CANTON, Ga. - The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) has announced the hiring of John Brammer and Alex Skandalis as Coordinators of Baseball Officials beginning with the 2026 season. Brammer and Skandalis bring decades of combined experience at the collegiate and professional levels and will jointly oversee the conference’s baseball officiating operations.
As leaders within collegiate umpiring, Brammer and Skandalis have each served as Conference Coordinators across multiple NCAA Division III leagues and are recognized nationally for their commitment to training, evaluation, and professional development of officials. Together, they oversee umpiring operations for the Texas Collegiate Umpire Association (TCUA) and United Collegiate Umpires (UCU) — organizations that manage a nationwide network of nearly 2,000 umpires.
"Alex and I are extremely excited to work with the conference staff and coaches to continue to be at the forefront of Division III baseball with our umpiring program. We want to thank Commissioner LaDew for this opportunity." - John Brammer, Co-Coordinator of Baseball Umpires
Under their leadership, the duo will implement a year-round development plan for SAA baseball officials that includes in-season evaluations, nationwide recruiting, and enhanced use of technology for performance review. Brammer will serve as the primary conference contact while both will jointly manage all aspects of umpire training, assignment, and postseason selection.
Brammer brings experience as a Division I Super Regional and Regional umpire, Big XII postseason tournament umpire, and former Minor League Baseball official. He currently serves on the NCAA Rules Committee and is Conference Coordinator for multiple Division III and Junior College conferences.
Skandalis has worked numerous Division III College World Series assignments, served as Instant Replay Coordinator, and is a member of the CCA Mechanics Committee. His leadership spans Division I, II, and III programs as well as NJCAA conferences nationwide.
"We are thrilled to welcome John Brammer and Alex Skandalis as our Co-Coordinators of Baseball Officials,” said SAA Commissioner Stacey LaDew. “This duo brings a wealth of experience and professionalism to the role, and we’re excited to partner with them. With our large geographic footprint and the high level of talent and quality of baseball across our league, the expectations for this position are significant — and we have no doubt that John and Alex are ready to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park for the SAA. Over the past few years, we’ve made great strides in elevating the development and performance of our umpires, and we look forward to building on that momentum under their leadership."
Brammer and Skandalis will begin their duties immediately in preparation for the 2026 season.
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at www.saa-sports.com. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Southern Athletic Association news by following @SAA_Sports on Twitter (X) and @SAA_Sports on Instagram.