HAMMOND — Two years after tragedy struck, the Easterling family is turning grief into purpose—using the game their son loved most to make sure his name and spirit are never forgotten.
The second annual Caleb Easterling Memorial Scholarship Baseball Tournament is set for October 11–12 at Hammond America Park in Hammond, Louisiana. The event raises money for the Play Like Caleb Memorial Scholarship, a $1,800 award given each year to a Central High School baseball player. The number honors Caleb’s jersey—18—worn proudly during his years on the field.
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Caleb, a 19-year-old college baseball prospect, was killed in July 2023 when an impaired driver struck him head-on as he drove home to Central after a day’s work cutting grass. He had been preparing for a Zoom meeting with William Woods University in Missouri, where he was set to play baseball that fall.
“He had no worries in the world. He was on the right path. He was making good decisions. He was just a genuinely good kid,” his mother, Becky Easterling, shared in an earlier interview. “His presence is missed every single day.”
For Becky, creating the scholarship and tournament was the most fitting tribute.
“So we started the tournament as a way to raise money for the Play Like Caleb Memorial Scholarship,” she explained. “That scholarship goes every year to a Central High baseball player, and it’s $1,800 because he was number 18. What better way to raise money than to have his favorite thing and all of his favorite people, which is a baseball tournament.”
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Last year’s inaugural event drew 40 teams, and while 17 are already registered for this year, Becky hopes more will sign up before October.
The tournament also features raffles with big-ticket prizes, including a Blackstone grill, a fishing trip, an inflatable rental, and a Marucci bat and glove set. All drawings will take place live at the ballpark on October 12.
But behind the logistics and planning lies a deeper mission—ensuring Caleb’s life is remembered.
“I laugh about it all the time with my husband, because I would say, you know, he’s probably like, ‘Mom, y’all are doing too much.’ But I know he would absolutely love the baseball tournament part because that was his favorite thing since he was four years old,” Easterling said. “He thrived at a baseball field. That was his place. Those were his people.”
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Even with the success of the first year, Easterling admits running the foundation is not always easy.
“Sometimes I keep going. Sometimes I want to throw it in the garbage and say I can’t do it,” she said. “It’s hard to keep it going when you have a bad day or when you can’t get any more donations. There are so many foundations out there. We weren’t knowledgeable—we’ve just learned from the ground up and hope we can keep it going.”
Still, she knows why she pushes forward.
“I think a parent’s worst fear when something like this happens is your kid being forgotten,” Easterling said. “By doing this—keeping his name out there with bracelets, stickers, his sayings, his little mannerisms—that’s our goal, to make sure people don’t forget him.”
The family’s long-term goal is to expand the scholarship beyond baseball to help other Central High athletes, including softball players. But no matter how much it grows, the heart of the mission will remain the same: honoring Caleb.
“As long as I’m alive, as long as my husband’s alive, my daughter, her kids—we will keep his name alive,” she said passionately.
REGISTER HERE: Caleb Easterling Memorial Tournament in Hammond, LA
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