 The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission hosted a Big East/Big Ten Baseball Challenge in February 2009 that brought Big Ten and Big East teams to play a tournament in the area.Jack Russell Stadium was one of five local ballparks hosting Challenge games.In 2017 and 2018, the City of Clearwater invested $500,000 and partnered with the Clearwater High School Batter Up Booster Club, the Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Clearwater for Youth, the Pinellas County School District, Clearwater High School and St. Petersburg College to add an additional clubhouse, a second set of batting cages, seating for 1,200, and installed turf, formerly used in Tropicana Field from 2011 to 2016 by the Tampa Bay Rays, on the training field.