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2,428 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 1/22/2020

East MLK Scout Notes

Photo: Jace Jones (Perfect Game)
Vanderbilt commit Jonathan Vastine (2021, Bartow, Fla.) had another very strong weekend for Hit Factory PRO as the twitchy, athletic shortstop hit over .400 on the weekend and even hopped on the mound to show off the two-way talent during the playoffs. Vastine isn’t just athletic but he has wiry strength which allows him to impact the ball nicely to the pull side. His set up in the box is fairly simple and he has plenty of lefthanded bat speed, along with strong wrists, to work the ball to either gap and allow his legs to make the extra base potential truly dangerous. On the bump, Vastine was 85-88 mph early on in the game and showed a very good curveball that he could both land and manipulate effectively. Vastine is a top 100 player in the 2021 class heading into the spring season and it looks like he’ll be getting his high school season off on the right foot after the weekend.

Batting behind Vastine in the lineup is big masher Cole Russo (2021, Tampa, Fla.) and the lefthanded slugger also had a good weekend, hitting .500 with more extra base hits than singles including a long bomb. What stands out about Russo’s swing is both his combination of plate discipline and ability to take big hacks without sacrificing his ability to control the barrel. The swing path is elongated which allows him to get that natural loft to the bat plane and allow him to create leverage and impact to the pull side. The UCF commit has been one of the more productive players at PG events and his propensity for hitting is certainly a big reason that Tampa Jesuit will be looking for back-to-back state titles this season.

The No. 2 prospect in the class, Aidan Miller (2023, Trinity, Fla.) had a strong reason on both sides of the ball and cemented his status as one of the top prospects in the 2023 class. He got the tournament started off scorching with two home runs in his first game, including one that went over the batter’s eye over at South Fort Myers High School. He checks almost every box that you look for out of a young prospect when considering the present size, arm strength, power potential, and offensive upside. He shows exemplary bat speed and plate discipline, with the ability to lay off close pitches and having a patient approach and uses the whole field to his advantage. On the mound there are a lot of positives too, with a simple delivery, quick and clean arm stroke, and a fastball that topped out at 88 mph. Miller has good bite to his curveball and the projection in all facets of his game make him one of the best players in the country.

A fellow PG Select Fest alum, Steven Milam (2023, Las Cruces, N.M.) batted right in front of Miller for the Top Tier Roos this weekend and Milam had a terrific tournament. Milam has such an advanced swing for the age, with a smooth, simple, yet efficient stroke from either side of the plate while having a reputation for being a standout defender in the middle infield. He’s got very impressive bat speed along with a very clean lower half and hip drive to get extended and create pop to the pull side. Milam is a bit undersized but the offensive tools shouldn’t be understated as he has one of the best pure swings in the class and can work the ball to almost any part of the field with effectiveness. Milam has great hands in the middle infield and the arm strength plays from anywhere on the diamond; it’ll be fun to track his progress as 2020 continues on.

Wesley Mendes (2023, Tampa, Fla.) is one of the better two-way prospects in the country for his grad year and his hitting prowess earned him MVP honors this weekend with a final batting average of .611. Mendes is super athletic and projectable with a lean 6-foot, 155-pound frame and the swing is pretty good from the right side of the plate. There’s looseness and whip to the stroke and he works to the pull side with comfort. On the mound, he checks a lot of bozes you look for out of a lefthanded pitching prospect. The delivery is smooth and easy while creating significant angle on the fastball. The pitch was up to 86 mph and he showed a very good curveball too. The arm works very well and the ease of the delivery leaves a lot in the tank as there’s a good chance Mendes is throwing very hard, very easily in a short time.

An uncommitted junior, Damien Whitfield (2021, Atlanta, Ga.) turned in a very good start in his first start of the weekend. The lefthanded pitcher The 6-foot-1, 190-pound pitcher is athletic and projectable on the mound as he creates good deception in hiding the ball and the pitch jumps on hitters from an over the top arm slot. Whitfield works mostly in the low- to mid-80s with the fastball, he was up to 88 mph during his three one-hit innings on Saturday, and gets some good lefty life on the fastball. He’ll mix in both a curveball and a changeup to limit opposing handed hitters but shows some good pitchability. Whitfield battled through some strike throwing issues in the championship but it’s clear that Whitfield has a live arm and there’s some upside too for the uncommitted prospect.

One of the top catching prospects in the country, Satchell Norman (2021, Sarasota, Fla.) had a very good weekend despite only playing through Sunday. Norman, currently ranked 79th in the country and committed to Florida State, has some loud overall tools highlighted by his plus bat speed and plus arm strength from behind the dish. Norman sets up very balanced and relaxed in the box, showing good rhythm in his hips as he drives forward and generates significant impact. The bat speed and strength are loud at present as he has a smooth barrel plane that allows him to loft balls with backspin to the pull side. Norman’s arm strength also plays on the mound where he was up to 90 mph with very good arm speed. He’s a high-level two-way prospect at this juncture and Norman will be a high 2021 follow for the next year.

Righthanded slugger Tommy Ramos (2021, Hialeah, Fla.) had a very good weekend with a .400 batting average including a long bomb over at City of Palms. Ramos is a super physical prospect at a listed 6-foot-3, 210-pounds and uses every ounce of that weight to generate tremendous impact on the baseball. He’s a true power hitter with massive pull side raw power while the swing itself is violent and allows him to create significant bat speed. He pulls the ball with intent, he did during the quarterfinal round as well when he launched a double off the base of the left field wall. Ramos’ propensity to generate loud contact on a consistent basis allows him to be a very valuable middle of the order bat and he shouldn’t be uncommitted for much longer.

Showing a lot of interesting tools on the bump was FIU commit Ervis Solis (2023, Hialeah, Fla.) as the lanky lefthander has a lot to like, especially from a freshman in high school. Solis is far taller than the listed height and weight, offering a slender and athletic frame that is eminently projectable. The arm stroke and delivery are inconsistent at times but the arm speed is no joke, and he ran his fastball up to 89 mph. Solis sat in the 84-87 mph range for the most part, generating significant angle with the heater and offering it from a tough arm slot. The breaking ball showed some power and there’s an innate feel to spin, though the consistency of the pitch was a bit of a mixed bag. The ceiling is undoubtedly high and there’s a lot of room and time to improve as Solis has potential to be a physical monster at maturity.

The leading hitter for the 14u tournament, Jarren Purify (2023, Detroit, Mich.) collected a mark of .765 for the weekend and was a threat every time he stepped into the batter’s box. He’s supremely athletic and projectable, with very good hands over at third base where he slotted for most of the week, while he has the potential to be an asset over at the hot corner long term. The swing is loose and easy to go along with natural lift in the stroke while the hand speed stands out. Purify is obviously still developing from a physical standpoint but he still showed a knack to generate impact to the pull side. The strength and power will continue to improve but his barrel ability and athleticism are standout tools for his age.

Purify’s battery mate over on the left side of the infield was Jose Perdomo (2025, Orlando, Fla.) and despite just turning thirteen he’s got skills and abilities far beyond his age. Perdomo has great size for a young prospect at a listed 5-foot-11, 145-pounds to go along with obvious athleticism and projection. Perdomo has very solid hands in the middle infield along with a very smooth and simple stroke from the right side. He can handle pitches up in the zone and using wood was even able to work line drives to all parts of the field. There’s obvious athleticism and upside to the profile and Perdomo will absolutely be one prospect to keep an eye on.

Turning in a stellar performance for Hit Factory PRO in the quarterfinals was Dominic Castellano (2021, Tampa, Fla.) as the junior lefthander was outstanding during his start. The UCF commit allowed just one hit over four shutout innings while striking out five batters. He’s a good athlete on the mound with an up-tempo delivery and the ability to work corner to corner with his fastball. The pitch worked in the 84-88 mph while topping out at 89 mph on the afternoon. The arm speed is notable and leaves to posit that the velocity ceiling is not fully achieved yet. Castellano features a curveball in the low-70s that he can land for strikes but his superior secondary pitch is a changeup in the upper-70s that gets very good action and he sells it nicely while maintaining arm speed. Castellano is a projectable, athletic, and competitive southpaw on the bump and his tenacity on the mound coupled with the stuff makes him a very intriguing follow for next year’s draft class.

The pitching performance of the tournament came off the right arm of Jace Jones (2021, Fort Myers, Fla.) as the MV-Pitcher struck out 10 while allowing only two hits and one run on the afternoon en route to the championship round. Jones, an FGCU commit, is an uber-projectable and athletic righthanded pitcher as there are a lot of positive components from the size, the stuff, the athleticism, and the overall upside. Jones has very good arm speed already, with a very low effort delivery and allows him to run his fastball up to 91 mph with a good amount of life. The heater mostly lived in the upper-80s but Jones filled up the strike zone nicely to the tune of 65 percent strikes during his outing. The delivery is simple and easy while the athleticism oozes upon release and he already has feel for two secondary pitches. The changeup gets some very good sinking action, diving right under barrels nicely while the curveball has good shape in low-70s and he can land the pitch for strikes. Jones looks to be an impressive pitching prospect for the 2021 class and this summer could be a big one for the Fort Myers native.

A young arm who impressed on the final day of the tournament was Rhett Roeser (2024, New Baltimore, Mich.) as the physical righthander worked his fastball up to 85 mph. The stout righty has a pretty solid delivery for a young prospect, with a clean lower half and extension toward the target along with an over the top arm slot and release point. The arm path gets inconsistent and he’ll cut it across toward first base at times but he’s able to generate good plane and sink on the fastball when he gets on top. Roeser also has feel to spin a breaking ball, and a good looking one at that. Roeser is certainly a young arm to follow heading into summer as a physical righthander with a present fastball.

Parker Picot (2023, Rochester, Mich.) was Roeser’s teammate on a very strong Motor City Hit Dogs team as Picot was a 13u Select Festival participant a year prior. Picot has a great frame at an athletic 6-foot-2, 165 pounds to go along with good athleticism on both sides of the baseball. The hands certainly standout in the middle infield as no matter how hard the ball is hit he finds a way to corral the baseball and fire it over to first base. The arm strength stood out on the mound in the mid-80s while the offensive tools are certainly impressive. The swing is very simple and Picot remains balanced and under control throughout the stroke. The lower half needs a bit of cleaning up but Picot certainly has an abundance of things to like for a very young prospect.

Maddix Simpson (2024, Lehigh Acres, Fla.) is a good-looking prospect in the middle of the Hurricanes lineup and Simpson had a very good tournament where he batted .500 and took home MVP honors. The lanky and projectable Simpson batted near the top of the lineup for the Hurricanes over at the hot corner. Simpson generates really good bat speed and impact for a young prospect and the power is already to show flashes as he can drive the ball over the head of opposing outfielders. He gets around the base paths well and shows some good speed in the process, and Simpson shows a lot of burgeoning tools to count upon.

Hitting in the heart of the order for the Hurricanes is Gian De Castro (2024, Weston, Fla.), the Hurricanes first baseman is a big, physical switch hitter with plenty of juice. At a listed 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, De Castro is able to whip the barrel hard from either side of the plate and generate advanced impact from the age. The swing path is elongated, and the consistency of the path varies at times but the raw bat speed and impact ability more than warrant a follow at this young age.

Freddy Noel Beruvides Jr. (2023, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) turned in a very impressive start for Resmondo Baseball in the semifinal round of the Freshman championship. Beruvides struck out five hitters over four scoreless innings and topped out at 88 mph with his fastball on the day. The lefty has a deceptive delivery and hides the ball nicely as he generates really good sinking life out of the hand with the heater. The feel to spin the ball is also very good as he can bury his breaking ball on the back foot of righthanded hitters with relative ease. There’s a good mix of pitches present while the pitchability has always been standout for Beruvides as he’ll be followed closely heading into the summer.

Starting the championship game for Resmondo was 13u Select Festival participant Brandon Olivera (2023, Hialeah, Fla.) and the Miami commit was electric early on. Oliveira has a slender, projectable frame with excellent present arm speed and was able to run his fastball up to 93 mph during the early goings of the ball game. Oliveira didn’t finish fully early on before settling in and pounding the lower third of the strike zone with the fastball. The changeup is his go-to secondary with excellent fading life down and to the arm side. When he’s on with the changeup Oliveira is absolutely filthy and lefties have very little hope of squaring the pitch up. His breaking ball showed good shape and action with 11/5 life and he could land the pitch for strike, but Oliveira certainly looks like one of the best pitching prospects in the country at this juncture.

Thomas Allman (2021, Farmington Hills, Mich.) looks to be the next in line of Division I commitments to come out of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep, a perennial powerhouse in the Metro Detroit area. A two-way player who can swing it as well, Allman stood out in the MLK East tourney, striking out 12 across two separate appearances for the Florida Pokers Underclass, walking only one in those 6 2/3 innings. An athletically-built righthander, Allman ran his fastball up to 89 mph in this event, sitting in the 84-88 mph range for the most part with his fastball, doing a good job of riding the ball through the zone with good life to the arm side and challenging hitters on the inner third of the plate to either side. The slider has come a long way for him, thrown now in the upper-70s with good tunnel out of the hand and some late, sharp tilt on the end of it. He’s going to be extremely interesting to follow this spring and into the summer, as he’s uncommitted at the time of this writing but it surely attracting a lot of attention from schools across the country.

-Vinnie Cervino


Tournaments | Story | 4/21/2026

Southeast Super NIT #2 Scout Notes

Jason Phillips
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Chase Jelks (‘30 GA)- with a long double to deep CF. Huge day from the primary SS, 5-for-6 w/ 4 doubles & 6 RBI. #SESuperNIT @TheDreamBall @PG_Georgia https://t.co/biFSzXCrUt pic.twitter.com/HCQMduedb5 — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 20, 2026 Chase Jelks (’30, Atlanta, Ga.)- the left-handed hitting Jelks was all over the barrel on Sunday in a pair of games for The Dream 14U Black. He finished the day with five hits in six at-bats which included four doubles and six runs batted in. His two doubles and four runs batted in played a big part in the Gold Playoffs Round 1 victory over the talented BPA squad out of California. He backed up that performance with three more hits in a quarterfinal’s loss to the East Cobb Astros 14U Orange to finish the tournament with a .600 batting average and 1.636 on-base plus slugging percentage. A primary utility infielder,...
College | Story | 5/5/2026

College Players of the Week: May 5

Vincent Cervino
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May 5th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Tyce Armstrong, IF, Baylor  The Baylor Bears still have some work ahead of them if they want to extend their season beyond the Big 12 Tournament but if Tyce Armstrong stays on his heater, they could be in business.  For the second time this season, Armstrong, the 6-4/228 senior from Magnolia, TX is our Perfect Game Player of the Week.  It was a record setting week for Armstrong as he became just the second player in Baylor program history to hit 20 home runs in a season and tied the all-time single season record with his 21st round-tripper on Sunday.  For the week, he collected 9 hits in 16 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, lacing 4 doubles, 5 home runs and drove in a total of 9 runs.  It has been a career year for the hulking first baseman who in his first season at Baylor, transferring from UT Arlington.  For the...
College | Rankings | 5/4/2026

College Top 25: May 4

Vincent Cervino
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One of the keys to putting together a historical season is not purely talent, but the ability to win games by any means necessary.  The No. 1 UCLA Bruins (43-4) have demonstrated that all year, often riding the strength of their pitching and defense to victory but at other times, slugging their way to a win.  The latter is what kept their perfect (24-0) record in Big Ten play intact, as they overcame an 8-run deficit in the last 3-innings yesterday to defeat Michigan State on the road by a score of 13-11.  The Bruins have already clinched the Big Ten Regular Season title and only have two series remaining in their quest for an undefeated conference record.  UNC (37-9) had an off week and remain at No. 2, while No. 3 Georgia Tech (39-8) won an out-of-conference series against Xavier.  The Texas Longhorns (35-10) stick at No. 4 this week after a huge home series...
High School | General | 5/1/2026

Texas High School Notebook

Jay Vossler
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Cullen Scott (‘28 TX) strikes out 8 over 6 IP. 4-Seam 94-97 T98 carry up. 2-Seam 90-93 ASR. And it’s easy velo out the hand; held velo into 6th. Slider 78-81 (2400 RPM) short and tight tilter. Curve 76-79 (2400 RPM) power depth varies between 10-4 and 11-5. Change 82-83 rolls out… pic.twitter.com/aFCQ6m70Ax — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) April 18, 2026 Cullen Scott (2028, Melissa, Texas) was as advertised in this look as he went 6 innings while striking out 8 batters. Throws 2 different fastballs and holds velo well throughout outing. 4-seam works 94-97 and topped out at 98 with carry up just jumps out of hand. 2-seam works 90-93 with good arm side run. Held velocity into the 6th. Slider 78-81 plays short with tilt and late bite getting upwards of 2400 RPM. Curve 76-79 with power depth that varies between shape 10-4 to 11-5. Change 82-83 rolls out of hand with...
Draft | Mock Draft | 5/1/2026

MLB Mock Draft: May 1

Tyler Henninger
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Pick Team Player Position School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 3 Minnesota Twins Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 4 San Francisco Giants Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 5 Pittsburgh Pirates AJ Gracia OF Virginia 6 Kansas City Royals Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 7 Baltimore Orioles Ace Reese 3B Mississippi State 8 Athletics Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 9 Atlanta Braves Ryder Helfrick C Arkansas 10 Colorado Rockies Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 11 Washington Nationals Jared Grindlinger LHP/OF Huntington Beach 12 Los Angeles Angels Cameron Flukey RHP Coastal Carolina 13 St. Louis Cardinals Cole Carlon LHP Arizona State 14 Miami Marlins Gio Rojas LHP Marjory Stoneman Douglas 15 Arizona Diamondbacks Tyler Bell* SS Kentucky 16 Texas Rangers Justin Lebron SS Alabama 17 Houston Astros Chris Hacopian SS Texas A&M 18...
High School | General | 4/30/2026

High School Notebook: April 30

Jordan Gates
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Slo-mo look at the swing by Jordan Ransom (‘26, AZ) #PGHS @QCHS_Athletics @PG_Draft https://t.co/fyPaOimF5k pic.twitter.com/T7yH6a1qRI — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) April 29, 2026 OF Ryan Harwood, Casteel (Ariz).  Harwood is one of the premier draft names in the state and showed why in the regular season finale. The Texas A&M commit collected a pair of hits and also threw a runner out at home from left field. Harwood possesses impressive physicality that can produce big impact at the plate. The profile has middle of the order upside. Defensively, Harwood profiles best for a corner outfield spot long term. The arm strength may allow him to slide over to right field, as he can produce strong on-line carry. Harwood showed off that arm strength on the mound, where he threw the last inning and ran the heater up to 91 mph. IF Jordan Ransom, Queen Creek...
High School | Rankings | 4/29/2026

High School Top 50 Update: April 29

Tyler Russo
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With another week in the books across the country in the high school baseball season, we have another update to the National Top 50. The southern states are rolling through the playoffs as the weeks unfold along with northern states starting to get to the back half of their schedule as the summer is quickly approaching. The top-10 holds firm in this update as Venice (FL) continues to hold onto the top spot after rattling off W’s since returning home to Florida. Barbe (LA) comes in at No. 2 this week after being ranked at No. 3 a week ago and sport a 37-1 record with 36 straight wins. Orange Lutheran (CA) drops one spot to No. 3 and a pair of Texas schools round out the top-5 as Tomball is at No. 4 and Aledo is at No. 5. 5-9 is the exact same this week as last as IMG Academy (FL) comes in at No. 6, Trinity (KY) is at No. 7, Harvard-Westlake (CA) is at No. 8 and Grapevine (TX) is at...
Juco | Rankings | 4/29/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 29

Troy Sutherland
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Two teams reached the 50 win mark this past week and both are in the top two spots of this weeks ranking. Pearl River continues to win and represents our top ranked D2 JUCO team. Welcome to the top 10 to Cloud County, who is putting together an outstanding season at 43-5. Fresno City, Palomar and Ohlone are the top teams in California. And welcome back to the top 25 to the NWAC and Lower Columbia. Check back next week as teams head into postseason play.  Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 50-2 2 Gaston (NC) 50-3 3 Walters State (TN) 45-10 4 Blinn (TX) 37-12 5 Pearl River (MS) 43-9 6 Southern Nevada (NV) 35-10 7 Florence-Darlington (SC) 46-10 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 35-15 9 Chipola (FL) 40-11 10 Cloud County (KS) 43-5 11 McLennan (TX) 39-11 12 John A Logan (IL) 44-8 13 Midland (TX) 44-6 14 Georgia Highlands (GA) 41-11 15 Fresno City (CA) 37-3 16 Cochise (AZ) 40-13 17 Harford...
College | Rankings | 4/29/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 29

Nick Herfordt
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Across all three divisions of college baseball, the teams making the most noise heading into the postseason share a common trait — they score runs, and they score them relentlessly. Along with the updated rankings, this week we take a look at the top run-producing programs in DII, DIII and NAIA baseball, spotlighting a trio of teams from each division whose offenses have separated themselves from the field. The numbers tell a compelling story. Whether it's the defending NAIA champion LSU Shreveport Pilots reloading with a new roster yet still posting 10+ runs per game, the Pittsburg State Gorillas hanging blowout after blowout on opponents, or the Lynchburg Hornets making a case as the most complete team in Division III baseball, the formula is largely the same — deep lineups, disciplined at-bats, and the ability to keep pressure on a pitching staff from the first pitch to...
College | Story | 4/30/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 30 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
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Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Player of the Week: Jarren Advincula – Georgia Tech  Last week, Fernando Mendoza was taken with the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza transferred from the University of California – Berkeley (Cal) to Indiana University in advance of his draft year. Upon transferring, he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to a national championship. Advincula also transferred from Cal in advance of his draft year, but he took his talents to Georgia Tech. And, while there is still time left in the season, Advincula has positioned himself to be in the conversation for College Baseball’s...
Leagues | Story | 4/28/2026

Iowa Spring League Notebook: Week 5

Perfect Game Staff
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Dawson Weller (2027, Ottumwa, IA) showcased his two-way potential with a strong performance this weekend. On the mound, worked two clean innings while striking out 3 consistently living in the zone and getting ahead with first-pitch strikes. Showed the ability to control tempo and attack hitters throughout the outing. At the plate made a big impact in the same game, collecting two doubles and a home run. Displays quick hands through the zone with the ability to connect on an uphill path and generate carry off the barrel. A well-rounded showing that highlighted impact on both sides of the ball. Will Frederiksen (2026, Bettendorf, IA) had a loud weekend at the plate, launching 2 home runs and showing real impact with the bat. Generates plenty of juice in the swing with a simple, controlled load that allows him to stay on time. The swing works clean through the zone and produces strong...
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