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Tournaments  | Story | 7/8/2020

Georgia Bombers Focusing on Mental Aspect

Brett Greenberg
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – After not performing how they would have liked in the 15U WWBA National Championship, the Georgia Bombers 15U Coleman team has regrouped and has been playing great team ball of late. They are currently 2-0 in pool play with a final game tomorrow morning in the 15U Perfect Game Southeast World Series. This team might not have a list of D-1 commitments, but they are a team filled with players who are willing to learn about the game and how to play the right way, something the coaching staff preaches. 

The Bombers are led by Brent Coleman and Aaron Alvarez. Alvarez is the founder of the Georgia Bombers organization and also the owner of Grand Slams Sports Center in Alpharetta, Georgia. Coach Alvarez has been around the game a long time and has seen it all from 10U up to 18U. He says coaching 15U is very rewarding and is where he sees players begin to mature into young men who are dedicated to the game of baseball.  



“15U is a great year to watch guys separate themselves and have a defining year,” said Coach Alvarez. “It is easy to coach when I have players who are willing to learn and want to get better to prepare themselves for the next level.”

There can be some difficulties when coaching 15U as well. From a physical standpoint, 15-year-old kids are all different heights and weights, which causes some teams to miss out on players. Coach Alvarez says, “it’s tough because some kids might not hit their growth spurt, so we miss out on them and then 6 months later, they have grown a foot and gained muscle.” As far as the coaching side, he says the philosophy does not change. The teaching aspect never changes because players will eventually grow, and it is what they have previously learned that will help them be more successful once their bodies fill out. 

“It ultimately does not matter what your height and weight is,” said Coach Alvarez. “If you know the game and can play it the right way, you will have a spot on the field somewhere.”

This team was affected greatly by the Coronavirus pandemic and quarantine which limited their practice time immensely. This Bombers squad was only able to practice one time on a field before competing in their first tournament. Coach Alvarez and the rest of the coaches in the Georgia Bombers organization adapted quickly to Georgia governor, Brian Kemp’s stay-at-home laws and were able to come up with a strength and conditioning program for their players as well as hold zoom meetings every Saturday to discuss the game. Pitchers were also able to work on their mechanics during the weekdays at Grand Slam Sports Center. 

“It was extremely tough for us,” said Coach Alvarez. “We knew that as soon as we got the green light to play, we would be on the field the next day.”

Coach Alvarez also mentioned that there was some difficulty keeping pitchers’ arms in shape as well as getting the hitters quality at-bats. The players were not able to compete in a high school season or see live pitching for a couple months. 

The Bombers are now in their fifth tournament of the year and their bats and arms are where they need to be. The coaches want to see each player improving upon an aspect of their game every day and also want to see the players improving upon situational hitting and actually being able to play the game. When asked what he meant by, “actually being able to play the game,” Coach Alvarez said most of the kids can throw the ball around the field but only few actually understand the game in its entirety. He says one of his goals is to get his players to understand each situation that presents itself in any particular game. 

Learning about the game of baseball is very similar to learning about life and how to go about your business any given day. Coach Alvarez acknowledged that a lot of the lessons he is instilling in his players are applicable to the real world and it is not just about baseball. 

“It’s crazy how much this game relates to life in all aspects,” said Coach Alvarez. “Just like you have to compete for a spot on the field, you will have to compete for a job.”

Coach Alvarez also said he is very big on being aware of what his players are putting on social media. He says social media can either help you or hurt you and he is trying to teach his players to be smart about it.  

“Even just liking a tweet with the wrong context can hurt you and could turn a coach away from recruiting you,” said Coach Alvarez.

This team has two players who have been playing together since they were young. Luke McNeillie and Evan O’Neill have been playing together since their 7U Alpharetta Eagles days at Wills Park. They are both 2023 grads and two of the players named by Coach Alvarez when asked to name a few kids to look out for in the coming years. McNeillie currently attends Milton High School while O’Neill attends Blessed Trinity Catholic High. When asked to give their favorite memory on or off the field, both talked about their walk-off victory in Panama City back in 10U. 

“The walk off was crazy because we were not supposed to beat that team.” – Evan O’Neill

“We celebrated at the pool that night and our coaches bought us fake champagne, which was a memorable moment.” – Luke McNeillie 

Both also offered some insight about how they feel about being on the same team for so long. McNeillie said it is cool to be with the same guy for so long because they have built lifelong friendships and memories, while O’Neill enjoys looking back to where the two started to where they are now. 

McNeillie and O’Neill were sure to thank Grand Slam Sports Center for their success because they have been going there for hitting and pitching lessons since they were seven years old. O’Neill has been getting hitting lessons from Coach Alvarez, while McNeillie thanked his pitching coach, Johnny Magliozzi, for his jump in velocity. McNeillie says he is focusing on the mental aspect of pitching and being able to make adjustments. He also says he has been working on using his legs to create more velocity as well as making sure that he gets the right spin on his breaking ball. As for O’Neill, he says the mental side is huge point of emphasis for him as well as perfecting his cutter, something he recently learned that has been working effectively so far. 

Both offered some advice to those younger players: 
McNeillie: “Have fun and be coachable, it is simple.”
O’Neill: “You play to have fun, but also try to get better every day.”

When asked to name a few guys who are going to break out, Coach Alvarez also named Alex Urias, Schley Gordy, Jackson Alford, and Kyle Henley.

Alex Urias: “He’s just a pure hitter who can really swing the bat and someone who really understands the game, who we can put anywhere in the field. 
Schley Gordy: “He’s leading the team in hits and shows good patience at the plate and is always seeming to barrel up the ball perfectly.”
Jackson Alford/Kyle Henley: “These are two who are fast and athletic and have begun to understand the game. With their athleticism, they will be D-1 players.” 

Coach Alvarez looks to lead his team to another victory in their final pool play game tomorrow morning before heading to bracket play for a chance to win a championship. The Georgia Bombers seem to be putting it all together in the final month of the summer season. 
 
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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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College | Rankings | 1/13/2026

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Vincent Cervino
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Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen As we creep toward opening day here in a month or so, the draft team has put together the Top 100 sophomores on campus this spring.  This list is chalk full of talent, with future draft prospects littered top to bottom. The headliner of this group is Derek Curiel, a draft eligible sophomore that took the SEC by storm last spring. The Perfect Game All-American posted a .990 OPS over the course of a full season and is projected to vault himself further up the board during his ‘26 campaign. An electric arm in Dax Whitney follows up Curiel, with Strosnider, Lawson and Franco rounding out the top five.  Keep tabs on the draft eligible sophomores in this group come the summer. The rest of the pack are eligible for next year’s draft and figure to feature at the top of many draft lists in ‘27.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown...
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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

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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

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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

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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

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Jheremy Brown
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