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Good morning Friends of the Foundation! As most of you may know by now, I am a senior at the the University of South Carolina studying Sport & Entertainment Management. I am now halfway through my final fall semester of college, and it is crazy to think how quickly time flies. Attending UofSC and being in the #1 top-ranked program was the best decision I could have made. I am so grateful to have learned from industry professionals who have provided me with invaluable knowledge and experience.

Many thanks to Del and the Foundation for supporting me as I complete my applications for law school and for assisting me throughout all of my endeavors. I am so lucky to be apart of TPGF. More to come soon, stay tuned !

Mark Sluys

Brown University Baseball '19

Assistant, Amateur Scouting - Boston Red Sox 

Since graduating in 2019, I’ve spent the large majority of my professional career working different roles within the Red Sox Amateur Scouting Department.

My day-to-day schedule is built around corresponding with our scouting staff to evaluate the best draft-eligible amateur baseball players in the country. This involves analyzing and innovating our draft model, implementing industry advances in ideology and technology to our valuation process, and traveling around the country to crosscheck players that may factor for us in the draft.

The Perfect Game Foundation was an amazing resource for me during my time at Brown as I worked to find my way into baseball operations. Connections, interviewing skills, and a group of people with relevant experience to bounce ideas off of and learn from helped turn my passion into a career.

Jacob Burley

Current Team Captain

Prior to my recruitment to Brown, there were no thoughts about going to an Ivy League institution. 

Extremely nervous about the thought of going to a school like Brown never having met anyone who went to an Ivy League, it was not until I went on my unofficial visit my Junior year of high school when I met Coach Grant Achilles and Coach Mark and countless other guys on the team that I knew I wanted to be part of the Brown baseball family. 

Worried about getting along with the guys on the team turned out great! Nothing could not have been farther from the truth, from current players to alumni Brown baseball truly is a brotherhood. My college experience has been extremely unique; with Freshman year got cut short due to COVID and remote studying for the entirety of Sophomore year from Palm Beach, Florida. 

2021-2022 my junior year, finally provided a full year of in person college and a first full season of collegiate baseball. With that being said, I would not trade my experience for the world with so much growth, such great people met, and such phenomenal memories made. The impact of Brown baseball on my life is truly immeasurable.

One of the many positive impacts of Brown baseball is Coach Grant introducing me to Del Wilber Jr. and The Perfect Game Foundation. 

Del is always available to talk about life, baseball, my future, and is more than happy to help. He has offered me superb guidance for my career path and graduate school decisions. Last year, The Perfect Game Foundation produced numerous meetings with baseball industry professionals about which direction in the industry might be the best fit. 

These meetings were extremely beneficial, and with the advice received from these professionals and TPGF, the stress of the future and career path planning has dwindled away. 

There now is a new found understanding of what it means to work in baseball and all of the different opportunities someone will have once my playing days are over. I have the utmost gratitude and comfort in knowing that The Perfect Game Foundation will be there for support going forward. 

TPGF is extremely well versed in the sports industry and knows exactly who to contact and how to do it. The Perfect Game Foundation has been successful in accomplishing its mission and was created for all the right reasons. Del/The Perfect Game Foundation is an amazing resource, and it’s great to be a part of it! 

Now, it’s Senior year at Brown University looking to lead my team to an Ivy League Championship and a berth to an NCAA regional. Everyone is very excited about this upcoming season, given that we have a plethora of valuable returners and 11 newcomers who are looking to make an immediate impact. 

There is a different perspective this year with it being my last in Providence, and I have been enjoying every moment thus far. Next year plans are not to enter the workforce but rather to attend graduate school and continuing my baseball career with the end goal being playing professionally. No decision yet about which Grad School, however I will be making that decision with the guidance of Del and The Perfect Game Foundation.

Grant Achilles is in his ninth full season as the head coach of Brown Baseball which began playing in 1863. 

Today he is considered one of the very best developers in the NCAA of young baseball student athletes with 21 All Ivy Selections during his tenure, as well as many former players taken in the MLB Draft and also working in baseball around the country.

A Wake Forest 4 year letterman in baseball this coaching career includes stops at Georgetown, Wake Forest and Western Carolina. 

From Lynchburg, VA originally Grant and his wife, Elizabeth, currently reside in Providence, R.I., with their daughters, Ali Jo and Lana Gray, and golden retriever, Scout Finch.

ALL-IVY SELECTIONS (21)

Rob Henry (2015, 2017), Chris Smith (2015), Jake Levine (2015, 2016), Dante Bosnic (2016), Josh Huntley (2016, 2017), Christian Taugner (2016, 2017), Marc Sredojevic (2017), Sam Grigo (2017), Cameron Deere (2017), Parke Phillips (2018), Will Tomlinson (2018), Joe Lomuscio (2019), Mark Sluys (2019), Dustin Baird (2019), Tobey McDonough (2022), Ryan Marra (2022), Paxton Meyers (2022)

He is the Top Brown Bear Baseball Coach !

Please save the date for Next Year's Tournament July 17th, 2023 !  

A Perfect Time