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Tournaments  | Story | 7/22/2014

Shumpert shines on day 3 at PGWS

Todd Gold

On day three there were several position prospects whose elite tools have been on display throughout the tournament that elevated their game further during the playoffs.

Outfielder Ryan Johnson (2015, College Station, Texas) possesses arguably the highest offensive ceiling not only of the loaded PG World Series field, but possibly the entire 2015 draft class. He has tremendous bat speed from the left side and good present strength to go with remaining projection. His power ceiling is very lofty and while he hasn't squared the ball up all that frequently this week while being pitched carefully, the amount of force he generates on his mishits come off the bat hard enough to to pick up hits at a good clip. He's currently 6-for-13 on the tournament and has shown off big time arm strength in right field.

While Johnson has the tools to headline just about any group of prospects, day three's biggest highlight was middle infielder Nick Shumpert (2015, Lone Tree, Colo.). He and his Prospects National Team teammates suffered a pair of walk-off losses today and were eliminated from the playoffs. But Shumpert wouldn't go down quietly. He led off the elimination game with a seven pitch at-bat, which included well struck foul balls against an upper 80s fastball as well as a pair of breaking balls, before unloading on a 91 mph fastball for a double in the left center field gap. Shumpert has consistently wielded his above average present bat speed throughout the week and his big league average raw power has manifested itself both with an in game home run, hard hit balls in play and loud fly outs. While his all-out aggression leads to empty swings and throwing errors, it also creates plenty of 'wow' moments. With continued development and game repititions in games played at this pace, those wow moments should gradually increase while the miscues decrease over time. While there are several other prospects with high end offensive upside on display at the PG World Series, Shumpert has arguably the highest ceiling given that his loud tools pair with an up the middle profile.

Another up the middle athlete with a high offensive ceiling who has really opened eye this week has been Jagger Rusconi (2015, Valencia, Calif.). The switch hitter heated up in the biggest games of the week, going 5-for-7 with a pair of triples in GBG Marucci's two intense playoff battles. He's a plus runner who has quality bat speed from both sides of the plate and present gap power that projects. His athleticism is an asset up the middle where he and double play partner Alejo Lopez (2015, Glendale, Ariz.) have been a force on defense and in the top two spots in the lineup. Lopez is also a switch hitter with some pop, particularly from the right side and is a smooth fielder at short with a solid arm.

It comes as a surprise to report that we've yet to see the first homer of the tourney from slugging catcher Chris Betts (2015, Long Beach, Calif.). Conditions were ripe during CBA Marucci's winner's bracket matchup against the Houston Banditos as temperatures soared north of 100 degrees and the desert winds blew out towards right field. Unfortunately for Betts they blew a bit too hard as he hammered a ball down the line that sailed foul with plenty of distance. The night before he smashed a towering shot that landed on the right field warning track and continued to threaten to leave the yard throughout the day but ultimately came up short. The stage was set for him to play the hero when he came to the plate with the winning run in scoring position with two outs in a tie game but after a wild pitch opened up first base the Houston Banditos intentionally walked him before escaping the inning and ultimately pulling out the W in exras.

Johnson and EvoShield Canes teammate LT Tolbert (2015, Piedmont, S.C.) have been an impressive tandem for the Canes and it comes as no surprise that when paired with a dominant pitching staff, the Canes can earn a return trip to the championship game with a win tomorrow. Tolbert went 3-for-4 in the Canes' extra innings thriller against GBG Marucci and has played well defensively. The Canes are extremely deep and depending on the game they find themselves with significant offensive contributions from several other hitters in the lineup in addition to Tolbert and Johnson, some of whom will be covered in this space in further updates from this and future tournaments, but those two have blatant future upside to go with their present production.

While most of the top arms have been burned to reach the playoffs, the never ending depth of the EvoShield Canes allowed them to roll out lefty Dylan Cyphert (2015, Oil City, Penn.) for their opening playoff matchup. Cyphert topped out at 88 mph with his fastball and worked up and down the 80s but his ability to hide the baseball allows it to play up a tick and his command was sharp. He slowed down a GBG Marucci lineup that had been firing on all cylinders during pool play and was coming off of a 12-0 mercy rule shortened blowout in their previous game.

Cyphert was opposed by GBG Marucci right hander Cody Deason (2015, Ojai, Calif.). Deason made his PG debut the day before, throwing 10 pitches in relief, all of them for strikes. A former football player who has relatively little pitching experience, Deason was unfazed by being thrown into the fire to face an EvoShield Canes team that has the highest pedigree of any travelball team in the nation. While he works in the low 90s in short bursts he took the mound knowing that he'd need to navigate the deep Canes lineup a couple of times through to give his team a chance to win and while dialed back to 84-88 he not only competed but had the defending champs on the ropes. He threw nearly two thirds of his pitches for strikes and struck out six compared to just two walks over five strong innings of work. We are told that Deason has developed rapidly since shifting his focus to the mound and now that he has given up football there is a chance that he can continue to do so. He is currently uncommitted, though there is certain to be strong interest in his services going forward with what he has shown over the past three weeks at the Area Code tryouts and here at the PG World Series.

One player who has continually flown a bit under the radar that must be mentioned is Arizona Prowlers infielder Tyler Wyatt (2015, Peoria, Ariz.). The six foot shortstop climbs north of 90 mph when he takes the mound and shows a quality curveball and could potentially come out of the bullpen as a two-way player at the college level. He shows quality bat speed and sees the ball well at the plate and flashes power when appropriate. His hands work well defensively, and while he isn't a plus athlete who commands close attention of scouts, he's a very solid defender and is currently 4-for-8 with three walks and two doubles.

These observations and opinions are those of one member of the PG scouting staff. With games being played on up to eight fields simultaneously, it is impossible for the preceding recap to be fully comprehensive. Rather these are the players and moments that stood out the most while watching some of the top players in the country compete in an intensely competitive atmosphere. 
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Tournaments | Story | 1/9/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2030
Jheremy Brown
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Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 | Class of 2029 Today we wrap up our reviews of the 2026 thru 2030 class where we looked back on some of the eye opening metrics we saw from around the country, both in a showcase and tournament setting. To those not inside the youth baseball world, some of the metrics below would seem truly unattainable from current 8th graders, from the pair of 90 mph heaters courtesy of Amani Tuiasosopo and Kingston George, to upper-80s velocity from all over the field and multiple players north of 90 mph on the exit velocity testing (with wood), this 2030 class is one that has a chance to be special as we continue to watch it unfold moving forward.  Top Fastball Velocity  Rk Player FB Event School Hometown 1 Amani Tuiasosopo 90 2025 WWBA 14U World Championship Renton...
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Draft | Rankings | 1/12/2026

Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen

Vincent Cervino
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As we creep toward opening day here in a month or so, the draft team has put together the Top 100 freshmen on campus this spring.  Three high-end arms lead the way, starting with Jack Bauer. The Mississippi State left-hander reached triple digits as a prep and is sure to make an immediate impact this spring. UCLA right-hander Angel Cervantes was selected in the 2nd round of last year’s draft but held firm on his commitment and should be an impact arm for the Bruins. Following the arms, a collection of bats rounds out the Top 10. There is loads of upside to the group with the potential and they should draw considerable playing time as freshman.  As the list gets deeper, there are plenty of players that should pop up and make significant contributions both this year and years down the line. The class has both depth and talent, making for a very intriguing group of...
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Tournaments | Story | 1/8/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2029

Jheremy Brown
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Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These players below are just entering their freshmen year's of high school, a scary though as you scroll through the 11 categories and see some of the eye opening numbers from the fastballs to the infield and outfield velocities, down to the Diamond Kinetic testing and their three sub-categories.  Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Brody McCorkle 92 2025 18U PG Mid-Atlantic Fall Elite Championship Uncommitted Ranney Forked River, NJ 1 Caleb Polk 92 2025 14U Perfect Game Select Festival Uncommitted IMG Academy Dallas, TX 1 Knox Myers 92 2025 PG WWBA Freshman World Championship Uncommitted East Bay Riverview, FL 2 Alex Bello 91 2025 16U PG Fall World Series Uncommitted Montverde Academy Orlando, FL 2 Alex Bello 91 2025 14U Perfect Game...
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College | Story | 1/9/2026

LSU Reloads & Returns; Opens No. 1

Vincent Cervino
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“How do you get to success? You have to honor the process that you built to get to that success…The standard is how we operate, train, and get better each day.”” Process-oriented leadership is a popular coaching strategy here in the mid-2020s but no one exemplifies that more than LSU head coach Jay Johnson. He’s won the Tigers two national titles during his time in Baton Rouge and expectations won’t be any lower in 2026 as LSU is the No. 1 team in the country in Perfect Game’s Preseason Top 25.  Johnson is heading into his fifth season at the helm in Baton Rouge and it’s fair to say that he has already experienced enormous success. There have been two national titles in four years (2023, 2025), a Golden Spikes winner (Dylan Crews, 2023), a first overall MLB Draft pick (Paul Skenes, 2023), and five first-round MLB Draft picks during...
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Press Release | Press Release | 1/7/2026

PG Announces Naming Rights in Chesterfield

Perfect Game Staff
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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND FIRST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION ANNOUNCE CHESTERFIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX    Landmark Partnership to Center on Community, Inclusion and Youth Sports    Chesterfield, Missouri (Wednesday, January 7, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, along with the City of Chesterfield, today announced  an exclusive naming rights partnership with First Community Credit Union (FCCU) for the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. Effective immediately, the venue will be known as the “Chesterfield First Community Athletic...
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College | Rankings | 1/8/2026

2026 Preseason Top 25

Vincent Cervino
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With an interesting and action-packed fall behind us, a new college season is just around the corner. The college game continues to prove it is alive and well as the Division 1 team count has now ballooned to 308 teams for the 2026 season. With new legislation allowing teams 5-weeks to prepare for opening day, many student athletes have returned to campus and will begin skill related workouts soon. Opening Day, as usual, will fall on Valentine’s Day weekend and it is just six weeks away. After a fall of evaluation and months of research and discussion, we are ready to release our annual Perfect Game pre-season Top 25 poll. After winning 53-games, hosting the NCAA Regional and Super Region, and sweeping their way through the College World, the LSU Tigers will debut the 2026 season as our No.1 ranked team. Head coach, Jay Johnson, has now led the Tigers to two national titles in the...
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College | Story | 1/7/2026

Preseason Collegiate All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
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The transfer portal, JUCO gems, 6th year waivers and impact freshman; following the college game and figuring out rosters is basically a fulltime job nowadays. This is the new norm, and while the baseball purist may not like it, the college game has never been more exciting. It looks like 2026 is shaping up to be an incredible season with the balance of power seemingly spread out evenly from coast to coast. Like we seem to say every year, the depth and quality of talent has never been better, and the 2026 Perfect Game Pre-Season All-American teams will attest to that fact.With the 2026 College Baseball season is just around the corner, the Perfect Game college staff will have you loaded with coverage heading into the new year. On the heels of our Pre-Season Top 25 poll, the All-American list will be headlined by a banner sophomore class on the 1st team. The sweet lefthanded swings of...
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College | Recruiting | 1/6/2026

Recruiting Notebook: January 6

Michael Albee
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Griffin Boesen (‘27, IA) shoots this one backside down the line. Adds his second hit of the day. Picked up a base knock. Physical LH bat w/ an ability to drive the baseball here. @IowaPG @PG_Uncommitted @CanesMidwest #WWBAWorlds https://t.co/pmpIzaAbLz pic.twitter.com/Qz0CHiS3P1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 13, 2025 Griffin Boesen, Class of 2027 Commitment: Duke Another top 100 prospect is off the board as the Corey Muscara led Duke Blue Devils picked up a physical two-way prospect in Boesen out of Florida recently. At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Boesen looks the part of a middle of the order type slugger and he's just that, showing lots of looseness and bat speed in his left-handed stroke and is coming off a Jupiter where he hit .700 (!!) as an underclassman while driving in 10 runs. The bat-to-ball skills are obvious as he simply hit at all the big stops in 2025,...
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Tournaments | Story | 1/7/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2028

Jheremy Brown
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Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 Well, the fastball department is dominated by two arms in particular with Striker Pence and Dexter McCleon Jr. combining for almost 200 mph of velo between them on their peak heaters in 2025. That's just absolutely insane. The freakiness of the class continues down the boards with a 6.26 60-yard from Colton Fitzgibbon to the 88 mph hand cannon of Grant Arnold behind the plate to Christian Lux's 106 (!!!) mph exit velocity, this class has out of this world chart toppers. Even scarier? They don't graduate for another three years... Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Striker Pence 101 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Uncommitted Santiago Corona, CA 2 Striker Pence 99 2025 PG 17U World Series - National Uncommitted Santiago Corona, CA 2 Striker Pence 99 2025 PG 16U WWBA...
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Showcase | Story | 1/6/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2027

Jheremy Brown
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Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 To think this group still has another two years of high school is a scary thought given what some of the category leaders already are. Samir Mohammed up to 97 mph on the mound, Bryce Fontenot with a max exit velocity of 103 mph and a 6.22 60-yard out of Dylan Seward are all otherworldly numbers that you'd expect to find on a college campus, much less a junior in high school.  Below we check in on several categories for the Class of 2027 and will continue to do so through the week, taking in the top 10 for each, from both Perfect Game showcases and tournaments.  Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Samir Mohammed 97 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Louisiana State Tampa Jesuit Trinity, FL 2 Connor Salerno 96 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Mississippi State Sun Valley Indian Trail, NC...
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