Omaha Training and Tournament Day 1 Recap
Day 1
After one of the toughest travel days we could remember with many flights delayed or cancelled due to bad weather, all the players attending the Omaha Pro Select Training and Tournament have arrived. 22 states were represented from the Baseball Factory players in attendance including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, and Wisconsin. We have one player from Canada as well. The players are getting a good taste of what baseball is like in other parts of the country which will prepare them well for college baseball. They also are getting a crash course in college living by rooming at Iowa Western College and living the life of a college student (staying in the dorms, eating in the dining hall, walking to the baseball fields, attending team meetings in the gymnasium and classrooms). This experience should bode well for their confidence when it is time to transition to college life.
The teams got a comprehensive workout in to get a chance to familiarize themselves with the Baseball Factory coaching staff and their teammates. An impressive group of instructors will be sharing their knowledge with the players including current and former professional players, scouts, and college coaches. In total, 19 staff members will be interacting with the boys. The teams worked on situational defense drills, instructional rotations, and many pitchers threw a bullpen.
At night, Steve Bernhardt our EVP of Baseball Operations, lead a group meeting for parents and players and introduced the staff and reviewed the itinerary. I had a chance to speak to the group and let them know that 56 Baseball Factory and Team One alumni make up nearly 20% of the players participating in this year’s College World Series. The players got a chance to see each alum’s name and the event they participated in with our Company. It will be nice for the group to attend tomorrow’s game of North Carolina vs. Rice and root on our alumni. Kelly Kulina, our SVP of the Exclusive Program, finished out the night with a very informative seminar on some key rule changes that the NCAA has enacted that greatly effect the college recruiting process. He detailed changes made to the minimum scholarship level for baseball, the elimination of text messaging from college coaches to players, new restrictions on roster sizes, having to sit out an academic year if a player transfers, and the importance of the Academic Performance Rating. Players should have walked away with an understanding that academic achievement is of paramount importance in the eyes of a college coach.
After some late night runs to the airport to pick up the final arrivals, all the players were off to bed after a long first day of travel and baseball. More news to come tomorrow as workouts continue in preparation for the Triple Crown Baseball Tournament starting on Saturday. Stay tuned.
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