Leveling the baseball field for underserved youth in Battle Creek

Editor’s note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave’s On the Ground Battle Creek series. All photos were taken by John Grap.

BATTLE CREEK, MI — Evan Gray is making sure that underserved youth in Battle Creek get their chance at bat.

In 2021, the former area baseball standout founded a business called Gray’s on Deck (G.O.D.) LLC, to fulfill a lifelong mission to give back. 

Created to give inner-city youth, ages 4-8, access to baseball, Grays says, his organization uses the game “as a vehicle to teach life lessons  — resilience, discipline, teamwork and perseverance on and off the field.”

Unlike the youth he works with now, Gray’s parents were able to cover the cost for him to pursue his love of the game from a young age while also reinforcing the lessons he learned on and off the field.

“I was fortunate to have access to recreational baseball, club baseball, and travel baseball,” says Gray, who played on teams at Battle Creek Central High School, Kellogg Community College, and Davenport University. He also played during high school for a travel team called the Kalamazoo Maroons.

The opportunities he had to play at different levels built upon themselves so that he would excel on the field. He knows that this is not the case for the young ones who show up to practice and play at Claude Evans Park.

Youth baseball camps typically cost between $100 and $500 per week for standard local day camps, according to IMG Academy.

Youth baseball camps and clinics in the Battle Creek area typically cost between $35 and $170, with specialized or multi-week programs ranging higher depending on the duration. Options include city recreation clinics, local academy training, and college-led skill sessions, often with discounts available. 

G.O.D. represents the low end of this price range, charging $15 for a Tee-Ball program for 4-6-year-olds, and $35 for a Kids 2 Pitch program for 7 and 8-year-olds.

Up until this year, both programs were being offered at no cost. Funding shortfalls for the nonprofit made “free” unworkable and have led to a decline in the number of participants, Gray says.

In addition to Battle Creek, he also has a program in Kalamazoo where he partners with that city’s Parks and Recreation Department. That program, which began in 2023, costs $60 per player with scholarships available.

“We have over 200 kids over there, and they play at Versluis & Dickinson Softball Complex. They’re out there playing on all eight fields. Every year amazes me, just the smiles they never would have otherwise.”

Evan Gray is in his first year as coach of Battle Creek Central’s softball team. He’s seen here at practice.

Nothing about the program screams “money.” All of the equipment — bats, balls, equipment bags, and cleats — are donated or are “finds” that Gray sees lying by the side of the road while navigating routes he drives for United Parcel Service in Kalamazoo. He’s hoping to get new t-shirts this year for his players to wear.

“Right now, we have stuff, but it’s not the nicest. I would like to have actual bat bags and newer helmets that haven’t been beaten on for five years or more years,” Gray says. “To be honest, I’ve used money from my UPS job. If a kid needs cleats, I’ll pay for them. This takes the pressure off the parents.”

Helping to ease the financial challenges is Brittney Dowdy, whose son participated in G.O.D. until he aged out. Dowdy, along with her son, Bentley, Gray, G.O.D. players, and their families, collect bottles and cans to fund the nonprofit and take trips to watch the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox play.

“Brittney does a phenomenal job with the bottle and can drive. It’s been good to find like-minded people who want to be part of something good, too,” Gray says.

Making a pitch for success

As he teaches the fundamentals to his youngest players, Gray is also working as the Head Coach for the Women’s Softball Team at Battle Creek Central High School, his alma mater, and has plans in the works to start a middle school softball program.

Several of his fellow participants in the Fatherhood Family Service Hub, founded by Marcelle Heath, have agreed to be coaches for the middle school program.

This is all happening while he’s on leave from his UPS job for treatment and physical therapy to address a loss of strength resulting from 15 years of package deliveries.

He knows firsthand about the benefits of getting kids into baseball from an early age. It’s why, after graduating in 2008 from BCCHS, he went on to play at KCC while earning an Associate’s Degree, and was recruited in 2012 to play for Davenport. This was cut short by tendonitis in one of his shoulders.

“I grew up playing baseball in Battle Creek at Bailey Park. There were a lot of kids out there playing baseball and softball. You don’t see a lot of that anymore. High school coaches want kids who have development in travel ball, and this isn’t fair for kids who can’t afford to travel,” Gray says.

High school baseball coaches prioritize a mix of athletic tools — high baseball IQ, and strong character — often summarized as “makeup.” Key, measurable skills include positional velocity (arm strength), consistent contact at the plate (bat speed), and speed on the bases, alongside a disciplined, hardworking attitude, according to Hitters Baseball Academy.

“Baseball is a sport where if you don’t have the fundamentals like timing and learning to hit the ball at an early age, it’s already too late,” Gray says. “This is why we start all the way at the feeder level with Tee-Ball. These 4 to 6-year-olds are the most fun to watch when they hit the ball. They’re really cute at that age, and they’re getting out there and acclimated.”

Touching all of the bases when it comes time to try out at the high school level often involves paying the cost of “Travel team fees, specialized private coaching, or travel to residential camps with some programs ranging from $3,000–$10,000 annually,” according to information on IMG’s website.

Gray acknowledges that baseball can be a very expensive sport, which is why he’s put his focus on leveling the playing field for youth who have the determination and raw talent to play ball at all different levels. He’s relying on his own experiences on the field and what he learned through earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Communications from Western Michigan University.

“At the very least, I want to get these kids out there learning how to put a glove on, field, and teach and instill in them the stuff my mom and dad taught me,” Gray says. “I want to give a love of the game to kids who don’t have it.”

His only “ask” is that parents have their kids show up ready to play and learn.

To disconnect them from their school day, tablets and phones, and whatever else may be on their minds, practices start with meditation so they can focus on what will happen on the field.

“They close their eyes and listen to the birds,” Gray says.