,” Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said. “We look forward to this new international relationship and welcome the best of Colombia to Mississippi to be a part of the Legacy Baseball League.”
The agreement between Jackson and the Colombian towns aims to allow the three entities to learn from one another and advance the game of baseball by utilizing their resources. The state of Mississippi brings a lot to the table with more than 30 colleges and universities with baseball programs, including six HBCUs — equating to approximately 750 players.
“We look forward to the great cultural interchange and promoting tourism between our two regions over my four-year term and well beyond,” Rionegro Mayor Jorge Humberto Urrea said. “We are pleased and honored to extend our invitation for the Mayor to visit our cities and country as we continue to build this relationship.”
The league will play a 30-game schedule at the former minor league park sitting on Lakeland Drive near I-55 in Jackson.
“The Legacy League is about more than just baseball to me, it is about bringing people of different nationalities, races, genders, cultures, and religions into a true spectrum of opportunities for each individual, once again proving America and the sport of baseball to be the true melting pot of the world where all are welcomed to create pathways make progress and leave a better society for our youth,” Legacy League Commissioner and Hank Aaron Sports Academy CEO Tim Bennett said.
Dusty Baker, Andruw Jones, Brian Jordan, Tracy McGrady, Deuce McAllister, and Ralph Garr are among the current owners of the Legacy League which is slated to open in late May of 2025.
