NBC4's Jerod Smalley, hangin' tough at Huntington Park with New Kids On The Block

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Organizers of Dave & Jimmy's Celebrity Softball Classic agreed that NBC4 Anchor Jerod Smalley had the right stuff as he was asked to play alongside New Kids On The Block, Ohio State Buckeyes and other celebrities at Huntington Park on Thursday.

The annual Celebrity Softball Classic goes beyond just a night of softball — its mission is to make a difference. This year, 100% of the proceeds from the event benefited The Kids Mental Health Foundation, an initiative by Nationwide Children's Hospital as part of their On Our Sleeves campaign, according to WNCI's website.

This Thursday marked Smalley's return to the fundraising game. In 2022 he stepped up to the plate with members of '90s boyband Backstreet Boys. Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean joined Smalley in the diamond. Littrell even took a moment to share some celebrity coaching advice telling Smalley to "stay poised, stay relaxed, because there’s a lot of stuff going on.”

Fundraising partners for this event included Ardent/DRK & Co Realty, Dr Pepper, Ohio Mulch and Germain Honda of Dublin.