Top Level Baseball Academy
St. Monica’s High School and various permitted fields (UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, Clover Park, Marine Field, Memorial Park, PenMar, WLA LL, Cheviot Hills Rec. Park), 1030 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403
About
Top Level Baseball Academy offers travel ball teams, small group and private training, open scrimmage games, field practices, batting practice in batting cages, and specialized work in pitching, hitting, catching, strength and conditioning, and pitcher velocity and arm care. Players can take part in video analysis, developmental training workout programs, high level summer training programs, open pitching and catching workouts, velo workouts, arm care and recovery sessions, bullpens, and pitching video and data analysis. The program also runs Summer, Thanksgiving, and Easter holiday advanced camps, along with private lessons in hitting, pitching, and catching.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Tryouts for 2025–26 teams (ages 8/9U–18U) are held Sunday Aug. 31 and Sept. 14; Top Level teams hold first practices the week of September 8, and teams begin competitive play on Sept. 28 or Oct. 5
• Price: Players can access Coach Zach for as little as $35 for a bullpen or velo group workout
Top Level Baseball Academy was started by Eric Beckerman and Zach Smith in the summer of 2021 and has grown from four teams to over 20 travel teams ranging from 8/9U through high school 18U seniors, with more than 250 players. The program is the home of the Easton USSSA Elite Florida World Series Champions and has been developing players for high school and beyond since 2013, first as LA Xtreme (2013–2020) and now as Top Level (2021–present). High school teams participate in tournaments such as Perfect Game, Five Tool, Prospect Wire, Arizona Fall Classic, and PG WWBA in Georgia, and training includes video- and data-driven metrics analysis for pitching and hitting, access to small advanced training performance and skill groups, and competitive scrimmages and practices with multiple stations.
The leadership team includes co-owners Eric Beckerman, who is also the Crossroads High School Varsity Head Coach, and Zach Smith, who is also the Crossroads pitching coach. Eric Beckerman is a former 2-time All-League player at Palisades High School, played at the University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin, founded and ran LA Xtreme for eight years, and has brought six teams to Cooperstown with three championships, one runner-up, and two ninth-place finishes, as well as teams that have won the Florida World Series, Omaha Slumpbusters World Series, and numerous Super NIT, Perfect Game, USA North Carolina, and other national invitational tournaments. Coach Zach Smith played collegiate baseball at the University of Hawaii Pacific, learned pitching biomechanics while working at the Ranch in Texas, is certified in biomechanics, has trained alongside MLB pitching coaches, and is currently a pitching instructor for MLB, MiLB, high school, and elite travel ball pitchers.
Top Level Baseball Academy states that it is for players who enjoy the training and hard work it takes to play with and against other high level players, and that it emphasizes an environment where players are surrounded by others who work hard and aim to play at their highest possible level. The stated mission extends beyond baseball to developing future professionals such as CEOs, entrepreneurs, doctors, and screenwriters, using baseball to help them with playing at top academic institutions and preparing for high school and beyond. The program emphasizes that failure is not something to fear but part of growth, and focuses on hard work, grit, grind, and personal accountability, with the stated goal of using baseball as a pathway to open doors at leading academic institutions through top-notch instruction, resources, and opportunities. Top Level notes that it strives to hire high-quality professional coaches and to avoid situations where lineups are influenced by a coach’s or board member’s child, and it offers open scrimmage games, field and batting practice open to both Top Level and non–Top Level players, as well as open workouts available through an à la carte menu with no monthly fee commitments.
For sessions at St. Monica’s High School, players are instructed to wear turf or tennis shoes (no metal or rubber cleats), baseball attire such as shorts, shirt, and hat, and to bring a glove, catcher’s gear if they are a catcher, and water. Top Level Baseball Academy states that it provides the Westside with a high level program that gives players the chance to develop their game and prepare for success in high school and beyond.
Last updated March 26, 2026.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Tryouts for 2025–26 teams (ages 8/9U–18U) are held Sunday Aug. 31 and Sept. 14; Top Level teams hold first practices the week of September 8, and teams begin competitive play on Sept. 28 or Oct. 5
• Price: Players can access Coach Zach for as little as $35 for a bullpen or velo group workout
Top Level Baseball Academy was started by Eric Beckerman and Zach Smith in the summer of 2021 and has grown from four teams to over 20 travel teams ranging from 8/9U through high school 18U seniors, with more than 250 players. The program is the home of the Easton USSSA Elite Florida World Series Champions and has been developing players for high school and beyond since 2013, first as LA Xtreme (2013–2020) and now as Top Level (2021–present). High school teams participate in tournaments such as Perfect Game, Five Tool, Prospect Wire, Arizona Fall Classic, and PG WWBA in Georgia, and training includes video- and data-driven metrics analysis for pitching and hitting, access to small advanced training performance and skill groups, and competitive scrimmages and practices with multiple stations.
The leadership team includes co-owners Eric Beckerman, who is also the Crossroads High School Varsity Head Coach, and Zach Smith, who is also the Crossroads pitching coach. Eric Beckerman is a former 2-time All-League player at Palisades High School, played at the University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin, founded and ran LA Xtreme for eight years, and has brought six teams to Cooperstown with three championships, one runner-up, and two ninth-place finishes, as well as teams that have won the Florida World Series, Omaha Slumpbusters World Series, and numerous Super NIT, Perfect Game, USA North Carolina, and other national invitational tournaments. Coach Zach Smith played collegiate baseball at the University of Hawaii Pacific, learned pitching biomechanics while working at the Ranch in Texas, is certified in biomechanics, has trained alongside MLB pitching coaches, and is currently a pitching instructor for MLB, MiLB, high school, and elite travel ball pitchers.
Top Level Baseball Academy states that it is for players who enjoy the training and hard work it takes to play with and against other high level players, and that it emphasizes an environment where players are surrounded by others who work hard and aim to play at their highest possible level. The stated mission extends beyond baseball to developing future professionals such as CEOs, entrepreneurs, doctors, and screenwriters, using baseball to help them with playing at top academic institutions and preparing for high school and beyond. The program emphasizes that failure is not something to fear but part of growth, and focuses on hard work, grit, grind, and personal accountability, with the stated goal of using baseball as a pathway to open doors at leading academic institutions through top-notch instruction, resources, and opportunities. Top Level notes that it strives to hire high-quality professional coaches and to avoid situations where lineups are influenced by a coach’s or board member’s child, and it offers open scrimmage games, field and batting practice open to both Top Level and non–Top Level players, as well as open workouts available through an à la carte menu with no monthly fee commitments.
For sessions at St. Monica’s High School, players are instructed to wear turf or tennis shoes (no metal or rubber cleats), baseball attire such as shorts, shirt, and hat, and to bring a glove, catcher’s gear if they are a catcher, and water. Top Level Baseball Academy states that it provides the Westside with a high level program that gives players the chance to develop their game and prepare for success in high school and beyond.
Last updated March 26, 2026.
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