By Kathy Chouteau
A baseball tournament is being organized in honor of Tyler Dickson, a promising 20-year-old athlete and San Pablo resident who was murdered last summer at an Oroville campground.
“The First Inaugural Tyler Dickson’s Memorial Day Baseball Tournament,” organized by Dickson’s godfather and San Pablo Baseball Association President Andre Williams, is slated for May 28-30 at Davis Park, 1661 Folsom Ave. in San Pablo. The tournament is for young baseball players in two age groups: the Midget Division (4U), for three-four year-olds; and the Instructional (6U) for five-six year olds, per Williams, and it’s open to teams from any area wanting to participate.
Williams, who introduced Dickson to sports at a young age, said he wanted to establish the tournament in his honor as a way to “keep his legacy alive.” He remembered his godson—who through the years played baseball, basketball and football as the star quarterback at El Cerrito High—as a “gentle giant” who was 6’2” and 220 lbs. but also a mild-mannered, straight A student. At the time of his death, Dickson had earned a football scholarship to Western Colorado University; his dream, per Williams, was to someday play in the NFL.
He “would have come back and would have had so much for this community,” said Williams. He believes that Dickson’s success as an athlete and student, and as a “great kid” who hung around with the right crowd, stands as a good example to young athletes like those participating in the tournament.
As of this writing, Dickson’s murder remains unsolved. As the Standard previously reported, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office responded at 5 a.m. Sat., July 3, 2021 to a report regarding an injured person at the Bidwell Marina Campground and found Tyler Dickson inside a tent. It was later determined that he had been murdered.
According to Williams, his godson had been shot inside the tent while he was camping with his girlfriend. Anyone with information about the murder case is encouraged to call Butte County Sheriff’s Office detectives at 530-538-7671.
Teams interested in signing up for the baseball tournament honoring Dickson’s legacy should contact Andre Williams at (510) 978-6876.
Participating teams will pay a $100 deposit by April 15, with the total fee of $300 due May 5, said Williams. First and second place trophies will be awarded at the tournament and a full Snack Bar will be available. The tournament is being held in May since that’s when Dickson celebrated his birthday (May 9).
