The Rio Grande Valley has produced a handful of high-level baseball players throughout the years. Now, California Baseball Academy USA (CBA), a premier select baseball organization affiliated with Perfect Game, is starting up in the RGV to make the process easier for local high school baseball players to be seen by scouts, develop as athletes, and help them reach their collegiate and professional goals on the baseball diamond.
“We are dedicated to not only the baseball development of our players, but also the personal development and growth of all of the young men in our program. To CBA, baseball is the tool to help develop the characteristics and independence necessary to not only be successful on the field, but more importantly in life. Through our positive learning environment, respect for the game, and our ability to put our players against the best competition in amateur baseball, we can provide an unrivaled club baseball experience for all of our players,” the CBA mission statement reads.
Sharyland High assistant baseball coach Austin Bickerton is leading the charge for CBA Rio Grande Valley and is looking to gather a list of potential players for a club team exclusively from the RGV.
“We believe the Valley has the talent to compete as a collective around the state. Our organization will be based exclusively from the RGV. Athletes will be coached by RGV high school coaches who have played at the next level. Practices will focus on development and be highly active and structured,” CBA RGV wrote in a statement.
CBA membership includes weekly practices, tournaments and scrimmages, scientifically backed strength and sports performance training, and sports psychology sessions twice a week.
“Emphasis on the mental side of sport is a key component often overlooked in the player development process. We have made it a priority to ensure all CBA players have access to the tools to ensure they build mental toughness and a complete enjoyment for the game they play,” the CBA states.
Much of today’s recruiting process comes down to getting in front of college coaches and scouts. CBA is designed to help its players do that by providing the opportunity to participate in events where college coaches are present and attend college camps.
CBA also holds its own College Showcase Camps where college coaches actively recruit and teach CBA players on the field. The camps are designed to help players gain exposure and showcase their abilities in front of some of the top collegiate programs in the country.
Membership dues are $125 a month and includes sponsorships with baseball equipment companies Marucci and Victus, discounts with Perfect Game, access to CBA College Showcase Camps, and a FieldLevel recruiting profile which has helped CBA land a number of players at all collegiate levels from Division I to Junior College.
Players interested in signing up for CBARGV can do so through this link. You can also follow CBARGV on Twitter @CBARGV.
For more information, contact Bickerton at [email protected], or call (956) 655-7908.