Fatigue...Hey It's The Dog Days of Summer

Dana Cavalea: Performance Training for Baseball

Well its the summer , and even more than the summer, for the baseball community its is the Dog Days of Summer. The weather is hot, there have been a lot of games played, and hopefully a lot of training done! With that being said, its time to say it; you have to adjust and cut back your training. By this we mean not to STOP TRAINING, but to REDUCE YOUR VOLUME. When we say cut back though, this doesn't mean to stop lifting heavy, and increase your reps, it actually means the opposite. Stop lifting light, and decrease your reps. Typical August rep ranges would look similar to 4-6 reps, and 1-2 sets.
So, cut back, and enjoy the game!

For more from Dana please check out his blog.


Dana Cavalea and Major League Strength serve as baseball performance strength and conditioning consultants for all Baseball Factory events. Dana currently serves as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the New York Yankees. He has also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Dana founded Major League Strength, a company that works to provide athletes with first class professional training and a dynamic program designed to elicit positive results in all aspects of Human Movement and Sports Performance. Dana is certified by the CSCS, NASM-PES and the USAW.

10 College Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid, Part 3

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

As I’ve written in my last two entries, there are plenty of ways for players to limit their college options. I’d like to close out this discussion with four final points:

#7) Not Understanding the Scholarship Process

The first thing to understand is that there are not many college baseball scholarships to go around. For example, a fully funded Division I program has 11.7 scholarships to award players on their team. This doesn’t mean 11.7 scholarships for the incoming recruits, but rather 11.7 scholarships to spread out between a maximum of 27 players on the team, from freshman to seniors. Most schools are not fully funded, so most programs will have less than the maximum amount of scholarships.

Because of these limitations, coaches have to be very efficient with their scholarships. They will spread out scholarships to players in their program such that, for example, one recruit is given a 33% scholarship and another player is given a 67% scholarship. Therefore, don’t expect to receive a scholarship, because they are rare. And if you are offered a scholarship, don’t expect it to be a “full” scholarship!

If you do receive a scholarship, keep in mind the scholarships are year-to-year. They are reviewed annually by the coaching staff and can be adjusted. You may be given a 33% scholarship your freshman year and a 40% scholarship your sophomore year. However, coaches can also reduce a scholarship or remove it completely.

#8) Relying on Your High School or Summer Coach to Find You a College

While there are numerous high school and summer coaches across the country that go the extra mile to help their players compete at the college level, it is important that you do not rely entirely on this source. It is rare that a high school or summer coach can pick up the phone and have direct contact with college programs across the country. In addition, keep in mind that a high school coach’s main job is likely as a full time teacher, and most all summer coaches have a full time job. While they may have good intentions, your college search may not be high on their priority list.

It is important that you take advantage of all of your resources. Use your high school or college coach as a reference throughout the process, but it is best to leave the true college search to the professionals. Also, make sure that you take the initiative throughout the process.

#9) Visiting Colleges That Aren’t a Realistic Athletic and/or Academic Fit

Lots of money and time can be wasted traveling around the country to look at the wrong schools. You need to be honest with yourself from both an academic and athletic standpoint. Concentrate your time, energy and money visiting schools that are academically and athletically realistic based on your ability. Do research to find out more information on each college’s academic requirements, and the level of competition on the baseball team. If you need help finding out schools that would be a good college fit, contact a Player Development Coordinator at Baseball Factory after your tryout is completed and our scouts have evaluated your skills.

#10) Letting Your Parents Do the Talking When a College Coach Asks you’re a Question

College coaches are recruiting YOU, not your parents. Thus, it is important that you are the one communicating with them throughout the college recruiting process. When you meet with coaches, you should be asking and answering questions. It is OK for your parents to participate in the discussion, but you should be taking the lead. It is important that YOU pick up the phone and call coaches- they want to hear from players and professionals in the baseball industry, NOT parents.

So, what to take away from all of this? Players that learn to take the initiative and keep an open mind in the college recruiting process will find themselves with better options, regardless of academic or athletic ability. There are many different ways for you to take your recruitment into your own hands on the field, in the classroom and in front of your computer. Be careful to avoid these common recruiting mistakes, and you will be able to find that perfect fit athletically, academically and socially!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Notes from Wrigley

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

I spent this past weekend at the Under Armour All-America Game, powered by Baseball Factory. With Wrigley Field serving as the historic ballpark for this inaugural event, it was an amazing setting to showcase The New Prototypes of baseball.

A few highlights from the event:

When Steve Bernhardt, the Executive VP of Baseball Operations for Baseball Factory, introduced the players at the welcome dinner on Friday night and read their bios, it was clear that the talent at the Under Armour All-America Game would surpass all other major summer events. The welcome dinner took place in the Wrigley Field Stadium Club.

The magnitude of the event really hit home when the players and their families were led on a tour of Wrigley Field, including the dugout, bleachers and press box.

The players got a true feel for Chicago on Saturday as they toured the city on a speedboat that took them out on the lake and up the river.

Holy Cow! Dinner on Saturday night led the players to Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse. The players met with Phil Nevin and Clay Matvick, the ESPNU broadcasters for Sunday’s game.

Close to 2,500 fans were in attendance on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

Jayce Boyd (Cantonment, FL) edged out Josh Elander (Round Rock, TX) in the Home Run Derby, presented by Mattingly Baseball. Elander hit eight home runs during the first round and Boyd thrilled the crowd by hitting four homeruns out onto Waveland Avenue.

Elander was the top prospect at the 2008 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament that took place in Arizona this January. Boyd was the top prospect at the Under Armour Showcases – Team One South in Atlanta, Georgia, this summer.

Chicago was also host to the Air & Water Show this past weekend. As such, the game was witness to various fly bys including the famous Blue Angels.

Legendary Chicago Cub player and broadcaster, Ron Santo, spoke to the players before the game and threw out the honorary first pitch.

Former Chicago Cub players Bill Matlock and Doug Glanville were in opposing dugouts as coaches for the game. Matlock later led the crowd in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch.

David Renfroe, a standout player at the 2007 Under Armour Southeast Tournament, won MVP honors for the Team One squad. He struck out five batters in two innings of work and hit a towering homerun during his only at bat of the game. The RHP/SS is verbally committed to the University of Mississippi.

Mychal Givens, a participant at both the 2007 & 2008 Under Armour Southeast Tournaments, won MVP honors for the Baseball Factory team. He pitched a scoreless inning, hitting 96 MPH on the radar gun, and also went 2-3 with three runs batted in.

Baseball Factory held on to win by the score of 5-4, taking the inaugural Under Armour All-America Game over Team One.

Between the organ playing in the background, the ivy on the walls, the balls landing out on Waveland, and the amazing high school talent displayed at Wrigley Field, this event will be one these players, coaches, and fans will not soon forget. I know that this is a memory that will last me a lifetime, and hopefully a launching point for these players as they continue on their path to college baseball and beyond.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Gaining Perspective on What Really is Important

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

A colleague of mine at Baseball Factory, Ryan Smith, and his wife Katrina are in the midst of a struggle that can rock you to your core. Ryan is a part time scout for Baseball Factory and helps to run/operate/scout numerous events for us across the country. He does a fantastic job and is a huge asset to our organization. Ryan and Katrina had been expecting twins (their first two children) towards the end of July. As a parent myself of two girls, I understand completely the joy these two must have been feeling. What started out as the happiest time in their lives slowly has turned into a scary nightmare.

At only 27 weeks, the twins were birthed through an emergency C-section due to problems in utero. On July 23, Ryan and Katrina gave birth to Gianna and Graden (boy/girl fraternal twins). Based upon the complications, after delivery, Ryan and Katrina knew that Gianna and Graden would be in a fight for their lives in the intensive care unit. Both babies were born quite pre-mature and weighed only 2 to 2.5 lbs.

The next few days were overwhelming for the Smith’s and turned into every parent’s worst fear. Three days after birth, Graden passed away due to severe lung deficiencies. He was only on earth for a few days but will be remembered for a lifetime. Gianna is presently still in a struggle for her life as she has been rushed to a specialist unit in Pittsburgh for a collapsed lung. She is currently on steroid treatments and appears to be making good progress. The situation is still quite fragile.

For all you parents out there reading this, I hope this unfortunate situation helps you to gain perspective on what is really important in life. As parents we run so hard every day and place an excessive amount of importance on things that really are quite trivial. How many at-bats did my son get at the last tournament, why didn’t he get a chance to play more innings at Short Stop, why aren’t more schools recruiting my son? The list can go on and on. The truth is that your child’s well being and health are the most important things in the world, and the gift of raising a healthy child should be celebrated every day. We shouldn’t have to wait for a tragedy to recognize this miracle.

I continue to pray every day for Gianna (and Ryan and Katrina). I hope you will join me in my positive thoughts and prayers for this family. This family needs our support!

If anyone is interested in contributing to a cause to support the Smith family and to honor Graden Smith, we will be releasing information on how you can contribute in the near future.

Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

10 College Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid, Part 2

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Last week, I started a discussion on common mistakes that players and parents make in the college recruiting process. All of these “pitfalls” can lead to a major limitation of your opportunities come decision time, and should be avoided at all costs. I’d like to continue that discussion in this week’s entry.

#4) Never Getting a Professional Edited Video and Evaluation

As I mentioned in last week’s entry, college coaches are not able to get out to many games, tournaments or showcase in order to see you play. Instead, many coaches rely on receiving a professionally edited video and a detailed professional scout evaluation from Baseball Factory in order to learn about players and begin recruiting them. From the comfort of their office, they can view video footage of a player and read an evaluation from a source they trust. This is a great way for them to narrow down their recruiting list before spending money to travel and see their top recruits in person.

In addition, the difference between a homemade family video and a professionally edited video is huge. Coaches have very hectic schedules, so they don’t have time to watch an hour-long unedited video of you performing in a game. They want short, quick clips of you defensively, on the mound, or at the plate. Most homemade family videos that are sent to coaches end up in the trash.

Not getting an unbiased professional evaluation can also hurt your college recruiting efforts. Keep in mind that in a college coach’s mind, your parents are biased and your high school coach is biased. Providing a college coach with an evaluation from a professional scout gives him an unbiased opinion that he can trust.

#5) Waiting Until Your Senior Year to Begin Marketing Yourself to Colleges

We suggest that players begin marketing themselves to college coaches the summer before their Sophomore year in high school. Start writing letters to college coaches to let them know of your interest in their program. While they probably won’t be out to see you play or even begin recruiting you heavily, they will start a file on you for their records and will keep up with your high school career on and off the field.

Players who wait until their Senior year to begin the recruiting process are at a major disadvantage, as coaches don’t have nearly as much time to recruit the player. There are fewer times to see the player in person, gather information from other coaches and scouts, and make a true assessment of the players ability and work ethic. It is hard to tell if the player has improved through high school, which is important for a college coach in determining if the player will work hard and improve during his college career.

If you are a Senior and are just now getting started: don’t panic! It is certainly not too late, but you will have to work harder over a shorter span of time. The lesson is, start early and be proactive.

#6) Not Sending Back College Questionnaires in a Timely Manner

If you contact a coach and he sends you a general questionnaire to fill out, make sure to get it back to him as soon as possible. Many players get offended by receiving a general questionnaire from a coach. “Why didn’t he write something personal? Does he not want to recruit me?” The truth is that the coach wants to get more information on you before he starts recruiting you.

College coaches use general questionnaires to gauge a player’s interest and begin a file on a player. If you take your time sending it back, or don’t send it back at all, the coach is going to assume that you aren’t interested in his program. In addition, make sure to send back questionnaires to colleges, even if they aren’t from a school you are pursuing. The more schools that are interested in you, the more leverage you have in the recruiting process. Keep all options open until you are ready to make a final decision.

By now, you should start to see an underlying pattern behind all of these common mistakes. Waiting to be discovered and leaving everything up to chance is the surest way to put a quiet end to your playing career- It is up to you to get the recruiting process started!

Be sure to check back next week when I wrap up my list of recruiting pitfalls.

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Wrigley Field Here We Come!

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

On Sunday August 17th, The Baseball Factory is powering the Under Armour All America Game at Wrigley Field. It is the first time that a high school game has been played at Wrigley Field. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU, with the honorary first pitch coming from Mr. Cub (Ernie Banks) at 1:20 PM CST.

The game features the 36 best high school players in the nation. The players in attendance were either seen at a Baseball Factory or Team One Event, or were highly recommended by our network of professional scouts. These players should all go on to have fine college or professional careers.

As a parent, I can’t imagine the joy and pride I would feel if my child was selected for such a prestigious honor. To be recognized as one of the best 36 players in the nation is truly remarkable. With 450,000 kids playing high school baseball in the United States, these 36 players represent the top .01% of our nation’s high school crop of baseball players.

Good luck to all the players in attendance. I would be lying to you if I said that I wasn’t very excited for the festivities and to see the players perform. I also want to thank Under Armour and the Chicago Cubs for their support of the event. It has been a great collaborative effort between our three organizations to put on this program.

Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

10 College Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

I know we’ve spent a lot of time talking about things players can do to help themselves in the college recruiting process. One thing I haven’t spent a lot of time on is the many different ways players can hurt themselves in the process. Unfortunately, these common “pitfalls” will always leave a player with fewer opportunities to play college baseball. As we go through and discuss these restrictive attitudes and actions (or lack thereof), I’d like you to find ways to integrate our advice into your own college search routine. I guarantee that you will find yourself with more opportunities to choose from by the time you make your decision!

#1) Dedicating More Time to Your On-Field Activities than to Your Schoolwork

The first question that every coach asks our recruiting staff at Baseball Factory is, “What are his grades?” If a player doesn’t have good enough grades, there is no reason for the coach to begin recruiting him. Therefore, it is important that you spend as much time possible studying and improving your grades as you do improving your game. Showing a coach that you are not an academic liability will give you more options you will have at the college level.

In addition, the NCAA has recently announced a rule change that will require players to maintain their eligibility through the entire year. In the past, players were only required to be academically eligible in the fall in order to compete in the spring. Starting in 2008, players will need to be eligible during both semesters in order to be allowed to play on their team. Adding this to the APR (Academic Progress Rate) makes it that much harder for coaches to risk recruiting a player who may struggle academically and lose eligibility. So, if grades weren’t already incredible important to you, they have to be now. Study hard!

#2) Limiting Your Search to Only Division-I Schools

This is a problem that we come across every day with players and parents. There is a mentality out there amongst high school baseball players and many parents, which we call DI-itis, that if you aren’t going to be able to play baseball at a Division I program, you shouldn’t play at all. Getting stuck in that mindset will limit the options you have at the next level.

The truth is that there are many Division-II and Division-III programs across the nation that can compete with Division I programs. There are over 1,600 college baseball programs and less than 300 of them are Division I. More importantly, you have to find the best fit for you. Limiting your options to the Division-I level will make the job that much harder! Keep the goal of playing college baseball at the forefront, not playing Division-I college baseball.

#3) Expecting College Coaches to Come See You Play

College baseball is not a revenue-generating sport like college football and basketball. As such, college coaches have very limited recruiting budgets, not to mention hectic schedules trying to manage their teams while recruiting for the future. While it is smart to send college coaches your spring, summer and fall baseball schedule, don’t expect them to come see you play.

Many players expect coaches to see them in one of their high school games and begin recruiting them because of that performance. The truth of recruiting is that a coach normally won’t attend a game unless they already have interest in a player that is performing. There is also the chance that the day a coach does show up at one of your games, you aren’t playing or have a poor performance. You need to take additional steps to make yourself stand out above the other 200 players that coach is recruiting.

Write the coach a letter, e-mail him or call him to set up a meeting at his school to ask questions about his program. Get a professionally edited video tape made for the coach to review. Take the initiative yourself and you will open many more doors. The more interest you can generate by being proactive, the more likely it is that a coach will see you play at some point.

Check back next week when I continue to discuss more common mistakes in the college recruiting process.

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

The Two or Three Sport Athlete Dilemma

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

I am currently on an airplane flying back to Baltimore from Baseball Factory’s Under Armour Southwest Tournament in Peoria, Arizona. As a sidebar, wow is it hot in Arizona at this time of the year (our in-car thermometer read 133 degrees at one point during the week)! I decided to write this blog while still on the plane because the topic of playing multiple sports was brought up during this trip and I wanted to comment on what transpired during the discussion while it was still fresh in my mind.

As a part of our Player Development events at Baseball Factory we usually try to include a parent/player seminar on the college recruiting process. During the seminar we cover key topics to be mindful of as the recruiting process begins to unfold, and we open up the forum for parents and players to ask questions. In Arizona, the seminar was run by me and our Senior Vice President of College Recruiting, Kelly Kulina. A lot of good questions were raised by the parents in attendance, but one that came up in particular sparked a lot of discussion. The question was how Kelly and I felt about players competing in multiple sports, and what the general consensus was from college baseball coaches on the topic.

This topic is a highly debated one in our field. I could easily defend both sides of the argument on whether it is more beneficial for an aspiring college baseball player to strictly focus on baseball or to play other high school sports. To be completely honest with you, there is no right answer to this question, and there is not an overwhelming consensus on it from college coaches. However, I can give you some good guidelines to consider as it relates to your son and what he should think about before making a decision.

1. Does he really love playing the other sports? It seems like a simple question, but not all families look at it from this point of view. If your son really doesn’t enjoy the other sports that much and is just playing them because “that is what he has always done since he has been little,” then I think it could be time to give them up and focus on baseball.

2. Who is he satisfying by playing the other sports? If as a parent you played football/basketball/soccer, etc. and your influences are getting in the way of this decision, take a step back and let your son speak on the matter and what he wants to do. Also, is he playing football because the football coach is “pressuring” him to do so? Or does he feel like he doesn’t want to let the team down if he doesn’t come back for his senior year? In my opinion, these are not good reasons to continue playing a sport if his dream is to play college baseball.

3. Is he a contributing member of the other sports teams to the same degree he contributes to the baseball team? If your son excels in baseball, but is just a secondary player in the other sports, it may not be in his best interest to keep up with the other sports.

4. Are you overwhelmingly concerned about injuries? This is a really good one to consider, especially for pitchers. Are you willing to take the risk of playing football, even if it means hurting your pitching arm? Pitchers in particular really have to think hard about playing football where their shoulder can be exposed to serious injury.

My personal opinion is that baseball players do learn a lot from playing other sports as it relates to the mental side of the game and developing key athletic skill sets as well. Football players learn a “never say die attitude” and they usually are mentally tough baseball players. Basketball players are well conditioned athletes and that usually bodes well on the baseball field. Soccer players usually show good lateral mobility and agility which also is a big part of baseball. So the benefits can be quite substantial, not to mention that it also helps to prevent burnout from focusing only on baseball.

As a high school athlete, I played baseball, basketball, and ran cross country so I saw first-hand some of the benefits from playing more than one sport. There are a good percentage of college coaches that like to recruit multiple sport baseball players because they think it creates well-rounded athletes with a variety of skill sets and competitive instincts. Try using the four questions above as a guideline and attempt to make the best decision for the player when considering these options. If you decide to stick with more than one sport, just don’t abandon baseball completely during the fall or winter seasons so you are not starting from square one once the baseball season kicks off again in the spring.


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

Baseball Factory Four Point Checklist - Part 4

Steve Sclafani: All Access Pass

You gotta Market and Promote…

The last ingredient on the Baseball Factory Four Point Checklist is an action item that you don’t want to miss.

Okay, your grades are in good shape, you have improved your weaknesses on the field and you have tested yourself against top competition. Now what?

There are usually three types of approaches I have seen families take when it comes to marketing their respective sons to college baseball programs:

Approach 1
Coaches Will Come and Find Me – The type of player who sits back and thinks coaches and scouts are going to magically appear at their high school and summer league games.

Approach 2
Over Showcased – The player that attends as many showcases and college camps they can get to in the hopes of being recruited by whomever is in attendance.

Approach 3
Strategic Planner – The player that maps out a plan with targeted colleges that are a match academically and athletically and finds the best way to reach that particular coach.

How many of you are taking the third approach listed above? This approach will not only save you time and money, but also the headache of not getting the results you want.

Here is the bottom line, college coaches need to know about you as a player in order to recruit you. Furthermore, the best way to promote yourself to a college is to provide the college coach with a video of yourself performing and an evaluation from an unbiased source.

A college coach can then either take the next step and come watch you play, or eliminate you from his recruiting list. Either way, you then know where you stand with that particular school and what your next step should be.

Go out and get a video and a recommendation from a pro scout or baseball person that a college coach can trust. Get this recommendation and video e-mailed to colleges that match your athletic and academic ability.

Be aggressive and stay on track with your strategy!


Steve Sclafani is the CEO and Founder of Baseball Factory. Steve's ability to create new opportunities for baseball players nationwide and to develop exposure vehicles for players has revolutionized the player development and recruiting industry. His contacts and strategic partnerships have led the way to Baseball Factory being recognized as the top recruiting service by The National High School Baseball Coaches Association. Steve's scouting ability and penchant for matching players up to the right college baseball programs has lead to over 10,000 Baseball Factory and Team One players playing college baseball, $500 million in scholarships, and over 1,500 players selected in the MLB draft. Steve is a 1993 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he played second base.

The APR: Cause and Effect

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

As we enter the stretch run of summer and student-athletes prepare to head back to the classroom, I believe that now is a good time to go over the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), and how it affects the college baseball landscape.

The APR, which was introduced in 2005, measures the ability of each Division I team’s student-athletes to make progress towards receiving a college degree in a reasonable span of time (five years). In the most practical terms, it measures the academic performance and retention of Division I student-athletes from year-to-year. The NCAA created the APR to promote success in the classroom and graduation for all sports. It also serves as an institutional-wide metric of support for student-athletes.

The NCAA assigns points for certain criteria a scholarship athlete fulfills. The two criteria are retention and eligibility, which are assigned once during the fall and once during the spring for a total of four points. To calculate a team’s APR, the total number of earned points for the team are divided by the total possible points for the team, and multiplied by 1,000.

The benchmark number for APR has been set at 925, which translates roughly to a 60% graduation rate. Evaluated on an annual basis as well as four-year intervals, teams that exceed this level will benefit from positive public recognition, while those that fall below this benchmark are subject to a variety of penalties. Given college baseball’s enormous schedule (56 games), first-time offenders may lose 10% of their schedule. Down the road, repeat offenders can lose 10% of their total scholarships, practice time, postseason competition and even lose their Division I status!

While all Division I sports are subject to the APR, the nature of college and professional baseball make it especially vulnerable to special challenges and consequences. Beyond the short-term benefits and penalties involving the APR, I believe we will see a major long-term impacts including:

• More college players in summer school than ever, which will have an adverse effect on development and collegiate leagues. There are also financial ramifications, as families will have to pay for the extra credit hours out of pocket, as scholarships will not normally cover these.
• Coaches will have to weigh the academic liabilities of their prospective recruits more carefully. This will mean that more kids will be driven to professional baseball, as they will not be given the chance to prove themselves in the classroom. Division II, Division III, NAIA, and JC programs will also benefit from a trickle-down effect of more talented players without the necessary grades to play Division I.
• Smaller schools, located in colder climates, will be more affected by penalties such as reduction in schedule because they are already subject to the loss of games through weather. This will exacerbate the competitive inequality between northern and southern schools.
• Coaches have always been evaluated on wins and losses, but now the success of their athletes in the classroom is more important than ever. This all will add to the pressures of winning on the field!

In the long run, I believe the APR will have a positive effect on Division I sports. In the short-term, however, it will create some indirect hurdles for college coaches and prospective college baseball players and will put more emphasis on the academic piece than ever. Bottom line, as long as you take care of business in the classroom, these hurdles will not affect you in the college search process and, if anything, will make you more of a commodity!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

The Curveball: Part 2

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

I commented in my previous blog about the curveball and the "demon" that it can be for hitters both young and old. I see hitters making the same mistakes over and over again and they never make any adjustments. So I thought to myself, maybe they don't make an adjustment because they don't know what adjustment to make. Last week I listed the three major problems I see happening with hitters and curveballs. Today, we are going to deal with Point 1, hitters have no idea how to hit a curveball.

First, ask yourself how do I hit a fastball? Do you lunge at the fastball and hit it with your weight out on your front foot or do you stay centered? Do you pull everything or are you able to spray the ball all over the field based on where the ball is pitched? If you are a guy who pulls everything and has a tendency to jump out at the fastball you probably really struggle to hit curveballs (see Wily Mo Pena). So the first thing you must be able to do is load your hands and take your stride getting to a neutral position. This means that your hands are back, your stride foot is down and closed, and your body weight is centered.

This position allows the hitter to react and handle any pitch that is thrown at him. If you are not able to get to this position before swinging the bat you will have a tough time hitting anything off-speed.

Next, once you are able to get to this position consistently, you must be able to hold it for an extra split second. When hitting the fastball the sequence is load-stride-swing. When hitting the curveball it should be load-stride-pause-swing. The pause is necessary because the breaking ball is going to be slower than the fastball, usually by 8 to 12 mph. This pause allows you to hold your launch position a split second longer giving the ball time to reach the hitting zone, where you can drive it. Players who are not able to reach this position and hold it, are players who lunge at the ball and get out in front, usually rolling their wrists over the ball and grounding out or popping up weakly.

These two tips will help you not only hit the curveball better but will give you the chance to hit the change up AND the fastball better. One of these is purely a mechanical fix and the other requires that you be patient and allow the game to come to you.

There are many ways to work on this but here are two that you can try at home:

1. Hit off a batting tee. Work to reach the good load-stride position. Pause in that spot for a moment or two, then swing. This will help you feel the position that you should be getting into and it will help you feel the pause.

2. Do side toss. Have a coach, friend, or parent flip you balls and occasionally have them pump fake the toss without you knowing. When they pump fake you, your weight should stay centered. If you are not you have started to commit your swing and you have no chance to hit an off speed pitch. After getting good at this, have your tosser do the same thing but when they pump fake, hold your position and then have them toss it. This will get you to hold your launch position and wait for the ball to come to you.

Try those few drills out and see how they work for you. Stay patient as it takes some time. Tune in next week when we will cover: "What the pitching is trying to do to you with the curveball."


Matt Schilling is the Senior Director of On-Field Instruction at Baseball Factory. Schilling graduated from Coastal Carolina University, where he was an All-Conference and All-State player while being voted the fourth best second baseman in the country by the Smith Award Group. Schilling went on to coach at Coastal for five years, helping them reach the top 25. He is also a former Associate Scout with the Atlanta Braves.

LIVE: From the Under Armour Southwest Tournament

Dave Lax: We're There

In the end of July temperatures above 110 would make you believe that you were in the desert. At the first day of round robin play at this year’s Under Armour Southwest Regional Tournament the temperature touched 113 degrees. However, the scorching temperatures did not seem to sway the players or the fans. All of the teams came out with good spirits and played good baseball.

In the early games of the day the St. Louis Pirates took advantage of extra outs given at the expense of the Baseball Factory White team and notched the first win of the tournament 11-3. The Arizona Clash, which played in the finals of last year’s tournament, was back and came out with an opening game win against Baseball Factory Red. The Clash squeaked out the win by a slim margin of 4-3. The final game of the morning showcased a high level of defense as only four runs came across the plate. In the end the Players Baseball Academy 16U team won 3-1 over the Baseball Factory Navy.

As the temperatures started to rise, the second set of games kicked off shortly before noon. A couple of the Baseball Factory squads took advantage of their back-to-back games and stayed loose to cruise for a win. The Baseball Factory White took out the Tucson Baseball Academy 10-1 using strong pitching and an explosive offense. The Baseball Factory Navy team was squaring off against the St. Louis Pirates who took out Baseball Factory White in the early game. With the Baseball Factory Navy down by one run going into the last inning, they strung a few hits together, tied the game and then a patient at bat eventually lead to the “walk” off win for the Navy squad. In the final of the three games played at midday the Baseball Factory Red ran into the Under Armour Winter Classic powerhouse West Texas Cats. The Cats took their well-oiled machine to an 11-1 win.

In the final two games of the day in possibly the hottest temperatures, the two teams from Texas squared off. On a side note, the sportsmanship of the West Texas Cats was spectacular as they allowed their opponents, the El Paso Dragons, to use some of their baseball gear because the Dragons gear was lost by the airline. As for the game, extra innings were needed to decide a winner. It seemed that generosity would be rewarded as the Cats scored two runs in the top of the eighth; however, the Dragons made a run at the comeback scoring one in their half of the inning. In the end, the Cats held on for the victory.

The West Texas Cats thus far have the best record in the tournament at 2-0. In the other game the Players Baseball Academy 18U team and the Lake Havasu Stars battled it out in extra innings as well. The Players Baseball Academy eventually took the win 5-4.

In an exciting and over-heated day the Under Armour Southwest Regional Tournament was officially underway and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the tournament has in store for us. We know the temperatures will be hot, and lets hope the baseball is too.


Dave Lax is the Assistant Director of Marketing at Baseball Factory. Dave started with Baseball Factory in June of 2006 having earned his degree in Business from the University of Maryland, College Park. He majored in Marketing and minored in Communication. At Maryland, he played on the Scout Basketball Team for three years, where he was part of the National Championship team in 2006. In addition to his marketing responsibilities Dave serves as the administrator for Baseball University and helps design and maintain the website.

Baseball Factory Four Point Checklist – Part 3

Steve Sclafani: All Access Pass

Are you playing against top competition?

This week we are going to discuss part three of the Baseball Factory four point checklist; What type of competition are you playing against?

We already discussed the cornerstone of the four point checklist which is academics. We have also discussed the importance of training and developing your strengths and weaknesses. Now it’s time to get down to business and test our new found improvements in a game situation.

Are you testing yourself against top-notch competition? Have you been outside of your state and competed nationally? Have you played against players who are a year or two older then you?

In the game of baseball (and life, for that matter) we need to constantly test ourselves and make adjustments to our game if we want to continue to improve and give ourselves a chance to play at a higher level.

While it is certainly fun to mash the local rec pitching and hit .500, in the long run a combination of building your confidence locally and getting humbled nationally will normally be the right mix for a high school player’s development.

Another important factor is the type of coaching you are receiving as the game gets more difficult and moves faster. Do you have a coach who can help you to interpret the game? For example, after swinging at a first pitch curve ball and popping it up, is your coach discussing your overall approach and game plan as a hitter with you?

Do all you can to play on some national teams with top notch coaching and competition. It will help you to grow as a player and you will better understand why accelerated training is important for your maximum development.

Think you have what it takes to play on an Under Armour/Baseball Factory National Team? See you at a tryout near you!


Steve Sclafani is the CEO and Founder of Baseball Factory. Steve's ability to create new opportunities for baseball players nationwide and to develop exposure vehicles for players has revolutionized the player development and recruiting industry. His contacts and strategic partnerships have led the way to Baseball Factory being recognized as the top recruiting service by The National High School Baseball Coaches Association. Steve's scouting ability and penchant for matching players up to the right college baseball programs has lead to over 10,000 Baseball Factory and Team One players playing college baseball, $500 million in scholarships, and over 1,500 players selected in the MLB draft. Steve is a 1993 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he played second base.

Listen Closely

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Are you a good listener? Are you distracted when you are talking to your children? Are you thinking about something else, or are you living in the present moment?

Being a good listener is a wonderful character trait to possess. I work very hard each day on trying to be a respectful listener. A close friend of mine says that she tries to listen to her colleagues “with her entire body,” which I think is an accurate way to describe a good listener. I constantly have to fight the urge to cut someone off mid sentence and interject my viewpoint during a discussion. In the end, this type of behavior is disrespectful and the person on the other end feels not validated.

Do you really listen to your kids? Do you try and help them understand their feelings or do you constantly put your feelings and thoughts on them? I think so many arguments and inter-family conflicts could be avoided if people really listened to one another and respected the other person’s position.

Being a good listener will come into play many times in the college recruiting process and the baseball development timeline. Make sure you show your child some respect and really hear what he has to say when he expresses his opinion. You many not always agree, but it will go a long way to creating a healthy relationship with your son.


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

The Power of Now

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Greetings from Kiwanis-Wallas Park! For the past two weeks, the Baseball Factory has been operating the Kelly Kulina All-Star and Elite Summer Baseball Camps in the Howard County area. The camp was designed to teach and hone the fundamental skills of baseball, while all of the proceeds went to the B.A.S.E.-H.I.T. Foundation. Even as our focus shifted away from recruiting and onto youth development, I had a chance to speak with many of the campers about my experiences with the recruiting process, and I feel that there are still some excellent points to make to our younger prospective student-athletes.

As a former associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, I tried looking at prospective student-athletes in terms of the “Three Aces”: 1) Attitude, 2) Academics and 3) Athletic Ability. While athletic ability may be an obvious choice, I think too many players overlook attitude and academics. If a player can’t show me the attitude necessary to compete and willingness to learn, I don't want him on my team. And as for academics, coaches simply do not have the time to waste on athletes who are academic liabilities. Everyone loves to work on their game, but few spend the same amount of time on their studies, which ultimately, will make or break you in the end. For you younger players, you all can work on these two areas starting today- make them a priority!

My staff and I spent a great deal of time trying to instill lessons that can be applied to both on and off the baseball field. The biggest point I made to our campers is that, no matter how hard you throw or hit the ball, you won’t be playing college baseball if you don’t show a coach:

• that you have the discipline to improve your skills beyond physical ability and, more importantly, study hard and effectively in the classroom.


• a willingness and an interest in learning about the game.


• character inherent to a team leader, and someone that will always represent themselves (and their school) in the best way possible.

Granted, not all of this has to start on a baseball field. Instead of finding ways to avoid chores, try actively volunteering to help your parents with everyday tasks around the house. As for school, be proactive and ask your teachers for areas they believe you can improve on, and how to do so. I believe you’ll find that if you change how you approach daily issues and activities, you’ll find a change for the better on the field, as well.

There is no better time than now to focus on being a better player, student and person. The intangibles such as leadership and self-discipline don’t happen overnight. It takes a concentrated effort to change your habits, whether it be how you approach homework, chores or taking extra infield groundballs. So, why not give yourself as much time as you need? Just like in the recruiting process, there is no such thing as “putting it off until later.” Unfortunately, in life, “later” happens in the blink of an eye!


Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Carlos Quentin – Chicago White Sox

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

During my high school career I had the privilege of competing against players including Cole Hamels (Philadelphia Phillies), Mark Prior (San Diego Padres), Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego Padres), Barry Zito (San Francisco Giants), Danny Putnam (Oakland A’s), Brian Barden (St. Louis Cardinals), and several other current big leaguers. But no other player that I played against stood out more than Carlos Quentin.

I remember one home game in particular. Los (as his teammates called him) had already hit homeruns to left center and right center. He came up for his third at bat, while facing a teammate of mine and future draft pick Joshua Muecke (AAA Round Rock-Houston Astros). Josh threw a split finger that grazed the dirt and Los proceeded to hit it 400+ feet over the batters eye. To this day, I cannot remember a high school player hitting a baseball that hard and that far. After his high school career, he went onto make a name for himself at Stanford University.

The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in 2003 and after getting the call to the majors in 2006, he received limited playing time at the big league level. Since being traded to the Chicago White Sox during the off-season, Los’s numbers have exploded. At the All-Star break he is hitting .275 with 22 HR’s and 70 RBI’s. As you can clearly see, Los broke out of his shell and has become the player we always thought he would be.

Carlos attended a couple of Team One Showcases during his high school career.

Team One West 1998
Team One National 1999

We wish him the best of luck and many successful years as a big leaguer. In addition to Carlos, eight other Team One and Baseball Factory alumnus played in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game. Check out the All-Star Review.

Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers, OF
Aaron Cook, Colorado Rockies, RHP
Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays, RHP
Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers, OF
Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers, OF
Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves, C
Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
David Wright, New York Mets, 3B

18 Team One and Baseball Factory alumnus have now played in the All-Star Game with a total of 29 appearances. Roy Halladay leads the way with five total selections (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008).


Justin is the Director of Team One Baseball. Justin Roswell joined the Baseball Factory in 2001 serving in the scouting, event coordination, and player development departments. In 2007 he became the Senior Director for Team One Baseball, the showcase division of Baseball Factory. As Senior Director, he leads the player identification process for all Team One Regional Showcases. Justin also runs the Under Armour Tournament Division. Justin graduated from California State University - Fullerton, where he received his degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis on management.

Are you giving back?

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

As a parent, I think one of the most valuable gifts you can teach your children is to give back to your community at large. In my opinion, community service (and or donating to a cause) should be a part of every family in some capacity. It is important for young people to participate so they can gain perspective and appreciate all that they have. Here are some tips to start giving back if you are not currently making it a priority:

1. Find a cause that appeals to your family. Baseball would be a natural fit. You can find a local or national organization and donate old baseball equipment and uniforms that your child no longer uses. There are many groups that would be happy to take it off your hands and it is much better than throwing it away and having it sit in a garbage landfill.

2. On your child’s birthday, encourage folks that normally give gifts to make a donation to a charity instead. Have your child research the charity with you. My family does this each year for our daughter’s birthdays. We have collected books, pajamas, toys, and clothes and made multiple donations to local organizations like Bright Beginnings. The organizations are so grateful and it teaches our kids the importance of helping others.

3. As parents, instead of throwing away your old clothes, books, and house wear items that you no longer need, find a local shelter to give the items to. Bring your child with you when you drop off the items.

Giving back to the community has always been something that is paramount to my family and to our Company. Back in 1994, when the Baseball Factory was incorporated, we also started a non-profit organization called The B.A.S.E.-H.I.T. Foundation, which stands for Baseball & Academic Student Enhancement – Helping Inner City Teams. We run a six team middle school academic and baseball program for at-risk children in Baltimore City. We provide coaches, tutors, equipment, uniforms, bus transportation and training for the participants. It has be