THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,802 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,802 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/15/2018

Squad 'walks' off at 17u BCS

Photo: Elite Squad 17u American (Perfect Game)



FORT MYERS, Fla. – It shouldn’t have surprised anyone that the Perfect Game 17u BCS National Championship title game between two of Florida’s – and the country’s – most highly respected travel ball programs would be a high-energy affair accented with great overall play throughout. What did come as a surprise was the way it ended.

The Elite Squad 17u American took advantage of a two-out, bases-loaded walk-off walk in the bottom of the eighth inning, and escaped the Florida Burn 2019 Platinum, 4-3, at the championship game played Sunday morning at jetBlue Park.

The No. 6-seeded Squad 17u Americans capped an impressive 9-0-1 run to the PG national championship, topping the No. 9 Burn 2019 Platinum (9-2-0) in a contest that wasn’t decided until the last pitch was called a ball.

"It was as dog-fight all the way,” the Elite Squad’s Stephen Schissler told PG during postgame comments. “It was a pitchers’ duel for the whole game, and when they went ahead in the top of the seventh, we didn’t give up; we just kept fighting.”

This was a catch-me-if-you-can type of game from the beginning, with the Squad scoring a single run in the bottom of the second and the Burn answering with one of their own in the top of the third. The Burn took a 3-1 lead by plating two in the top of the seventh, only to see the Squad answer with two runs in the bottom half. JM Fay delivered a two-out, two-run single for the Squad that sent the game into an extra frame.

Schissler reached on an error with one out in the bottom of the eighth and soon found himself standing on third base, but with two outs. Zachary Neto and Xavier Moronto both ended up being intentionally walked to load the bases before Daniel Labrador was walked to force-in Schissler with the winning run.

Neto tripled, doubled and scored a run, Moronto had a pair of singles and a run scored and Labradore doubled and scored a run – in addition to his game-winning RBI – to pace the Squad at the plate.

2019 right-hander Knickolas Billings got the start for the Squad and allowed one run on five hits in three innings. Neto, also a ’19 righty, pitched the last five innings, giving up two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and picked up the win.

Florida Burn starter Nolan Hudi, a 2019 lefty and a Texas Christian commit, was very good over his first six innings of work before being touched for a pair of runs in the seventh; he finished with a line of seven innings pitched, three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. Kevin Conway singled twice and scored a run and Denzell Drumright singled and drove in a pair for the Burn.

The Elite Squad 17u American’s pitchers performed brilliantly all week, posting five shutouts in the 10 games.

"We’re always working hard to get better,” Schissler said of the staff. “We don’t have the guys that will light up the radar gun but we always spot-up, we hit the zone, we make them (put the ball in play) and we just execute our pitches to the best of our ability.”

Schissler, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound, top-500 right-hander from Pembroke Pines, Fla., made three appearances on the mound over the past week, and allowed just one earned run on four hits while striking out six and walking one in 8 1/3 innings (0.80 ERA). And oh, by the way, he was also 11-for-26 (.423) with three doubles, a triple and five RBI at the plate.

His best outing on the mound came on Saturday when he threw a three-hit, six-strikeout, complete-game shutout at the 5 Star Nationals Weaver 17u in a 4-0 semifinal round victory. That performance figured in prominently when he was named the Most Valuable Pitcher

“It was a grind the whole week,” Schissler said. “We knew we had to make it out of the first pool, first and foremost, and then in the second pool we knew we were going to have a good chance to make a run at the playoffs. Once we were in the playoffs, we were just going to keep fighting until we made it to the championship.”

The Burn’s Conway, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound 2019 third baseman/catcher/right-hander and Florida Gulf Coast commit out of Port Charlotte, Fla., was a hit-machine all week. He finished 18-for-31 (.581) with two doubles, 16 singles, nine RBI and a nifty on-base percentage of .618; he was the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

This is the ninth year Elite Squad 17u American head coach Onel Garcia has been with Richie Palmer’s Elite Squad Baseball organization and he’s had a front-row seat as the program has emerged into one of the best and most respected in the country. Winning PG national championships is just all part of the deal.

“I’m very proud to wear the Elite Squad uniform. We talk to the boys a lot about that; they just love playing for Elite Squad,” he told PG. “This American squad has done great, and it basically shows how deep the organization is when (this team) can be doing so well.”


2018 17u BCS National Championship runner-up: Florida Burn 2019 Platinum



2018 17u BCS National Championship MVP: Kevin Conway



2018 17u BCS National Championship MV-Pitcher: Stephen Schissler






Tournaments | Story | 1/9/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2030

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
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...
Draft | Rankings | 1/12/2026

Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
As we creep toward opening day here in a month or so, the draft team has put together the Top 100 freshman 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...
Tournaments | Story | 1/8/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2029

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
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...
College | Story | 1/9/2026

LSU Reloads & Returns; Opens No. 1

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
“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...
Press Release | Press Release | 1/7/2026

PG Announces Naming Rights in Chesterfield

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    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...
College | Rankings | 1/8/2026

2026 Preseason Top 25

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
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...
College | Story | 1/7/2026

Preseason Collegiate All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
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...
College | Recruiting | 1/6/2026

Recruiting Notebook: January 6

Michael Albee
Article Image
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,...
Tournaments | Story | 1/7/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2028

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
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...
Showcase | Story | 1/6/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2027

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
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...
Loading more articles...