Andy Rojo currently serves as USA Baseball’s Regional Director of the National Team Identification Series (NTIS) for the Southwest Region (Southern California, Hawaii, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado) and South Region (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas). The NTIS program is USA Baseball’s most comprehensive player identification program for talented 11U to 16U baseball players pursuing an opportunity to compete for a spot on a USA Baseball national team (Team USA). Entering his 9th year with USA Baseball, he has helped identify some of the nation’s best amateur talent who have gone on to play for Team USA, top collegiate programs and become MLB draft picks.

 

Before joining USA Baseball, Rojo was the recruiting coordinator and hitting coach for Division 1 Long Beach State under Head Coach Mike Weathers for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons. In 2008, he helped coach the Dirtbags to the Big West Conference title, and in his three years at Long Beach State, a total of 23 players were drafted, with 12 of those players taken in the top 10 rounds. Before coaching at Long Beach State, he served as Associate Head Baseball Coach at Riverside City College under the guidance of Head Coach Dennis Rogers, where he helped lead the Tigers to the 2007 California Junior College State title.

 

Off the field, Rojo was a featured speaker at the 2008 American Baseball Coaches Association’s National Convention (ABCA) in Philadelphia, PA. He teamed up with his former college coach Dennis Rogers and presented on infield development. He currently serves on the ABCA’s Travel Baseball Committee with several influential baseball leaders discussing trends and best practices for amateur players.

 

In addition, he co-founded the Miracle League Los Angeles, a baseball field and league designed to provide a life-changing experience for children with special needs by allowing them to play baseball on a field built specifically for them. The work and partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Cal Ripken Sr Foundation, and LA84 Foundation were instrumental in helping to create and build this unique and wonderful baseball organization. The Miracle League is the first-of-its-kind organization in the greater Los Angeles area. 

Juan joins Rising Prospects after a 6-year stint with Prospect Wire Baseball and BaseballCloud under the DS Sports Ventures portfolio. Starting out as an event scout for Prospect Wire in Florida, Juan gradually moved into a national scouting position, then quickly ascended to the national showcase director position and ultimately national scouting director. His efforts played a significant role in the success of the 2021 and 2022 Prospect Wire All-American events at Texas Christian University and Vanderbilt University, respectively.

 

In addition to being named Co-Director of Rising Prospects, Juan will also serve as Associate Regional Director for USA Baseball’s National Team Identification Series (NTIS) for the Southwest and South Regions. He will assist in organizing events and selecting players to compete at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex in Cary, NC. His experience working with top national talent at Prospect Wire will be an asset to USA Baseball and the identification of future Team USA players.

 

Fontela’s passion for baseball was instilled early by his late grandfather, Juan Fontela, Sr. He played at Jefferson High School as well as Leto High School in Tampa Hillsborough County before moving on collegiately to Southern Alabama. He began his coaching career under his father and uncle’s tutelage at his alma mater Jefferson High School and remained there from 2015-2021. In 2018, he helped capture the school’s first 6A baseball state championship in the school’s 78-year history.