When students enrolled in the Global Sports Strategy, Management and Negotiation course at Rice University, many didn’t realize their professor had helped shape a World Series-winning roster.
“Once I saw his career and everything he’d accomplished — working in the MLB on both the league side and the team side — I knew this was someone I could really learn from,” sophomore Brandon Braccia said.
Oz Ocampo, a former international scout and front office executive with the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins, has traveled to over 30 countries in search of elite baseball talent. Today, he’s pouring that same energy into shaping the next generation of sports industry professionals.
“I always had a desire to teach and to mentor,” Ocampo said. “After I finished with the Marlins, I spoke with Stephanie Wilka in the Department of Sport Management, and she mentioned they were looking for someone in global sports. My entire experience has been in global sports, so it felt like a natural fit.”
Ocampo joined the Rice faculty with deep knowledge of international scouting, player development and sports business strategy. He’s best known for helping bring players like Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier to the Astros — athletes who played pivotal roles in the team’s 2022 World Series run. But in the classroom, Ocampo is focused on building a different kind of team.
“It’s been really exciting to work with students, mentor them and talk about what they’re going through as they prepare to enter the sports world,” he said.
Ocampo’s impact goes far beyond personal experience — he’s able to give students access to the people and ideas shaping sports today.
“Having someone with so much experience working in MLB, both on the league side and team side, was a great opportunity,” Braccia said. “And he brings in guest speakers like Skip Schumaker, former manager of the year in MLB. We’ve also had executives from Man City FC and MLB startups. It’s not just one perspective — it’s a full view of the industry.”
Ocampo’s course blends sports case studies with hands-on simulations. A recent class involved a mock negotiation of a Major League Baseball collective bargaining agreement complete with passionate debate, strategic planning and, as sophomore Carson Talbot noted, a negotiation that didn’t result in a deal.
“Yeah, both groups didn’t come to a decision,” Talbot laughed. “It got a little heated. But it was a great experience. It wasn’t as easy as I thought.”
For Talbot, who hopes to work in Formula One racing, Ocampo’s approach is helping him build problem-solving skills that extend beyond sports.
“In this class, I’ve learned how to manage competing interests, make trade-offs and see the bigger picture,” he said. “Professor Oz is special because he brings outside experience into the class. His connections in the industry give us real insight into how these organizations work.”
Ocampo’s own journey began with a leap of faith. While still a student at Georgetown University, he left school temporarily and moved to the Dominican Republic with a cell phone, a Baseball America directory and a dream.
“I didn’t know anyone,” he said. “I just started calling people saying, ‘Hi, I’m Oz. I speak some Spanish, and I want to work in baseball.’ Eventually I got connected to MLB’s Dominican office, which led to Jeff Luhnow and ultimately the Astros.”
His persistence paid off. Ocampo would go on to play a key role in three World Series-winning teams, developing not only scouting systems but also advocating for a bilingual, bicultural organizational structure to support players from around the world.
Despite the accomplishments, Ocampo is humble about his transition into teaching.
“You can teach and you can impart information,” he said, “but until you show your students you actually care, you won’t get very far. I try to do that as best I can.”
That mindset aligns with Rice’s broader approach to sport management education, where students are taught not only theory but how to apply it in fast-changing, high-stakes environments. The department intentionally seeks out instructors with current, real-world experience.
“I wanted to come to a place where the professor actually worked in the industry,” Talbot said. “It’s one thing to be smart, but I want to be taught by people who’ve lived it.”
For Ocampo, the feeling is mutual. Teaching at Rice means engaging with some of the brightest young minds in sports.
“Rice attracts the very best,” Ocampo said. “To have people who understand the theory and also the practice — that’s invaluable. Our students benefit from that, and honestly, they help keep us connected to the future too.”
Looking ahead, Ocampo sees himself continuing to teach but admits the lure of competition still calls to him.
“I do want to compete again,” he said. “But for now, this has been a blast. I’m really enjoying it.”