Ripken Baseball® Acquires Baseball Factory™ and Softball Factory™
(BALTIMORE – Oct. 3, 2023) Ripken Baseball®, the leader in sports experiences, announced they have acquired Baseball Factory™ and Softball Factory™, an organization focused on player development for ages 11 to 18. Founded in 1994 with a focus on training and the college recruiting process, Baseball Factory and Softball Factory works with athletes to navigate the college recruiting process and prepare them for baseball and softball at the next level.
“The acquisition of Baseball Factory and Softball Factory allows us to return to our roots of individual player development,” said Ripken Baseball Co-Founder Bill Ripken. “While we continue to offer Big League Experiences for teams and players beginning at the 8U level, today’s news makes it possible for Ripken Baseball to be part of a young player’s journey throughout their childhood, from 8 to 18.”
Through Baseball Factory’s guidance over a 30-year span, 100,000+ players have earned a spot on a college team, 5,000+ players have been drafted by a professional team, 200+ first-round picks, and 600+ players have risen to the MLB level.
MLB stars such as Bo Bichette, Bobby Witt, Jr., Anthony Rizzo, Gunnar Henderson, Nick Castellanos, and many more have participated in Baseball Factory events. Jackson Holliday, the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft, is also a Baseball Factory alum.
“We are incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished over the last 30 years and the thousands of players who we helped reach their maximum potential,” said Baseball Factory Founder Steve Sclafani. “Ripken Baseball is the ideal company to continue the growth of Baseball Factory and Softball Factory for future generations of players. I look forward to seeing what we achieve together as the Ripkens have long been at the epicenter of the growth of our game at the youth level.”
Baseball Factory and Softball Factory’s evaluation of a player includes middle schoolers and high schoolers participating in its annual National Showcases and Evaluation events. Once a player evaluation is complete, the organization places a player in the appropriate development program. Players flow through its system, similar to how many young prospects move through the levels of a Major League organization. At each level, players are challenged both physically and mentally. They participate in competitions, high-level individualized training and coaching, and accelerated techniques while focusing on baseball IQ, life skills, and academic guidance.
Participating players experience a unique, hands-on system to maximize their potential — from access to academic specialists who know the ins and outs of the college admission process to some of the most sought-after baseball and softball instructors in the world.
One hundred percent of Division I and Division II college baseball programs and 96% at the Division III level have at least one Baseball Factory alum on their current rosters. On the softball side, 88% of Div. I and Division II schools have at least one Softball Factory alum and 71% of Division III level.
In January 2023, Ripken Baseball announced Josh Harris and David Blitzer, via their respective family offices, completed a strategic investment in Ripken Baseball and Cooperstown All Star Village. Since the merger, Ripken Baseball has also acquired Sports Force Parks™ at Cedar Point Sports Center in Ohio and announced their plans to expand to other sports beyond the diamond.
About Ripken Baseball
Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big League Experiences while teaching children how to play sports the right way – the Ripken Way. Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art facilities – The Ripken Experience® Aberdeen Powered by Under Armour® (Maryland), The Ripken Experience® Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), The Ripken Experience® Pigeon Forge (Tennessee), The Ripken Experience® Elizabethtown (Kentucky), Sports Force Parks™ at Cedar Point Sports Center (Ohio), and Cooperstown All Star Village (New York). Ripken Baseball also develops and trains athletes through the acquisition of Baseball Factory™ and Softball Factory™. Learn more at ripkenbaseball.com.