There is Good High School Baseball Talent All Over the Country

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Many parents believe that the best baseball players in the country have to come from warm weather states. Do you agree?

I would agree that the average high school player in the warm weather states (ie: California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc) tends to be stronger versus the colder/seasonal climates. This is most likely a result of these players having the distinct advantage of getting to play outside on a year round basis. While the average high school player in these areas may be stronger, I have found over the years at Baseball Factory that there is upper echelon talent all over the country and in places you might not suspect.

Let’s take this past weekend for example. I traveled to Portland, Oregon to run Baseball Factory’s Under Armour National Tryout and Signature College Recruiting Program in Monmouth, Oregon (just outside of Portland). Keep in mind, this event took place in November so we utilized an indoor facility. Baseball Factory hadn’t held an event in Oregon since 1998, but we have had the pleasure of working with many Oregon based players over the years in events that took place in other states. In fact, 25% of the current Oregon State baseball roster are alumni of Baseball Factory or Team One.

Getting back to this weekend, we worked with a total of 45 players. This group was extremely focused, engaged, and serious about baseball. Everyone showed up on time and they had a strong sense of desire and determination. Once the baseball drills and testing started, this group did not disappoint! As a whole, this was one of our most talented sessions to date this year. Keep in mind that Baseball Factory holds 200 events a year in areas all over the country and into Canada. Would you ever suspect that Portland, Oregon would be one of the most talented groups? I am sure the players and parents that were in attendance this weekend would have.

So if you live in a state that is not known for producing top high school baseball talent or is in a seasonal climate, don’t let it get you down. All it means is that you might need to be a little more creative. Seek out alternate ways for your sons to train like using indoor facilities in the colder months. Just use it as motivation to help your sons work harder!

If anyone from our Oregon session is reading this blog, thanks for a great weekend. It was a pleasure meeting the parents and working with this talented group of players. Baseball Factory will certainly not be waiting another 10 years before we come back to Oregon. Most likely it will be closer to 10 months.

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.

Versatility = Chances to Play

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

At our Player Development events one of the things we stress is defensive versatility. We try to encourage every player to be comfortable at multiple positions, because you never know the circumstances you will find yourself in each year. Many players in our program have made the jump from high school to college only to find a successful upperclassman cemented at their primary position. When that happens, it doesn’t matter how great you were in high school, the returning college shortstop who hit .400 last year is going to be the starter. Your ability to play another position (and keep your ego in check) may be the only chance you have to crack the lineup.

As I watched the Angels and Red Sox play in the ALDS, two Team One alumni reminded me of the importance of having the ability and willingness to play different positions. Jed Lowrie knocked in the winning run in the final game of the series for the Red Sox. He is their starting shortstop – the same position he played at North Salem High School in Oregon when he attended our Team One event – but this has not always been the case. In fact, Lowrie played very little shortstop while starring for powerhouse Stanford University. His first taste of college baseball came in the spring of his freshman year when he got to play several games at third base. By the end of the season, he had won the starting second base job. He remained their All-American second baseman through his junior year when he was selected as the 45th pick overall in the 2005 draft by the Red Sox. His versatility has helped him already in his short Major League career as Jed has played 2B and 3B in addition to SS this year for the Sox.

Another talented player who made a position switch is Mark Teixeira. Teixeira was one of the top high school players in the country when we saw him at Team One as a third baseman. He started at 3B from the day he set foot on the Georgia Tech campus and put up impressive numbers during his ACC career. In fact, he won the Dick Howser Trophy as the College Player of the Year. Despite all of his success, professional baseball presented Mark with a new challenge. His path to be the Texas Rangers’ third baseman was blocked by another top prospect, Hank Blalock. As we all know, Mark made a seamless transition to first base where he has won two gold gloves and is a perennial All-Star. Mark’s versatility and willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team is evidenced by the fact that he played 3B, LF, RF, DH and 1B during his first year in the Major Leagues.

These are just two examples of players who had tasted success at one position but were willing and able to change positions in order to earn playing time and help their team. Do yourself a favor – keep working hard at your primary position, but make sure you’re comfortable playing another position or two if the situation arises.


Steve Bernhardt is the Executive VP of Baseball Operations with Baseball Factory. Bernhardt played for five years in the Colorado Rockies organization. As Executive VP of Baseball Operations at Baseball Factory, he oversees all events and instruction. Bernhardt currently serves as an Associate Scout with the Colorado Rockies. He received his B.S. from the University of Richmond where he was an All-Conference player.

C.C. Sabathia - Milwaukee Brewers

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

C.C. Sabathia has been on fire. With his move to the National League, he has put the Brewers in playoff contention. With the Brew Crew, C.C. has kept his earned run average to 1.82 and has a record of 9 – 1 with 107 strikeouts (230 overall). The Brewers are currently second in the Wild Card race, so I’m sure the last couple of weeks of the season will prove to be very exciting.

Coming out of the draft he was the top high school prospect coming out of Northern California according to Baseball America. C.C. was also an all-conference tight end in football at Vallejo High School and had scholarship offers to play college football and had signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Hawaii. He was selected to the 28-man United States Olympic Team Roster in 2000 and appeared in one pre-Olympic tournament game in Sydney, Australia, but was not on the official 24-man, Gold Medal-winning roster.

The 2007 Cy Young winner in the American League with the Cleveland Indians, C.C. is a former Team One Alum, having participated in the 1997 Team One National Showcase.

On a side note, C.C has donated $100 dollars for every batter he has struck out since the 2005 season. This donation goes to Strikeouts For Troops. To date the program has raised $54,200.

We wish C.C. the best of luck down the stretch as he continues to make a push to get the Brewers into the playoffs.



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.

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.

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.

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.

LIVE: From the Under Armour Southeast Tournament

Dave Lax: We're There

With temperatures hitting the mid 90s and high humidity in the air it can only mean one thing: Jupiter, FL. It is that time of year again when the top travel teams come from all over the southeastern part of the United States to compete for the title of Under Armour Southeast Regional Wood Bat Champion. 24 teams take the stage at the Roger Dean Sports Complex in Jupiter, the spring training home of the St. Louis Cardinals. In only its second year, the event has already made a name and reputation for itself. There was a 15 team waiting list to even enter this year’s tournament.

Scouts and college coaches were out in force to hopefully find the next Tim Beckham, 2008 #1 overall draft pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in this years Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Tim dazzled at this very same tournament one year ago and his team the Atlanta Blue Jays are back. The Blue Jays bring a strong team again this year with standout players like Braxton Lane who will be competing in this year’s Under Armour All-America Game, powered by Baseball Factory, held on August 17 at Wrigley Field. With each team playing four games in the first three days of this tournament, which is also the round robin portion of the event, teams were looking to get off to a quick start.

The Freshwater Storm made the first noise of the day with an 11-2 victory over the Broward Mavericks. They later went on to win their second game of the day improving to 2-0 with a win against the Columbus Explorers. However, the Storm was not the only hot team on this day. The Baseball Factory Red team proved to be a force in this tournament. Baseball Factory Red won their first game with a 4-1 margin over the Palm Beach PAL. In their second contest of the day a close game was broken wide open in the top half of the last inning when the Baseball Factory Red put up eight runs against the Pompano Beach Post 142 to cruise in with their second victory.

In one of the highly anticipated match-ups of the tournament the Atlanta Blue Jays took on the All-American Prospects Navy. With three Under Armour All-Americans between the two competing teams and a former Cape Cod High School Classic participant there was no shortage of talent on the field. The game did not live up to the hype as a pitching and defensive battle took center stage until the Prospects pushed a few runs across in back to back innings taking the win 7-0. However, the game must have taken its toll because the very next game the Prospects played they lost to the Broward Mavericks.

As we look forward to Day 2 we can only hope that there is more great baseball to come from Jupiter. Check back in tomorrow as we continue to recap the highlights from the tournament.

Ryan Pineda - Cal State University, Northridge

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Ryan Pineda, former Baseball Factory standout and current freshman at Cal State Northridge, was recently named the Big West Conference Freshman Player of the Year. Pineda led Big West freshmen with 17 doubles, six home runs, and 32 RBI in 2008 and capped the season with a walk-off home run in the final game of the year.

Pineda participated in a National Tryout that we held in Las Vegas, Nevada back in February 2006. His performance at that event merited an invitation to attend the inaugural 2007 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament, powered by Baseball Factory.

Pineda is the first Matador to claim the honor since Northridge joined the Big West in 2001. A member of the biggest freshman class in the nation in 2008, Pineda was a touted shortstop from Bonanza High School of Las Vegas. After working out at second base through the fall, he eventually found his way to third early in the regular season and made his first start at that position in the tenth game of the year.

He would go on to make 44 starts at third base, seven more at second, and one at designated hitter. He was the Matadors most oft-used freshman and was one start shy of Richard Cates and John Parham (former Baseball Factory Participant), who led the team with 53 starts.

Pineda's season peaked with a 5-for-5 performance against the University of the Pacific; a day in which he smacked homers in his first two at bats and finished with three RBI and three runs scored. The production spilled over into the following day when he reached base in his first four plate appearances. He was on base a staggering nine consecutive times between the two games.

He was also responsible for arguably the most exciting moment of the 2008 season. Leading off the bottom of the ninth with his team tied 5-5 with UC Davis, Pineda sent the first pitch he saw deep into the trees beyond the left field wall for a walk-off home run.

Pineda leads a group of six Matadors on the All-Conference list. Pineda, TS Reed – 2B, John Parham – Util, and Phil Hann – SP, were each tabbed honorable mention while Richard Cates – Util and Edwin Quirarte – RP, were named to the Big West Second Team.

Another freshman infielder, TS Reed came out of nowhere to lead the Matadors and all Big West freshmen with 16 stolen bases. The second baseman also posted a .310 batting average for the year. Reed attended the 2006 Team One West Showcase and later the 2007 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament, powered by Baseball Factory.

Parham checked in with a .348 batting average that was second best on the team, and his six home runs were knotted for first on the squad.

We would like to acknowledge Ryan and his Matador teammates on their tremendous accomplishments as student-athletes.

Check out the Northridge roster and team 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.

A.J. Pollock – Notre Dame University

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Recently, A.J. Pollock (Hebron, CT) sophomore at the University of Notre Dame earned his second consecutive Player of the Week honors after leading the Irish to a 5-0 week. A.J. hit .579 (11-for-19) with eight runs scored and five RBIs. He recorded a pair of doubles, a pair of triples and one home run to slug 1.053 for the week. He posted four multi-hit games, including three three-hit performances. He is in his second season for the Irish platooning the infield and outfield positions. After 42 games, he is leading the team with a .400 batting average, 3 hr’s, 34 RBI’s, and a fielding percentage of .977.

I had the privilege of watching A.J. perform at both the 2005 Team One East Showcase and on our Team One All-Star team at the Premier Fall Classic.

Let’s go back a few years to the fall of 2005. I had just received a phone call from the University of Notre Dame recruiter asking about a high school senior named A.J. Pollock from Hebron, Connecticut. He had seen over the summer at the 2005 Team One East Showcase and was actively recruiting him. The coach saw that we would be fielding a Team One All-Star team at the Premier Fall Classic and wanted to see if A.J. would be competing for our squad. I said, “As of right now, he is not scheduled to play for our team, I believe he has a basketball commitment, but I can make a phone call.” After I got off the phone with the coach from Notre Dame, I called Mr. Pollock to see if he could get A.J. out to the tournament because Notre Dame would like to see A.J. one more time and possibly offer him a baseball scholarship. He immediately called the airlines and was able to get his son out to Arizona for the tournament. During the tournament A.J. did not make an OUT, he was on fire and the coach from Notre Dame was following our squad from field to field. His main concern was locking A.J. up for their team. One week later, the University of Notre Dame offered A.J. a baseball scholarship and he signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Notre Dame and be a part of the storied Irish tradition.

We would like to acknowledge A.J. on his academic and athletic achievements at Notre Dame.

Check out A.J.’s bio and current 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.

Matthew Colantonio – Brown University

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Matthew Colantonio (Garden City, NY), current true freshman for Brown University was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. After 35 games with the Bears, Matt is hitting .384 with 21 RBI’s and leads the team with a .493 on-base percentage.

Prior to Matt’s collegiate career, he was an outstanding student-athlete in high school. He participated at several Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball Showcases. His very first event was the Baseball Factory B.A.T.S. (Baseball and Academic Targeting Service) Program—now the Signature College Recruiting Program. His performance at the B.A.T.S. event propelled him to earn a spot on the Baseball Factory USA Junior Olympic Tournament team.

He continued to train, condition, and work on his game and was asked to represent Baseball Factory at Dodgertown and train with former National Cross-checker Mac Seibert. Mac selected Matt to attend the 2006 All American Tournament and the Team One East Showcase. Matt performed very well at Team One East and was honored as one of the top ten participants at that event, eventually leading the coaching staff at Brown to offer Matt an opportunity to earn a spot on their 2008 roster.

We would like to acknowledge Matt on his academic and athletic achievements at Brown.

Check out Matt’s bio and current 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.

Jimmy Key, What’s He Like 45?

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Remember that ESPN commercial? The one where ESPN drafted a sports anchor out of high school. The scouting reports were off the charts, but the kid just wasn’t emotionally ready. One of my favorites, and they’ve had some good ones, including the spelling bee, Ozzie Guillen call to the bullpen, and cannon fodder.

Anyway, back on topic…I started thinking about this commercial because I was noticing how many players drafted straight out of high school are off to a great start in 2008.

David Wright, 3B, New York Mets
.343, 12 runs, 4 homeruns, 19 RBI, 3 stolen bases, 1.165 OPS

Justin Upton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
.384, 11 runs, 5 homeruns, 13 RBI, 1.091 OPS

B.J. Upton, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
.338, 14 runs, 2 homeruns, 16 RBI, 4 stolen bases

Nate McLouth, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
.375, 16 runs, 3 homeruns, 16 RBI, 2 stolen bases, 1.082 OPS

Josh Hamilton, OF, Texas Rangers
.305, 11 runs, 4 homeruns, 19 RBI, .923 OPS

All Baseball Factory/Team One alumni, by the way. There are many more young players lighting up the box scores and making a serious impact on their teams.

These players are all under 27 years old, but are quickly becoming the future of their respective ball clubs. At the same time, players like Mike Mussina (39 years old, 5.75 ERA and potentially out of the Yankees starting rotation), Frank Thomas (39 years old, released on Sunday by the Blue Jays) and Pedro Martinez (36 years old, on the DL with a 10.80 ERA) are taking a back seat as their careers wind down.

Keep an eye on the next batch of young stars drafted straight out of high school including Jay Bruce (21 years old), Cameron Maybin (21), Colby Rasmus (21) and Homer Bailey (21). You may see them this year in a starting lineup near you. In addition, check out the Sports Illustrated/TAKKLE Top 100 players, powered by Baseball Factory. Many of these top high school players will be first round selections in this year’s amateur draft.

Brett Jackson - California Golden Bears

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Brett Jackson, former Baseball Factory and Team One standout, is shining at the next level. Brett is currently in his second varsity season for the Cal Bears who compete in the Pac-10 Conference. He is one of their top outfielders, hitting .331 with 22 RBI’s, and 9 stolen bases in 34 games.

Prior to Brett’s collegiate career, he was an exceptional high school athlete. In addition to his high school accolades, he attended several Baseball Factory events and Team One Showcases. As a matter of fact, he started out as a participant in the Baseball Factory B.A.T.S. (Baseball and Academic Targeting Service) Program—now the Signature College Recruiting Program. His outstanding performance at that event led our on-field staff to select him for the 2005 and 2006 Baseball Factory All-American Tournaments.

At the All-American event he performed very well and our scouting staff selected Brett for both the 2005 Team One West and Team One National Showcases. Those events gave the coaching staff at Berkeley the opportunity to see Brett perform. Eventually the Cal coaches recruited Brett to play for the Bears and offered him a baseball scholarship.

We would like to acknowledge Brett and his tremendous accomplishments as a student-athlete.

Check out Brett’s bio and current 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.