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PBR Ohio's Top Stories For The Year 2014: JD Heilmann Takes Over As Scouting Director

December 29, 2014

By Dylan Hefflinger and PBR Staff
Ohio Editor in Chief/NW Scout

Top 12 Stories for The Year 2014


PBR Ohio started up on May 3rd, 2011 as seen here. From that day, Chris Valentine has had a goal to promote high school baseball in Ohio at the highest level possible. Chris has been able to do this thanks to the help of parents, coaches, and the talented players throughout the state of Ohio.

Chris has also built a staff that has the drive to make Ohio one of, if not the top viewed website for Prep Baseball Report as well as put on some of the best showcases in the nation to help promote the high school talent that resides in the Buckeye State.

Dylan Hefflinger, PBR Ohio Editor in Chief/NW Scout, along with JD Heilmann, PBR Ohio Director Scouting take a look back at the year in review and put together a list of the top stories for 2014.

To start off the countdown, we chose a piece that touches JD, the Midland Baseball Organization, and the city of Cincinnati at heart, as one of the most well respected men in all of baseball passed away this year.

To follow that up we looked at "The Recruiting Trail" which updates where all the prospects across the state have been visiting, who they are getting attention from, and who they have committed to.

After that we looked at the "Cam Varga Experience" as well as a story about Adam no longer being a "One-Man Wolfpack".

Then we took an in-depth look at a heartfelt story of losing a brother and a great young man. After that was a look at the 26 players from Ohio that were drafted.

Now we look at the new Scouting Director in Ohio, JD Heilmann.

Each day we will reveal the next story on the list. A hint for the next story are the words "BC Dominance".

A rundown of the stories: Note: We will be conducting a Twitter contest to vote on the top 12 stories for 2014 once the 12 stories have been posted.

JD Heilmann Takes Over As Scouting Director


Over the past four years, the PBR Ohio staff has worked tirelessly to become your No. 1 resource for amateur baseball in the Buckeye State.

In a short time, we have built a comprehensive network of regional scouts from across the state to provide coverage throughout the year.

In the middle of July, PBR Ohio was able to add a great man to their staff in JD Heilmann, who took over as the new Scouting Director for Ohio.

"When the opportunity came to add JD to our staff, it was a no brainer," stated Chris Valentine, Executive Director. "He has been a familiar face on the recruiting trail for many years during his time at Cincinnati and Xavier."

Heilmann is one of the most respected recruiters and talent evaluators in the Midwest. He brings over 12 years of coaching and recruiting experience at the Division I level, including the past five years at his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, and seven years at Xavier University. 

In his tenure at both programs, Heilmann established himself as one of the most relentless recruiters in the business. In total, fifteen pitchers that Heilmann recruited and/or coached have been selected in the Major league Baseball First-Year Player Draft including most recently Connor Walsh (2014), Zach Isler (2012), Christian McElroy (2012), Dan Jensen (2011), Brian Garman (2010), and Kevin Johnson (2010). Additionally, Charlie Leesman, an 11th round pick out of Xavier in 2008, made his Major League debut in 2013.

Prior to Cincinnati and Xavier, Heilmann briefly coached at then Division II Northern Kentucky and Division III Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati. In addition to his years on the collegiate level, JD spent five summers as both an assistant and head coach in the nationally recognized Midland summer baseball organization. 

Heilmann’s roots run deep in Ohio. He is a 1993 graduate of Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller High School, where he helped the Crusaders capture a state championship while earning All-City and All-League honors.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing JD knows that not many are like him. Whether it is his high energy, his knowledge and passion for baseball, his own terminology for certain things within the game of baseball or his extravagant and outlandish hairstyle, all of us at Prep Baseball Report are better off with JD on our side.

"He (JD) brings energy, knowledge, and a passion for the game that will benefit the players, parents, and coaches of Ohio as they go through the recruiting process," Valentine said.