Baseball Staff

Neal Packanik

General Manager

  • Neal Packanik-Director of Baseball Ops(Hitting and Defense)
  • Played Collegiately at Ohio University
  • Owned and Operated ACE Baseball in Cleveland, OH
  • Involved in Youth Development programs since 2000
  • Associate Scout for Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians
  • Created Cleveland Indians Youth Baseball Programs

Brandon Szink

Director of Baseball Operations & Player Development

  • Played Collegiately at Notre Dame College
  • Former Program Director and General Manager for ACE Baseball
  • Former Cleveland Indians Youth Baseball Development Instructor
  • Tampa Bay Rays Player Development Intern, 2020
  • Former Assistant/Infield Coach at St. Petersburg College (FL)
  • Rapsodo Hitting Certified

Chris Valentine

Director of Business Development Baseball

  • Extensive experience in coaching
  • Currently the Executive Director of Prep Baseball Report for Ohio, Michigan, Ontario, and New England.
  • Co-founded the Ohio Elite Baseball program, which has had 300 college commitments and eight players drafted since 2011.
  • Associate scout for the Colorado Rockies.

Jordan Chiero

Hitting Coordinator

  • Played at Tiffin University
  • Current Scouting Director PBR Ohio
  • Current Hitting Consultant to NCAA programs
  • Former NCAA D1 Assistant Coach at Wright State University
  • Former Professional Baseball Player

Conor Crotty

Pitching Coordinator

  • Pitched Collegiately at Otterbein University
  • Current Assistant Pitching Coach at Otterbein University
  • 2-Time OAC Champion
  • Played for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in the Northwoods League

John LaCorte

Pitching

  • Played at Otterbein Univerity (2008-2011)
  • Pitching Coach at Otterbein 7 seasons (2012-2018)
  • A part of 3 straight OAC Championships (2016-2018)
  • 16 All-Conference Pitchers in 7 seasons
  • Finalist for 2017 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
  • National Pitching Coach of the Year

Zach Sterry

Hitting

  • Played collegiately at Oakland University
  • Was the 2016 Valley League MVP
  • Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 8th round of the 2017 MLB Draft

Zarley Zalewski

Hitting and Infield

  • Drafted in the 40th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Played collegiately at Kent State University 2013-2016
  • Four-year Varsity Baseball Letterman
  • 3-time All-Mid-American Conference First-Team
  • 2-time All-Region First-Team
  • Played professionally with the Joliet Slammers

Cameron Comer

Catching & Hitting

  • Played collegiately at the University of Virginia
  • Named OHSAA Division I State Player of Year his senior year at Olentangy Liberty High School
  • Earned Rawlings National High School Gold Glove Award as a senior
  • Prep Baseball Report (PBR) Position Player of Year

JT Brubaker

Pitching

A 2012 graduate of Tecumseh High School in New Carlisle, OH, where he earned three varsity letters in baseball and was also a two-time first-team All-Central Buckeye Conference and All-Springfield News selection

  • Pitched collegiately at the University of Akron.
  • Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015.
  • Named the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year in 2018.

Tyler Miller

Pitching

  • Played 4 years of high school baseball locally at Central Crossing High School & Jonathan Alder High School
  • Won a state championship while at Jonathan Alder where he also achieved First Team All-State honors
  • Played 4 years collegiately at the University of Evansville
  • Part of the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Championship team at Evansville

Eric Stamets

Hitting/Infield

  • Graduated from Dublin Scioto High School in 2009 where he played baseball, basketball and football
  • Attended the University of Evansville
  • Starting shortstop for three years before being drafted by the Angels in the 6th round in 2012.
  • In 2015 was traded to the Cleveland Indians and has spent some time at their AAA affiliate the Columbus Clippers.

Adam Madias

Catching & Hitting

  • Graduated with Honors from St.Edward High School in Cleveland, Ohio (2013)
  • Played Collegiately at Muskingum University
  • Led Muskingum in home runs in 2015

Stephan Hernon

Catching & Hitting

  • Played collegiately at Otterbein University 2014-2017
  • 2x OAC Champion (2016, 2017)
  • First Team All-OAC, 2017
  • OAC All-Tournament Team, 2017
  • OAC Record holder for RBI’s in a game (10)

Mitchell Bault

Pitching

  • Graduated from Moeller High School, 2015
  • Played Collegiately at Ohio Dominican University (2016-2019)
  • Second Team All-GMAC, 2019

John Kopicky

Pitching

  • Pitched Collegiately at Otterbein University
  • Pitched Professionally in the Pecos League in 2019 with the High Desert Yard Birds, appearing in 19 games with a 6-2 record totaling 66 innings and posting a 3.37 ERA
  • Nominated to the 2019 Pecos League All-Star Team
  • Pitched in the Yinzer Baseball League in 2020 with the Road Warrior Black Sox in Washington, PA

Cole Revels

Hitting, Infield & Outfield

  • Originally from Charlotte, NC where he attended Providence High School
  • Played collegiately at Ohio University
  • Volunteered with the Cincinnati Reds Rookie League inner city baseball camps in 2019

Izaiah Withrow

Hitting, Infield(1B) & Outfield

  • Played high school locally at Bloom Carroll, where he was second team All-Conference his Junior year, First Team All-Conference his senior year & part of the 2014 State Championship Team
  • Played 2 years collegiately at La Roche University prior to finishing up his collegiate career at Ohio Wesleyan University
  • Owns OWU’s single game RBI record with 9

Chris Follina

Hitting & Outfield

  • Played collegiately at West Liberty University
  • Attended High School at Holy Name in Parma Heights, Ohio
  • Named Second-Team All-Ohio Division-II as an Outfielder in High school

Genesis Hillard

Hitting & Outfield

  • Played collegiately at Ohio Dominican University
  • GMAC First Team All-Conference, 2019
  • 2-Time GMAC Player of the Week
  • Current Director of Operations, PBR Ohio

Patrick Ranalli

Hitting & Outfield

  • Played Collegiately at Ohio Dominican University, 1998-2002, where he was a 4-year started in centerfield
  • Three-time First Team All Conference & one-time Second-Team All Conference
  • 1999 ABCA/Rawlings Honorable Mention All-American
  • 2002 AMC Player of the Year
  • 2002 ABCA Rawlings First Team All American

Brandon Riley

Catching & Hitting

  • Played 3 years at Defiance College as a catcher
  • Catching and hitting instructor for the Midwest Prospects prior to becoming an instructor and coach with Bo Jackson Elite

Justin McConnell

Hitting & Infield

  • Played Collegiately at Wright State University
  • Played SS, 3B & 2B
  • Named to the 2021 Horizon League All-Tournament Team
  • Career .953 fielding percentage

Taylor Hutchison

Hitting & Infield

  • Played collegiately at Otterbein University
  • Named honorable mention All-OAC as a sophomore in 2014
  • Garnered first team all-league honors three times as Whitehall-Yearling High School

Zach Dezenzo

Hitting & Infield

  • 12th round draft pick Houston Astros 2022
  • 2nd team All-Big 10 2022
  • 2x Big 10 player of the week
  • Tied single season HR record 2022 (19)
  • Freshman All-American 2019

Geremi Azcarate

Left Handed Pitching

  • Played in the Minor League for The Cincinnati Reds for 2 years
  • Played Winterball Overseas in Venezuela
  • Certified Driveline Youth Development Coach
  • Trained at Driveline