Fredericksburg, VA (March 11, 2022) – West Raleigh Baseball Association (WRBA) has formally agreed to a strategic partnership with Canes Baseball. The multi-year agreement will align two of the elite baseball organizations in the country in an effort to provide an exemplary baseball experience for all players and families involved.

Canes Baseball is one of the nation’s top Travel Baseball organizations, featuring 35 current or former MLB Players, 20 1st round picks in the last 6 years, and over 2750 scholarships earned. This partnership aims to further the experience and development of youth baseball players in Central North Carolina for years to come.
“We are very excited about the future of Canes Baseball here in the RDU and surrounding areas. WRBA and their travel program (WR Elite) have long been one of the top youth level programs in the Carolinas. With strong leadership, knowledgeable coaches and a consistently talented talent pool of young, motivated ballplayers – WRBA was a perfect partnership for the Canes Baseball Brand in the Carolinas.” – Dan Gitzen, General Manager (Canes Baseball).

West Raleigh Baseball has a 64-year history of youth player development which has resulted in multiple national and international championship teams and has long been one of the leading youth baseball organizations in the country.

“We are thrilled to align with the Canes Baseball organization. This partnership will provide opportunities for all West Raleigh players and families to continue to develop their skill set and passion for the game of baseball,” said Chris Vurnakes, Executive Director of West Raleigh Baseball. “The Canes Baseball organization is the top national Travel Baseball organization and they have the accolades to prove it. We are very excited about the direction of our program and the lasting impact this partnership will have on the players and families in our community for years to come.”

As part of the agreement, all West Raleigh league players will have access to joint development camps and clinics hosted by West Raleigh Baseball and Canes Baseball throughout the year, including Canes Baseball alumni and coaches. Also, all West Raleigh families will enjoy exclusive access and discounts with Canes Baseball apparel and equipment vendors and suppliers. Additionally, Canes Baseball will provide West Raleigh Baseball and our families with turnkey fundraising and savings opportunities to help offset expenses.

This partnership also solidifies a continuous travel ball opportunity for kids from age 7 to 18 as West Raleigh Baseball will become the exclusive feeder league for the Canes Central Region program (ages 15 – 18). West Raleigh will continue to manage all teams from age 6 to 14, including in-house league play and summer/fall travel teams. West Raleigh’s involvement also includes the continued partnership with PRO5 Baseball Academy for the West Raleigh ELITE, a premier baseball development and travel program launched in 2021 for 13U and 14U.

This new agreement will provide a direct pipeline to the Canes Baseball High School travel program from ages 15 – 18 and West Raleigh Baseball travel players will be granted first right of refusal to encourage these alumni to play with the Canes Baseball HS travel program throughout their HS careers (should they choose).
West Raleigh ELITE teams (13U – 14U) will begin to wear both West Raleigh and Canes branded uniforms this Fall (2022) and West Raleigh travel teams (7U – 12U) will begin in the Spring of 2023.

Additionally this partnership allows for the opportunity for the Canes Baseball program to appoint a Central Director based out of the Raleigh area whose focus will be the development, support and administration of our players in the Central North Carolina area. Application process for this position will begin March 15, 2022 and formal resumes and interest letters can be sent to dgitzen@canesbaseball.net

For more information about West Raleigh Baseball please visit https://www.westraleighbaseball.org.