Cheers to the Family Christian Academy baseball team! The team finished their season as runner-up of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association State championship. The team missed the title by only one run in the final game against Hicks (10-9). The team had an outstanding season, finsihing 24-6 overall and 12-1 on their new home field.

In 2010, a Baseball Tomorrow Fund grant provided funding to complete the construction of Family Christian Academy’s baseball field and renovation of the softball field including outfield fencing, dugouts, warning track, a scoreboard and backstop and field equipment. The renovation facilitates the growth of a newly-created fall high school program and to provide additional fields for local community and travel teams. Located in the heart of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Family Christian Academy is a small, private school with grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The school has offered baseball and softball despite a lack of regulation fields.

RBI Austin and the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association will be hosting a FREE Legends for Youth Kids Clinic on Sunday, May 22, at Austin Reagan High School located in Austin, TX. The clinic will feature former MLB players instructing boys and girls ages 5-16 on the fundamentals of baseball.

In 2010, Austin Reagan High School was chosen as the MLB Groundskeepers’ annual renovation service project. The complete renovation of the playing surface and other baseball facilities upgrades were spearheaded by Dan Bergstrom, Director of Field Operations for the Houston Astros. The project was aided by a grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund and donations from three major sponsors (Toro, Turface Athletics and Covermaster Incorporated) and the Astros In Action Foundation.

An unveiling ceremony took place on Tuesday, January 11, 2011. A total of 24 MLB Clubs were represented and Colorado Rockies pitcher Huston Street spoke at the event.

In addition, the ceremony served as the official launch of RBI Austin. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) is an outreach program of Major League Baseball serving youth ages 5-18 in over 200 cities worldwide. This is the first RBI program ever in Austin and the eleventh program currently in Texas.

RBI Austin will continue using Austin Reagan’s newly renovated baseball field for clinics and a summer league, reaching youth at Reagan and many surrounding schools in East Austin.

Location of field: 7104 Berkman Dr., Austin, TX, 78752; Time: 2-5pm

To register: http://bit.ly/JrRBIsignup or call 512.992.3867

This past weekend, BTF traveled to Atlanta, GA to participate in the Civil Rights Game activities, including an on-field check presentation at Turner Field with BTF grant recipient L.E.A.D., Inc. and Equipment Day grant recipient, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. The Atlanta Braves hosted their Equipment Day collection at the stadium on Saturday and Sunday. 

Cathy Bradley presented creator of L.E.A.D., Inc. and former MLB player, C.J. Stewart with an oversized check of $22,896.00. The funds will be used to purchase equipment, uniforms and travel team expenses for a new middle school program.

It was also extra special to visit the L.E.A.D., Inc. Middle School All-Star game that was held on Saturday afternoon. Similar to L.E.A.D., Inc.’s Ambassador program, a new program targeting Atlanta public middle school students ages 10-14 in King Middle School, BEST Academy and Kennedy Middle School has been launched. This will be the first baseball program for APS’s middle school students.

To see photos of the players in action, click here.

About L.E.A.D., Inc.

Established in 2007, L.E.A.D., Inc. (Launch, Expose, Advise and Direct, Inc.) is a non-profit organization established by former Major League player, C.J. Stewart, to increase the number of African-Americans playing competitive high school baseball in the inner city of Atlanta and to prepare them to compete at the college level.

The organization provides year-round programs for the 14-18 year old age group including baseball skill development, educational/leadership development, community service and coaches training through its Legacy League, an instructional fall league for inner-city players; the Urban Coaching Mentoring Program and the Ambassador Elite Exposure Team, a travel/tournament team for inner-city players aimed at providing exposure to college recruiters.  L.E.A.D., Inc.  is a partner of the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and the Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Atlanta Partners for Education Program.  To date, 100% of L.E.A.D., Inc. players have graduated from high school and entered college.  Eighty-three percent of the players received college baseball scholarships.

ANAHEIM, CA – The Major League Baseball Groundskeepers and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund have selected the Orange High School baseball field in Orange, CA for their annual renovation service project.

Renovations are scheduled to begin this month with the unveiling by MLB Groundskeepers slated for January 10, 2012. Barney Lopas, the Angels’ head groundskeeper, will lead a group of his counterparts from around Major League Baseball and overseeing the project.

“We are very excited to begin the field renovation at Orange High School,” Lopas said. “The previous renovations have set the bar very high, but we are up to the challenge of creating an incredible field and leaving a lasting impact on the school and its baseball program.”

Each year, the Major League Groundskeepers convene in January for industry meetings, during which time they choose a community and renovate a baseball field that is in need of repair. This year, aided by the Baseball Tomorrow Fund and with donations of supplies and labor from three major sponsors (Toro, Turf Athletics and Covermaster Incorporated) and other local companies, the groundskeepers will oversee the complete renovation of the playing surface at Orange High School.

“The Baseball Tomorrow Fund is fortunate to collaborate on this project with such outstanding partners,” stated Cathy Bradley, Executive Director of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. “It is a pleasure to support the field renovation at Orange High School and to provide a quality and safe field for the players, who will learn the value of teamwork and community while playing the great game of baseball.”