Major League Baseball has awarded the latest round of college scholarships to 12 incoming college freshmen, all of whom are alumni of the Nike Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program – the baseball and softball initiative administered by MLB to serve youth, particularly those from underserved communities. With this installment of new $5,000 per year scholarships, the RBI for RBI Scholarship program is providing a total of 48 students with more than $235,000 in scholarships in the 2025-2026 academic year. Following is the list of new scholarship recipients.
Name | School | RBI League |
Jaden Rivera | Roosevelt University | Chicago Cubs RBI |
Franchesca Divert | Georgia Southwestern State University | Macon Nike RBI |
Natalie Holder | Indiana University-Bloomington | Cincinnati Reds Nike RBI |
Casey Pasco | Immaculata University | Philadelphia Phillies Nike RBI |
Diavian Graham | Louisburg College | Buck Leonard Association Nike RBI |
Maricela Mesarina | Barry University | Miami Marlins Nike RBI |
Zaena Harris | Georgia State University | Atlanta Braves Nike RBI |
Sebastian Arellano | Texas State University | Texas Rangers Nike RBI |
Xander Lawrence | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | Castle Hill Nike RBI |
Karilyn Perez Guerrero | Clark University | Red Sox Foundation Nike RBI |
Quintavious Person | Ecclesia College | Little Rock Nike RBI |
Menelik Farmer | Benedict College | Washington Nationals Nike RBI |
The recipients are receiving the grants through the “RBI for RBI” Scholarship Fund, created in 2008 to provide financial support for college-bound student-athletes based on academic record, leadership qualities, participation in school and community activities, and financial need. Since its inception, the “RBI for RBI” Scholarship Fund has awarded more than 170 college scholarships to Nike RBI participants from more than 40 programs.
“These young athletes have made a meaningful impact in their communities and excelled academically. They should be proud of those achievements,” said Tony Reagins, Chief Baseball Development Officer at Major League Baseball. “MLB is supporting these 12 recipients to help them pursue their goals as they continue to represent the Nike RBI program with excellence.”
The “RBI for RBI” scholarships provide each recipient the opportunity to pursue any field of study at a two-year college, four-year college, university or vocational school in the United States or Puerto Rico. The scholarships may be renewed for up to three years or until the award recipient has earned his or her training certificate, associate degree or bachelor’s degree.