When it comes to youth baseball in Salem, few names are as dedicated to the game and the kids as Dan Hughes. As the owner and general manager of Pacific Rim baseball Academy now doing business under the name of USA Prime Willamette Valley. Dan has spent years coaching, mentoring, and building something that goes far beyond the baseball field.
“Baseball has always been a passion of mine,” Dan said. “Since I was five or six years old, it became the only sport that I ever played or really wanted to pay.” That passion carried through his childhood and eventually into parenthood, where he found himself coaching his youngest son’s Little League and Junior Baseball Organization (JBO) teams. What started as a dad helping out on the sidelines grew into something bigger; an idea to build a better baseball experience for local kids who wanted more than what rec ball could offer.
From Cherry City Baseball to USA Prime Willamette Valley
The journey began back in 2017, when Dan and a fellow coach noticed a gap in player development at the middle school level, which in turn led to talented kids coming into high school without the fundamentals. “They wanted to play, but they weren’t learning what they needed to succeed.” Dan explained. After sitting down with longtime North Salem High School coach Chris Lee, the vision for a new kind of program took shape, one that would teach core skills and compete in higher-level tournaments.
They called it Cherry City Baseball, and the focus was on Salem area families. “We said, let’s do something different. Let’s give kids an opportunity to learn the game and show what they’ve learned by competing in local tournaments.” Dan shared. It wasn’t easy at first. The team’s early seasons were full of long drives, big learning curves, and a lot of growth. “We were very humbled by that first year, we had 10 kids and sometimes we were scraping to bring them all together. I think we won only four games out of our 30 that we played,” Dan laughed. “But the kids didn’t seem to mind. They understood the process. They bought into what we were trying to sell them and they had fun.”
That belief grew into something special. Over the next few years, the program added teams, brought on new coaches, and started to see real results. More players were making their high school teams. Families began spreading the word. The name eventually changed to Pacific Rim Baseball Academy in the fall of 2022 to reflect a wider regional reach, and in the fall of 2024, they launched their newest chapter under the new name, USA Prime Willamette Valley.
Weathering the Pandemic—and More
Like every youth program, COVID-19 brought unexpected challenges. But Dan and his team weren’t about to let their players fall behind. “During the lockdown we instituted a baseball online school every week,” he said. “We’d send them work assignments: [like] take a video of you doing tee work in the garage, or show us your glove work…We gave them exercise workouts to do at home. Just anything to keep them engaged.”
As restrictions lifted, Dan worked with the City of Salem to get kids safely back on the field. “We actually got approval to host tournaments when a lot of other places couldn’t,” he said. That meant detailed safety plans, player masks and even city officials coming to monitor compliance. It wasn’t always easy. “I lost a coach over it,” Dan admitted. “But I had to stand by the rules. It was the only way we could keep playing.”
A Focus on Development, Not Just Trophies
Even as the program grows, the core values remain the same. “We’ve always been about development first,” Dan explained. “We don’t judge success just by wins and losses. We look at whether the kids are getting better and if they’re ready for the next level.”
That focus on long-term growth has earned the program a strong reputation. In fact, it’s what drew the attention of USA Prime, a national organization with a similar mission. “They reached out to us,” Dan said. “They’d been watching us online and even contacted families who’d played for us. They liked what we were doing and thought we’d be a good fit.”
After some conversations and reflection, Dan agreed. USA Prime Willamette Valley officially launched as an affiliate in fall of 2024 and now operates with added support and connections to a national network while still keeping its Salem heart.
USA Prime Willamette Valley 12u team playing ball (April 2025) | Photo Credit: @claragallinger
Keeping Baseball Accessible for Families
One thing that hasn’t changed? The effort to keep baseball affordable. “Some programs charge $10,000 a year,” Dan said. “We’re between $3,000 and $4,000 for our main spring and summer programs, and closer to $4,500 if they also pay our fall ball program.” They also have summer camps and personal one-on-one clinics, so people can spend upwards to $5,000 to $6,000 a year if they participate in everything.
That’s where the nonprofit side comes in. Though USA Prime Willamette Valley is a for-profit business, it still works closely with Cherry City Baseball, which remains a nonprofit and handles fundraising efforts to help families cover costs. “Our goal is to give families this experience without it breaking the bank,” Dan said.
From community fundraisers to business sponsorships, the team continues to look for ways to make sure no young player is left on the bench due to finances.
Deep Roots in the Salem Community
Dan isn’t just building a baseball program, he’s building something for his hometown. “I was born in Salem,” he chuckled. “My dad used to say, I was born at the mental hospital, which is not entirely true, because the Salem General Hospital was across the street from the mental hospital at the time.”
Dan has lived in the area for most of his life, with a short stint in Dallas for high school and about 10 years in Portland before returning in 2010. “It’s home for me,” he said simply. “There’s a great mix of people here, and I love that you’re an hour away from anything—the coast, the mountains, even Portland if you need it.”
Being part of the Salem community has shaped Dan’s approach to coaching and leadership. “As a coach, you meet all these different families. You really get a sense of why everyone’s here, what brought them here…It’s a good mix, it’s really interesting.”
Want to Get Involved?
Families looking to connect with USA Prime Willamette Valley can find more information on their website at usaprimewillamettevalley.com/. The team also shares updates on Facebook and Instagram under the name USA Prime Willamette Valley. To reach Dan directly, email is best: [email protected].
Whether it’s a young athlete looking to grow or a parent hoping to get involved, Dan and his team are ready to welcome the next generation.
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