Pearls Baseball & Softball       Academy

   The Paramount Scouting Bureau is your opportunity to showcase your talent in front of professional scouts and college coaches. Paramount Scouting Bureau is looking for the very best players across the country. There are numerous outstanding athletes who are not getting noticed, and we want to give you a chance to be seen by the college and professional scouts.

     Paramount Scouting Bureau currently holds evaluation events for baseball and softball to provide athletes with a professional evaluation of their talents. When you attend a Paramount Scouting Bureau event, you are, in a sense, performing in front of all colleges and professional leagues. We have had success at sending baseball and softball players into junior colleges, all divisions of the NAIA and NCAA, and to all levels of independent, affiliate and international professional baseball.

Showcase Directors

Ronald Vrana - Paramount Scouting Bureau scouting director, 724-514-6797, rvrana@paramountscouting.com

Claudio Reilsono - Paramount Scouting Bureau director of professional scouting. 412-443-4288, creilsono@paramountscouting.com

Player Evaluations

   Paramount Scouting Bureau has scouts who provide player evaluations on a college scale as explained below. The scouts rating the players are experienced in evaluating talent. Many have professional playing experience and have scouted players at the professional or collegiate level. We do not hire local college or high school coaches as evaluators on a one-time basis. Many of our scouts evaluate several showcases, which helps to create consistency when comparing players.

   The player evaluations for the Paramount Scouting Bureau Baseball Showcase Series are on a 20-80 college scale for baseball and a 20-70 scale for softball as explained below.

            Professional Baseball Opportunities

    Paramount Scouting Bureau holds tryouts to evaluate players for positions with professional organizations. From independent leagues to affiliate teams, major league organizations, and even overseas opportunities in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Australia, Italy, Sweden and other countries.

    Paramount Scouting Bureau uses the evaluations from our showcases to help players find baseball opportunities at the professional level. If our scouts think a player is good enough, Paramount Scouting Bureau will provide the player’s information to the scouting directors for teams and leagues all over the world. We do not negotiate contracts; we simply provide trusted and respected evaluations and let the teams decide from there

College Baseball and Softball Opportunities   

   Paramount Scouting Bureau showcases give you a chance to demonstrate your talents while seeing how you compare to other players your age.  Paramount Scouting Bureau also gives college coaches a chance to stay ahead in the recruiting game by providing opportunities for coaches to see your talent or receive information about you. Since many schools no longer have the recruiting budget to travel to find players, colleges at all levels use our trusted and respected evaluations as part of their recruiting efforts. Players at our events have been offered scholarships on the spot, or sight unseen just from a coach receiving our evaluations.

Ronald Vrana - Vrana is the owner and scouting director for the Paramount Scouting Bureau. Having run baseball and softball showcases since 1997, his premier event is the Beast of the East Showcase in Wheeling, WV. In the past, the event has drawn athletes and college coaches from numerous states and Canada, along with several hundred spectators. Vrana has extensive coaching experience and has recruited at the college level. He has experience in sports information, public relations and promotions at the college and professional levels. Since 1995, Vrana has worked as an area director for National Scouting Report where he has assisted over 1,500 high school athletes earn college athletic scholarships. Vrana earned his undergraduate degree in secondary education from Flagler College and his Master’s degree in communications/public relations from Shippensburg University. He has earned numerous national awards for curriculum development and is listed in Who's Who in American Education, Who’s Who Among American Teachers and Who's Who in American Business. Vrana coached high school sports for 18 years producing numerous individual and team champions in track, basketball, football and softball. Vrana also officiated high school baseball, softball and track, and ASA softball

Greg Shelton - Greg Shelton has had an impressive baseball career since starting the American Legion baseball program, in 1971, in Russellville, KY. With over 800 career coaching wins, Shelton was twice named the Kentucky Baseball Coach of the Year (1991 and 1999). In 1991, he was nominated for National Baseball Coach of the Year when he won the Kentucky State Baseball Championship as the coach at Franklin Simpson High School where he taught and coached baseball for 29 years. In 2005, Shelton took his teaching and coaching skills to Beech High School in Hendersonville, TN and twice has been named the Tennessee District 9 Coach of the Year (2006 and 2009). Active in conducting baseball clinics and instruction, Shelton is a certified hitting instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. He also was a professional scout for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees. A graduate of Western Kentucky University, Shelton holds a BS in physical education and a Master’s degree in secondary education.

FAQ

1. Q: What is the Paramount Scouting Bureau Showcase Series? The Paramount Scouting Bureau Showcase Series are a series of baseball and softball showcases across the United States, Canada and Australia created and produce by the Vrana Marketing Group, LLC. The showcases provide players with an opportunity to be seen by college coaches and professional scouts while receiving an evaluation of their talent.
2. Q: How are players selected for the showcases? Participation in an area showcase is through nominations by high school and travel team coaches, college coaches or professional scouts. Players also may receive an invitation after being scouted or by individual registration.
3. Q: How do I register for a showcase? Players may register by clicking on the “register” link next to your showcase on the showcase series web site, www.paramountscouting.com.
4. Q: How much does it cost? Showcase entry fees vary depending upon the event.
5. Q: May I register for more than one showcase? Yes.
6. Q: May I register the day of the event? No. Registration for your showcase will close one week before the event.
7. Q: How many players participate in each showcase? Each showcase session is capped at 125 participants for baseball, 100 participants for softball. If registrations exceed the limit in a particular area, additional sessions will be added.
8. Q: What should I bring to the showcase? Athletes should wear a uniform, including cleats for grass fields. Catchers must bring their own equipment. Position players should bring a batting helmet and a bat.
9. Q: How long is the event? The skill test will take about three hours. In events with a simulated game, held immediately after completion of the skills testing, the simulated game will last about an hour.
10. Q: What will players do at the showcase? Players are timed in the 60-yard dash (baseball)/home-to-first and home-to-home (softball), and position players are evaluated on arm strength, accuracy and fielding technique. Pitchers throw against a radar gun and are evaluated on their delivery mechanics.
11. Q: How are players evaluated? Players are evaluated on a 20/80 (baseball) or 20/70 (softball) college scale by professional scouts who have signed players to pro contracts and assisted in college signings.
12. Q: May I perform at more than one position? Yes. You may perform at as many positions as you want.
13. Q: How are players selected for the simulated game, and how many players are selected? College coaches and professional scouts will meet and decide on 24 players who they want to see in the game.
14. Q: How are players selected for a national showcase? The site managers will meet after the series of showcases is complete to discuss and select the players invited to the national showcase. The players will be selected on their performances at the showcases.
15. Q: Are players told at the showcase if they are selected for the regional/national game? No. Players will be notified by email once the showcases are complete.
16. Q: Who will see the showcase results? Paramount Scouting Bureau will make the results of the showcases available to every college coach in the country.
17. Q: Which college coaches will attend? We cannot guarantee that any coach will attend, but every college coach in the country will receive information on the showcase schedule. Many colleges have small recruiting budgets and depend upon our information to find athletes. With Paramount Scouting Bureau sending the information to every college coach in the country, and the fact that we use a consistent evaluation method and credible evaluators at every showcase, our information is valuable to many college coaches and professional scouts, even if they do not attend the events. A college coach wants an unbiased evaluation, and with us he will get. He will trust our evaluations.
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BASEBALL RATING SCALE

     80 - Top Division l player/potential first round selection in the major league draft. An 80 is someone who could right now start for a top D1 school (Texas, North Carolina, LSU, etc). Most likely, this player will get drafted right out of high school in the first round.

     70 – Division l player/potential draft selection. A 70 is someone who could right now start for most D1 schools. This player has a chance to get drafted right out of high school in the top ten rounds of the major league draft. 60 – Division l player/potential draft selection.

     A 60 is someone who could play at a D1 school. This player has a chance to get drafted right out of high school in the middle rounds of the major league draft.

    50 - Average Division l player/above average D II player. A 50 might get some D1 playing time, or even start at a lower level D1 program. He would be a solid player at a D2 program.

     40 – Below average D l/mid-range D ll player. A 40 would see limited D1 action in his freshman year, or might be red shirted. If he has good grades, a 40 could be a standout at a higher academic institution.

     30 - Above average high school/possible small college/D III/juco. Once again, a 30 with good grades could be a standout at a higher academic institution. Playing at a junior college could be an option to continue to develop your skills an increase interest among more competitive baseball programs.

     20 – Average high school player. Not a college prospect at this time; however, good grades could be a factor in drawing interest and receiving grants at the D3 level.

SOFTBALL RATING SCALE

     70 - Top Division l player. A 70 is someone who could right now start for a top D1 school (Arizona State, UCLA, South Carolina, etc).

     60 - Average Division l player. Could start as a freshman at some D1 programs 50 – Below average Division l player/above average D II player.

     A 50 might get some D1 playing time, or even start at a lower level D1 program. She would be a solid player at a D2 program.

     40 – Mid-range D2 player. If she has good grades, a 40 could be a standout at a higher academic institution.

     30 - Above average high school/possible small college/D3/juco. Once again, a 30 with good grades could be a standout at a higher academic institution. Playing at a junior college could be an option to continue to develop your skills an increase interest among more competitive softball programs.

     20 – Average high school player. Not a college prospect at this time; however, good grades could be a factor in drawing interest and receiving grants at the D3 level.