Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first acknowledged black player in major league baseball history.

Oberlin College, originally named Oberlin Collegiate Institute when it opened in 1833, was among the first American colleges to admit African-Americans, in 1835, and it was the first to formally count females among its regular student ranks.

In 1867 Oberlin fielded one of the first African-American college baseball players, left fielder Simpson Younger.  As a side note, he was born to Charles Younger, grandfather of the famous outlaws who rode with the James brothers, and his young slave Elizabeth.