The status of Academy guys
So often you see player development programs associate themselves with guys who they worked with once or twice, or who wore their jersey for a tournament or two. You can't make this list by hanging out a few times, or even for a few weeks. This list is true blue tried through and through Academy Guys! This group sweat together, bled together and cried together, often times in championship glory! In fact, almost every guy on this list won a championship of some form with our staff members. Note that it's not always about who is playing at the top levels either (which we have many), it's more than that. We proudly claim these dudes, and they claim us too!
Abi Ortiz
Abi Ortiz spent over a year with us and is one of the best overall hitters we've worked with. He had the ability to hit and the ability to hit for power and we helped him tap into those. He was an all region player for us and was fortunate to sign with the Texas Rangers during his time with us. This past season, in 2023, not only did he go play in the Arizona Fall League, but he was named the Texas Rangers Minor League Player of the Year. We anticipate even bigger things for Abi in his career.
Carlos Garmendia
Carlos was on our first team and of course led the club in homeruns and doubles! Yes Carlos was drafted and yes he was an amazing player, but an amazing person is how we refer to him. We've worked closely with Carlos and his family over the course of the last 10 years, even when we got destroyed by Hurricane Ian, his family was there within days providing relief for us and their other contacts in the area. The reason this name is so familiar to you is because Carlos and his family invented the G-Swing! That's right, Carlos Garmendia and Gradum Baseball are synonymous with one another and we're glad him and his family are a part of ours.
Carlos Rodriguez
Yes Carlos is extremely gifted. Carlos had the choice to go to University of Miami out of high school or roll around with us for a year and he chose us! 10 months later, he was drafted in the 6th round. Professional scouts who tell the truth would say that we had a big impact on him in that time, and so would Carlos. Since then he has pitched in the World Baseball Classic and been named the Milwaukee Brewers Pitcher of the Year for their entire minor league organization for two years in a row. The dude is currently in big league camp with the Brewers.
Brian Van Belle
Only two programs offered this kid a scholarship out of high school (Archbishop McCarthy), and we happened to be the ones who landed him. Brian showed up as a freshman at about 160 lbs soaking wet. The kid worked his butt off, fed himself every 90 minutes and bought into The Academy Method. A few years after joining us, he found himself signing to University of Miami where he was the #1 performer in all of college baseball in 2020. Brian signed with the Red Sox and is currently in AAA hoping to make a big league roster.
Austin Langham
They don't make'em like this cat anymore! Austin was also on our first team and was a part of our first championship. After playing with us, Austin went to FAU. He holds the rare distinction of being a starter for all four years of college baseball. That's a lot of AB's... He also got better every day, and challenged himself physically and mentally. Austin lead by example and was a team captain and leader, he now works in physical therapy in the Lee County area and is a stalwart of a guy.
Chucky Vazquez
Our original catcher, Chucky was drafted and ended up playing for us after for two years. The kid was loved by teammates because he cared so deeply for them. After he was done playing for us, he went to Lipscomb University in Tennessee and got the chance to play in the Yankees organization. He came back and worked on his catcher and wanted to expand his ability to play other positions too, so we kept working with him. Now Chuck is a top notch insurance salesman and cares about his clients!
Michael Agis
Mike came to us from San Antonio where he was an undersized RHP that didn't get much college attention. Well he was an Academic All-American for two years with us, an all conference player, then went to FIU and proceeded to get drafted by the Rockies. He spent a few years in their organization and now he is coaching college baseball at the Division I level at University of Central Florida. Not many like Mike for sure!
Danny Dopico
Danny Dopes is the poster child for a dude betting on himself! He pitched 1 inning in high school... Yes that's right he pitched 1 inning. A tough but scrawny Danny rolled the dice and came to join our system and less than 2 years later he was pumping 96 mph and getting drafted in the 11th round by the White Sox. He's made it as high as AAA and has pitched in the PR Winter League for a number of years. He's in Miami making moves like guys in Miami do.
Ryan Guerra
Ryan Guerra outkicked his coverage. Both with his significant other and with his baseball career! Ryan got cut from Miami-Dade after his Freshman Fall. His humble work ethic and fiery competitiveness fit our mold, so after two years together we found it easy to battle for him. We called U of Miami and told them he was good enough, they listened. He went to Omaha folks! Not only that, he struck out the side in bottom 9 of the Regional Title game to send UM to a Super Regional (which they won). Ryan reps the underdog in all of us and we still love to see him smile.
Lorenzo Papa
Lorenzo gifted us with one of the funniest lines we've ever heard from a players mouth. After getting jammed and laying a hitters nightmare weak pop back to the pitcher, Lorenzo approached the dugout while ripping his batting gloves off and in his thick Boston accent said, "That's it, it's ova! I shoulda stuck to hockey... I was the best goalkeepa in New England." Lorenzo also gifted us with an amazing heart and his father Joe was an unforgettable gentleman. Lorenzo runs his Dads pastry shop in Boston.
Robert Cancio
Robert had no college scholarship offers when we met him. He threw 84 mph and thought he was a hitter. 14 months later Robert signed a six figure contract with the Minnesota Twins after being drafted with a fastball from the left side at 96 mph. We taight him how to strike people out! Robert had a devastating breaking ball, but was a devastatingly tireless worker. He pitched with the Twins and Red Sox before hanging them up.
Daniel Garmendia
Daniel Garmendia has an indomitable will, one we deeply respect. He is creative and responsible and he cares. Danny was a big time believer in us as people, and we return that now. He spent a year with us before moving on to a junior college in Melbourne and a four year school in Palm Beach before being drafted by the Kansas City Royals and spending a few seasons chasing the dream. He is now in law enforcement.
Alvin Swoope
Alvin Swoope is a straight up life champion. We looked at Alvin in the eyes and asked him to give us a chance, to believe in our ability, and we thank him for believing and trusting us. Mr. Swoope is a husband and a father and owns an athletic performance business in the Port St Lucie area. He was fun to coach and train, and it's even more fun now watching his growth as a young man.
Jojo Collazo
Jojo is one of the best teammates we ever had the pleasure to coach. He came from a place where he was told they had better, he was referred to us by a player that we had who said, "This is your kind of player." Boy was that assessment accurate. Jojo used his toughness and his grit to stand out and navigate his way to a four year scholarship at a Division 1 school. Now he is a teacher and coach at a high school in Texas.
JC Milan
One of our all timers, JC was humble in his work ethic and confident in his ability. He came to us as a raw piece of meat and left us as a refined athlete who could swing the bat. He was one of the first to ever go famous for a bat flip, look up his name and batflip and you'll see, dude went nationwide. JC knocked on the door of the major leagues, making it all the way to AAA before retiring in the Marlins organization. He is a great father and a great husband.
Andres Lopez
The King of doubles in AA Baseball in Puerto Rico, still playing for Humacao. We actually discovered Andres when we were watching ESPN3 and he was playing for team Puerto Rico in a Big League World Series National Championship game! No joke. Two months later he was with us stroking doubles all over South Florida and leading his coaching staff to their first championship trophy. Amazing young man as well as a husband and father.
Rigo Beltran
Rigo Beltran was another guy that no one thought was any good! His first college coach cut him and discarded him. We revamped his entire methodologies. His foundation was strong in terms of work ethic and desire, he just needed to be pointed in the right direction in terms of daily gameplan and regimen, sometimes that's all it is. He went to Lynn University after being with us for a year and ended up getting drafted and pitching for a few years. Now he is an insurance salesman.
Orlando Rodriguez
Orly as we call him is still pitching professionally in the Twins organization even though he graced us long ago for three years from 2014-2016. The man has a long line of accomplishments, but above all he is a true and loyal friend. He pitched and won championships in College, went to the College World Series and pitched in front of thousands. He was one of the hardest workers and most intelligent kids we ever worked with.
Rayden Sierra
Ray is one of our big time success stories. He came to us from the island of DR. He is a very smart young man, has a wife and a daughter. He lives in Ft Myers and works as a Hitting Coordinator in the Twins organization. Ray spent two full years with us before heading to Tennessee to play at a four year school. While with us, he won two championships and was an academic All American as well an All Conference player before eventually garnering All American honors up in Tennessee. He went viral one time for hitting 4 homers in a game!
Yordany Salva
Yordany was quite a piece of work alright! One of the most skilled catchers period, like as in period... Yordany could command the game from behind the dish. We worked with him to hone his skills and help his pathway to professional baseball. He helped us win our first two championships as coaches. Kid could catch. Drafted by the Kansas City Royals.
Ray Catena
What an incredible slider this guy had. Here is Ray's story. Ray went to Southern Mississippi to play baseball, or so he thought. He was released after being redshirted and came to workout for us. His hardest fastball he threw for us that day was 82 mph. Two years later after working with us, he signed a scholarship with UMiami while flashing 91 and 92 mph from the left side with a devastating hook. He did the work, we showed him how. He lives in Georgia now and sells Real Estate.
Ian Exposito
Expo as we called him was another top notch competitor who believed in The Method. He came to us and really bought into the totality of our development methods and was rewarded with not just a scholarship to a very good Florida D1, but eventually moved into professional baseball and was fortunate to pitch for multiple professional organizations, including the D'Backs and the Brewers. Ian was a big part of a championship season with us and was always down for the cause. Ian is a father and a husband.
Chris Cabrera
In our all time legend club, we started with Cabby when he was 14 years old! Kid could swing the bat from the day we met him, but we worked with him across the board to develop himself physically and mentally. Ended up having an amazing collegiate career with all types of personal accolades. Believed so much in our plans that upon finishing college, he came and joined our staff, ended up as a D1 coach the following year and now a scout with the Milwaukee Brewers. His best attribute is how much he gives back to the game.
Louis Pugliese
Often overlooked because of overall physical attributes, Louis was a total performer. He spent 5 years in our development system and we believed in him just as much as he believed in us. Kid pitched with a chip on his shoulder and that was what created the buy in, we understood that and fostered all of his other skills. Louis became a young man and will always be a part of our family, just like his lovely mother and father.
Danny Reyes
The ultimate baseball gentleman, Danny was drafted out of high school and went to U of Florida and played in a College World Series as a freshman. Unsatisfied with a few components, Danny came to us in hopes of improving draft status and his overall game. Danny tells us that playing with us taught him how to hit like a man! Potentially because we moved the fences all the way back into another zip code on him. He squared to bunt in his first round of BP and we said, "Danny we don't bunt here." His smile said it all. Danny went to UMiami and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He is an even better person than he was a ballplayer, and dude was a stud.
Onix Vega
We worked with Onix on every position in the infield, and he played C, 1B, 2B, 3B and SS for us. The scouts noticed especially as he destroyed the baseball all season long helping the club win a championship. We always told Onix, "it only takes one team," and that one team was the Washington Nationals. They were the only team to turn him in for the draft and he has returned the favor by continuing to be a prospect in the organization six years later. We're rooting for Onix and his chase.
Abdel Guadalupe
Guada showed up as a left handed throwing outfielder and left as an all state right handed throwing infielder. That's right, we taught him how to play baseball with his other hand because we saw his deepest potential as an infielder. This guy is still playing! Most recently as the International League Player of the Year, he also was a 1st round draft pick in the PR Winter League by Roberto Alomar's team, RA12. Abdel soaked up our system and still preaches all of our principles, we're happy he is a proponent of ours, as we are of him.
Alejandro Rivero
Alejandro is another case of a player who was gifted when we got him but totally invested in his own future. He took academics very seriously when many others would not have, he took being a good teammate and a good friend, and he worked tirelessly at his craft. For us our goal was to shore up his weaknesses and make his strengths even more of an asset. His work paid off, as he got a four year degree and signed to play professionally with the Chicago Cubs. Alejandro is one of the best we've worked with.
Alex Carballo
Bo was easily our most competitive player probably ever! He never met a challenge he wouldn't find a way around. Alex was gifted physically and he grew his game tremendously over the years he worked with us. He was a combination of all the things that make coaching enjoyable, we worked together on his physical, mental and game IQ growth. He saw the benefits of all the things we offered and he kept us a part of his journey as a ballplayer and as a young man. Played on scholarship at a four year D1 and is now an accountant.
DJ Croes
We flew to the island of Aruba and found DJ down there swinging a heavy left handed bat. We loved it and challenged him to develop himself physically and he for sure met it. After joining us Dijendrick found himself in the middle of a very talented lineup with our program and helped lead his team to a championship. He learned principles with us that he took back to his everyday life in Aruba and now he is a championship contending MMA fighter as well as a father.
Scott Creedon
Scottie is a real gem. We incidentally found Scott pondering his next move after having some success throughout his high school career, he was the Massachusetts Player of the Year two years in a row. We brought him into the fold and he remains a part of our family. He had a very successful collegiate career spanning Florida and Oklahoma and now he works at Stewards Sports Guthrie in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Manny Bejerano
Sometimes you love someone so much you have to teach them how to properly wear a baseball belt! For Manny sometimes it was stuff as simple as that! A gifted player and a great hearted human being, Manny was quite the presence to have around. He kept the string alive for us of having a catcher drafted professionally every year for 5 consecutive seasons at one point when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Shane Rowe
Shane was willing to do whatever it took to get better every day, and that was and is the essence of how we operate. He had a relentless attitude towards self improvement and sucked up information like a sponge. While he wasn't the most gifted player, he worked his way into being a formidable weapon on a good college baseball club. His passion though, was the weight room and anything to do with improving physical and mental health. He now owns his own athletic performance company called Rowe Performance.
Kyle Pierce
The grinder the worker the thinker the reasonable man Kyle Pierce. Kyle actually was cut from his college team because he was told he wasn't good enough. We saw his talent and his ability with ease. He worked his way onto a team and into a situation where he got to face that team and every other team in the conference throughout his college career and he was able to get the win against not only that team but all of them (including a few impressive complete game shutouts). He is now a high school coach in Marathon, FL.
Freddie Matos
Freddie Mats is what we called him and we actually discovered Fred when he came to a FloridaProspect Event and swung the ever living out of the thing. Freddie had some mental toughness alright, so much so he could take anything that came his way. In fact, he often invited it! No one better than Fred, he had a great college career at Broward, then at Barry and finally at Butler and has played some professional ball as well.
Shamir Morales
Arguably the best catcher out of all the catchers to ever be in our system, the one thing that is not questionable is that pitchers LOVED to throw to this dude. Shamir was a champion, as proven by his stout defense and always on time clutch hitting. He gave himself the moniker "Playoff Shamir," and lived up to the hype. Not only was he a part of countless conference championships, he won a national championship at Southeastern University. Shamir was a great player but an even better person.
Ryan Gusto
The Gus Bus! Boy did we ride it. This was another FloridaProspect Event kid that we got. Check this out: Ryan got cut from his high school team his junior and senior year. Fast forward after a few years with us, after winning Pitcher of The Year in the state of Florida, he's signing an outrageous bonus to play for the Astros and finished last season in AA with the same organization. Gus learned how to manage all of the talents and abilities that he was gifted, and his confidence absolutely soared as it should have.
Rafael Santos
Rafi came to us as a two way player and flourished as a pitcher. He changed the way he was working on multiple levels, including his physical self, and saw the benefits of that. One of the things that Rafi did great was follow instruction, another one he did great was pitch inside on hitters! He was fearless with that, and was one of the best we ever had buy into that concept. He was a successful pitcher, starting his career at Broward and finishing at U of North Florida. He is now a police officer in Austin, Texas.
Jeremiah Adams
We met Jeremiah because we get out there and never stop trying to get better. When we met this young man, everything collided, we found ourselves in a teenager. After a stink at Oklahoma, Jeremiah entered our lives and hasn't left. He was the first player wedding we attended and he graduated from West Point after finishing up his collegiate career as the team captain at Army. He is now serving our country in the US Armed Forces. Jeremiah Adams is one of our heroes.
Gabriel Garcia
A good friend of ours who was scouting for the Orioles called us up and said he had drafted Gabriel but that he was thinking more about school. He told us we would be a perfect fit. We sat down with Gabby and his family and told them as long as he gave us everything, we would give him everything. Both sides kept their part of the agreement and 12 months later there he was getting drafted again! Gabriel has trained with us through all his years of pro ball and is now married to what we strongly assume is an incredible woman.
Kyle Vesnesky
Kyle was one of the very first players we ever fully pursued to be a part of our program. He was playing at Jupiter High and we followed him until he wanted to follow us! He had a great career as a college player, we all learned a lot from one another and stayed together through the entire process. We assisted him get into coaching and now Kyle is actually a member of our Academy Staff. He is a strong communicator and he cares about players, his technical knowledge is high level and he's a great role model.
Tommy Hagerty
O-K Tom! This dude had one of the best sliders you'll ever see, the thing was allergic to bats! As good as Big Tom's slider was, his work ethic and strong character were even better. Tom was a closer and when he entered the game, it was pretty much over with. One time, he entered a tight game and the opposing team and fans were loud and rowdy (softball style), you couldn't hear a peep though after his first delivery was missed by about a foot. Game might as well have ended after that pitch because Big Tom could shut a door!
Josh McAllister
This young man could defend holy goodness! We met Josh coming off a tough season where he did not reach a lot of his personal goals. We revamped his confidence and altered a few methods of process and boom, he took off. He led the club he was on in hitting, won a championship and went on to start at Shortstop for University of Georgia, playing in multiple College World Series games. He is an example of just a few small adjustments here and there can go a long way.
Mikey Burke
Mikey came to us from Oklahoma, he stood out as very athletic but also very introspective and incredibly well spoken and well thought out. For Christmas one year he sent the staff a kit of spices, a cutting board and a couple of native Oklahoma microbrews. They did not go undrank! We told him to just go crazy on the bases and he did, so much so that some of his influence rubbed off and became a huge part of our baserunning curriculum. He had a very good college career and now he is living in St Pete working for a marketing company.
Mason Adams
Mason never showed a huge jump in his ability, he set an example as someone who steadily worked at his craft and over time it paid off. We met him and he was a good hearted young athlete who was scrawny in stature but had a fluid working arm and some true work ethic. We spent two full years with him and sent him off to Jacksonville University where he worked his way into their weekend rotation. He was drafted by the White Sox and is currently battling his way through their farm system.
Robert Wegielnik
50/50 relationships are the absolute best when it comes to almost every component of life. When it is done right, both sides end up feeling like they won. Robert made us want to pour more into the relationship with him, but during that time he was giving us so much. He embodied our mantra of getting better every day and was probably the most advanced player we ever came across in terms of never getting too high or too low. His hard work paid off with an absolutely incredible college career and now with the Cleveland Guardians.
Mitch Myers
One of the best pure fastballs you'll ever see. When it came time to grip and rip, Mitch was an absolute dude with his fastball. Rarely do you see a pitcher where everyone knows it's coming and still can't hit it, Mitch was that guy. Man this guy loved to be on the mound holy cow! He had an amazing college career, pitched as a Friday night guy in the ACC and was drafted by the Oakland A's, still chasing it in their system. Mitch is a genuine and honest person and that made it great to work with him.
Connor Bagnieski
Don't talk to me about confidence level unless you're ready to talk about Connor Bagnieski. Dude would beat you in a race, no questions asked, will outrun you don't even try, has a bazooka attached to his arm, hits the ball a country mile when he gets jammed and just happens to have an incredible personality and breathtaking looks. Just ask him! Connor is one of a kind no doubt and one of our best too, still playing pro ball and doing great things.
Victor Florentino
Victor is about as top notch of a human being as you will find. He embodies a baseball gentleman, thorough in his preparation and stout in his ability. Victor joined the coaching world after a great college career and has recently transitioned into law enforcement. I promise you this, you will not find a more fair and reasonable man to serve his community.
Warnner Rincones
Warnner originally agreed to move to South Florida to be a part of our program, but when we moved operations across the alley, the young man made the jump with us! Thanks Warnner, the pleasure was all ours. Warnner led his college baseball team in all time hits and stolen bases, and also had a seagull poop on his hat before a game in which he set the state tournament record for most hit by pitches in a single game, with five! That really happened! Aside from that, Warnner is one of the best to ever suit up for The Academy Guys.
Andrew Fernandez
Andrew was a quiet yet focused player who had a competitive fire that was unmistakable. He was rock solid behind the dish and guys loved throwing to him because it was almost like having another pitcher behind the dish, he understood and saw the game so well, he could predict the near future and help his pitchers navigate their outing. He signed professionally with the Marlins after an amazing collegiate career, he is still playing ball.
Devin Blair
Great character and work ethic continued this young mans career beyond what a lot of folks believed. Every day Devin showed up to work, he showed up with an eager mind and heart. He worked hard on his frame to gain weight and showed a lot of discipline and patience getting himself prepared to pitch impactful innings in college baseball. He is now the owner of a software security company and is carrying his good works with him. Devin is always looking to help people and do what is right. That should continue to carry him.
Tyler Solomon
Man oh man, what a special experience we had with Tyler. There was not a day or a moment that went by where he wasn't present. He was locked in to every drill every rep you name it. He oozed with potential and he still does in so many ways. All of his coaches loved him being there and all of his teammates do too. Oh, and the guy could destroy baseballs! A switch hitter, he took his baseball abilities and used them to gain a top notch academic degree. Now he is managing a Gradum hitting facility in Charlotte, NC.
Ronnie Williams
Ronnie came to us a shortstop and center fielder, what an athlete he already was. He started with us a freshman in high school and played every position in the infield and outfield during that time (except 1B). He turned to pitching late in his high school career and got drafted in the 2nd round of the MLB draft. He is still playing ball all over the world.
Michael Gigliotti
This player is an example of many things that happen through youth baseball and one that all parents can take from especially! Gigs tried out for one of our summer teams and we put him on our 'B' team, that's where we saw him at the time. He didn't care, his focus was improving and he believed in our system. Fast forward a few years, dude was winning high school state titles, playing at a D1, showing out in the Cape and then getting selected in the 4th round of the MLB draft. Finished last year in AAA.
Kyle Pangallo
KP is what everyone called him. This gentleman was quite the skilled player and so loves the game. He wanted every ground ball, loved to be taught, loved to talk approach. Through his dedication to the game, his discipline and work habits, he turned an awesome high school career into an amazing collegiate career. Not only that, he is a father to Theodore.
Mike Hart
Defines the term 'gamer.' We can confidently tell you, anyone who has ever lined up on a field with Mike Hart, with or against, knows what kind of an absolute mammoth he is on the baseball diamond. We never saw him leave the field not covered in dirt, and rarely saw him leave the field not having been triumphant. This man makes others around him better.
Marc Davis
We actually came across Marc when we moved from Ft Lauderdale to Ft Myers and he was coming to us from the Atlanta area as a 3B/OF. Some very raw talent, we ended up moving Marc to the mound and believe it or not, he was drafted by the Cubs about 6 months later. He decided to stay with us for another two years and was drafted even higher by the Washington Nationals, he is now a prospect in their organization. Marc and his family are well known for both their faith in God and their faith in others who support the game.
Tommy Joseph
A tall switch hitting behemoth, Tommy is one of the most versatile players we've ever coached. He could also sling it from the left side! In one of the most incredible single game performances we have ever seen, in a game against national power San Jacinto, Tommy went 5-6 at the dish with two stolen bases, 1 IP with 3 strikeouts and the win in extra innings. Have a day. More than that Tommy was a popular teammate because of his great social skills, and had an awesome college career finishing at D1 Jacksonville University.
Hunter Fitz-Gerald
Easily one of the smartest and most cerebral players that we've been fortunate enough to coach. Man did this guy really believe in our system. Not only that, he worked hard to improve it, coming up with constructive criticism for himself and our program that we designed for him. It was truly a team effort. Hunter was with us for one year and it was a memorable one, he went on to Old Dominion where he crushed it and ended up signing with the Seattle Mariners.
Cameran Brantley
We can say with confident that if Cameran didn't swing at the pitch, it was probably a ball. This young man bought into our vision system, something that we offer that so few developmental programs have, and he took off, getting on base like a machine and increasing his power numbers accordingly. We so appreciated his buy-in to our overall program and were so happy to see him excel at D1 NC A&T up in Greensboro, NC. Cameran is a smart young man and we know will do great things for himself and those in his life path.
Antonio Knowles
Freakin' competitor! Antonio was fun to watch on the mound, but before he was fun to watch, his talent needed to be tweaked and fine tuned, and that would not have happened without his resilience and ability to deal with tough times. That is what made him such a tough pitcher to face, you could know what was coming but it was about the conviction with which he attacked you! What a journey for this young man, he is now in AA with the Dodgers after two years with The Academy guys, and is a true organizational prospect.
Christian Lucio
We worked hard to convince this player to believe in us, and it was a joy to watch him take off. He already understood the weight room but with us it went to another level. His baseball intelligence went through the roof each and every day that went by. He ended up going to play with Marshall University after a year with us and is now on the staff of the LA Dodgers in their strength and conditioning program.
Magnus Ellerts
Mags, what a great dude and a great pitcher. Big fella loved his fountain soda, bag of funyuns and some gummi bears for his boys in the bullpen. What a trip, and what an entertaining guy to watch pitch. Magnus could get down the hill no doubt, and had strong work ethic and strong fortitude that served him well as the year he was with us he went 10-0 with a 100+ Ks. Didn't take much for the pro and college guys to notice, instead of going to UF he signed with the Cleveland Guardians and is now a prospect in their organization.
Satchell Norman
Satchell Norman is truly one of a kind, both as a ballplayer and as an individual. Satchell was originally committed to go play at FSU, but decided last minute to come suit up for The Academy Guys. Satchell matured throughout his year with the program and was fortunate to get drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers. He is just getting his young career going and showing a tremendous amount of promise.
Donovan Armas
Army is what the coaching staff called him, he was one of our very first 'hired guns.' We grabbed Donovan mid-cycle and only coached him for a Spring, but he went to school right up the road from us and actually pitched against us and we got the ability to stay in touch with him and stay connected. Man we love this guy and miss running into him. He is an entrepreneur and and a positive minded young man.
Sly Edwards
Dude could fly! Sly could really run and his electricity made him such a fun player to watch, so much so that the Cubs thought enough of him to draft him. The player chose to go to school and had a top notch college career. What we remember most about Sly was his willingness and eagerness to learn. He also had a smile that could loosen up any tight moment! He played D1 baseball and is now a physical therapist with a focus on helping people rehab themselves back into pursuing their athletic passions.
Stephen Chamblee
Shambles, as we called him, was a kind a gentle dude. He was well thought out both in practice and in verse. We really admired that about him and were so appreciative of his trust in us. He came to us as a position player but his short arm action and arm strength had us have him focus on the mound. Turns out, we were right and Stephen went to a four year university where he was an All-American and he ended up playing pro ball! Even had himself a stint with the Savannah Bananas.
Orley Arellano
Talk about a dude who could run down a fly ball. Here he is. One of the best to ever roam center field for our group, it wasn't his speed as much as it was his ability to read the ball into the hitting zone and then out and already have four steps on it. And, he had finishing skills, if he got there, he was going to catch it. Also, one time he got imploded for poor play and awareness, his next at-bat he hit a three run bomb and everyone had a giant sigh of relief, but mostly he had a giant sigh of relief! Orley is one of a kind.
Daniel Vos
Danny Vos the Boss! We got Dan from a FloridaProspect Event, he flew over from The Netherlands for the workout and we loved what we saw so we invited him to be a part of our program. He was a spectacular member in every sense of our process, he cared so much about improving and analyzing the parts of his game and the parts of his life where he could get better. He also made us better because it's players like him that we love to serve, we never wanted to let him down so that became one of our big goals.
Noah Heisler
What a pleasure it was to guide this gentleman. Noah and his family made the sacrifices necessary to move from Virginia to come and be with us, and that meant everything to us. Noah is a great story because he actually was one of the few players we ever had that decided to hang them up after a few years with us, and it was the right decision for him and his family. We admire Noah for his tremendous work ethic and his strong moral character, he will be a husband soon as this summer he will marry his fiancé Molly.
Enrique Cotto
If you knew Cotto, you loved Cotto. He was a fighter on the mound and the ultimate hang out guy off the field. He had such a persona about him, the man is tough. Our entire staff had such a close bond with Enrique as he followed us from Ft Lauderdale to Ft Myers, we wished we could coach 1000 Cotto's. Everyone called him 'Goyo,' and we're sure he's still humming fastballs by somebody somewhere. He is also a father.
Tyler Fichter
Tyler was and is tough as nails. The life of the party and the life of the lineup, this dude was the first player we ever coached who went unanimous first team all-conference two years in a row. Tyler Fichter could chase down fly balls anywhere and had serious finishing ability and was an offensive weapon, could run and was a tough out. Top notch guy.
Simon Baumer
Big Bau! at 6'6'' and what felt like 960 lbs this dude is a unit! Simon Baumer is gentle giant with a fierce competitive spirit. We actually got Simon on a player recommendation from one of our former players who runs a baseball school in Germany and we couldn't be happier with how his time with us turned out. This player grew as a person right along with their on field development. Simon is now playing for the German National Team and domestically back in his home country of Germany. Many folks there will learn through him.
Nick Alonzo
This guy always had a smile on his face, and he always had his family there to support him. Our staff grew just as close to his mother and sister as we did him! Nick defined persistence. His passion for the game rubbed off on other players but also Academy Staff. We wanted to show up for him on a daily basis to feed his love for this great game. Nick had a great high school career and an amazing college one as well where his team grew right along with him. Lucky to know this dude.
Max Balter
A slinky shaped middle infielder when he arrived to us, we spent hours and hours and hours with Max honing his skills in the batters box and his defensive prowess. He was a true shortstop and stood there for some of the biggest wins in the career of many Academy Staff members. Max will always be remembered for his ability to stay within himself and be there for his teammates and coaching staff when they most needed him. Max had a memorable college career and can really swing a golf club!
Kyle Kuramoto
Humble in his work ethic but confident and steady in his approach, Kyle was one of the most consistent players we ever trained. Coaches talk about 'never get too high, never get too low...' Meet Kyle Kuramoto! Kyle could run, he could hit, he could defend and he could throw, he was an all around good ballplayer and was always so willing to listen to his coaching staff and allowed them to mentor him. He was a sponge, and all of it translated onto the field and what resulted was a rock solid college baseball career.
Carter Cunningham
Carter took a leap of faith on himself as a ballplayer, left a D1 school where he was hitting in the middle of their lineup. After a great year and a lot of scouting interest, Carter went to East Carolina as a scholarship player and had an outstanding career, eventually being chosen as the American Athletic Conference Player of The Year, and being drafted in the 10th round by the Blue Jays in the same year. Carter is a caring young man who favors his strong relationship with The Lord, and we're supportive of him in all areas.
Brian Holiday
This young man could throw the ever living out of it and came to play for us with a promise to pour into our program. We gave him the same in return and his career has turned out great to this point. An All-American in Junior College, an All-American at Oklahoma St and a 3rd round draft pick by the Cardinals are his accolades to this point, but there is much more coming. Better person than he is a ballplayer, without a doubt.
Frank Elissalt
Frank has a wicked mind on him, he processes the game incredibly well and had himself quite a college career, spanning multiple colleges and multiple roles. His ability to improve and compete eventually garnered him the ultimate baseball honor, getting drafted into professional baseball. Frank trusts The Academy Guys and we trust him!