The Baseball Factory
Starting Lineup

Player Development

Dan Forester

Senior Vice President of Player Development

Dan joined Baseball Factory in 2001 as a Player Development Coordinator and now the Factory’s VP of Player Development. Dan oversees and manages our Player Development Coordinators across the United States. He has worked with high school athletes since 1993. Dan has been instrumental in moving players thru our program and helping them get to the next level. Dan attended Ithaca College, where he played lacrosse.

States Represented: United States

Player Development

Chris Brown

Senior Player Development Coordinator

Chris joined the Baseball Factory in September of 2007 after receiving his Bachelors Degree in Management from Gettysburg College. He currently serves as a Senior Player Development Coordinator. Chris played football and baseball while attending Gettysburg College and currently resides in Highland, MD.

States Represented: AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, PR, SC, TN, VA, WV

Player Development

Adam Darvick

Executive Player Development Coordinator

Adam joined Baseball Factory in December of 2006 right out of college, where he earned his Bachelors Degree in Sport Management and Mass Communication from Towson University. Recently, Adam was promoted to Executive Player Development Coordinator. He has worked with the Brooklyn Cyclones dealing with Game Day Operations and the Communications Department at Sports Illustrated.

States Represented: AR, CAN, CT, IN, MA, ME, MI, NH, NY,OH, PA, RI, TX, VT, WY

Player Development

Steve Nagler

Executive Player Development Coordinator

Steve joined the Baseball Factory in 2001 as a Player Development Coordinator and was promoted to Senior Player Development Coordinator in 2006.  He received his degree in Sports Management/Business Administration from Robert Morris College in Pittsburgh, PA in 1989.  Since joining the Baseball Factory, Steve has worked with hundreds of high school baseball players, providing guidance in college recruiting and identifying ways for them to improve on their baseball abilities.  Steve works with players from the Midwest, Northeast, Texas and Nevada.

States Represented: AR, CAN, CT, IN, MA, ME, MI, NH, NY,OH, PA, RI, TX, VT, WY

Player Development

Dave Packer

Executive Player Development Coordinator, VP of Business Development

Dave has been with the Baseball Factory since 2001, first serving as a Signature College Recruiting Program Representative. In 2002, he became director of the Signature College Recruiting Program. Since 2006, Dave has served as a Regional Player Development Coordinator for the east coast and most recently, was named Executive Player Development Coordinator for Baseball Factory. Dave will now have a major focus on building our Exclusive College Recruiting Program and FDI Programs.

He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2002, with a double major in Marketing and Logistics.

States Represented: AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, PR, SC, TN, VA, WV

Player Development

John Perko

Executive Player Development Coordinator

John joined the team at the Baseball Factory in 2004 as Team Sales Coordinator and was promoted to Director of Team Sales in 2006. John is now the Executive Player Development Coordinator. Along with serving as the Company liaison for all equipment, apparel, and footwear sponsors and retail partners, John assists the CEO and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations with designated projects and on-field events. John began his career in the sports industry by gaining experience from the two largest sports agencies in the world, IMG and Octagon. John also worked in the front office for the Cleveland Indians. A graduate from the Robert E. McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, the management and marketing double major also lettered in two varsity sports, the Hoyas division one baseball and football programs.
States Represented: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, IL, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI

Player Development

Rob Onolfi

Senior Player Development Coordinator

Rob joined the Baseball Factory in 2008 after receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Frostburg State University. Since then Rob has worked with thousands of players to help achieve their goal to play college baseball at every level. Rob played football at Frostburg State and was a member of the 2003 ACFC Championship Team that also won the Regents Cup. As a high school football standout, Rob was a three time All-County Selection and was named 2002 Howard County Defensive Player of the Year before graduating from Long Reach High School. He currently serves as a Senior Player Development Coordinator.

States Represented: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, IL, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI

Player Development

Patrick Wuebben

Regional Player Development Coordinator

Patrick worked in the telecommunications industry after playing his college baseball at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he received a degree in Marketing. He went on to coach baseball at Loyola High School in Los Angeles for four seasons before starting with The Baseball Factory in February 2006.

States Represented: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, IL, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI

Player Development

Matt Sammarco

Regional Player Development Coordinator

Matt grew up in New Canaan, CT and played baseball at Lasell University. During his senior season at Lasell, he earned Second Team All Conference honors. After graduation, Matt coached baseball in New York City and later took a position in the front office for the 2018 New York – Penn League Champion Tri-City Valley Cats, the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.

National Tryouts

Sam Carmel

Senior Director of Player Identification

Sam is our Senior Director of Player Identification, growing up in Glenwood, MD before moving to Chester, NJ, where Sam played Recreation Baseball with Baseball Factory Alum, Rick Porcello, and attended Gill St. Bernard’s High School where he played soccer, basketball, and baseball. 

National Tryouts

Gabe Vertucci

Regional Director of Player Identification

Gabe has spent his entire life playing, watching, and being a student of the game of baseball. He was a four-year varsity starter at shortstop, helping to lead his South River High School team to a 4A Maryland State Championship in his senior season as captain of the team. After high school, Gabe played collegiate baseball at the JUCO level. After two years, he received a scholarship to play Division II baseball at Coker College and finished out his degree at Salisbury University this past May.

Baseball Operations

Steve Bernhardt

Chief Baseball Officer

Steve joined Baseball Factory in 1998 after a five-year playing career in the Colorado Rockies organization. As Chief Baseball Officer, he oversees all Baseball Factory events and instruction. Steve previously served 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. Steve is Chairman of the Baseball Factory All-America Game selection committee.

Baseball Operations

Jim Gemler

Chief Program Officer

As the Director of On-field Sessions, Gemler schedules, organizes and executes all Under Armour Tryouts and Signature College Recruiting (SCR) sessions throughout the country. Jim will work to secure top-notch former college coaches, professional scouts and former professional players to work at each event. Gemler’s coaching experience includes stints at the University of Akron and most recently at Pennsylvania State Behrend. Jim’s playing career included a stop at the University of North Carolina – Asheville before he transferred to the University of Akron. He received numerous accolades while at Akron including Preseason All Mid-American Conference candidate, Collegiate Baseball “Top Prospect,” Mid-American Conference All Academic Team and Akron’s Defensive Player of the Year. He earned a B.S. in Finance from Akron and recently earned a Master’s in Business Administration (M.B.A) from Penn State in Spring 2006.

Baseball Operations

Mark Daniels

Scouting & Evaluation Crosschecker

Currently an associate scout with the Atlanta Braves and head coach of the six-time State Champion Virginia high school, Mark has worked more Baseball Factory events, and helped more Factory players than anyone on our staff. He’s also spent time scouting for the Cleveland Indians and Arizona Diamondbacks, making him extremely qualified for his current position as the Factory’s Scouting and Evaluation Crosschecker. Mark oversees all Baseball Factory College PREP and National Tryout sessions in the southeast, and he coaches and evaluates at several Player Development events each year, such as the Under Armour All-America Pre-Season Tournament.

Baseball Operations

Ryan Liddle

Senior Director, Athlete Experience and Partner Activation

Ryan played his college baseball at Penn State – Behrend, where he was a middle infielder. In 2009, he interned for Baseball Factory in the scouting department. He rejoined Baseball Factory in 2010 and now serves as the Senior Director of Athlete Experience and Partner Activation and is involved in nearly all aspects of event operations.

Baseball Operations

David Sitton

Regional Event Coordinator, Texas & Southern Midwest

A legend in Texas high school baseball, David is the former President of the Texas Baseball Coaches Association and was the Head Coach at Humble High School for 31 years. The field at Humble is now named in his honor. David also spent several years as a batting practice pitcher for the Houston Astros, so you know you will get quality BP when he runs a Baseball Factory session. David oversees events in Texas and the Midwest, evaluating players and utilizing his experience and extensive network of contacts to help Factory players.

Baseball Operations

Chad Addison

Regional Event Coordinator, Southern California & Southwest

Having been a Recruiting Coordinator for the University of California-San Diego and a coach in the prestigious Cape Cod League, Chad is used to evaluating and developing talented players. Add in his administrative experience as the Athletic Director at Capistrano Valley High School and Chad has the perfect skill set to coordinate and run Baseball Factory events. He has been doing just that for the last ten years throughout Southern California and the entire Southwest region.

Baseball Operations

Don Jamerson

Regional Event Coordinator, Northern California & Pacific Northwest

As the Head Coach of St. Mary’s College for six years, Don evaluated, recruited and developed players at the Division I level in the baseball-rich state of California. Combine that experience with his playing background at Cal State University, East Bay and in the minor leagues with the San Francisco Giants, and Don can do it all on the field. He runs Baseball Factory events throughout Northern California and the Northwest and works several player development events as a coach, instructor and scout.

Baseball Operations

Randy Hodge

Event Logistics Coordinator

Randy is the Event Logistics Coordinator for Baseball Factory. He is also an NATA-certified Athletic Trainer who has worked in high school, collegiate and professional settings. Randy was the trainer for The Citadel who played in the 1990 College World Series. Prior to his stint at The Citadel, he interned with the Philadelphia Eagles. For the past 24 years, he has taught Elementary School and has been the High School Athletic Trainer at Virginia High School in Bristol, Virginia. Randy has been working with Baseball Factory since 2002, providing excellent event efficiency and overall quality, and loves the game of Baseball.

Baseball Operations

Talmadge Nunnari

Hitting Coordinator

As a former Major League player and Division I college coach, Coach “T” is well known as one of the most respected hitting coaches in the country.  Coach T is the Factory Hitting Coordinator, having worked with thousands of young players throughout his time with Baseball Factory. From middle school to high school players, to college and beyond, Coach T knows how to bring out the best in each and every hitter. His information, garnered through an All-American career at Jacksonville University, his journey to the Big Leagues with the Montreal Expos and a coaching stint at JU, is outstanding and his ability to diagnose and “fix” an issue with a hitter makes him a special instructor.

Baseball Operations

Chris Kievit

Athleticism Coordinator

Chris played baseball at Long Island University as a catcher and is USA Weightlifting certified and has his masters in coaching and conditioning.

Baseball Operations

Mike Landis

Director, Operations and Player Development

Mike is the Director of Operations and Player Development at the Factory. After playing collegiately at Montgomery College where he played in two JUCO World Series, Landis joined the Factory in 2012 and has helped to run events across the country such as Pirate City, Vero Beach, Cape Cod, as well as Little League and National Tryout events. He was the Assistant Head Coach and Recruiting Director at Hood College in Frederick, MD from 2014 to 2016 and the Head Coach at Seneca Valley High School in Maryland in 2014.

Baseball Operations

Josh Eldridge

Director of Player Experience

Baseball has always been part of Josh’s life as the Lorton, Virginia native is a Baseball Factory alum. After playing baseball at Hayfield High School, Josh went on to play four years of college baseball at the Division 1 level for Old Dominion University and also received the opportunity to play summer baseball in the prestigious Cape Cod League. 

Baseball Operations

Hasan Karim

Regional Scout

Hasan comes to the Baseball Factory as a Regional Scout with a background in coaching, spending time with various programs in the state of Michigan. Karim has a coaching certification in the American Sports Education Program and is the Administrator, Program Developer and Coach at All Fields Hitting Academy in Michigan. Hasan has previous experience coaching in high school, in addition to summer and collegiate team ball.

Baseball Operations

Mitch McGill

Regional Scout

Mitch has been part of the Baseball Factory since 2013, working specific Player Development events including Dodgertown at Vero Beach, Pirate City, and the Omaha National World Series. After finishing his baseball career at Virginia Intermont College, McGill has been teaching and coaching at the high school and junior college levels in Tennessee, Colorado, and currently North Carolina.

Baseball Operations

David Wipkowski

Regional Scout

David is a Baseball Factory Regional Scout and is a 1998 graduate of North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he was an All-Section right-handed pitcher his senior season. He played the next four years at the collegiate level at the University of Akron. Wipkowski has been a Baseball Factory scout since 2003.

College Recruiting

Bernadette Bechta

Academic Advisor

Bernadette serves as the main academic contact for all players and parents in the Exclusive Program. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher and advisor at the high school level, Bernadette will provide families with guidance on topics ranging from application essays to financial aid. In addition, Bernadette’s two sons have both gone through the Exclusive Program so she knows the ins and outs of the process from a parent’s perspective.

College Recruiting

Dan Mooney

Executive Director of College Recruiting

Dan serves as a Senior Director of the Exclusive Program. Dan began his collegiate career as a catcher at Brevard Junior College. He later transferred to North Carolina State University where he was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer. After college, Dan played professionally in the Boston Red Sox organization where he reached the double-A level before being forced to retire after an injury.

College Recruiting

Matt Richter

Director of College Recruiting

Originally from Southern California, Matt began his college baseball career as a catcher at the University of Arizona. He later transferred to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA where he wrapped up his playing days. After graduation, he began his coaching career at the high school level in Northern California before returning to Westmont where he spent four years as an assistant coach. He had a coaching stint at Azusa Pacific University as well before moving to Ohio in 2007. Matt spent seven years as a General Manager, coach, and youth baseball coordinator in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. Since moving to Ohio, he has assisted at Cedarville University and Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH and has operated as an Associate Scout for the Atlanta Braves. Matt’s relationship with Baseball Factory began in 2002 when he was recruiting several Factory players. He began to scout for the organization in 2003 and soon came on to assist in the Exclusive College Recruiting program on the West Coast. He has also operated as a Regional Scout, Coach, Instructor ( including the 2011 Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field) and Player Development Coordinator during his 16 years with the Factory. Matt resides in Xenia, Ohio with his wife Erin, and their seven children.

States Represented: AR, CAN, CT, IN, MA, ME, MI, NH, NY,OH, PA, RI, TX, VT, WY

Consultants

Dr. James Driskell

Factory Development Institute Consultant

Dr. James Driskell was brought on by Baseball Factory to help develop the Game Time Pressure Training and Simulation program. Driskell along with CEO Steve Sclafani have researched and authored, “Stressors in Youth Batting Performance” and “GTP Training Handbook”. Both publications have been ground breaking in showing how stress and pressure affect performance and ways players can train to overcome these stressors and be more successful.

Dr. Driskell has over 20 years research experience in stress, performance, and training. He has served in the government, academia, and private sector. He is the President of Florida Maxima Corporation adjunct professor of psychology at Rollins College, Winter Park, FL. Dr. Driskell has conducted research for Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, National Science Institute, FAA, Defense Modeling and Simulation Office, STRICOM, Army Dugway Proving Ground, and other organizations. He has authored over 100 articles and papers, including recent publications in the Journal of Applied Psychology, American Psychologist, Human Factors, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Military Psychology, Small Group Research, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, and Group Dynamics.

Consultants

Keith Madison

Recruiting Consultant

Coach Madison joined Baseball Factory as a consultant in 2005 after retiring from the University of Kentucky in 2003. As a consultant with the Factory, Madison helps strengthen connections between the Baseball Factory, college and professional coaches to ensure that players were properly developed and capable of playing at the next level. His knowledge of the college recruiting process from a head coaching perspective is second-to-none for the Baseball Factory College Recruiting Program. Not to mention his long list of connections in the college baseball world has helped in placing many of Baseball Factory’s Exclusive College Recruiting Program players.

Consultants

Rick Sofield

Special Advisor to Baseball Operations

Rick Sofield served as the field coordinator for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos and is a former AAA Manager for the Colorado Rockies. Sofield also coached at the college level serving as the Head Coach for the University of Utah, University of South Carolina – Beaufort and the Assistant Coach at the University of South Carolina. Rick currently is the third base coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was previously the manager of the West Virginia Power, the Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sofield is a former first round pick in the major league draft for the Minnesota Twins and boasts three years of big league playing experience. Rick will work as a Special Advisor to Baseball Operations.

Consultants

Mike Toomey

Scouting Consultant

Mike Toomey is the Special Assistant to the General Manager (KC Royals) has signed on to be a Scouting Consultant for Baseball Factory in 2006. Mike has an extensive background in Scouting and Coaching.  Currently in his 25th year of professional baseball, Coach Toomey has served as field manager, coach, instructor, and international advance scout for the New York Mets. Mike is respected by his peers as an astute evaluator of talent and as an accomplished teacher. He began his coaching career at The George Washington University (GWU); leading the team to three NCAA Eastern Regional bids. He was elected to the GWU Hall of Fame in 1989. Mike also is a member of the Hall of Fame at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. Coach Toomey has worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Texas Rangers, and the New York Mets. In 1992, he was named Major League Baseball Scout of the Year.

Consultants

Rich Pasquale

College Recruiting and Baseball Operations Consultant

Currently an associate scout for the Baltimore Orioles and formerly, a coach at every level of NCAA Baseball, Rich has the unique ability to both evaluate players and teach the game. He has unmatched energy and passion that shows through at every Baseball Factory where he is a scout and instructor. As the former Head Coach at Division I Youngstown State University and Division III LaRoche College, as well as an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh and Division II Slippery Rock, Rich knows what it takes to play at every level of college baseball. He’s been instrumental in helping the careers of many young players over the years and continues that today with each Factory player that he encounters.

Creative Team

Amanda Beck

Database Marketing Manager

Amanda first worked for Baseball Factory as a member of the Marketing department immediately after graduating from college. After relocating to Salisbury, Maryland and then Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she returned to the team in May 2009 as the Database Marketing Coordinator. Amanda earned her degree in Communications at Salisbury University where she was a four year member of the nationally ranked women’s lacrosse program.

Creative Team

Brian Johnson

Senior Multimedia Producer

Brian started as a video intern with the Baseball Factory in the summer of 2004 while working on his Bachelors of Art from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.  He graduated Cum Laude from the UMBC Imaging and Digital Arts program with a minor in Sociology.  His IMDA focus was in Interactivity while he also took film/video courses.  Brian played varsity lacrosse for 5 years with the UMBC Retrievers.  He became the Media Designer for the Baseball Factory in the spring of 2006 where he helps in all aspects of video production, graphic design, and website design.

Creative Team

Tom Kreft

Video Editor

Tom started as a video intern in the Spring of 2011. He previously graduated with his Bachelors of Art from the University of Maryland Baltimore County where in majored in Film/Video. He also received an Associates Degree of Applied Science in Graphic Design from the Community College of Baltimore County. He was hired full time as a Video Editor for the Baseball Factory in July 2012, where he helps in all aspects of video production, and is in charge of editing videos for clients who have registered for the College PREP Program.

Creative Team

Wei Xue

Senior Director of Web Development

Wei started with Baseball Factory as an intern in July of 2007 while finishing up his Bachelors Degree in computer science. Wei then went on to accept a part-time position in January of 2008. Wei is currently the Lead Developer.