Perfect Game Strikes Partnership Agreement with Baseball Australia

Perfect Game and Baseball Australia today jointly announced the creation of a strategic alliance designed to expand Perfect Game’s international reach, while providing Australian amateur baseball players with access to Perfect Game tournaments, showcases and proprietary data analytics and scouting services. The announcement was made by the parties in Ft. Myers, FL during the 2022 Perfect Game World Showcase.

The timing and location of today’s announcement is fitting, as the World Showcase demonstrates the increasing participation levels and popularity of baseball on a global scale. Since its inception in 1997, the World Showcase has become the single-most important talent evaluation event on the calendars of professional scouts and college coaches. 

The parties first began exploring the possibility of a strategic alliance in 2015, during the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) annual convention. This alliance between Perfect Game and Baseball Australia will help build a bridge and bond between the northern and southern hemispheres and opens the door to myriad opportunities for amateur athletes in both locations. 

Baseball Australia has played an integral role in helping the country establish itself as one of the top baseball-playing nations in the world, and its relationship with Perfect Game will provide opportunities for Australian players to compete with and against the world’s top athletes.  Additionally, through Perfect Game’s proprietary digital and data-driven performance tools, such as PG Tech, Australian athletes will be able to measure their skills against many of baseball’s top young players, past and present.

Perfect Game, with the assistance of Baseball Australia, will soon begin hosting best-in-class events and tournaments in the Land Down Under, which, in turn, will provide unmatched opportunities and experiences for North American players and their families. Additionally, through Perfect Game, Baseball Australia will have a trusted U.S. partner to provide safe and cost-effective American baseball-playing experiences for Australian youth and their families.

“Today marks a very historic day in the continuing growth of Perfect Game,” stated Perfect Game Founder and President, Jerry Ford. “Our alliance with Baseball Australia is at the core of what we stand for – providing baseball and softball playing opportunities for athletes of all abilities and from all corners of the globe. I’m confident this relationship will advance the interest in and popularity of the game of baseball in Australia and America.”

“Baseball Australia is looking forward to working closely with Perfect Game to expand our offerings and services to our Australian athletes,” stated Baseball Australia CEO, Glenn Williams.  Williams, a former Major Leaguer and Olympic baseball silver medalist (Athens/2004), added, “This partnership will help provide Australian baseball players with opportunities, on and off the field, that have generally only been available to a small percentage of our young players. Providing international baseball experiences in the USA and at home for more of our players will be of great benefit.”

“I want to thank Glenn Williams and his Baseball Australia staff for working diligently in helping design a partnership that is sure to catch the attention of other baseball organizations around the world,” said Perfect Game Vice President of National and International Development, Ben Ford.  “Moving forward, the winner here is the sport of baseball. Through this strategic alliance, Perfect Game and Baseball Australia will provide greater opportunities for athletes to chase their baseball dreams.”

“The world is getting smaller, and this alliance will open up more doors for Australian baseball players through Perfect Game’s terrific player information services, which are used by colleges and all Major League Baseball clubs,” added Perfect Game consultant and former Major League Baseball General Manager, Bill Bavasi.  “Baseball Australia has cultivated terrific college and Major League players over the years and I’m confident this relationship will lead to even more collegiate and professional opportunities for Australian baseball players.”

Between 2015 and 2021, the alliance discussions were ongoing, and included a number of meetings in various locations between Perfect Game’s Ben Ford and Angel Natal and Baseball Australia’s Williams. The true potential of the alliance was on display in May 2019, when Baseball Australia helped assemble a team of prospects to participate in Perfect Game events in Ft. Myers, Florida.  That team finished 6-1-1, and 20 of the 25 players on Team Australia have committed to play collegiately or signed professionally, including Jake Burns (St. Louis Cardinals), Clayton Campbell (Detroit Tigers), Solomon Maguire (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Chris Burke (Philadelphia Phillies).

For more information, please visit PerfectGame.org.

About Perfect Game

Perfect Game is the world’s largest elite youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, producing over 8,600+ events, 300,000+ games and showcases each year across the country. Perfect Game is dedicated to giving amateur players exposure to take their game to the next level, whether that be in college or in the professional ranks. At Perfect Game events, players are performing with top-level competition in front of college recruiters and professional scouts from all over the country. Because of this, these events prove to be invaluable to the college coaches as well as Major League Baseball, as they can scout a large population of talented ballplayers in one location. To date, more than 1,500 players that have played in a Perfect Game event have also played in Major League Baseball. Since 2003, 13,324 Perfect Game alumni have been selected in the MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft. In the 2021 Draft, for example, more than 95 percent of all players selected had played in Perfect Game events, and every player selected on the Draft’s first day had previously attended Perfect Game events. And in the 2021 College World Series, every player on the rosters of national champion Mississippi State and runner-up Vanderbilt had played in a Perfect Game event.

About Baseball Australia

Baseball Australia (BA) is the governing body for all levels of baseball throughout the country. Primarily responsible for the development of the sport; administration, conduct, participation, high performance and promotion, BA works with seven (7) State and Territory associations and 600+ clubs across the country.

BA also acts as the international liaison and represents Australian Baseball at all International forums.  They are the 100% owner of the Australian Baseball League (ABL).  Team Australia and the Emeralds are the men’s and women’s National senior representative teams for Baseball Australia, both competing in World Cup competitions and the four-yearly World Baseball Classic and Premier12.

Australian Baseball Federation as Baseball Australia

The Australian Baseball Federation is the peak representative body for baseball in Australia. The Australian Baseball Federation has national and international regulatory and co-ordination responsibilities. In performing those functions, the Australian Baseball Federation uses the descriptor: “Baseball Australia”.