Sandman, Hunt honor late Freddie coach Craze with All-Star game

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Utica's Michael Sandman (left) and Mount Vernon's Nate Hunt (right) are putting together an all-star baseball game with proceeds donated to Warrior Bags in honor of former Fredericktown coach Tom Craze. The game takes place July 13 at MVNU. | Michael Rich/News

MOUNT VERNON – Utica baseball coach Michael Sandman was looking for a way to give back after the outpouring of support he received after he was diagnosed with cancer last winter.

Sandman found it in creating the Tom Craze All-Star Classic and Home Run Derby, which will take place on July 13 at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

“We’re just trying to find a way to give back because of how good people were to me with everything I went through,” Sandman said. “I just wanted to something more to give back.”

Sandman underwent surgery, which removed part of a lung and cost him the first month and a half of the season.

“I’m getting better every day,” Sandman said. “I’ve been working all of these summer tournaments and everything. I haven’t had any issues yet, so I’m really lucky.”

The proceeds of the event go to Warrior Bags, an organization that gives care packages to cancer patients. One of the founders, Mandy Craze, is the husband of former Fredericktown baseball coach Tom Craze.

Mandy was taken aback by the whole situation.

“I just am so thankful and full of gratitude that Tom is being honored in this way,” she said. “His love for baseball, but more importantly his players, the friendships that he made through baseball, meant so much to him. I’m just very, very touched by it and thankful.”

“It’s a way to pay it forward, I guess,” Sandman said. “I think that’s a pretty special thing they’re doing for cancer patients.

“I was very, very close with (Tom) and he passed away a couple of years ago and when I went through everything, Mandy actually reached out to me and brought me one of those Warrior Bags. So, I thought that was an uplifting thing to help me get through the tough times. I think it’s pretty awesome what they’re doing, so we want to help them out as much we can.”

“I think it’s just the friendships that meant so much to Tom because of baseball,” Mandy said. “I just know how much it would have meant to Tom for Sandman to have a Warrior Bag.”

Mandy Craze started Warrior Bags in 2018 with Lisa Manns, John Logan and Mary Cunningham after Manns was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

The Home Run Derby, which comes with a $10 entry fee, will take place at 2 p.m. with first pitch of the game scheduled for 5 p.m. A rain date has yet to be determined.

Athletes from Centerburg, Danville, East Knox, Fredericktown, Highland, Mount Vernon and Utica will participate.

The teams were divided up based on need creating interesting matchups.

The Blue team consists of Centerburg’s Joe Tepper; Danville’s Preston Brady, Wyatt Weckesser and Walker Weckesser; East Knox’s Weston Melick; Highland’s Kadin Johnson; Fredericktown’s Ty Hatfield and Caleb Sheriff; Mount Vernon’s Blake Meyer, Owynn Gleason, Caden Rowland and Jonny Askew; and Utica’s Josh Dillon.

The Red team is made up of Centerburg’s Brock Hurtt; Danville’s Bryce Colopy and Darren Mickley; East Knox’s Peyton Lester; Highland’s Wyatt Groves and Randy Cain; Mount Vernon’s Marcus Bradley, Logan Trace and Konner Daughriety; and Utica’s Brock Pfister, Hunter Billman, Collin McCullough and Nolan Bennett.

Sandman reached out to Nate Hunt for help putting the game together. Finding inspiration in Sandman, Hunt had no problem taking the idea and running with it.

“I’ve seen his optimistic tweets and his optimistic messages on Facebook and his team is playing and he’s not there," Hunt said. "He’s there, but he’s not down on the third base side. That’s Michael Sandman’s team, but that’s not Michael Sandman at third base.

“So, I felt for him for the simple fact that I took my job for granted. I have the greatest job in the world. Anyone who coaches high school sports has a really cool opportunity to change the game and change kids’ lives. Michael Sandman is exactly that. He could have said, ‘Let’s set up a ping pong tournament,’ and I would have said, ‘Let’s go.’ You want to go all in for him.”

Hunt contacted MVNU coach Keith Veale for the venue. The event is sponsored by Gompf Funeral Services and Big League Sports and Apparel, though Sandman said there are more sponsorship opportunities for those interested.

“It’s something that I’ve quickly become obsessed with,” Hunt said. “I was up (one) night designing the jerseys – going back to the fun parts of coaching young guys. I’m more fortunate than others because my dad owns a sporting goods store. So, when I told him my idea, he said, ‘Let me donate the jerseys.’ He’s also donating the MVP trophy and the Home Run Derby trophy.

“We have no money. It’s not like we’ve been fundraising for this. So, we have Gompf Funeral Service donating the field fees to play at the Naz.”

Hired to coach Utica in the summer of 2019, Sandman missed his first season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He finally made his debut and notched his first victory on May 1 at Marion Elgin.

There are still open slots for the Home Run Derby with a July 10 deadline to sign up.

For more information, contact Sandman at msandman@northfork.k12.oh.us or Hunt at nhunt@mvcsd.us.

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