Anthony and Kim DeMaria gift $350k to DSU

January 30, 2026

Longtime baseball supporters, Anthony and Kim DeMaria, will impact Trojan baseball players for years to come with their recent $350,000 gift to the Dakota State University Foundation.

Their transformational gift will complete a brand-new baseball locker room within the recently constructed Beacom PREMIER Complex. The space will be named the DeMaria Family Baseball Locker Room in honor of the family and their gift.

The locker room will feature brand new lockers designed to enhance comfort, functionality, and team culture for the Trojan Baseball Team.

The DeMarias are longtime residents of the Fresno, California area who are dedicated to building community development through athletics. Their son, Cameron, is a graduate student and first baseman on the Dakota State University Baseball Team.

Anthony, who has attended almost all of the DSU baseball games to watch his son Cameron play over the past two years, has enjoyed getting to know the other players and families involved with Trojan Baseball. This, in addition to Cameron's positive experience, helped further inspire the DeMaria Family Baseball Locker Room.

Senior Director of Philanthropy Jill Ruhd shared her appreciation for the family, stating, "I have truly enjoyed getting to know the DeMaria family. They are wonderful people who represent the very best of those who believe in Dakota State University. We are deeply grateful for this gift, which will help strengthen our baseball program and enhance the experience for our student-athletes."

Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Foundation CEO Mike McKelvey added, "The Beacom PREMIER Complex reflects a shared commitment to the mission and vision set forth by President Griffiths. The DeMaria family's generosity represents an important first step toward the future of a dedicated baseball facility, and we are sincerely thankful for their dedication to Dakota State University and our student-athletes."

Their recent commitment to athletics and student development builds on their ongoing, significant support for baseball programs from youth to minor leagues in Central California.

In addition to Cameron, the DeMaria family has two older sons, Alec and Blake. While Anthony was an athlete, swimming at UC Davis while he earned his undergraduate degree, it was Alec who inspired the family's involvement in and love of baseball.

"My oldest son, Alec, really got into baseball at a very young age, three or four years old, and his brothers, Blake and Cameron, just followed him," Anthony said. "The biggest part of my life for the past 26 years has been watching them play or coach baseball."

With involvement from youth leagues all the way through minor leagues, Anthony sees how crucial sports are to developing young people, instilling the importance of teamwork, discipline, competition, and socialization.

For 10 years, Anthony served as president of the area's youth league, later joining the ownership board of advisors for the Fresno Grizzlies, which is a minor league organization affiliated with the Colorado Rockies.

Additionally, Anthony established a summer college baseball team, the Fresno A's. The team plays in Chukchansi Park, the 12,000-seat Fresno Grizzlies facility, completing a 44-game schedule throughout the summer. College players from around the country are referred by their coaches to the program, which also houses them for the duration of the summer. Last year, three DSU players were a part of the team. This year, two DSU players will be a part of the team.

Anthony has enjoyed watching players from all over with different backgrounds come together to play as a team.

"I think it's really special," Anthony said. "I want to support that."

As he's gotten to know Cameron's teammates, he sees this locker room as a way to leave behind not just a legacy, but a stamp of approval for Trojan Baseball.

Anthony is a lawyer practicing civil defense work; he owns the DeMaria Law Firm. Kim volunteers with various non-profits and works with emerging authors. All three sons played college baseball. Alec serves as the Head Baseball Coach at Valley City State University. Blake is now an Army Officer Candidate.

Dakota State University extends its sincere gratitude to Anthony and Kim DeMaria for their remarkable support and continued belief in the future of Trojan Athletics.

Tags: Athletics Alumni Student Life All News