Cypress Lake alum, Florida A&M's Janmikell Bastardo plays in inaugural HBCU Classic in Seattle

When Janmikell Bastardo got word from his coach that he received an invitation to take part in the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic, it was hard for him to hold in his excitement.

Bastardo, a Cypress Lake alum, was one of 50 baseball players that traveled to Seattle over the weekend to take part in festivities during Major League Baseball All-Star Weekend, including the Classic. It was powered in collaboration between the MLB and the Players Association's Youth Development Foundation, which provided a $1 million grant.

"I got the phone call from my coach (Florida A&M's Jamey Shouppe)," Bastardo said. "That was exciting. Being able to play on the biggest stage, it's a once in a lifetime experience. Not only playing on the biggest stage but meeting a bunch of players around the game that I looked up to as a kid, guys like Ken Griffey Jr., Andre Dawson, Adrian Beltre. Not only just meeting them, but gaining valuable advice from them, it was an honor."

At Cypress Lake, Bastardo was a career .348 hitter over 330 at-bats, totaling 115 hits, 78 RBI, and 33 extra-base hits with 43 walks. He signed with Alabama A&M in 2019, spending three seasons there while hitting .314. Following his transfer to Florida A&M, Bastardo hit .333 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI over 210 at-bats. His 1.002 OPS ranked second on the team this past season.

Tony Ficarro coached Bastardo at Cypress Lake for four seasons. He admitted seeing one of his former players on MLB Network was exciting.

"When he came in as a freshman and I saw him, I knew he was going to be a little bit special hitting-wise," Ficarro said. "He's a hard worker. He loves the game, loved to go take batting practice on Sundays. His work ethic exceeded everybody else, and that's what made him special to reach that feat.

"It brought me chills because I thought it was amazing to see one of my players on the big screen, on the big field, in the big atmosphere like that, and represent Cypress Lake High School, and the baseball team. Especially back in those days, with the former players coming up right now. It brought me the biggest joy in the world."

Bastardo reflected on his year, which included winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference, along with taking part in the festivities in Seattle. It was important to him to show professional clubs and scouts what HBCUs are capable of, as Griffey and the league look to shine a light on them for years to come.

"I came into this year just trying to make an impact on my team," Bastardo said. "Being able to do that, and bring in a conference championship in my first year with Florida A&M University was a great experience. Not only that, but being able to play in the Florida Regional against some very good ballclubs with UConn, Texas Tech, and Florida, it was a great experience. Being able to show out on the biggest stage too was important, and good for exposure and being able to show was HBCUs can do."

Bastardo recalled one piece of advice he received in Seattle that he said is going to stick with him. It's not always about winning and losing, but the memories you make alongside teammates make you a better person as life goes on.

"This experience is bigger than baseball. These memories, you're going to take them throughout your life. They not only help make you a better ballplayer but a better person. I got that from Ken Griffey Jr. himself."

Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cypress Lake alum Janmikell Bastardo plays in HBCU Classic in Seattle