Evan Chambers baseball camp open for registration

After two years off due to COVID-19, the Evan Michael Chambers L.O.V.E. Foundation and Evan Michaels Chambers Youth Baseball and Softball League are gearing up for their fifth annual baseball clinic.

Dedicated to former Lakeland baseball player turned minor league player Evan Chambers, who died at a young age from a heart condition, the clinic is for boys and girls ages 5-12 on Feb. 4 at the Curtis Peterson Park in Lakeland. Those who are interested can register on lakelandcitybaseball.com by Feb. 2. Parents and/or guardians must be present and onsite at the event to register players.

“Our main objective of the Evan Michael Chambers LOVE Foundation is to continue supporting youth baseball in Polk County and to make it more accessible to traditionally underserved communities,”’ Denise Chambers, the mother of Evan Chambers, said. “Evan loved Lakeland, loved baseball and Evan loved his friends who are supporting his foundation.”

Several Polk County baseball players are set to be featured at the camp.

Professional players that played with and against Chambers in high school who will be in attendance are: Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox), Keon Broxton (former player of the Pirates, Brewers, Mets, Orioles, Mariners), 2019 World Series MVP Steve Pearce (former player of the Rays), and Drew Hutchinson ( former player of Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Pirates, Blue Jays), all Lakeland grads, and Lake Region grad Ronnie Richardson (Rays minor league system).

The camp coordinator this year, Paul Wilson of Polk Speed, also played baseball with Chambers for years, while the camp medical director is Sal Montenegro, a doctor of Watson Clinic Orthopedic Department.

The camp will also have one of Chambers' high school coaches, Mike Campbell.

Chambers started and lettered all four years as a Dreadnaught in the outfield before being recruited to the University of Florida. He then transferred to Hillsborough Community college before being drafted in the third round by the Pirates in 2009.

He died at the age of 24 due to an undetected cardiac condition.

In 2014, the Bradenton Marauders retired Chambers’ number (53), which is displayed on the right field boardwalk at LECOM Park in Bradenton.

Chambers was inducted into the Florida State Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2017.

Contact Denise Chambers at 863-670-0387 for more information on the camp.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Evans Chambers baseball camp around corner