Top-10 Stories of 2018: No. 10 PBR partners with Rimrock, Bullpen Tournaments

Typically, November and December is a quiet time of the year for the PBR team. Just like the prospects we cover, it tends to be our offseason, too. However, these last couple of months have been both busy and exciting in the news department as we gear up for a big 2019 season. In November, we announced a partnership with the “best-in-class operational tournament and facility company” Bullpen Tournaments. Then, just about two weeks ago now, our staff announced a long-term partnership with the country’s go-to baseball facility: LakePoint in Emerson, Ga.

So how will this affect the travel baseball scene in Illinois? It's still early in the process, but it’s clear that there will be an influx of PBR-affiliated tournaments in the region for the area’s travel teams to choose from. After dipping our toes in the pool over the past year or two with the Limited Series tourneys, we’re diving in head-first. For a complete look at the tournaments being held in the area next year, click here.

As for the LakePoint event schedule, there are already six high-profile tournaments slated for 2019, including the invite-only National Program Invitational. It remains to be seen how many Illinois-based programs will be headed to Emerson in 2019, but given the amount of talent within this state, it’s fair to expect a handful of local representation.

We’ve put together the press releases on both of these announcements. To read them, keep scrolling below.

PBR AND RIMROCK ANNOUNCE LAKEPOINT PARTNERSHIP

Prep Baseball Report is thrilled to announce its long-term partnership to operate the nation's preeminent baseball facility at LakePoint in Emerson, GA. LakePoint's premier eight all-turf fields will continue to elevate Prep Baseball Report's status as the most respected independent scouting service in the country.

"Since our inception, we've always maintained a singular focus of providing players, teams, parents, college coaches and pro scouts a high-level, first-class baseball experience, which in turn creates greater opportunities for athletes to advance to the next level," said Prep Baseball Report President Sean Duncan. "LakePoint's amenity-rich baseball complex mirrors our standards of high-level, first-class baseball experiences."

The partnership also aligns Prep Baseball Report and Rimrock Capital Management. As a result of the expertise and significant capital brought together by the two parties, Prep Baseball Report will further enhance its national position in amateur baseball while LakePoint cements its spot as the preeminent destination for amateur sports.

"We are extremely excited about combining the national reach and reputation of Prep Baseball Report with the phenomenal baseball assets at LakePoint," said Jeff Bemis of Rimrock. "We've always believed in the enormous potential of LakePoint and by joining forces with PBR, we're establishing an industry-changing platform by aligning tournament operations with real estate sponsorship and capital backing. We'll have a deeper understanding of the needs of athletes, coaches and scouts and will have a fully integrated operation to create the best overall guest experience."

LakePoint's convenient location just outside Atlanta gives players and families a variety of entertainment options. LakePoint's proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport ensures that more than 80 percent of the country is less than a two-hour flight away. LakePoint Sporting Community is the premier sports vacation destination, located just outside of Atlanta. The 1,300-acre destination opened in 2014. Facilities include eight Major League-sized baseball fields, three multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse and football, 12 basketball courts, 24 indoor volleyball courts, a 170,000-square-foot indoor sports center, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The partnership and investment is the first major announcement following the confirmation of LakePoint's plan of reorganization sponsored by Rimrock. With a strong, all equity balance sheet, LakePoint is poised for accelerated growth in 2019.

Prep Baseball Report operates in 41 states and Canada, and runs hundreds of stratified levels of events across the country. With more than 150 scouts, Prep Baseball Report has the nation's largest baseball scouting infrastructure across all levels of amateur baseball. Prep Baseball Report is the No. 1 resource for amateur baseball in every state of operation through its variety of events, boots-on-the-ground scouting staff, daily coverage, and multimedia platforms.

"LakePoint is already the premier baseball facility in the country, but Jeff Bemis' vision of what the entire campus will become personally aligns with my vision of taking the Prep Baseball Report brand to a new level," Duncan said.

Prep Baseball Report events at LakePoint will kick off its' schedule in the spring. A full calendar of events for 2019 and beyond will be posted in the near future at https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/tournaments.

PBR ALIGNS WITH BULLPEN TOURNAMENTS

In conjunction with the release of our expanded 2019 tournament calendar, Prep Baseball Report is pleased to announce its partnership with Bullpen Tournaments, a best-in-class operational tournament and facility company, to provide teams, players, parents and scouts an unparalleled event experience.

The partnership will align under the label of PBR Tournaments, effectively merging the Prep Baseball Report's preeminent boots-on-the-ground scouting and media coverage with Bullpen Tournament's precision processes and back-end logistical execution.

PBR Tournaments' core focus is to provide players and teams the highest level of exposure at quality venues, while catering to the needs of college coaches and pro scouts.

Our expanded 2019 tournament calendar builds off last year's launch of the PBR Limited Series, a grouping of high-profile, invite-only tournaments that provided teams an opportunity to compete at highly respected facilities in a more focused setting.

This summer PBR Tournaments will also include regional and national events without compromising the core principles of quality venues, personalized communication, unparalleled scouting and exposure. PBR Tournaments' goal is to create local, regional and national tournaments across the country that will provide athletes, families and scouts a setting that will combine scouting, video and event coverage with the highest level of event operations.

More tournaments will be added in the coming weeks. To see where the 2019 tournament calendar stands today, click here.

TOP STORIES OF 2018