Big League Baseball School

What Big League Baseball School does

Big League Baseball School is a private, founder-led youth and high school baseball organization incorporated and operated in the Columbus, Ohio region (Worthington). Founded in 1994 by former Major League Baseball players Dan Briggs (West Coast / Bay Area) and John Pacella (East Coast / Long Island), the company runs a portfolio of three core programs: High School Fall Ball (competitive development league), Youth Travel Leagues in Spring and Fall (organized into three youth divisions running a 12-game weekend schedule designed as a middle ground between recreational baseball and full 50-game travel ball), and the Bandits Tournament Teams (an elite, statewide tryout-based summer tournament program for highly talented players).

The business model is direct-to-consumer league registration. Players and teams self-register through the company's website, which is powered by SportsEngine's Sports Relationship Management (SRM) software. Pricing is publicly disclosed: youth player Fall Ball registration is $275 plus a processing fee and high school player Fall Ball registration is $325 plus processing, with separate team and free-agent registration tracks (free-agent registrations currently waitlisted as of July 2026). Revenue is generated through per-player and per-team transaction fees across two seasons per year and the Bandits tournament program. Marketing and customer acquisition rely on the company website, phone inquiries (614-433-9980), and a web-based contact form; no paid media, social, or content marketing channels were identified.

Name

Big League Baseball School

Legal name

Big League Baseball School

Website

https://bigleaguebaseballschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big League Baseball School is a private Ohio-based youth baseball organization founded in 1994 by former MLB players Dan Briggs and John Pacella, operating competitive Fall Ball leagues, youth travel leagues, and statewide Bandits tournament teams for youth and high school players.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Baseball Instruction and League Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sport-Specific Amateur Leagues & Circuits (Non-Professional) (MPAKACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF)

Keywords

• Youth baseball training
• Baseball league programs
• Travel baseball leagues
• Baseball coaching services
• Youth sports instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. League Registration Fees: Revenue generated from player and team registration fees for youth travel baseball leagues and high school fall ball programs. Registration fees vary by age level (youth vs. high school). Fees are collected per player and per team through the SportsEngine registration platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Big League Baseball School operates organized competitive baseball leagues, seasonal instructional programs, and tournament teams for youth and high school players in the Ohio region. Its core offerings include High School Fall Ball leagues, Youth Travel Leagues (Spring and Fall) structured around 12-game schedules with weekend doubleheaders across three divisions, and Bandits Tournament Teams for elite players selected through mid-July tryouts. Services are delivered locally in the Columbus/Ohio area and emphasize skill development and competitive play without the time and expense burden of traditional 50-game travel ball programs.

Product overview

Big League Baseball School is a unified baseball training and league organization founded by former Major League players Dan Briggs and John Pacella. The organization offers three interconnected services: High School Fall Ball for high school-aged players seeking competitive development, Youth Travel Leagues (Spring and Fall) providing a middle-ground between recreational and full travel baseball with age-appropriate divisions, and Bandits Tournament Teams for elite players selected through tryouts who compete in summer tournaments. All programs emphasize skill development and enjoyment without the time and expense commitments of traditional travel ball.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bandits Tournament Teams: Tournament teams made up of highly talented players from around the state. Players must tryout for the Bandits in mid-July and compete in local tournaments throughout the summers.

Products and services

• High School Fall Ball

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Ripken Baseball: Founded by MLB Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., Ripken Baseball operates youth tournaments, training, and league-style events built around a former-MLB-player credibility model — the same brand and operating logic as Big League Baseball School.
• 5 Tool Baseball: Regional and national youth baseball tournament, scouting, and media operator in the same competitive set as BLBS's Bandits, particularly focused on high-school player exposure and showcase-style events.
• Baseball Factory: Operates baseball training programs, showcases, and tournaments for youth and high-school players seeking competitive development; comparable instructional and showcase business model anchored by credible coaching staff.
• Triple Crown Sports: Operates youth and amateur baseball tournaments and league-style events across the Midwest and nationally, with comparable age-divisional structure and tournament-driven player development, overlapping with BLBS's Bandits and travel league offerings.
• Perfect Game: Largest US operator of youth and high-school baseball showcases and tournaments, including free-agent-style player pathways; highly comparable to BLBS's Bandits Tournament Teams offering and overlapping heavily on the high-school player segment.

Broad incumbents

• USSSA (US Specialty Sports Association): National amateur multi-sport governing body that sanctions youth baseball leagues and tournaments, directly competing with BLBS for league and tournament registrations across age groups.
• IMG Academy: Large multi-sport training and competition academy with a baseball program serving youth and high-school players seeking elite development; a broader incumbent whose baseball division competes for the same advanced-player pool as BLBS's Bandits.
• Babe Ruth League: A long-established, nationally scaled amateur baseball league operator covering youth and adolescent divisions; competes with BLBS for the same parent/player pool at a much larger footprint but with a more traditional program structure.
• Pony Baseball & Softball: National amateur baseball and softball organization running structured youth leagues with multiple age divisions; a direct adjacent competitor in the youth amateur baseball league category where BLBS operates.

Regional players

• East Cobb Baseball: Long-running, high-profile youth baseball tournament and league operator based in the Southeast US with comparable age-division and tournament-format offerings to BLBS, though it does not directly overlap BLBS's Ohio footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blbs1994

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big League Baseball School