Leary Making Waves in his Westmont Debut

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Former Baseball Factory Exclusive College Recruiting Program participant, Tim Leary (Coronado, CA) has been turning heads and making a name for himself during his first week for the Westmont Warriors.

Leary, a sophomore transfer has taken the designated hitter role to the next level. All he does is hit! In his first at bat, Leary stepped to the plate and sent the second pitch he saw 345 feet over the left field wall to collect four of his six RBI's on a grand slam homerun.

Last week, against NCAA Division III opponent, Cal Lutheran, Leary had another unbelievable day at the plate. Leary went four for four at the plate with a solo homerun, two doubles, a single and a walk. He ended the day with two RBI's and scored three times.

“Leary did a good job,” said Westmont Head Coach Robert Ruiz. “He is staying aggressive in the right counts like we have asked him to do.”

The Warriors are led by Head Baseball Coach, Robert Ruiz and pitching coach, Tony Cougoule. Both Coach Ruiz and Cougoule have played significant roles at various Baseball Factory and Team One events. In addition to their evaluator and instructional roles with Baseball Factory, they both actively recruit many Baseball Factory and Team One participants across the country.

We wish Robby, Tony, and the rest of the Warrior team the best of the luck in their spring season.

Full Article – Game 3 vs. Cal Lutheran

Full Article – Game 1 vs. Pomona-Pitzer



Justin is the Senior 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.

When to Apply: A Crash Course

Woody Wingfield: Your Link to the Colleges

Dan Mooney and I enjoyed working with and learning from Kelly over the past few years, and I certainly enjoyed helping him to produce “Your Link to the Colleges.” So, when we were approached about carrying on his blog, we jumped at the opportunity to continue the tradition of helping young players achieve their dreams of playing college baseball. In honor of Coach Kulina, here are the first of many new installments to the “Your Link to the Colleges” blog.

When to Apply: A Crash Course

One question that the Exclusive Program staff has been receiving this fall is when to apply to schools, and more importantly, which ones? While it’s a good idea to apply to a few schools before January, there should be a rhyme and a reason to which ones you start with, and when to send in the application.

If you’re looking at selective academic schools, then the admissions process is pretty straight-forward. These institutions have tough admissions standards and low acceptance rates, and in order to have a better shot of getting in, you’ll need to apply early decision. Applying early decision is similar to committing to a college coach, in that it is a binding agreement that tells an admissions committee that if you are admitted, you are definitely enrolling. Most early decision deadlines are in November and December.

Typically, coaches from these selective schools base their recruiting on who can get in, but you should get an idea of where you stand with a program’s needs before you apply. Most times, coaches that want you in their program will encourage you to apply early. I would suggest that if you do have a #1 school in mind that likes you as a recruit, you should apply early decision there. Many schools will feature TWO early decision deadlines, so if you are denied or deferred at your #1 school, you still have time to apply elsewhere.

For all other players, this process will be more drawn out. Many times, the recruiting process will not line up with admissions deadlines, so don’t panic just yet. It’s helpful being a recruited student-athlete, and having a coach in your corner can get you through those application deadlines.

So, if you’re going to apply to schools before January, which ones do you start with? Take a look at your college list and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Which schools could I be happy at, even if I’m not playing varsity baseball? Which of those schools is my dream school?
2. Which schools can I definitely get into?
3. Which schools have I heard from the most for baseball?

While not everyone can play at the State-U they grew up watching and loving, it doesn’t hurt to get an application in, as long as you’d be happy there regardless of what happens with recruiting. The next school(s) should be under the “academic safety” category, to ensure that no matter what, you will have a home next year. A great way to take care of a safety school application it to apply to an institution that features rolling admission. For those that are hearing this term for the first time, rolling admission is an open-ended deadline for prospective students to apply to the school. There is no set time to get the application in, and no set date for an admissions decision. Rather, the sooner you get your application in, the sooner you hear back. So, if you apply early, say in September, you will hear back faster than if you applied in December, when the volume of applications is higher.

Finally, look at the schools you’re being recruited to play baseball at- these applications will depend entirely on where you’re at in the process. Many times, college coaches will simply tell you when you need to apply. If you’re hearing good things and you’re not sure, then it’s OK to ask. If you’re having conversations with college coaches that haven’t seen you play yet, then you should apply to a few of these schools to move the process along. Being accepted at a school DOES help you with the recruiting process, and when coaches come out to high school games in the spring, accepted players will be the first that they will scout.

Remember, the recruiting process is very much a marathon, and it takes many, many steps to find the perfect fit. If anything, your first applications should concentrate on the “sure thing” as well as your “reach” schools. Just stay patient and proactive with the process, and you will find that “fit!”

Woody serves as the Director of Exclusive Program Operations, working with players and parents in the Exclusive Program. His role is to assist all families with questions they may have throughout the recruiting process. Woody is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he worked as an intern with the Cavalier Baseball Team.

Kelly Kulina: Eulogy

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

While today is certainly a very sad day as we mourn the loss of a family member, dear friend, and trusted colleague I am here this morning to speak about the wonderful man that Kelly Kulina was and to celebrate everything he stood for. As the President of Baseball Factory and someone that helped to bring Kelly into our Company, it was an honor to have been able to work with a man day in and day out that exemplified so many wonderful qualities. Kelly was loyal, honorable, incredibly hard working, dedicated, sympathetic, and had such integrity. He will be dearly missed by everyone that was blessed to know him.

Back in 2001, when Kelly decided to work full time with us, it was such a tremendous turning point in our history. He was so well respected and connected in the college baseball community and his addition to our team really helped to put us on the map. To use a sports analogy, it was like a middle market MLB franchise that landed a big time free agent in the offseason. It totally changed the face of our Company and Kelly’s impact and legacy continues to live on today and will be indelible into the future. I knew he would do a remarkable job when he told me during his interview that he always wanted to help players that tried out for the Univ. of MD baseball team while he was the coach, that weren’t quite ACC caliber players, but had a chance to play somewhere in college if they had more direction and knowledge of the college recruiting process. With that conversation as a backdrop, Steve Sclafani and I knew we had found the right man for the job.

If we fast forward to today… through his work at our Company, Kelly has made the dream of playing college baseball a reality for thousands of players across the nation. What a tremendous gift he was able to provide for these families that will last for a lifetime.

I will miss Kelly dearly. More than a co-worker he was a true friend and confidant. Over the 8+ years we worked together, I think we traveled almost 40 times on various business trips, many of which we flew, roomed, ate, and drove around together in our rental car. Our routine on these trips was to get up early and workout. Kelly would always scout out a gym that was close to a smoothie place. We would grab a smoothie and head out. Kelly and I were a dangerous combination in a rental car because neither one of us were blessed with a strong sense of direction. Almost every trip we took we were bound to get lost at least once as we were trying to find a baseball field. Thankfully GPS came out a few years ago to give us a better chance of finding our way. We would always laugh about how before GPS we had to use “the force” to find out where we were going.

He was such an incredible communicator, but he was an even better listener. For all the years I knew him, I don’t think he ever interrupted someone even once. He always gave you his full attention, and made you feel special. We all can learn a valuable lesson from Kelly. He was a great example of living in the present moment. On our trips, we often spoke to large groups of Baseball Factory players and their parents about the college recruiting process and I always enjoyed having to keep Kelly on track because everyone that knew him knew that he loved to talk, and if you weren’t careful we could have been there all night. We had a system where I would give him a sign and he would quickly wrap up from telling one of his “quick” stories that we all enjoyed listening to so much.

I think many people dream of having a fulfilling career where they can honestly look themselves in the mirror each day and say they went to work at a place they loved, for a mission they were passionate about, and doing work that truly made a difference in the lives of the people they touched. We all can have some peace knowing that this was the case for Kelly. Coupled with the loving support of his wonderful family (Le Ann, Kell, Lavin, and Josh) he truly lived a remarkable life.

From spending time with him and Le Ann, it was evident to all that they had a special marriage built on mutual respect, love, and affection. We would talk frequently in the office about how excited he was for their date nights and their quality time spent together. He was a committed father and loved his three children dearly.

It is amazing and inspiring to see the number of quality friendships that Kelly had in his life. Looking around this room today, and reading the numerous emotional and touching memorial blog posts that have poured in, his relationships were everlasting from his childhood, baseball playing career, his coaching years, and time spent providing professional service to families across the country. What a great legacy he has left during his gracious lifetime.

I know I speak for everyone at Baseball Factory when I say…Kelly, you will never be replaced, and you were truly one of a kind. Rest in peace my friend, and may God bless you and your family.


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 14 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.

When to Attend a College Camp

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

When is it a good time to go to a college camp or showcase? More importantly, which ones do you attend? These are the types of questions the Exclusive Program staff answers everyday, and I wanted to give you the Reader’s Digest version of what we cover with our players.

High school baseball players will often mistake camp invites and questionnaires to mean that they are a recruited athlete at that institution. If you check page 77 and 78 of the NCAA’s Division I manual, you’ll read that the following make you a “recruited athlete”:

• Providing the prospective student-athlete with an official visit
• Having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s parent(s), relatives or legal guardian(s)
• Initiating or arranging a telephone contact with the prospective student-athlete, the prospective student athlete’s relatives or legal guardian(s) on more than one occasion for the purpose of recruitment
• Issuing a National Letter of Intent or the institution’s written offer of athletically related financial aid to the prospective student-athlete. Issuing a written offer of athletically related financial aid to a prospective student-athlete to attend a summer session prior to full-time enrollment does not cause the prospective student-athlete to become recruited

Notice how there’s no mention of attending a camp or talking to someone after a showcase. Don't get me wrong, camps and showcases are a vital part of the recruiting process for both players and coaches. They give college coaches the important opportunity to watch prospective student-athletes on the field, and players the opportunity to showcase their skills beyond video. However, to get the most out of this part of the process, there needs to be a method to the madness.

When considering a camp or showcase, there are several things that you need to ask yourself:

• Is this a school I’m interested in?
• Is the host school or some of the schools in attendance a good fit for me athletically and academically? If you can’t answer this question, you should consider getting a third party evaluation of your skills, which doesn’t include your parents and high school or travel coaches.
• Have I had contact with someone on the baseball staff? Would they know who I am when I arrive? Have they seen me play before or on video?
• What are their recruiting needs for the upcoming year?
  

The questions in the third bullet point have to do with going to a camp/showcase as a “camper” or as a “prospect.” A camper is someone that simply got the invite, signed up and showed up. A prospect is someone that has already been in touch with a college coach, has been seen in person or on video, and just needs to get in front of the rest of the staff. Naturally, the prospects in attendance will draw much more attention from the coaches than the campers.

So, when you received the camp invite, you should have already responded. If you haven’t previously written to the staff, now would be a good time to introduce yourself and explain why you’re interested in the program (and that you’re considering the camp). Further, if the staff hasn’t seen you play before, this is the time to forward any video you have. Only when you have individual contact (not mass-mailed e-mails) with a college coach should you consider the camp or showcase.

As a wrap-up, here are a few assumptions you CANNOT make when considering a camp or showcase:

• I am automatically a prospect.
• If I don’t attend, they won’t be interested in me.
• I am attending this camp to earn a scholarship or roster spot.
• This is the only opportunity for this school to see me play.
• The more I attend, the better off I’ll be.
• Camps and showcases are one in the same.
• Every coach is going to be able to see me and I’ll get a fair share of exposure.
  

For most prospective college baseball players, camps and showcases are a must; however, taking the shotgun approach will cost a great deal of time and money for your parents, with a smaller chance of return on the investment. Do yourself a favor and take the time to lay the groundwork before jumping in the car or on a plane.


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 Dangers of the Internet in College Recruiting

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Familiarity breeds comfort. As humans, we’re more likely to prefer something that we’ve been exposed to the most. In the marketing world, we call this “brand power.” Brand power gives the prospective computer, car or cell phone buyer a short list of products to choose from. Regrettably, many prospective baseball players will treat the college search process in a similar fashion.

In their defense, however, recruits are overloaded with information. Don’t get me wrong, the Internet revolution has been a huge boon for college recruiting, but when players are receiving 50+ daily e-mails about baseball-related events, something has to give. When bombarded with information, we revert to our natural instincts, which is to choose the “State-U” school or camp that we’re most familiar with. If you’ve been following this blog, then you’ll understand that most players won’t be able to play at the bigger Division I state schools.

So, how do you avoid following this path of least resistance? You need to be the proactive one. Don’t wait for schools to come to you (another common theme in this blog); get online and start researching schools. What’s getting lost in the dust cloud of camp e-mails are websites like collegeboard.com, d3baseball.com and meritaid.com, which offer remarkable amounts of information on very obscure areas of the college search process. Fight the temptation to only look into schools you’ve heard of or have seen on TV (or even worse, have sent camp e-mails). These websites can give you access to schools you’ve never even heard of, so that’s the place you need to start!

More important than the research you’ll do in front of the computer, it is essential that you visit schools on your college list. In the Exclusive Program, we stress to our underclassmen the need to visit at least three schools prior to the summer before their senior year: a large state school (10,000 or more undergrads), a medium-size school (5,000 undergrads) and a small school (2,000 undergrads or fewer). Your gut reaction to stepping on campus may be worth more than your countless hours of Internet research!

As I’ve written in previous entries, there are several things you should try to cover when you visit a campus. In addition to going on the campus tour, meeting with coaches and even seeing a practice, here are a few more things to do while on campus:

• Talk to students on campus. Ask them for their impression of the school and the surrounding area. You’d be surprised how honest they’ll be.
• Look around during a class change. Are people running to class?
• Sit in on a class. Are you in a large lecture hall or smaller discussion? Are you comfortable with this setting?
• Eat the cafeteria food and visit the dorms. Be honest with yourself- this will be your home for the next four years!
  

To have the most success with this process, you will have to do things differently than 95% of people trying to find a place to play in college. The Internet is a fantastic tool for those taking part in the recruiting process, but it’s so easy to fall into those old habits. Do yourself a favor and break that habit.

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.

Balancing the College Baseball Budget

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Prior to the beginning of this season, the athletic departments at Northern Iowa and the University of Vermont announced that this would be the final season for their baseball programs. While the last thing any athletic director wants to do is cut programs and staff, priorities have to be made even at the largest state schools. Even worse, the economic recession has exacerbated the funding deficit between revenue and non-revenue sports. Unfortunately for coaches and recruits alike, “America’s Favorite Past Time” is on the wrong end of this deficit.

While colleges and universities across the country have spent the past year making tough financial decisions, their athletic departments have come to grips with the fact that they’re not immune to what is going on with our economy. Even as the NCAA reports an average annual increase of 5% in student-athletes at member institutions, all sports at all levels have been tightening their belts. Sadly, as low as funding for college baseball has been, being a non-revenue sport puts it at the top of the list to come under the “budget microscope.”

The biggest reality I had to face when I was coaching was to understand exactly what it meant to be a “non-revenue” sport. With smaller audiences and a TV deal worth a fraction of the ones that basketball and football have, there are only a handful of Division I baseball programs that actually “make money” for their school. In most cases, baseball programs rely on the success of football, basketball and fundraising to finance their programs. On top of that, 35-man rosters and a 56-game schedule make baseball very expensive relative to other non-revenue sports, such as golf and tennis. So, when it comes budget time, baseball has lots of lines on its budget for an AD to adjust or eliminate altogether.

Even fully-funded programs find that in order to make a push for additional amenities, coaches need to fundraise and bring additional money into their program. Adding advertisements to the outfield wall, baseball programs and booster clubs were all ways I helped ease the budget crunch for the University of Maryland program. Yet, even with additional fundraising efforts, the most successful coaches are also going to be the thriftiest.

If you can assume that uniforms and equipment, travel and field operations are all fixed costs, the first cutback will always be recruiting. Coaches cannot afford to go to as many events, and if anything, have to budget for the events they do go to very carefully. When I was on the road, I would often share rooms with other coaches or stay with friends and family just to help my bottom line! One of the first things we share with players in our Exclusive College Recruiting Program is that the college baseball recruit has to be prepared to recruit coaches before they come see you play.

Writing and calling coaches, making unofficial visits and having a video all dramatically increase your chances of being seen by coaches this summer and fall. When I went to games, tournaments or showcases, I already knew ahead of time who I was going to see. I couldn’t afford not to do my homework on players beforehand! Players, too, cannot afford to take the “shotgun approach” to their summer schedule. Pick your spots carefully. Who is going to be at a showcase? Who do you have consistent contact with? That’s how coaches with short budgets look at their summer.

There’s no doubt in my mind that college baseball’s popularity is on the rise even with casual fans. The College World Series has really taken off the last few years and the game is reaching more viewers through increased TV coverage. Let’s hope that we’re seeing the end of “making do,” and instead push to make college baseball successful at every institution!

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.

What is the Quiet Period?

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

During one of the busiest times of the year for most families, the Exclusive Program and Baseball Factory Staff regularly receive questions about why recruiting seems to hit a snag during this time span. For coaches, the holidays and semester break present a chance to catch their breath and spend time with families. In addition, having just completed the fall season and the early signing period, it’s time for coaches to re-group and size up their remaining needs. Since we’re about a month removed from the November signing period, I think now would be a great time to go over what the Dead and Quiet periods mean, and what you can do to help yourself in the recruiting process.

The Dead Period is when coaches are prohibited from making “face-to-face” contact with players or evaluate them on or off campus. It is commonly thought that the Dead Period was proposed out of respect for the players and parents. During the signing period, the dead period allows players and parents to sort through offers and opportunities without too much pressure. Besides falling on the two signing periods in November and April, you’ll notice that there are Dead Periods around different school openings in the fall and after winter break. After all, with school getting back in session, it is important to get re-focused on school without too many distractions. The remaining academic year will include two more Dead Periods, taking place January 2nd to January 6th and again April 6th through the 9th.

By definition, the Quiet Period is when a coach is prohibited from making contact in-person with players away from campus. So, a college coach cannot meet with you and your family at your home. In addition, he can’t visit you at school and watch you play or practice. However, coaches CAN work a college camp or showcase off-campus during the Quiet Period. They’re also allowed to call you or write you during this time. For in-person contacts, you and your parents can visit coaches on campus. This year, the Quiet Period runs from November 14th to February 28th

For most of my coaching career, there was no Quiet Period! Up until recently, there was very little downtime and college coaches, with the exception of the Dead Period, recruited off-campus year-round. So, as a coach, there was always significant pressure to be on the road recruiting! I believe this rule was put in place to get college coaches off the road for a little bit without completely shutting down the recruiting process.

So, what does this mean for the unsigned baseball player? If you haven’t read “Time to Re-Evaluate, Revise and Regroup!” yet, please take a few minutes to read this, print it out and stick it on your refrigerator. The Quiet Period underscores the fact that these winter months are your opportunity to make serious gains in the recruiting process! You can’t expect to succeed in this process without spending a significant amount of time on “behind-the-scenes” work. E-mailing college coaches with your Baseball Factory Player Page, following up on your letters to coaches and making unofficial visits to campus will provide you with serious momentum going into your spring season.

Not only are these methods proven to give you an edge, they very well could be considered the minimum. After all, most college coaches will not come to see you play during your junior or senior season without preexisting interest. The Quiet Period is a chance for you to make a good impression on a coach in person and over the phone, and to give him a preview of what to expect in the spring. Without taking these steps to recruit college coaches, you can’t expect to be recruited in return.

As always, our staff welcomes your questions and looks forward to assisting you in your endeavors!

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.

Recruiting Trends in College Sports Pt. 2

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Last week I began my blog with an article from ESPN as a prompt to talk about the two signing periods. I’d like to take this entry to touch on the issues and consequences of getting younger and younger commitments. While I haven’t heard of any 14-year-olds committing to play college baseball, I have seen and heard of many high school juniors committing. In order to keep up with their colleagues and facing increased pressure to succeed on the field, many coaches are having their hands forced and are trying to get commitments earlier and earlier. After all, if they don’t do it, someone else will!

Many players that commit early have never visited the school, let alone stayed overnight on campus! To commit during the junior year, for most players, is to make a dangerous assumption that, in the end, this school is the best choice, fit and opportunity out there. What happens if a player commits early, and then a better opportunity comes along? What happens if the player gets injured or has a bad year on the field or in the classroom?

Coaches, too, face a lot of unnecessary risk by getting commitments from younger players. What happens if their grades take a dive? Players with incomplete transcripts haven’t shown that they can handle a college workload, let along guarantee that they’ll be able to get into the school! What happens if a better player comes along prior to the November signing period?

The earlier the commitment, the bigger the gamble both sides are taking. Leaving so many variables on the table inherently requires significant perseverance, and it can be a lot to ask for from a 16 or 17-year-old. And unfortunately in the baseball world, talking to coaches at other schools after a commitment is a major faux pas. Not only will it get around very quickly and is never well-perceived, but it can have professional ramifications if you decide to continue your career in coaching or professional baseball!

So, what do you take away from this? Bottom line, there is no such thing as too much information. One of my earlier entries focused on “getting it right the first time,” which, as the name implies, focused on all the different criteria that prospective student-athletes must consider in order to ensure a successful college career on and off the field. The Exclusive Program Staff coaches players to treat the entire junior year as a time to research schools, so that when you take advantage of the available visits, both unofficial and official, you will have enough information to make the best decision possible.

As a wrap-up, here are some advantages of both signing periods:

Early/November:
• Injuries or bad senior season won’t have any affect
• More scholarship money available (athletic and academic)
• More favorable admissions
• Process is complete – you get to enjoy the rest of your senior year!

Traditional/April:
• Applications are non-binding
• Schools may have new needs
• More time to develop – get bigger, stronger faster!
• More time to research and visit schools


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.

What Worked/What Didn’t

Julie Thompson – A Baseball Factory Parent’s Perspective

Introduction

Our son, Kyle, joined Baseball Factory’s Exclusive Program three years ago, when he was a junior in high school. We were beginning the college search and Kyle wanted to look at schools outside of the area, particularly ones in the south. Playing baseball at a competitive level was extremely important to him. Realizing a lot of other northern players were thinking the same thing – and suspecting an equal number of southern players weren’t anxious to swap places with boys from the north – we happily accepted Baseball Factory’s invitation to join the Exclusive Program. I’m here to share some of the experiences we had, hoping they might put your search further up the learning curve.

What Worked/What Didn’t

People sometimes roll their eyes when I tell them we actually enjoyed the college search process. Applications, stress…what’s not to love? Admittedly, a few parts of the hunt aged all of us. For the most part, though, it was an opportunity for our son to build a plan balancing both dreams and reality for the next chapter of his life. The plan was complicated by Kyle’s desire to head south. A life-long resident of the north, Kyle sought to trade cold, numb fingers and snow on early spring fields, for warm sunny skies and a long baseball season. We laid out our plan, taking counsel from Baseball Factory – and caught the first plane out of Dodge to get exposure to southern schools.

What We Did Right

(1) We pretty much followed Baseball Factory’s plan. Kyle’s resume and introductory letter helped us focus on who he was and what he’d done, both in academics and baseball. Having those documents also gave coaches a good starting point for conversations – Kyle then could elaborate on his background.

(2) We stayed organized. We put together an alphabetized notebook with tabs separating each school that showed interest. We highlighted the name of each coach, and kept notes of each conversation, so we could find information easily.

(3) Kyle followed Baseball Factory’s workout suggestions. His Personal Recruiting Director provided him with a pretty rigorous strength and conditioning regimen, as well as a set of drills that he worked on without any prodding from us. It was a lot of work. He started out in pretty solid shape, but improved even more – and it told us a lot about his discipline and determination.

(4) Kyle did most of the talking during our school visits. Okay, that one wasn’t easy for me…. Coaches really do want to talk to your son, though, and (sadly!) not us parents. We watched our ‘man of few words’ become downright well-spoken and engaging. You may be surprised at how relaxed, conversant, and intelligent your son turns out to be when he’s talking about his favorite topics!

(5) We chose a school that fit in ways other than baseball. Baseball may be the love of your son’s life – but there may be times when college baseball gets frustrating. He’ll weather those times better if he enjoys other aspects of the school’s college life, and is not there “just for baseball.”

What We Could Have Done Better

(1) If possible, meet with as many members of the coaching staff as you can – that includes the JV coach, if your son is going to be on a school’s JV team. The head coach is not the only person your son will interact with as he participates in the program, and you and your son will see how he fits with other members of the staff.

(2) Do a fairly thorough exploration of several schools that fit your criteria. Kyle’s first choice came through fairly early senior year, so we cut a couple of other situations short. Anything can happen – changes in the program, changes in the coaching staff that can impact how your son fits in the program as the year progresses. In retrospect, if it hadn’t worked out, we would have had limited our future options.

My parting thought – Communicate your goals and thoughts to your representatives at Baseball Factory. Trust them. They know what they’re talking about, and care about what you think and want. Together, you can make your son’s college baseball experience a happy and successful one.

What’s working and what’s not on your search?



Julie Thompson is a parent of a former Baseball Factory Exclusive Program player. She has volunteered to share her opinions, observations and general thoughts regarding the college recruiting and player development process. She will share what worked and what didn’t for her son, in the hope that other parents and players may benefit from her experience.

The Keys to an Effective Visit

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Players in the Exclusive Program recently took part in our 2008 Junior Visit Days, held at various schools around the country. Just to highlight some of our visits:

• At the University of Virginia, our players had the opportunity to meet with Coach Eddie Smith and discuss the Cavalier’s program and recruiting in general as well as meet with an Admissions Officer.
  

• While our visit to Salisbury University was mostly rained out, including a chance to watch the postseason-bound Sea Gulls play an intersquad game, our players were still able to meet with ABCA South Region Coach of the Year Doug Fleetwood.
  

• At the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, our Exclusive Players had a chance to go on a campus tour as well as meet with Coach Bob Mumma before watching the Golden Retrievers take on the University at Albany.
  

• On the west coast, our players had a chance to meet with Coach Chad Addison and see the University of California – San Diego play CSU Monterey Bay.

These were great opportunities set up by Justin Roswell and Woody Wingfield, but players shouldn’t wait to be invited to campus! There are many ways to get on campus beyond attending a college camp, just as long as you are proactive and plan ahead. Therefore, I’d like to take this week’s entry to discuss several opportunities to learn more about schools you are interested in.

Just FYI, high school players are allowed to take as many unofficial visits as they want. An unofficial visit is any visit to a college campus during which time the college or coach pays for none of your expenses including hotel, transportation, food, or even a bag of sunflower seeds. If the coach or another member of the university pays for anything, the visit will be considered an official visit.

Unofficial visits should be treated as fact-finding missions. On this visit, you should tour the campus and facilities, meet with someone from the admissions office (if the institution conducts interviews) and meet with someone from the baseball program. Typically, schools will have set times for campus tours and information sessions and display them on the Admissions Office web page. The school may also include an Information Session along with the tour; depending on your schedule, this may suffice over an individual meeting with an Admissions officer.

When trying to visit with someone from the baseball staff, do not show up to the coach’s door and expect him to have 30 minutes, or even 10 minutes, to sit down with you. If you set up a meeting with the baseball staff ahead of time, they will usually set aside time to answer your questions and discuss their program. Please realize that you must set up this meeting, not the coach nor your parents. Generally, this can be accomplished via e-mail with one of the assistant coaches. However, sometimes the admissions office can assist you in scheduling a meeting if you mention that you are a prospective student-athlete.

Come prepared with questions. Use this visit to learn as much as you can about the school, program, and coaching staff. Dress appropriately to talk in-person with admissions officers and coaches. Make sure you have questions ready to help you fill in the blanks in regards to what you already know about the school and program. Be honest and up front with the coach as he is gauging your personality and interest throughout the interview. Be tactful and make sure that you – not your parents – are initiating the conversation and developing the relationship. It is your future at stake, so take an active role!

Here is a laundry list of what you should try to accomplish on a visit:

• Take a campus tour (You can usually arrange one with the admissions office. At some schools they run hourly, but try to call ahead to make sure).
  


• Meet with a member of the admissions office or take part in an Admissions Information Session.
  


• Meet with a member of the coaching staff.
  


• Tour the athletic facility, including the baseball field.
  


• Meet with a player from the team.
  


• Sit in on a class (only during the school year).
  


• Go see a baseball practice or game (during the fall/spring season).

It’s never too early to begin visiting colleges to get a feel for the different campuses and baseball programs that are out there. Just taking a drive through a campus in your travels will be time well-spent in the long run. In the perfect world, you should start early and see as many schools as you can. This will greatly assist you throughout the college search process. You need to know what you’re looking for in a school and baseball program before any decisions are made and unfortunately, you can’t do this from your home!


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.

Breaking Down the Major League Draft

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

I would like to take a moment to congratulate the following Exclusive Program Alumni on their recent selection in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft:

-Michael McKenna (Rays, 14^th Round)
-Patrick Kantakevich (Orioles, 22^nd Round)
-Evan Bronson (Brewers, 36^th Round)
-Josh Hungerman (Colorado, 50^th Round)

I know I speak for everyone at the Baseball Factory when I wish you the very best of luck as you take on a career in professional baseball!

As you could probably tell, I’d like to spend this week’s entry discussing the Major League Draft. It’s an exciting time of the year, not only for players under consideration, but for fans of the game as well. Journalists across the US spend hours lauding the long-shot success storiescondemning the big busts. For players selected by a major league club, it represents the culmination of years of hard work, practice and determination. However, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and forget a few of the realities of the game we love.

Anybody who plays the game, no matter what they say, has a goal of making it to the Show. Just having the opportunity to be selected to play professional baseball is an honor and a privilege. But just how long of a shot is it? Check out this NCAA publication. Just to highlight:

-9.4%, or less than one in ten of NCAA baseball players will get drafted by a Major League Baseball team.
-0.45%, less than one in 200 of high school senior baseball players will be drafted.

Considering that less than 5% of all drafted players make it to the big leagues, those are incredible odds!

One reality that even baseball purists must recognize is that professional baseball is, first and foremost, a business. Players are considered investments and First-Year selections are made based on projections of those potential returns. How is this reflected in the draft?

Looking back at the last few years of the draft, there are a few noticeable trends I’d like you all to think about. In the first five rounds of the MLB draft in 2004-2008, 63% of players selected came from a college baseball background. Even in later rounds, this only dropped to 57%. So, a few thoughts to take from this:

-Professional baseball will spend the majority of its draft money on college players, especially in the earlier rounds.
-Professional clubs tend to view college players as better investments overall, judging from the fact that even in the later rounds, college players still comprise the majority of selections.
-Even if they are better players, high school prospects still tend to rank behind college players because they lack the track record of a college career.
-Major league scouts and clubs are more willing to invest in a college player based on their career in college. If they can find success at the college level, they are more likely to be taken in the draft over a raw high school player.
-Check back next week when I discuss the decision to go to college over taking on the life of a professional baseball player.


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 Right Place at the Right Time - Part 2

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Before getting into this week’s topic, please take a minute to review last week’s entry regarding college camps and their role in the recruiting process. This week, I will be going over the role of college showcases and how you can maximize the benefit of attending one.

The showcase route, while obviously dealing in greater numbers of players and scouts, should no less receive the same type of “quality over quantity” consideration as college camps. For coaches, they are cost-effective and allow them to save money in their recruiting budget by seeing more players at one place. At the same time, they offer good opportunities for players to be seen by a larger number of coaches, compared to camps. However, players have a very limited number of swings, ground balls and playing time in general. With limited playing time comes more pressure to perform.

Too many times, players attend events where they are over matched and melt into the crowd. Another common mistake is that players attend so many events that by the time they make it to a worthwhile event, their feet are heavier, their bat is slower and their arm is fatigued! Some colleges will only have one chance to see you play, so you need to be ready and prepared every time you get in front of them. That being said, I would recommend getting some local showcase experience along the way to prepare for a pressure-filled environment.

We work with our Exclusive Players to plan out their showcase schedule in conjunction with all their planned activities. For instance, it makes no sense to attend a showcase immediately after a family vacation. If it’s been more than a week since you’ve picked up a bat, how can you expect to impress a college scout? You will do yourself a favor by passing on an opportunity rather than trying to labor through a workout. Not only could you reverse any momentum you’ve made in the process, but you also risk the chance of getting hurt.

Just like with individual camps, it’s also important to do some reconnaissance and figure out which schools are going to be represented at the showcase. Are these schools you are interested in attending, and can you play there? More importantly, are you going to be able to distinguish yourself among the other 199 players present? Every event features prospects that are fine players in their own right, but are unfortunately missed because they are not one of the better players at this event.

Some assumptions you CANNOT make when considering showcases:

-Every coach is going to be able to see me and I am going to get my fair share of exposure.
-Showcases are one in the same.
-The more showcases I attend, the better off I’ll be.
-I’m bound to get a phone call and a scholarship offer after this showcase.
-I’ll know exactly where I stand with the colleges who attend this event.
-All the colleges who attended in the past will be there.

The biggest mistake you can make is to write a check every time the mail comes in. With proper research and planning, you can maximize the amount and type of exposure you get with each of these events and create some serious momentum for yourself in the recruiting process. Showcases and college camps are important steps in the recruiting process, but there needs to be a game plan and strategy in place, so you don’t spin your wheels as you empty your pocket book. Doing everything is NOT the answer here. There is such a thing as the right place at the right time!


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.

Glenn Gray – Occidental University

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Glenn Gray (San Diego, CA) was recently named to the 2008 Second Team All-SCIAC for the Occidental University Tigers. Glenn finished the season for the Tigers with a .373 batting average, four homeruns, .449 on-base percentage, and 28 RBI’s.

For the second consecutive year Gray, a sophomore left fielder, earned this honor. During SCIAC play Gray batted .375 with 21 hits (fourth on the team) including a pair of triples and homeruns. Additionally, Gray drew a team high seven walks. He drove in 12 runs (fourth on the team) while scoring 13 runs (second on the team) as he finished SCIAC competition with 34 total bases. His .607 conference slugging percentage also led the Tigers as he accumulated a .438 on base percentage. Gray was responsible for 27 putouts with one assist and no errors in the outfield.

Four years ago was the first time that we had the privilege of watching Glenn Gray workout for our organization. In May of 2004, we held a National Tryout at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. Players that day tried out for various Baseball Factory events. I was glancing through the scout cards while the players were stretching, and noticed a player who had written Scripps Ranch High School, which is my alma mater. It was Glenn Gray, an outfielder with above average speed, a good glove, and a smooth swing from the left side.

Our scouts that day enjoyed watching Gray perform and invited him to attend our Dodgertown World Series, which was being held at Dodgertown, Spring Training Home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gray happily accepted the opportunity and was looking forward to stepping on the same field as some of the Dodger greats, even though he was a San Diego Padre fan at heart.

At the Dodgertown World Series, Gray performed very well during the workouts and tournament play. Because of his outstanding performance, we invited Glenn to attend the 2005 and 2006 Baseball Factory Pre-Season All American Tournament (now the Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament) that was being held at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

In addition to his participation at the Dodgertown World Series, Gray represented Baseball Factory at the Best of the West Hawaii Tournament, participated at the Mac Seibert Training Camp, and our Exclusive College Recruiting Program.

Gray will head up to the Northwest to play for the Moses Lake (WA) Pirates of the competitive West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL).

Occidental finished the season with a 15-24 overall record and a 7-14 mark in SCIAC play.

We would also like to acknowledge several other players who have participated in Baseball Factory events.

Best of luck to those outstanding student-athletes as they continue their baseball careers at Oxy.

Ross Pomerantz, Freshman, LHP, 5’11”, 165, L/L, Marin Academy, Kentfield, CA

Spencer Woolwine, Junior, Util/RHP, 5’10”, 180, R/R, Middle Park HS, Winder Park, CO

Nicholas Smallman, Freshman, RHP, 6’0”, 175, R/R, Carson HS, Carson City, NV

Check out the team roster and overall stats.


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.