Hitting has never been an exact science.
There are intricacies of the art, mechanics and mental steps required.
For Pure Hitting founder Pete Berrios, one of the world's most reputable hitting coaches, a deep and detailed system predicated on consistency, flow, power, and mental toughness has helped mold hundreds of players at the NCAA level and professional ranks.
The goal is to put Elev8's baseball program on the same plane as its top-shelf basketball program. Elev8 hoops has thrived under head honcho Gannon Baker.
Baker, an NBA skill development coach, has worked out league poster boys such as Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams.
He'll work alongside Luis Alicea, the program's executive director of baseball, to revitalize the program.
A local basketball and baseball star out of Detroit, Berrios has been a hitting instructor for 25+ years. The swing doctor has lofty aspirations to build Elev8 into the area's "unrivaled factory for skill development," with heavy emphasis on a fundamentals first brand of baseball.
He'll establish a program with elite-level baseball and softball travel teams, spring training camps for high school and college teams, scout days and college showcases, national tournaments, countless camps and clinics, in-house leagues, Pro Touch Defensive Skills training, performance pitching, and several other components.
Berrios' high-intensity one-on-one work, has rectified the swings of numerous MLB players.
What makes him a viable choice to bring Elev8 back into the national spotlight?
"Pete's system breaks hitting down, the program and the education that he could provide is top-notch," said Ryan Christenson, who starred at Pepperdine and played professionally from 1998-2003, winning a World Series with the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks.
"The real value of the program is that it breaks hitting down and brings fundamentals. These are seen by all the great hitters. Players can see that. They can touch it. It's tangible. They can feel it in the drills that they do. Hitting is Pete's forte...As long as he continues to show the passion and knowledge he has for the game, he'll be a great fit at Elevate. That's one of the strengths he has. He's a very passionate individual and very communicative."
Hitting through the rigors of a long spring, summer, and fall season can be an arduous and mentally taxing task. In his system, Berrios provides a calming influence that helps guide players through the process. He's confident his long-lasting relationships with MLB-level managers as well as high-major college baseball and softball coaches will create an advisory board and re-charge the baseball pulse in South Florida.
"What Pete has done entails a lot of research," explained Matt Kata, who played with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers and trained with Berrios.
"His work involves a lot of talented players and involves picking their brains, being able to see what works and what doesn't work for feedback. Pete has developed an effective system and approach towards hitting. You combine the fact that he's created a system made up of very clear goals and what you're trying to accomplish, it creates a great formula for the player to understand himself as a hitter."
Berrios leans on one specific motivational maxim, which he's made his mantra: "Greatness awaits for those who commit."
If he can help players commit to Elev8, which has the right facilities and amenities to escape obscurity and become relevant again, these words could prove prophetic.
"Pete's journey has been a long one and that experience has put him in position to build something up," said Kata.
"He has the knowledge and the experience. He'll help players climb up the ranks. I don't think it will take long, once people start to get around Pete to see his passion and see his knowledge for the game and see how hard he works everyday. Ultimately, you'll see the results. He makes a huge impact in a short amount of time."
Click Here to learn more about Elev8 Sports Institute.