Jonathan Gonzalez Perez has adds to accolades with a selection to the HBCU Swingman Classic.


PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania | After a standout 2026 season at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, catcher Jonathan Gonzalez Perez has added to his collegiate accolades with a recent selection to the HBCU Swingman Classic.


Gonzalez Perez headlined the Hawks' offense, leading the team with a .319 batting average across 48 starts and registering a team-high 14 home runs, 1.004 OPS, and 58 RBI. The senior from Syracuse, New York, and Holguin, Cuba recorded a team-high two multi-home run games and amassed a season-high seven RBI in UMES' win over Delaware State on April 11. In two seasons with the Hawks, he has led UMES in batting average and recorded over 100 career hits.


Throughout the 2026 season, Gonzalez Perez tallied multiple NEC Prime Performer selections and was a one-time NEC Player of the Week.


Gonzalez Perez hit his way into the UMES record books after a two-home run game against Wagner on April 24 to set the modern single-season UMES home run record (since 1991), surpassing the previous mark held by Faheem Hammett's 11-homer season in 1998.


Gonzalez Perez is also the first UMES baseball player to be named to the All-NEC First Team. The selection to the HBCU Swingman Classic marks back-to-back years that Gonzalez Perez has represented UMES.



About the HBCU Swingman Classic

The HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball highlights the history and legacy of HBCU baseball programs. 50 Division-I HBCU baseball players get the opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage. The student-athletes are selected by a committee that will include Ken Griffey Jr., representatives from MLB, and scouts. This year's contest will be played on July 10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.