Cleveland Family Lends Support To PDC

The Cleveland family stepped up to the plate in a big way for the Central Michigan baseball program.

It was a leadership gift by the family that led to the construction in 2017 of the state-of-the-art Performance Development Center, which has paid major dividends for the program. The facility has been named the Cleveland Family Performance Development Center in their honor.

"The Cleveland family – Todd, Missy, Blake and Tanner – have been an integral part of the Chippewa athletic family since Blake arrived on campus in 2015," said Zyzelewski Family Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Michael Alford. "The family's vision, commitment and passion for our student-athletes has had a tremendous impact on our baseball program. We are honored to have their family name on this facility and to have it associated with the rich tradition and history that is Central Michigan Baseball."

Blake, the oldest of Todd and Missy's two sons, was a senior on that Chippewa team that won the 2019 Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament championships and went to the NCAA Tournament, the first Chippewa baseball team to do so since 1995.

The PDC was a project near and dear to the Cleveland family, who hail from Nappanee, Ind. For the entire family, athletics has been a major aspect of their lives.

"Having a sports background and understanding the dedication and commitment required, all the things you have to balance to be a student-athlete at CMU or any school for that matter, we felt really moved to try and not only help the team that Blake played with, but hoped to positively impact the Chippewa baseball program for many years to come," said Todd Cleveland, who played football at DePauw University. "When we were asked to play a lead role in this visionary project, it was really easy for us to be part of the donors who got behind it."

The 7,170 square-foot facility opened in 2017. It features four bays, two of which include pitcher's mounds and the floor is covered, wall to wall, with artificial turf.

The Cleveland Family PDC connects to the CMU baseball team clubhouse and its southern doors open to within a few short steps of Keilitz Field, midway between the Chippewa dugout and bullpen.

The proximity and the accessibility of the facility have been key ingredients to individual and team success, said Blake Cleveland, who earned his CMU degree last spring with a major in management and a minor in sales.

"The biggest thing was accessibility," said Blake, who is now working in sales for Forest River RV in Goshen, Ind., adding that the facility was not just a practical blessing, but one that helped in several other tangible ways. "Having the ability to create live situations, whether on the mound or in the box, gave us an edge.

"The PDC gave everyone the chance to get in extra workouts. It was these moments that brought us closer and helped to create life-time relationships. We were very fortunate to have the PDC. Having a state of the art facility allowed everyone to take their game to the next level."

Missy Cleveland, who was a three-sport athlete in high school, recognizes and embraces the far-reaching impact of athletics. She and Todd raised their sons with sports playing a major role.

"All of our lives we've loved sports, the boys have loved sports," she said. "We are firm believers that it teaches you so much about life. Being a part of a team is a special honor and it shows you that we all have a role and when we all buy-in and do our part, the results can be amazing.

"God has blessed our family greatly and we wanted to find a way to be able give back to a place that has provided us with so much joy and lifelong memories."

By lending their name and support to the facility, the Cleveland family has cemented their commitment in the hopes that Blake's former teammates, and generations of Chippewas to come, can realize their potential.

"It was something we thought we could do to help the guys," she said. "You feel like all the young men out there are your sons; you cheer for them, you want the best for them, and you want the program to succeed. You're happy when they're happy."

The PDC, Todd and Missy agree, is a tool to be utilized by the Chippewa players along with head coach Jordan Bischel and his staff.

"A facility like this without an athlete who's willing to put in the time, effort, and dedication into sharpening their craft is basically worthless," Todd said. "The combination of the baseball players and the work ethic that they all seem to possess at Central Michigan, to have that coupled with the PDC, it had to be a plus."

Bischel, the 2019 MAC Coach of the Year, saw first-hand last season the immediate benefits of having such a facility as a major component of the program.

"First and foremost, the Cleveland family stands for all of the right things," Bischel said. "They are truly a class act. Generous is not a strong enough word to characterize the support they have provided our program.

"We utilize the PDC on a daily basis. Without it, it would be nearly impossible to have success playing quality warm-weather opponents early in the season. I just can't say enough about what the Cleveland family means to our program."

Central Michigan University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Blake Cleveland

Related Videos