How We Do It
Four pillars. One mission.
Education First
School isn't optional — it's the price of admission. Every player must maintain grades above 70% and 100% attendance to stay on the team.
Baseball Training
Year-round coaching, league play, and free equipment for every player. Three teams — high school, middle school, and t-ball — competing in Barahona's 8-team league.
Mentorship
Life skills, goal setting, and real relationships with coaches and staff who show up every single day. Not a pipeline — a family.
Community
Locally led, locally loved. Our staff has lived in Barahona for decades. We're not outsiders running a program — we're neighbors building a future together.
Leadership
Board of Directors & Advisors
A team of volunteers committed to the mission. Every board member gives their time for free — just like the program itself.
All board members serve as volunteers. Bios will be updated with personal statements as provided.
The Transparency Pledge
We believe every dollar you give should go directly to the kids it's meant for. Not to office rent, not to administrative bloat. Here's how we make that happen.
100% of donations go to the DR
Every dollar you give goes directly to the program in Barahona. US operations are funded separately through grants and outside support — not from your donation.
Full transparency, always
We show you exactly where your money goes. Monthly updates, impact reports, and direct communication with the team on the ground.
Verified 501(c)(3)
EIN: 85-0947825. Candid Gold Seal 2025. All donations are tax-deductible. We operate with the highest standards of nonprofit accountability.
25 years of community trust
This isn't a new operation. Brian's relationships in Barahona go back to 1998. The community knows us, trusts us, and works alongside us every day.
The Team
Locally led. Always.
Dominican staff run the program. Brian supports from the US and visits regularly.
Left: Brian today · Top right: Barahona community visit · Bottom right: DR mission, 1999
Founder & President
Brian Straley
Brigham City, Utah
Brian grew up in Logan, Utah, playing baseball the way most kids in Cache Valley did — because it was summer and there was nothing better to do. He played his freshman year at Logan High School — and then he was done. The game never really left him, though. It just waited.
In 1998, at nineteen years old, Brian arrived in the Dominican Republic as an LDS missionary called to the Santo Domingo West Mission. His territory stretched from the capital all the way to the Haitian border — what locals call el Sur, the South. He served in Bayona, Herrera III, Herrera II, San Cristóbal, Los Alcarrizos, Las Matas de Farfán, Haina, and Barahona. The mission ran about 200 missionaries at the time; today, that same ground is covered by four separate missions. What those two years gave Brian wasn't just a testimony — it was a deep, lasting love for the Dominican people and the communities they call home.
When his mission ended, most missionaries board a plane and come home for good. Brian came home — and then kept going back. For the next 25 years he returned to the DR again and again, not just Barahona but all across the island. The connection never broke. In 2020, he channeled that connection into something concrete and founded Empower Baseball.
By day, Brian is a Site Manager at Northrop Grumman, where he leads manufacturing and operations. He holds a bachelor's degree from Utah State University and an MBA from Western Governors University, and has been featured in Voyage Utah for his work with the organization.
If you served in any of the four Dominican missions — or in Haiti — you already know what these kids are up against. Empower Baseball is a way to go back without getting on a plane.
"We don't just want these kids to play baseball. We want them to graduate. We want them to have choices. Baseball is the hook — education is the mission."
Head Coach
Ulises Batista
Barahona, DR
Dominican-born coach who runs daily practices, manages league games, and mentors every player on the field. The heartbeat of the program on the ground.
General Manager
Bernarda Acosta
Barahona, DR
Manages all operations, communicates with families and schools, and ensures every player meets academic standards. Brian's 25-year relationship with Bernarda is the foundation of the program.
Content Creator
Rosa
Barahona, DR
Captures the real stories from the ground — the practices, the games, the moments that matter. Rosa makes sure the world sees what's happening in Barahona.
