Paschal alum Drew Medford died in a one-car accident in August 2016, about one week before he was to begin his time at TCU, where he was scheduled to pitch for the baseball team. The Drew Medford Memorial Baseball Tournament began in 2017, and the annual event is this week in Fort Worth.
Photo provided by Nancy Medford
On Saturday, hundreds of Fort Worth-area baseball fans will head to the bleachers at Paschal High School for the conclusion of the 10th annual Drew Medford Memorial Tournament.
Spectators will witness a rivalry dating back more than a century when the Panthers take on Arlington Heights. They’ll also see the continuation of a legacy that has become ingrained in Fort Worth-area baseball.
The tournament was created to honor the life of Drew Medford, 18, who died in a car crash in August 2016.
Drew Medford delivers a pitch in a game against Weatherford on July 12, 2016. Rodger Mallison rmallison@star-telegram.com
The teenagers playing in the tournament won’t have a personal connection to him. But from seeing a photo or hearing a story, they’ll understand his legacy — one that has been shared with thousands through a tournament that had humble beginnings.
Creating the Drew Medford Memorial Tournament
Medford was a district MVP and an all-state player at Paschal. He was beginning his collegiate career at TCU when he died.
Even through pain, family and friends acted swiftly to honor his name.
Drew’s siblings came up with the idea, and with community support, the DMMT was born from an existing Heights-Paschal tournament.
“Coaches were happy for us to get involved,” said Adrienne Grant, Drew’s sister and current tournament manager.
“From there, we realized we could fundraise and make it something bigger.”
Arlington Heights pitcher Marco Solis works in the first inning during the Drew Medford Memorial Tournament on March 12, 2022, at Paschal High School. Paschal defeated Arlington Heights 7-4. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
The tournament’s original board was a ragtag group of 10 family members and friends who helped deliver yard signs, knocked on doors to ask for donations and spread the word. In the inaugural competition, there were six teams.
“Initially, it was hard as a mom grieving the loss of a child,” said Nancy Medford, Drew’s mother. “And people getting all excited about it, saying ‘Yay, here’s the tournament!’
“And I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. It’s hard.’ But over the years, you learn to live with grief.”
Drew Medfords’s family, including brother Michael Medford, dad David, mom Nancy and sisters Adrienne Grant and Julia Medford, poses before a game in the Drew Medford Memorial Tournament on March 12, 2022, at Paschal High School. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
One of the goals of the tournament is to encourage kids that you can make an impact with character, regardless of results on the field, Grant said.
“We want future leaders to feel honored for the legacy that they’re leaving with their team,” Grant said.
Arlington Heights players watch the action during the fifth annual Drew Medford Memorial Tournament on March 13, 2021, at Arlington Heights High School. Paschal defeated Arlington Heights 3-1 in the final game of the tournament. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
Scholarships are awarded at the tournament, and there are three main criteria: a drive to succeed; humility and empathy for others; and leadership within baseball.
“Those are the things that I want people to know about Drew,” Nancy said.
And although those off-the-field qualities are prioritized, the tournament still aims to bring together elite competition to celebrate the game Drew loved at a high level.
“He was more than a baseball player, although you’d be hard-pressed to find out what more he was because he ate and drank and slept baseball,” Nancy said.
Growing the Drew Medford Memorial Tournament
Nancy Medford said she originally thought the tournament would be a one-time thing.
Now, it has awarded $218,000 in scholarships and will reach $247,000 this year.
“It’s really, really cool to see the community get behind it,” Paschal head coach Clint Dunham said. “And all the people that were his friends and family members, and close family friends, support it as well. It’s just really unique to the community and to Fort Worth.”
Paschal pitcher Nico Vasquez (34) celebrates with teammates after closing out a win over Arlington Heights during the Drew Medford Memorial Tournament on March 12, 2022, at Paschal. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
To this day, the Heights-Paschal game closes the tournament, which ties back to its roots before it was renamed. It continues to celebrate a local Fort Worth ISD rivalry that is arguably the biggest in the city.
And ahead of that game, one senior from a record-tying 29 baseball teams will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Over 20 Fort Worth-area teams are involved, with representation from towns like Aledo, Arlington, North Richland Hills and Mansfield.
“There’s so much crossover in those communities, and it’s fun to get everyone together,” Grant said.
Mansfield Legacy left fielder Hayden Guerin (17) is welcomed back to the dugout after scoring during the fifth annual Drew Medford Memorial Tournament on March 12, 2021, at Legacy. Legacy defeated Arlington Martin 5-0. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
The tournament has grown beyond Dallas-Fort Worth, stretching to West Texas and even out-of-state teams like Greenbrier (Arkansas) and Mandeville (Louisiana).
Nolan Catholic, Country Day, Prestonwood and Trinity Valley bring together public and private schools.
“We still have a wait list,” Grant said. “We kind of take on what we think we can handle. It’ll continue to grow, and it really was the coaches’ support that helped it get off the ground.”
There are now 172 recipients and counting who carry on Drew’s legacy.
Coaches, family and the 24 players who received a scholarship pose for a photo before the Drew Medford Memorial Tournament on March 12, 2022, at Paschal High School. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
“I don’t think any of us realized it was going to take off like this,” Nancy Medford said. “And it means the absolute world to my family, to my husband and me, to be able to enjoy keeping our son’s name out in the public arena.”
Bringing the community together
The tournament will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday with an annual welcome dinner at Paschal High School. Hundreds of baseball players will come together for a meal, including many who know each other from local travel ball.
Chicken Express, a sponsor since the tournament’s first year, will provide the dinner. It’s an example of the community loyalty that has sustained the DMMT for a decade. Trinity Bank returns as presenting sponsor, with Vaquero, Frost Bank and Jason’s Deli and more among the supporting partners.
“I think the secret [to longevity] is the community support,” Grant said.
There will also be three high-profile guest speakers who played baseball at TCU and went on to professional careers: Bryan Holaday, Chad Huffman and Jantzen Witte.
Texas Rangers catcher Bryan Holaday hits a single against the Houston Astros in the second inning April 21, 2016, in Arlington. Richard W. Rodriguez rrodriguez@star-telegram.com
And the next day, the players will start the first of 66 games at seven sites (Paschal, Arlington Heights, Aledo, Birdville, Boswell, Country Day and South Grand Prairie).
A connection through generations
Grant’s daughter, Grayson Grant, is a senior at Paschal, and she helps grow the tournament. She started her own division of the board this year with fellow Paschal students, naming it the Youth Impact Leadership Council.
Grayson Grant (middle) wears a Drew Medford shirt at North Texas Giving Day. Grant Family Courtesy to the Star-Telegram
Their goal is to raise 1,000 $10 donations in honor of the tournament’s 10th anniversary. They also help drive T-shirt sales on campus.
And when Grayson graduates, her brother Cape will start at Paschal as a freshman.
Cape, who had his first day of kindergarten the day of Drew’s funeral, has been throwing out the first pitch of the tournament’s last game.
Cape Grant wears Drew Medford’s Paschal baseball hat as he prepares to throw the first pitch ahead of the final game of the Drew Medford Memorial Tournament. Grant Family Courtesy to the Star-Telegram
And every year, he keeps wearing his uncle Drew’s old Paschal baseball hat, which keeps getting a bit tighter.
“For him to now have a hand in it, as he enters high school, is just incredible, and I know that it’ll just keep getting passed down,” Adrienne Grant said.
Celebrating the next generation of leaders
Ben Ayala was a friend of Drew’s and was Paschal’s first scholarship recipient in the inaugural Drew Medford tournament in 2017.
“I didn’t understand the severity of it and how it would impact my life, but it definitely made me work a lot harder in college,” Ayala said. “And it also made me work a lot harder playing baseball in college. At the end of the day, I just wanted to be like Drew.”
Almost a decade later, none of the athletes knew Drew as well as Ayala. But they’ve seen the Drew Medford signs around Fort Worth, and the pictures around Paschal.
“They know he’s that redheaded competitive baseball player who had a really dirty uniform,” Dunham said. “Every year when the tournament comes around, we get to reemphasize all those important character traits that Drew had that we try to identify in each scholarship recipient.”
One of those recipients was Arlington Heights class of 2025 graduate Scooter New. He resembles Drew with curly red hair and now plays at Dallas College Mountain View.
“I saw him from across the room, and I was taken aback,” Nancy said. “He had so many similarities to Drew in physical appearances. … But he’s just a really genuine kid. Just exhibits great manners, just a young man of integrity, and easy to talk to.”
Whether it’s leadership qualities, humility or empathy, all scholarship recipients resemble Drew in one way or another.
“Any chance you have to see a glimpse of somebody who resembles [Drew] — oh my goodness, it’s wonderful,” Nancy said. “That’s such an exciting thing to me.”
This story was originally published March 2, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Charles Baggarly is a high school sports editor and reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He graduated from TCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and served as TCU 360’s sports editor. Connect with Charles on Twitter or via email.