The ABA Baseball Academy League: What It Is and Which Academies Compete
The Academy Baseball Association (ABA) is the newer of the two organized circuits built specifically for full time baseball academies — and the one growing fastest. If you're evaluating a program that mentions "ABA" on its website or in a coach's bio, this guide explains what that actually means.
What the ABA Is
The ABA runs official league play for full time baseball academies — structured divisions with stats, standings, and scouting exposure, rather than a single showcase event. It launched in 2025 and expanded quickly in its first full year.
Website: academyball.com / Instagram @aba.conference
Structure: Five divisions — Premier, Prospect, Varsity, JV, and Middle School — which makes the ABA more accessible across competitive levels than a single elite-tier circuit. A program can field a Middle School team without yet having a Premier-level roster, and grow into the higher divisions over time.
Confirmed 2026 Premier Division Members
The Premier Division is the ABA's top competitive tier. The following academies are confirmed current ABA members based on official circuit and directory records:
| Academy | Location |
|---|---|
| Georgia Premier Academy | Statesboro, GA |
| A3 Trojans | Tampa, FL |
| TNXL Academy | Ocoee, FL |
| Eastern Carolina Academy | Goldsboro, NC |
| P27 Baseball Academy | Lexington, SC |
| Wellington Sports Academy | Wellington, FL |
| Clubhouse Performance Academy | Brooksville, FL |
| Kingsmen Baseball Academy | Gastonia, NC |
Several of these programs also carry NAA or Perfect Game circuit history — A3 Trojans, Georgia Premier Academy, and P27 Baseball Academy in particular have historical NAA membership alongside their current ABA participation, which isn't unusual during a period when the ABA is still establishing itself as the dominant circuit.
A handful of other academies — PDG Academy, Ironbridge Baseball Academy, Florida Travel Ball Academy, and Carolina Blue Claws — have been mentioned in ABA-adjacent coverage or compete against ABA members, but current circuit membership for those programs is not confirmed in official league records as of this writing. If a program's coach or marketing material claims ABA membership, ask to see the team's page on academyball.com directly.
The 2026 ABA National Championship
The 2026 ABA National Championship was held May 12, 2026 at LakePoint Sports in Emerson, Georgia, in a double-elimination format. Premier Division academies competed in front of college scouts and recruiting staff — the kind of concentrated exposure event that is a genuine recruiting asset for athletes on a circuit-affiliated roster.
Confirmed 2026 Premier Division head coaches and season records reported around the championship:
| Academy | Head Coach | 2026 Record |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia Premier Academy | Gene Reynolds | 28-11 |
| TNXL Academy | Brian Martinez | 28-12-1 |
| Wellington Sports Academy | Sean Burnett | 20-17 |
| A3 Trojans | Shane Rowland | 10-9 |
| Eastern Carolina Academy | Adam Pate | 11-18 |
How to Follow the Circuit as a Family
If you're comparing programs and one of them is an ABA member, here's how to use that information productively rather than just as a checkbox:
Check the standings, not just the claim. academyball.com publishes live stats and standings. A program with a documented 28-11 record has receipts; a program that mentions "ABA" without a verifiable team page does not.
Look at division, not just circuit. Premier Division competition is meaningfully different from JV or Middle School divisions. Ask which division the athlete's specific age group and roster actually compete in.
Confirm which season's roster you're evaluating. Circuit membership and head coaching staff can change year to year — verify current-season information directly with the academy rather than relying on last year's championship coverage.
Treat circuit membership as one signal among several. ABA participation tells you a program plays a real, documented schedule against other academy-level competition. It does not by itself tell you about coaching quality, academic structure, or cost — verify those separately with each program.
The Bottom Line
The ABA is currently the more actively updated of the two established academy circuits, with a Premier Division that includes several of the strongest year-round programs in the Sun Belt corridor. Confirmed 2026 Premier Division membership — Georgia Premier, A3 Trojans, TNXL, Eastern Carolina, P27, Wellington, Clubhouse Performance, and Kingsmen — is a genuine signal that a program is competing at the top level of the academy model. For any other program claiming ABA affiliation, ask to see the team's current standings page before treating the claim as confirmed.
Browse ABA member academies in the Basecademy directory, or see the full NAA vs. ABA circuit comparison for how the two circuits differ.
All circuit membership and standings information verified against the Basecademy directory and official ABA championship coverage as of July 2026.