Snow and ice threat could not derail the Third Annual Crushin’ For A Cause presented by ATown Bat Co. home run derby! The excitement returned to Aviation Sports Complex in Marietta on February 7th after a one week postponement. Atlanta Braves Prospect and local player Tyler Tolve (Sprayberry HS, Kennesaw State & 6-4-3 DP Baseball alum) and his lineup of professional hitters knocked 139 baseballs out of the park. Hosted in conjunction with The 6-4-3 Foundation and SagerStrong Foundation, the event featured a three-round home professional run derby, a three-round amateur home run derby, a silent auction, games and player autographs while raising over $16,000 for two meaningful causes.
First up was a lineup of 12 talented middle school players representing seven top metro area travel organizations competing in the Prep Baseball Georgia Amateur Home Run Derby. Bentley Davis (Ninth Inning Baseball), Beckett DeSerio (Team Elite), Mario Esparza de Luna Jr. (6-4-3 DP Baseball), Luke Jayasekar (Titans Baseball Academy), Carson Parker (Titans Baseball Academy), Chris Reed (Team Elite), Wyatt Schuck (6-4-3 DP Baseball), Brock Shank (Georgia Jackets), Chase Thatcher (Ninth Inning Baseball), Mason Torre (USA Scout), Trey Vandergriff (East Cobb Astros) and Brooks Woolley (Georgia Jackets) showed off for the crowd to get the event started. After an exciting preliminary round, DeSerio, Reed, Schunk and Torre advanced to the semi-finals with DeSerios & Reed facing off for the crown. In the end, Reed took the honors in a five to four final round and walked away with a new bat courtesy of Mizuno Baseball. He finished the day with 18 total home runs. “The middle school derby was a huge success, and I cannot wait to grow that looking into next year,” said Tolve of the excitement for this year’s addition to the event.
Following the middle school competition, eight participants stepped up to the plate for the main event. This year’s lineup featured 2025 Winner Cael Chatham (Washington Wild Things), Parks Harber (San Francisco Giants Organization), Kyle Henley (Cincinnati Reds Organization), Colin Houck (New York Mets Organization), Cooper McMurray (Atlanta Braves Organization), Jaylen Smith (Oakland Ballers) and Tolve. ATown Bat Co.’s Nate Butterworth “pinch hit” to round out the field. Chase Engelhard (Boise Hawks) was also in attendance.
After the field whittled down to two, defending champion Chatham and Harber faced off in the final round, hitting to a 7-7 tie. Following a 10-swing tiebreak, Harber came out on top with 7 home runs to Chatham’s 2. “I had a great time at the Crushin’ For A Cause home run derby! I was super grateful to be a part of it,” said Harber. “There is nothing better than getting back out to 6-4-3 and being around old friends and teammates while supporting such a great cause!” Harber finished the day with a record 38 home runs.
Beyond the on-field action, the event served a greater purpose. The inspiration behind Crushin’ For A Cause stems from Tolve’s personal connection to cancer. His father, John, battled Multiple Myeloma during Tolve’s high school years. Additionally, his great uncle fought leukemia, and at the same time, the 6-4-3 community rallied behind Carson Rozsman, a young player facing brain cancer. These experiences motivated Tolve to create an event that gives back. “It was a tough time for the family,” Tolve recalls.
“This would not be possible without SagerStrong as well as The 6-4-3 Foundation,” said Tolve. “I can’t thank everyone enough for coming out and supporting, especially after a date change. This event year after year blows expectations out of the water and really has made my dream of raising money through baseball come true.”
In addition to presenting sponsor ATown Bat Co., Crushin’ For A Cause was also sponsored this year by: 6-4-3 DP Baseball; Aces, Inc.; Advanced Stucco Repair, Inc.; Better Baseball; Caputo & Associates; College Athlete Advantage; C.W. Matthews Contracting, Inc.; Dove Tail Bat Company; East Cobber; Evercy Wealth; Grunduski Group; The Hill; Jocks & Jills; LifeWave; Mizuno; Prep Baseball Georgia; and Whitney Horne Independent Insurance Agent. Several people and organizations donated silent auction items as well and scores of volunteers made the day a success! With more than $15,000 raised, the event was once again successful and will make a meaningful impact on youth sports programs and cancer research.