The Metropolitan Junior Baseball League crowned eight champions at its 33rd Annual Inner City Classic national championships, overcoming weather challenges.

The event began with the 20th Annual Bobby Bonds Memorial Symposium in Washington, D.C., hosted by Rep. Jennifer McClellan (Va.-04). Competition opened at Howard University with MJBL Richmond defeating the DC Grays in the 10-under group, while the Heritage Rebels and Bowie Bucks tied 6-6 in the 19-under category.

Freedom Farm (Nassau, Bahamas) secured the 8-under title, edging Bethlehem (Richmond/Henrico County, Va.) 2-1. Rain affected the 10-under and 12-under divisions, with championships awarded to top seeds MJBL Richmond and Next Level (Charlotte, N.C.), respectively.

In other games, Visions Select (Baltimore) claimed the 14-under title with a 12-8 victory over Greensboro (N.C.), while Central Florida 5’s edged out Visions Select Baseball_2 (Baltimore) 2-1 in the 16-under division. The Heritage Rebels (Greenville, N.C.) secured the 19-under championship by defeating the Bowie (Md.) Bucks 11-7. 

On the softball side, Rocky Mount (N.C.) Raiders won the 14-under division with a 7-3 victory over the USZ Angels (Philadelphia), and the USZ Angels (Pa.) triumphed in the 18-under division, beating Southside Chaos (Norfolk, Va.) 12-8.

Elijah McKinney received the Charles “Pee Wee” Robinson Award in the 12-under and 10-under divisions. Christian Chance, a pitcher/third baseman from South Central High School in Winterville, N.C., won the Ken Free Most Valuable Player Classic Scholarship in the 19-under division.

The symposium featured MLB Executive Dusty Baker and focused on reconnecting baseball to the Black community. Howard University student Alafia Bailey advocated for reinstating the school’s NCAA Division I baseball program. MJBL, founded in 1966 by Dr. William M.T. Forrester, remains the only national youth league focused on inner-city Black athletes.