Big West BPA Baseball

OC‘s Premier Baseball Camps & Club Teams

by Rebecca Parsons

Justin Bray hadn’t planned on starting a baseball club, but in the spring of 2016, his friend and local coach Greg Fielis of the Seadogs/Stars & Stripes (now currently part of Big West) needed help managing a few south Orange County teams and Bray was the man for the job. What began as a fun project to help out a buddy quickly turned into an extensive commitment to a travel baseball program. With investment in time and money, Bray eventually ventured out on his own with Big West, allowing him more control over his vision. In the summer of 2018, Big West merged with Jared Sandler of BPA Baseball, becoming Big West BPA.

Big West had always focused on youth baseball, while Sandler’s program was geared toward college development and placement. The merge has created a natural synergy, blending Big West’s roster of 200 plus youth players and BPA’s program where kids can train and elevate their game well into their teenage years and beyond. Although it’s still in early innings, the partnership has proven to be a winning combination.

What Makes Big West BPA Special?
Big West BPA has become South Orange County’s premier competitive travel baseball organization with a goal to provide professional developmental training and preparation for youth, high school, college, and even professional baseball players. Every year, double-digit numbers of kids, that have gone through BPA’s program, will go on to play college baseball.

The staff is stacked with experienced coaches or “developers” as Bray likes to call them. Guys like Coach Greg Posein (also an MLB scout), Steve Hendricks (ex-pro and ex-coach for numerous MLB teams), and Chris Doyle (who worked with the Texas Rangers) boast impressive track records and have been hand-picked for each age group. BPA’s very own Jared Sandler is also involved with Big West now.

In addition to superstar “developers,” Big West BPA is proud to have a number of experienced and talented coaches on board like Pac Gutierrez (manages the 11U showcase teams), Johnny Garcia (10U Director), and Greg Fielis (10+ years coaching youth baseball).

Throughout the year, Big West BPA offers a number of different programs that cater to a wide age range and skill level, including a train/practice only program called “KliniK,” 1-on-1 private lessons, and engaging and effective camps. Big West BPA is most well-known for its club baseball program, providing athletes with speed/agility/ conditioning classes, batting practice, outdoor field practice, and weekend games.

Big West BPA Summer Camps
During the summer months, Big West BPA provides three weeks of summer camps geared toward players aged 7 to 16. Each four-day camp consists of two indoor and two outdoor field sessions. Indoor training takes place at Big West BPA’s state-of-the-art facility in San Juan Capistrano, complete with ten batting cages, six bullpens, a gym/ weight room, and an open turf area where campers can work on hitting, pitching, and catching. The outdoor component takes place at a baseball field in Laguna Niguel where campers have the opportunity to work on repetition drills and experience live game situations.

Big West BPA’s summer camps are open to kids of all skill levels, from beginners to elite players, with no tryout required. Campers work with top-notch coaches to develop new skills or to hone already existing ones. At the end of the session, select campers will receive a “Golden Ticket” based on their performance during the week, which is a direct invitation to join the travel baseball team program.

Attitude, Effort and Resilience
While Big West BPA promotes a competitive environment, it also focuses on making baseball a fun, bonding experience for athletes, by organizing various clubwide outings and activities. Although striving to succeed is an important goal, there is a heavy emphasis on attitude and effort, which helps development occur more rapidly.

“Baseball is a game of failure; the game will chew you up and spit you out” says Bray. “We teach kids how to overcome adversity, be resilient, and develop to the point where they believe in themselves. That’s why our travel baseball team program is so successful.”

For more information, visit SouthOCBaseball.com or call (888) 328-0126.

BIG WEST BPA BASEBALL
32771 Calle Perfecto, San Juan Capistrano
SouthOCBaseball.com • 888.328.1026