Grand Slam Grant Offers $10K to High School Baseball or Softball Program

In less than one month, the Detroit Tigers will be starting another baseball season and Comerica Bank will award $10,000 to a Metro Detroit high school baseball or softball program to create, expand or improve their program.

Along with the $10,000, the Comerica Bank Grand Slam Grant will also provide the winning program with 100 pavilion tickets, 20 outfield box tickets and 18 suite tickets to the Detroit Tigers opening weekend game on April 9 at Comerica Park. Not a bad way to start off the baseball season, eh?

“With schools cutting back their sports budgets, there’s a great need for financial support for high school baseball and softball programs,” said Caroline Chambers, director of corporate contributions at Comerica Bank. “Along with their need, we really want to see how creatively the money would be spent to benefit not only the team players but other students and the community as well.”

How Macomb High Schools Would Use the 10K and Tiger Tickets

Many school districts in Metro Detroit are experiencing slashed sports budgets and the high schools in Macomb are no different. When coaches at and were asked to daydream about how they would spend the grant money, most agreed that their junior varsity fields would benefit from the bucks.

“Our JV field needs a lot of attention,” said Jeff Droops, LCN varsity coach. “The infield and outfield needs to be tore down, resurfaced then planted with new grass, and the dugouts are cramped and need to be rebuilt. So definitely a lot of the money would go there.”

Kim Rawski, LCN athletic director, also said the money would go toward the JV field and some to support the fast-pitch softball team. She said it would be the best use of the money that would not only help their baseball and softball players but neighboring kids and community members who would want to use the field.

Last summer, the hosted the state championship on the posh Dakota High School varsity field. The games began early in the morning and went until late in the evening. With a renovation, any tourney would be able to use both the Dakota varsity and JV fields, allowing many games to be played simultaneously.

“A new home-run fence alone would roughly cost $10,000,” said Matt Carley, who is starting his first season as Dakota's varsity baseball coach. “So we wouldn’t go there with the money but would probably spend it on the junior varsity field. With the shortage of fields in Macomb, it would best be used there for our players, Little League players in the summer and the community in general who might want to play on it when it’s not being used.”  

Carley added that some of the opening weekend tickets might go to the parents of the players who give a lot of support to the Dakota teams.

“They give a lot during the year; it would be nice to give back to them with Tiger tickets," he said.

Both Droops and Carley said they would be applying for the grant. They will have to hustle, as the deadline is 5 p.m. March 24. The winner will be notified by April 5 and will have the check presented to them on the field at Comerica Park on April 9 when the Tigers take on the Kansas City Royals.

Public high schools in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Lenawee and Washtenaw counties are eligible to apply for the Grand Slam Grant. Programs interested in applying for the Comerica Bank Grand Slam Grant can do so at www.comerica.com/GrandSlamGrant.