Long before Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene took the mound in his professional debut against the World Series defending champion Atlanta Braves this spring, he played baseball at the Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. The facility is part of Major League Baseball's initiative to serve underprivileged youth.
On Saturday, the Academy's Academic Excellence Team held its first in-person ceremony for members who won scholastic awards since the COVID-19 pandemic forced many programs to cancel gatherings. The event was the follow-up to the virtual function earlier this year where 70 students in grades 6-12 were honored for earning GPAs above 3.