Del Matthews Named Fall 2025 Commencement Speaker at Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University is excited to welcome Major League Baseball (MLB) executive, Del Matthews, as the keynote speaker for its fall commencement ceremony. Matthews is the Senior Vice President of Baseball Development for MLB. 

A former Texas Southern Tiger, the 2025 season was Matthews’ 23rd season in professional baseball and his 10th year in the Office of the Commissioner. As MLB’s Senior Vice President of Baseball Development, he oversees the day-to-day operations of MLB Youth Academies in Compton, CA, and New Orleans, LA, and serves as the primary liaison to club-operated academies across the country. He leads critical MLB development initiatives, including the HBCU Swingman Classic, Andre Dawson Classic, BreakThrough Series, Dream Series, and the Hank Aaron Invitational, all of which are designed to elevate and create pathways for diverse amateur baseball players.

Matthews also guides baseball and game operations for the MLB All-Star Futures Game and chairs the Technical Committee for the World Baseball Classic. Before joining MLB’s executive leadership, he completed the league’s prestigious Executive Development Program and later served in the Chicago White Sox organization, rising to Assistant Director of Player Development.

Commencement will be a Homecoming for Matthews. He was a decorated member of the Texas Southern University baseball team from 1996–2000, serving as Team Captain, earning All-SWAC honors, and being nominated for Texas Southern Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. His deep baseball lineage includes his father, 17-year MLB veteran Gary “Sarge” Matthews, his brother, 10-year MLB veteran Gary Matthews Jr., and his godfather, legendary player and World Series–winning manager Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker.

Off the field, Matthews is equally accomplished. A native of Chicago, he holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Sports Leadership with a concentration in Data Analytics from Abilene Christian University. He is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the Buck O’Neil Scouts Association, and serves on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award selection committee. A devoted family man and church leader, Matthews resides in Westchester County, NY, with his wife Tabitha and their three sons.

Commencement will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in the university’s Health & Physical Education Arena.