Eastern Michigan Athletics
Baseball Alum Anthony Tomey Receives Alumni Achievement Award
9/26/2025 2:22:00 PM | Baseball, General
Former EMU pitcher recognized for excellence off the field
More Information | Watch His Award Video.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics is proud to celebrate former EMU baseball standout Anthony Tomey as a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award. Tomey was honored during the 64th annual Alumni Awards ceremony Friday, Sept. 19, at the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
The Alumni Achievement Award recognizes graduates who have achieved distinction in their careers, demonstrated the value of their EMU education, and maintained a lasting connection to the university. Tomey, who earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2003, excelled on the baseball field before building a successful career in business and community leadership.
Tomey pitched for Eastern Michigan before signing with the Detroit Tigers organization, where he continued his playing career in the minor leagues. After baseball, he returned to Michigan and joined his family's business, The Tomey Group LLC. As CEO, he has overseen significant growth, expanding to 50 Jimmy John's locations and developing several real estate properties across the state.
Beyond his business success, Tomey co-owns 8 Mile Vodka, an internationally award-winning brand, and Born in Detroit, a lifestyle apparel company that partners with Detroit's professional sports teams and major universities. He is also part of the ownership group for the BIG3's Detroit AMPs basketball team and serves as an Ambassador for GameAbove, supporting EMU athletics and academics.
"Anthony represents what it means to be a student-athlete at Eastern," said Scott Wetherbee, EMU Vice President and Director of Athletics. "He brought passion and dedication to our baseball program, and he has carried those same values into his professional career and community work. We are proud to see him recognized with this honor."
Tomey lives in Oakland County with his wife, Rita, and their three sons.
Complete Anthony Tomey Bio
Anthony Tomey, CEO of The Tomey Group, has been running the daily operations and has been a leader in the growth of the company since 2003. The Tomey Group, a family owned and operated business, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, was started by his father in 2003, and is driven by Anthony, along with his siblings. Anthony brought the concept of Jimmy John's to his family, which turned into them opening their first location in Novi. Currently they own and operate 48 locations in Michigan and are in the top 5 for Jimmy John's franchisees in the United States.
Anthony and his brother Michael are co-owners of 8 Mile Vodka. 8 Mile Vodka is an award-winning vodka that has received national and international recognition and most recently was awarded the prestigious Masters medal in the Super Premium flight at the Vodka Masters 2023 in London and a Gold medal for Taste at the Singapore World Spirits Competition 2024. 8 Mile Vodka is carried in several stores like Meijer and Total Wine, area restaurants, hotels, and they are currently working on expanding the product lines. Anthony and his brother Michael as also co-owners of Born in Detroit apparel. The dynamic and rapidly growing lifestyle brand has quickly become a beloved name, celebrated for its distinctive blend of fashion, community spirit, and Detroit pride. Originally launching the brand as an online store, it has had significant expansions which have included apparel lines carried in Meijer stores, a Born in Detroit storefront location in downtown Detroit, a pop-up store location at the Village of Rochester Hills shopping center, and an introduction of a unique restaurant concept, Born In Detroit Kitchen + Bar, which opened at Detroit Metro Airport in June, 2025. Born in Detroit also has the license for official sports team merchandise for the Detroit Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons, along with several colleges including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Oakland University. Born in Detroit recently launched a collaborative apparel line with New Era for SuperBowl LIX featuring an exclusive Born In line for the championship team, the Philadelphia Eagles. They have also developed partnerships with several charitable organizations including legendary Detroit Tiger, Kirk Gibson, and his foundation for Parkinson's and FOX-TV and iHeart Media Detroit's morning show host, Jay Towers and his foundation, Jay's Juniors.
Anthony, along with the Tomey Group, also own and operate several real estate properties throughout Michigan including Fisk Corners Shopping Center in White Lake, Cedar Oaks Lakeside Resort in Houghton Lake and Bull Ventures which include 5 apartment complexes throughout Royal Oak, Shelby Township, Fraser, Grosse Pointe, and St. Clair Shores. Anthony is also an Ambassador for GameAbove, a successful multifaceted brand that encompasses various philanthropic activities, sports, entertainment, investments, and tech ventures. He is also part of the ownership group on several projects within the GameAbove portfolio, including the BIG3 Detroit basketball team, the Detroit AMPS, who played their first season in the summer of 2025. Anthony was also integral in securing the naming title sponsor for the GameAbove Sports Bowl, a post-season college football game featuring teams from the Big Ten and MAC conferences that is televised on ESPN and hosted annually at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan in December.
Anthony is a graduate of Catholic Central High School and Eastern Michigan University, where he played baseball for both schools. He was a pitcher for the minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and chose to leave baseball in 2008 to join the family business full time running the daily operations as the CEO. Anthony and his wife Rita have three sons and live in Oakland County.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics is proud to celebrate former EMU baseball standout Anthony Tomey as a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award. Tomey was honored during the 64th annual Alumni Awards ceremony Friday, Sept. 19, at the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
The Alumni Achievement Award recognizes graduates who have achieved distinction in their careers, demonstrated the value of their EMU education, and maintained a lasting connection to the university. Tomey, who earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2003, excelled on the baseball field before building a successful career in business and community leadership.
Tomey pitched for Eastern Michigan before signing with the Detroit Tigers organization, where he continued his playing career in the minor leagues. After baseball, he returned to Michigan and joined his family's business, The Tomey Group LLC. As CEO, he has overseen significant growth, expanding to 50 Jimmy John's locations and developing several real estate properties across the state.
Beyond his business success, Tomey co-owns 8 Mile Vodka, an internationally award-winning brand, and Born in Detroit, a lifestyle apparel company that partners with Detroit's professional sports teams and major universities. He is also part of the ownership group for the BIG3's Detroit AMPs basketball team and serves as an Ambassador for GameAbove, supporting EMU athletics and academics.
"Anthony represents what it means to be a student-athlete at Eastern," said Scott Wetherbee, EMU Vice President and Director of Athletics. "He brought passion and dedication to our baseball program, and he has carried those same values into his professional career and community work. We are proud to see him recognized with this honor."
Tomey lives in Oakland County with his wife, Rita, and their three sons.
Complete Anthony Tomey Bio
Anthony Tomey, CEO of The Tomey Group, has been running the daily operations and has been a leader in the growth of the company since 2003. The Tomey Group, a family owned and operated business, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, was started by his father in 2003, and is driven by Anthony, along with his siblings. Anthony brought the concept of Jimmy John's to his family, which turned into them opening their first location in Novi. Currently they own and operate 48 locations in Michigan and are in the top 5 for Jimmy John's franchisees in the United States.
Anthony and his brother Michael are co-owners of 8 Mile Vodka. 8 Mile Vodka is an award-winning vodka that has received national and international recognition and most recently was awarded the prestigious Masters medal in the Super Premium flight at the Vodka Masters 2023 in London and a Gold medal for Taste at the Singapore World Spirits Competition 2024. 8 Mile Vodka is carried in several stores like Meijer and Total Wine, area restaurants, hotels, and they are currently working on expanding the product lines. Anthony and his brother Michael as also co-owners of Born in Detroit apparel. The dynamic and rapidly growing lifestyle brand has quickly become a beloved name, celebrated for its distinctive blend of fashion, community spirit, and Detroit pride. Originally launching the brand as an online store, it has had significant expansions which have included apparel lines carried in Meijer stores, a Born in Detroit storefront location in downtown Detroit, a pop-up store location at the Village of Rochester Hills shopping center, and an introduction of a unique restaurant concept, Born In Detroit Kitchen + Bar, which opened at Detroit Metro Airport in June, 2025. Born in Detroit also has the license for official sports team merchandise for the Detroit Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons, along with several colleges including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Oakland University. Born in Detroit recently launched a collaborative apparel line with New Era for SuperBowl LIX featuring an exclusive Born In line for the championship team, the Philadelphia Eagles. They have also developed partnerships with several charitable organizations including legendary Detroit Tiger, Kirk Gibson, and his foundation for Parkinson's and FOX-TV and iHeart Media Detroit's morning show host, Jay Towers and his foundation, Jay's Juniors.
Anthony, along with the Tomey Group, also own and operate several real estate properties throughout Michigan including Fisk Corners Shopping Center in White Lake, Cedar Oaks Lakeside Resort in Houghton Lake and Bull Ventures which include 5 apartment complexes throughout Royal Oak, Shelby Township, Fraser, Grosse Pointe, and St. Clair Shores. Anthony is also an Ambassador for GameAbove, a successful multifaceted brand that encompasses various philanthropic activities, sports, entertainment, investments, and tech ventures. He is also part of the ownership group on several projects within the GameAbove portfolio, including the BIG3 Detroit basketball team, the Detroit AMPS, who played their first season in the summer of 2025. Anthony was also integral in securing the naming title sponsor for the GameAbove Sports Bowl, a post-season college football game featuring teams from the Big Ten and MAC conferences that is televised on ESPN and hosted annually at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan in December.
Anthony is a graduate of Catholic Central High School and Eastern Michigan University, where he played baseball for both schools. He was a pitcher for the minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and chose to leave baseball in 2008 to join the family business full time running the daily operations as the CEO. Anthony and his wife Rita have three sons and live in Oakland County.
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