THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,450 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,450 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 9/13/2020

2 champs crowned at MW Selects

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Iowa Select Dubuque 2022 (Perfect Game)

Iowa Select Dubuque takes home Underclass title

MARION, Iowa – It took an all-out effort over two days of grinding baseball but Iowa Select Dubuque managed to keep the championship trophy from the Perfect Game Underclass Midwest Select Championship within Iowa’s borders Sunday afternoon.



The Select Dubuque team used nine hits to push across four runs – one in the bottom of the second and three in the bottom of the third – and made them hold-up in a 4-2 victory of the Nebraska Prospects 2022 White in the championship game played at the Prospect Meadows Sports Complex.

The event was shortened to two very long days after Friday’s scheduled games were postponed by rain. Iowa Select Dubuque 2022 went 1-0-1 during Saturday’s pool-play to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs then won quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games on Sunday to finish 4-0-1 and take home the title.

“They played really well; they got better as the weekend went on,” Select Dubuque head coach Eric Munson said Sunday. “The first day they were a little flat – they really didn’t swing the bats – but today the bats came alive and we swung the bats really well; we saw some good pitching, too.”

The Prospects 2022 White were the 10-team playoffs’ No. 8 seed after splitting their two pool-play games on Saturday and finished 3-2-0 after winning 2-of-3 on Sunday.

The boys from Nebraska jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in this one thanks to walks to Brody Brown and Brock Nielsen, a wild pitch and an RBI single from Blake Waring, But that’s all they could do against a pair of Iowa Select pitchers.

Solen Munson, a 2023 righthander and Eric’s son, allowed the two runs on two hits with seven strikeouts and three walks over five innings of work. 2023 righty Cal Sullivan worked the last two perfect innings, striking out two.

The Select Dubuque 2022 scored a single run in the bottom of the second on the strength of lead-off single from Ethan Patterson, a walk to Ethan Hefel and a sac fly from Maddux Frese.

Dylan Martin, Solen Munson and Luke Bohonek hit consecutive singles to lead off the bottom of the third, and Martin scored when Cole Swartz was hit by a pitch. Sam Skarich then delivered an RBI single to the plate, Munson and Bohonek scored from third when a play was made on Skarich as he stole second; that completed the game’s scoring.

Munson finished with a pair of singles, a double and a run scored to lead Iowa Select’s nine-hit attack; both Patterson and Martin singled twice, drove in a run and scored another. Everyone, it seemed, rose to the challenge.

“Sometimes there are different situations that get you going but we just play and have fun so it’s pretty easy,” Munson said. “When you have fun things go well. … We’re very close and everybody’s a good player. We can all do pretty much everything; we can all pitch, we can all hit. We’re good teammates to each other and we have a lot of fun.”

Munson, a primary catcher, was named Most Valuable Player thanks largely to his performance in the championship game. He finished the tournament 5-for-8 (.625) with a double, an RBI and five runs scored to go with his spectacular outing from the mound on Sunday.

Teammate Ethan Hefel, a 2022 right-hander but a primary third baseman, worked five innings of three-hit, six-strikeout ball earlier in the weekend and was named MV Pitcher.

Eric Munson – who the Tigers used the third overall pick in the 1999 MLB Draft on and who played parts of nine seasons in the big leagues – had a 15-player roster at this tournament and needed them all while playing 21 innings of playoff baseball on Sunday. Every one of them wants to be out there for every inning, of course, but that can become a juggling act at times.

“Our guys did a  great job of staying focused even when they weren’t playing,” Munson said. “We used everybody and it took all of them to come out and play three games today. They did a great job; I was really proud of them.”

The Select Dubuque and the Prospects White both made it to the championship game by winning their respective quarterfinal and semifinal games earlier in the day on Sunday.

Iowa Select got the ball rolling by getting past the No. 2 29ers Baseball 2022 Black out of Illinois, 7-5, in the quarters then steamrolled its brethren from the Iowa Select Obermuller 2022, 13-1, in the semis.

The Nebraska Prospects knocked-off the top-seeded St. Louis Pirates 2022, 7-1, in their quarterfinal pairing before outlasting No. 4 Illinois-based CGB, 13-5 in its semifinal matchup.

“Our pitching really was good all weekend; it always starts there for me with pitching and defense,” coach Munson concluded. “We caught the ball; we did a great job of keeping the other team to a minimum and they really didn’t have big innings against us. Our bats came alive today and that was good timing but yesterday for sure was pitching and defense.”

Sparks North-Black end up on top at Sophomore MW Select

MARION, Iowa – Late Sunday afternoon while playing in the semifinal round of the playoffs at the Perfect Game Sophomore Midwest Select Championship, the Cangelosi Sparks North-Black found themselves in a bit of a jam.

They were trailing the upstart Angels, a team out of Parker, Colo., and very much an unknown in this neck of the woods, by a 4-3 count after 5½ innings and were in danger of having their hopes of claiming a PG tournament championship go by the wayside.

Never fear. With nobody out in the  bottom of the sixth, Patrick Carmody smacked a two-run single and John Phillip Ferraro delivered a sac fly, all part of a four-run frame that also included two walks, a hit batsman and a fielding error that eventually led to a 7-4 victory.

Just a few hours later, that scene unfolded again.

Trailing the 29ers Baseball 2023 Black by an 8-3 count after four complete innings, the Sparks North-Black responded with a six-run top of the fifth and went on to beat the 29ers 2023 Black, 10-8, in the Sophomore MW Select championship game at the Prospect Meadows Sports Complex.

“They never gave up and the biggest thing is you can’t teach that,” Sparks North-Black co-coach Josh Caceres told PG at the conclusion of the championship game. “No matter how much you want to coach kids, it comes from intrinsic motivation to get the best out of them and they do that. I say a few words but they go out and actually do it.”

This was a close affair early with the 29ers Baseball Black leading just 4-3 at the end of the third. They had built that lead thanks to a three-run first in which Tanner Mally hit a lead-off single, Mackie Resetich came through with an RBI double and Beau Honeycutt delivered a two-run single.

They then put a 4-spot on the board in the bottom of the fourth in a frame highlighted by singles from Cole Kratzberg and Cody Kufrin, along with several more walks.

The turning point for Cangelosi came in the decisive fifth when they pushed six runs across thanks to a single off the bat Joey Ward, an RBI single from Jack Gooch, an RBI fielders’ choice groundout from Carmody and four walks, three of which came with the bases loaded.

The Sparks finished with seven hits, a total that included five singles and two doubles. Tyler O'Connor doubled, drove in two runs and scored one; Troy Stukenberg doubled with an RBI and two scored; Noah Caceres and Gooch both singled and drove in a pair.

The 29ers Baseball 2023 Black totaled eight hits – seven singles and a double – and were led Mally and Kufrin, both of whom singled twice, drove in a run and scored another; Honeycutt singled and drove in two.

Sparks North-Black 2023 infielder O'Connor collected four hits over the weekend including two doubles and a triple, drove in 10 runs and scored four others and finished with a 0.945 OPS on his way to earning MV Player honors. Teammate Calvin Proskey, a 2023 righthander, pitched five shutout, three-hit, 11-strikeout innings and was named MV Pitcher.

The No. 3-seeded 29ers (4-1-0) opened play Sunday with an 8-0 win over the No. 6 St. Louis Pirates 2023 in the quarterfinals before escaping the No. 2 Illinois Lightning-Hart, 3-2, in the semis.

The No. 5 Cangelosi Sparks North-Black (5-0-0) blasted No. 4 The Replacements, 12-3, in the quarters before rallying for the win over the Colorado Angels in the semifinal round. After 21 innings on a beautiful late summer day in Eastern Iowa, the Sparks were champions.

“Keepin’ it loose is the biggest thing; don’t take yourself too seriously,” Caceres said. “We were down by (five) runs in this game and I told them that I understand it’s three games that we’ve played today but we didn’t come this far from Chicago to lose this way so let’s go. They have their own leaders and they build the team up and they do their work.”
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘27 IF Braylon Sheffield (FL) with an absolute 🚀 here, launching high off the RCF wall for a 3B. Super polished LH stick; hit over .400 last year on the circuit. #GoHoos commit. #EastMemorial pic.twitter.com/mdehqpR5v5 — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) May 23, 2026 Braylon Sheffield (2027, Fort Myers, Fla.) got the event started with the loudest swing of the night on Friday at Terry Park, rocketing a triple off the wall in the stadium. Sheffield, ranked 121 and committed to Virginia, is a super polished left-handed hitter with left side of the infield projection long term. The swing is tension-free with loose wrists and he generates easy bat speed with already present power to the pull side. This blast came inches away from being a home run and hitting a ball that far at Terry Park stadium is a significant shot. Sheffield also tripled in his second game of the weekend at...
Read More
College | Story | 5/25/2026

Field of 64 Projections

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The 2026 season was one of the most exciting and unpredictable editions of college baseball in recent memory, and as quickly as it flew by, we are ready to start the “Road to Omaha”.  After hours of deliberation, we are ready to release our projected region field and “Field of 64” as we see it.  The UCLA Bruins (51-6) start us off as the anticipated No. 1 National Seed as they put the finishing touches on a historic season, including a 27-game win streak, a Big 10 Regular Season title and Big 10 Tournament championship.  The Big 10 looks like they will have (4) teams in the field, with (3) host sights, representing the West Coast well.  The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (48-9) should secure the No. 2 Nation Seed and lead the charge for (8) teams from the ACC in the field with (3) of them securing host opportunities.  Meanwhile, the Georgia...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Colton Floyd (‘27,AZ) just misses a HR here. Can really impact the baseball & shows over the fence power potential. Took 3 QAB’s today. He’s the #1 ranked 3B in the state and #4 in the country. #MDWest https://t.co/ReMh7D0v4y pic.twitter.com/w1dzssSy8N — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 23, 2026 Colton Floyd, 3B, Chandler, AZ. Canes West National (2027) Floyd is a high-upside prospect with physical tools and burgeoning power. His combination of size, bat speed, and raw strength makes him one of the top power-hitting third basemen in the country. Currently ranked the #1 third baseman in Arizona and #4 nationally in his class. With continued refinement of his approach and defensive consistency, he has all the ingredients to be a middle-of-the-order bat at Texas A&M and a legitimate MLB Draft prospect JJ Utash (‘27,AZ) with a triple here....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/21/2026

Memorial Day Classics Set to Kick Off

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Southeast Memorial Day East Cobb Baseball will welcome more than 100 teams spanning the 13-17u age groups this weekend as summer baseball gets underway with the highly anticipated PG Southeast Memorial Day Classic, commencing on Thursday, May 21st. This weekend’s annual premier event will feature 11 nationally ranked teams across the five age groups with the No. 9 16u East Cobb Astros headlining the 17u division alongside top prospects such as No. 11 ranked Bryan Johnson Jr. And No. 22 ranked Georgia Tech commit, Malachi Butler. The No. 34 17u ranked 643 DP Cougars will also be a squad to watch as they will look to challenge the Astros for the championship amongst the other 14 17u division teams. While the oldest division will draw lots of attention with highly touted prospects, the 16u field is stacked with 29 total teams including three nationally ranked clubs. Over 30 top 1000...
Read More
High School | General | 5/22/2026

Northeast High School Notebook: May 22

Anthony Gambardella
Article Image
‘26 RHP Hunter Brown (@NHLionsBaseball - NJ) struck out 1️⃣5️⃣ thru 6 IP w/ 0 BB & 2 H allowed. FB lived 90-92, T93 w/ ASR & late life. Froze bats with his 11/5 CB both early/late in counts (2600rpm). Mixed in fading CH & short/tight SL. #WeAre commit. @PG_Draft#PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/NbSSOmCyD0 — Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic (@PGMidAtlantic) April 23, 2026 Hunter Brown - 2026 RHP, North Hunterdon Reg (N.J.) was utterly dominant in his start against Franklin last month, tossing six shutout innings with 15 strikeouts, zero walks and just two hits allowed. The 6-foot-5 215-pound right-hander has pitched to a 0.97 ERA this spring with 78 punchouts over 36 innings of work. Brown has been one of the many northeast arms receiving increasingly more buzz ahead of the MLB Draft this July. Brown’s heater lived in the low-90s throughout the duration of his...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 5/22/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 65

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
The Insidious Lie That Hurts Pitchers Thep Most How many of you have ever had a terrible outing and afterward couldn’t really explain what went wrong? And how many of you have ever had a great outing and couldn’t explain what you did differently either? That gap between what is happening and your awareness of what is happening may be one of the most important gaps in player development. Closing that gap has a name. It is called metacognition. In simple terms, metacognition means thinking about your thinking. It is the ability to understand how you learn, how you perform, how you respond under pressure, and how you make adjustments when things are not going your way. For a pitcher, that matters because no matter how good your coach is, he cannot stand on the mound with you. Your coach cannot take the ball with the bases loaded, two outs, and the best hitter in the league...
Read More
College | Rankings | 5/20/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: May 20

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
There is a reason the preseason pick to win it all rarely does. College baseball's postseason is a gauntlet — double elimination, best-of-three’s, then a full World Series format — and the team that looks unbeatable in February has to prove it again in May against opponents who have had just as long to get ready. Plenty of programs have entered the tournament as the obvious favorite and gone home early. It happens every year. Nobody should be shocked when it does. Top-ranked teams flaming out in regional weekends happens so many times it has become its own genre of schadenfreude Which makes this particular moment worth noting. The Perfect Game preseason picks to win the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III national titles — Tennessee Wesleyan, UT Tyler, and the University of Lynchburg — are all still alive heading into the final rounds. All three...
Read More
College | Story | 5/21/2026

Coppy's Corner: May 21 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
Article Image
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.   Co-Player of the Week: Carson Tinney – University of Texas  As a Notre Dame alumnus, it pained me to see Tinney transfer from the Golden Dome to the University of Texas after an All-American sophomore season for the Irish. He’s picked up in Austin right where he left off in South Bend and is currently hitting .321 AVG, 20 HR, .475 OBP / .695 SLG / 1.170 OPS on the 2026 season. It’s plus right-handed power and a plus arm; with the numbers I have found indicating that Tinney has erased more than half of attempted base stealers over the past two seasons of college baseball. Tinney threw...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/19/2026

Best of the Best Event Preview

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
In simplistic terms, the Best of The Best tournament is an absolute gauntlet as seemingly every game brings a playoff game atmosphere. Coaches must strategically map out their pitching to ensure they can get through Pool Play while also making sure they have arms to make a deep playoff run. Each and every age group is loaded with the best teams, composed of some of the best players that travel baseball has to offer. The 9u & 10u age groups will respectively have 9 out of the Top 10 Teams within the latest PG National Team Rankings participating in the event. At 9U, LTP-Reign will look to hold on to their #1 ranking but will have plenty of competition with the likes of ZT National Prospects and HTX-Wildcatters 9U looking to take over that #1 spot. In the 10u age group, Elevate National will look to fend off plenty of talent with #2 ranked Kaos National, East Cobb Astros and ZT...
Read More
College | Story | 5/19/2026

College Players of the Week: May 19

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
May 19th Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Carson Tinney, C, Texas  The Texas Longhorns just finished off another stellar regular season and are heading to Hoover for the SEC Conference Tournament as the No. 2 Seed this week.  To secure their 2nd place finish, they had to sweep Missouri at home last weekend and did so in large part to the power bat of Carson Tinney.  The 6-4/240 catcher from Castle Pines, CO transferred to Austin after two sensational seasons at Notre Dame and has thrived in his draft year.  In the 3-game set, Tinney collected 7 hits in 13 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, with a double, 3 home runs and he drove in 10 runs all told.  With some of the most prodigious power in the college game this year, Tinney is now slashing .321/.695/.473 with 10 doubles an incredible 20 home runs and 54 RBIs while playing in the most spacious ballpark in the...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.