Shivangi Sinha
Playing baseball is a beloved way to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, and spend time with friends and family. However, the sport is not always accessible to everyone. Traditional baseballs can be hard and heavy, making them intimidating for beginners and younger children who may struggle to catch or hit them comfortably. This can discourage people from taking up the game or enjoying it casually. Looking to make baseball more inclusive and approachable, Kore appeared on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 18, particularly episode 6, with its specially designed baseballs aimed at opening up the sport to a wider audience.
Kore: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Kore Baseball Products has a story rooted in a family’s love for baseball and a desire to make the game accessible to more people. High-school sweethearts Dave and Susan Koelliker began their relationship when she fell in love with watching Dave play baseball. The two eventually married and raised five children. Dave had long been fond of finding ways to make baseball easier to enjoy. As a child, he would remove the leather covering from a baseball and stuff it with cotton to soften it for backyard games. Years later, while coaching, he recognized that a similar idea could help young players develop their skills without the fear of getting hurt or damaging property. This led to the first Kore Baseball around 2014.
Susan brought considerable business experience to the venture. She had co-founded Koelliker Endodontics in 1999 and helped oversee its operations, from securing premises and purchasing equipment to managing employees, marketing, insurance and referral partnerships. The practice was acquired in 2016. She also worked at Nordstrom, where she received the Customer Service All-Star Award and was recognized as one of its top sellers. Dave and Susan’s baseball venture gradually found its way into hundreds of toy stores and boutiques across the country, with its products also stocked by major retailers such as J.Crew and Nordstrom. However, the family’s success took a difficult turn in 2019 when Dave was diagnosed with a brain tumor and subsequently suffered a stroke.
Dave passed away that year, bringing the business to a halt. Encouraged by her children to pursue an MBA, Susan enrolled at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Business and completed the program in 2022. She also returned to Kore as CEO and co-founder, working alongside her sons Will and Charlie to revive the company. Will, who studied Management Information Systems at BYU, brought experience in venture capital, investment banking and product management to the business. Charlie, an economics student at the university, joined as co-founder in 2024. The Kore Ball is a regulation-sized, hand-stitched baseball with a soft, cushioned foam core. Weighing approximately two ounces, it absorbs impact while retaining the look and feel of a traditional baseball. Designed for children aged two and above, it can be used indoors, in backyards and for training drills.
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Kore: Where Are They Now?
Since relaunching in 2024, Kore Baseball has made a promising comeback, with its products now in stores such as Geppetto’s, Sun Valley, Tweer, GALT and Scheels, among others. A single Kore Ball retails for $9.99, while packs of four and 12 are priced at $36.99 and $89.99, respectively. The company has also expanded beyond baseballs to offer bats suited to different age groups. Its standard 32-inch navy bat is designed for players aged 10 and above and can be purchased with a Kore Ball for $32.99. Younger players can choose the 27-inch red bat, recommended for ages 4 to 10, or the 21-inch foam bat, designed for children aged 2 to 5. These bat-and-ball combinations cost $32.99 and $33.99, respectively.
For those looking to get everything needed for a game, Kore offers a Backyard Baseball Set for $64.99. It includes a Kore Ball, a choice of bat, reinforcement tape for added strength and customization, and portable bases. Customers can also explore pre-taped designs such as the Como Bat and Neon Splatter Bat, or personalize their equipment with custom designs. The bat customization tape comes in athletic and electrical styles, with nine color options, starting at $1.99 per piece. The brand also sells T-shirts for $30 and hats for $29.99. Its website features separate ball and size-finder sections to help customers choose the right equipment, as well as an affiliate program.
Kore has also taken its love for baseball beyond products through its Backyard Baseball Camps, priced at $50 per child for ages seven to 19. Participants receive a Kore Ball to keep and customize their own bat before taking part in home run derbies, tournaments and backyard challenges. The company held camps with The Training Camp in North Carolina in October 2026, showcasing how children enjoy the game both indoors and outdoors. Customers can request a camp in their city, with Kore also inviting suggestions for its planned 2027 tour.
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