Welcome to CESNETWORK.COM - Competitive Edge Solutions Network

The Competitive Edge Solutions Network (CES) is largely comprised of five component sports training programs: Power Plant Hockey, Minnesota Baseball Academy, Minnesota Softball Academy, Squeeze Play Baseball Academy (Sioux Falls, SD) and Competitive Edge Wrestling. All share a vision of using sports specific training to achieve a broader impact on our athletes and more importantly as people.

Standard of Excellence
"Improving sports training by itself will have a minimal impact on making the world a better place." This quote explains why we use sports training as a vehicle to help athletes become healthier and more productive as they grow into their high school years, the college experience and into 'real' life. Our standard of excellence applies to several parts of our training programs' goals: To enhance sport-specific ability – CES's programs provide results built by implementing skill-based activity through team training, camps, group lessons, advanced lessons, video slow motion analysis and by using expert instructors and mentors. To build a foundation for healthy productive adults – Competitive Edge's camps and individual training are challenging, fun, and rewarding. We understand that every student isn't going to be an elite college player, but we can teach every student what it takes to succeed: attitude, effort and preparation.
To provide role models – Our training staff embodies Competitive Edge's standard of excellence. We help our players through the training process and what it takes to be an elite athlete. Our instructors are mentors as well. We make it a point to affect players' lives in a positive way – whether that is to attend one of their ball games or help them with the recruiting process. We are there on and off the clock.

Who we are...

John Anderson, M.B.A. - Sioux Falls University
CES Owner and Director of Squeeze Play Baseball Academy

John runs Squeeze Play Baseball Academy in Sioux Falls, SD. He also oversees Minnesota Baseball Academy's advanced athletes and college-bound players.

"Johnny", a college standout at Muscatine JC and Briar Cliff, earned All-American and Academic All-American honors as a college shortstop. After graduating in 1999, John went to Sioux Falls University and was an assistant baseball coach and also earned his Masters Degree in Business.

John has been playing baseball for the past eight seasons and is among the best independent players off all time. He has been a three-time all star at three separate positions – SS, Dubois County Dragons – LF, New Jersey Jackals – 2B, San Angelo Colts. Anderson won a Northeast League championship with the New Jersey Jackals in 2004 when he batted lead off and lead the league in at-bats, hits and doubles. John finished the 2006 season in San Angelo where he led the United Baseball League in average (.390) and was the league MVP. He also broke the independent league hitting streak record hitting in 31 straight games.
Currently, John lives in Roseville.

Adam Barta – B.A. Journalism with a minor in Religion – College of St. Scholastica
CES Owner and Director of Minnesota Baseball Academy

Adam runs Minnesota Baseball Academy, where he and his staff run camps, individual lessons, team practices and tryouts. Along with heading up the Minnesota Blizzard, MBA's advanced traveling baseball teams, Barta also works with college-bound athletes who need assistance taking the next steps in their lives.

Barta is a Lake Crystal, Minnesota native, and has been involved with baseball all of his life pitching in college and professionally along with coaching high school, college and professional players.

Barta played at St. Scholastica, a nationally-ranked NCAA in Duluth, MN. Barta was 19-5 in his career and is on the career leaders' list in appearances and wins in a season at CSS. He beat nationally ranked Wartburg in 1998, a win that allowed CSS to be ranked for the first time. In 1999, he threw three shutouts, helping the pitching staff set an NCAA record for shutouts in a season with 13 (13 Oshkosh, 1999).

After graduating in 1999, he began his coaching career as an assistant under Head Coach John Baggs. During Barta's time as a player and assistant coach, St. Scholastica was among the leaders in the nation in E.R.A and fielding percentage.

In the spring of 2000, Barta pitched professionally for the Duluth-Superior Dukes of the Northern League.

Adam and his wife, Heidi, live in Roseville and expecting their first child in July.

Andy Blaylock, B.S. Mathematics – University of Minnesota
CES Owner and Lead Designer of The Power Plant - Hockey Studio

Though Andy was born in Bloomington, Minnesota in 1980, his experience with hockey began in Soldotna, Alaska where at the age of eighteen months he took his first strides in learning to skate. He began to play organized hockey a few years later. His career started strong as he was a leading player through youth hockey until peewees when checking was first allowed.

At the age of 13, Andy moved to Richfield, Minnesota where he concluded his career as a first line contributor on Richfield's 1998 Varsity team. His somewhat limited career is very similar to many hockey careers in that, after high school, there was no possibility to eventually go to the professional ranks and no college scholarship offer. Yet there were no regrets because it was a great experience.

Andy's concept, The Power Plant – Hockey Studio seeks to enhance the experience for the next generation of hockey playing athletes. For those that may never have the ability to make it to the top levels of the game, their career should help prepare them for life, teaching them about teamwork and about the hard work necessary to do something great all while meeting the most important need... for the game to always be about fun. For those who do have a chance to take their game to the highest levels, The Power Plant – Hockey Studio provides phenomenal tools to get them there as well.

Andy resides in Rogers, MN.