Henry Ford College Baseball Player Earns School's First Big Ten Scholarship

DEARBORN, MI — A Henry Ford College baseball player became the school's first player ever to earn an athletic scholarship to a Big Ten University.

Ricky Kidd, a right-handed pitcher for the Henry Ford College Hawks, plans to continue his education and baseball career at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

"It truly is a dream come true to be able to play the sport I love most at my dream school," Kidd said. "I couldn’t have done this without the support of my family as well as my teammates and coaches at HFC who continue to push me to become the best pitcher I can be."

Michigan Wolverines Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Ben Greenspan looks forward to Kidd joining the team.

"We are very excited about what Ricky brings to the Michigan baseball program," Greenspan said. "He is a high-level student-athlete. We are optimistic Ricky will come in right away and contribute on and off the field."

Kidd is also a Major League Baseball draft prospect for the Texas Rangers, whom he recently completed a workout for. He will find out if he made the cut by Tuesday, July 11, which is the MLB draft end date. If he is drafted by the Rangers, he will delay his attendance at the University of Michigan.

"My ultimate career goal is to get drafted and play professionally, but if that doesn’t work out, I would like to be part of the financial side of sports and work in the front office of a professional team," Kidd said. "Baseball is my primary passion in life. I am a student of the game, constantly seeking to understand every detail, especially when it comes to my craft – pitching! I want to love what I do and do what I love – baseball!"

If Kidd attends the University of Michigan, he plans to study finance.

"I always admired my father, a hard-working businessman," Kidd said. "I became interested and would ask him questions about business. I became more and more interested in the field of finance. HFC has helped me achieve many great things academically. I’ve learned to be proud of the work I do, as well as learn how to manage my time well with being a student-athlete."

Kidd, a graduate from Trenton High School in 2021, is the oldest of three children and has been playing baseball since he was 3-years-old. By the time he was 6-years-old, he began playing on Little League teams.

"I’ve always had a glove on my hand and been throwing a baseball since I’ve been able to walk," Kidd said.