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2,420 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 9/23/2020

WWBA Soph World invades Ft. Myers

Photo: Cam Collier (Perfect Game)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – It’s cliché, to be sure, but here it goes anyway: “Let the games begin!”

This city on Florida’s Southwest Gulf Coast becomes the epicenter of the amateur baseball world beginning on Thursday, Sept. 24 with the start of play at the 3rd annual Perfect Game WWBA Sophomore World Championship.



This PG national champion event welcomes 104 teams from across the country – including squads from as far west as California and Colorado – and will be contested on fields in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. They include the jetBlue Park Player Development Complex, the Lee County Player Development 5-Plex and the Terry Park Complex in Fort Myers.

The WWBA Sophomore World Championship is the first of four PG WWBA national championships that Southwest Florida counties will host over the next three weeks.

The 197-team WWBA Underclass World Championship is slated for Oct. 1-5 at fields in Lee and Sarasota counties on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The blockbuster 96-team WWBA World Championship, relocated from Jupiter, Fla., will be played Oct. 8-12 on fields in Fort Myers; the 88-team WWBA Freshman World championship will also be contested Oct. 8-12 and played on fields in Lee and Sarasota counties.

The prominent and rapidly expanding 5 Star National organization has eight teams that are based in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina at the WWBA Soph World this weekend; it will have a couple dozen more at the next three WWBA Worlds moving forward.

5 Star National 16u Burress won last year’s Sophomore World Championship – Florida-based Elite Squad teams won in 2017 and 2018 – and 5 Star teams have a history of winning PG BCS National Championships played on Lee County fields over the last several years.

“Obviously, with the success that we’ve had in Fort Myers, it’s always good to get back there,” program founder/owner/coach Andy Burress told PG on Wednesday. “We’ve just always had a lot of success there across the board as a program; I think our guys kind of enjoy the trip.”

The 5 Star 16U White team may find a lot of ways to enjoy this weekend based on the terrific 2023s that populate its roster. Seven of the prospects are ranked in the top-39 nationally, and eight rostered players have already committed to prominent SEC and ACC college programs.

5 Star 16U White’s top prospect list is headed by third baseman/righthander Cam Collier (No. 2, Louisville), righthander/corner-infielder James Hays (No. 13, Georgia), outfielder Drew Burress (No. 14, uncommitted), and catcher/corner-infielder Riley Jackson (No. 16, Florida State).

Catcher/outfielder Brady Neal (No. 26, LSU), shortstop/third baseman Stone Russell (No. 34, Florida) and righthander/infielder Connor Crisp (No. 39, Georgia) can also be difference makers for the team; Collier, Burress, Jackson and Neal were all at the 2019 PG 14u Select Baseball Festival.

“With my son (Drew) being on the team and him having a huge role in putting that team together, it’s just a really close-knit group of guys,” Andy Burress said. “Obviously, they’re really good players and everybody can see that but what people don’t see is just how good of friends they are; a lot of the families are super close.”

5 Star 16U White will be challenged, of course, by dozens of teams that also come in boasting rosters filled with elite prospects.

The Florida-based Top Tier Roos American 2023 feature the talents of third baseman Aidan Miller (No. 3, uncommitted), middle-infielder Cade Kurland (No. 14, Florida), middle-infielder Steven Milam (No. 29, LSU), catcher/outfielder Colton Wombles (No. 33, Auburn); those four also performed at the 2019 PG 14u Select Fest.

The Georgia-based Team Elite 2023 Scout Team enjoys the services of catcher/outfielder Zion Rose (No. 11, Louisville), outfielder Justin Best (No. 25, Florida State) and five other 2023s ranked between Nos. 60 and 165. Rose was at the 2019 PG 13u Select Baseball Festival and at the PG 14u Select Fest a couple of weeks ago in Oklahoma City.

Novato, Calif.-based Meta National 23 has headed east looking to flex its West Coast muscles. Five Meta National 23’s from the 2023 class are ranked in the top-350 nationally including outfielder Owen Egan (No. 19, UCLA), catcher Raffaele Velazquez (No. 23, Arizona State) and shortstop Kai Caranto (No. 68, uncommitted).

Egan was at the 2019 PG 14u Select Fest and Velazquez, like Team Elite’s Rose, was at the 13u Select Fest in 2019 and the 14u Festival this year.

Other highly ranked 2023s in attendance include Dirtbags Signature outfielder TayShaun Walton (No. 5, Miami), Power Baseball 2023 shortstop Braden Holcomb (No. 9, Vanderbilt),  South Charlotte Panthers outfielder Walker Jenkins (#10 North Carolina), Texas Twelve Maroon 2023 lefthander Jakob Schulz (No. 32, uncommitted), Meta Prime 2023 first baseman Nolan Stevens (No. 37, uncommitted) and National Scout Team 2023 outfielder AJ Gracia (No. 41, Duke).

The top 2024s in attendance include Eagles Baseball third baseman Anthony Tralongo (No. 17), 5 Star 15U White righthander Bailey Thorne (No. 40), catcher Brooks Wright (No. 41, Tennessee) and outfielder Camdon Frier (No. 61), and Canes American-Scott catcher Joshua Agriesti.

“I think for us and for everybody in general this is kind of the end of a hectic, to say the least, summer,” Burress said. “We’ve got several groups this week and several groups next week, and for us the excitement (comes with) being in Fort Myers where the weather is nice this time of year. …

“But the biggest thing is being able to go and kind of finish up the last two or three weeks in one place; that’s the most exciting part of it.”


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,...
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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...
College | Story | 4/28/2026

College Players of the Week: April 28

Craig Cozart
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April 28th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Jarren Advincula, IF, Georgia Tech  It is well documented how good the Georgia Tech offense was in 2025, so when the Yellow Jackets added Jarren Advincula from the transfer portal in the off-season, the expectations went through the roof for ’26.  Somehow, the team and Advincula have not only met but exceeded those expectations in virtually every way.  Advincula, the 6-2/195 infielder from Santa Clara, CA, has been a fixture in the middle infield and is an elite defender with the leather.  He shows natural instincts for the game and as the season has progressed, he has found himself inserted into the 3-hole in their powerful lineup.  Hitting from the left-side of the plate, Advincula put together an impressive week as Tech took down Georgia in the mid-week and swept Wake Forest on the weekend.  He was...
College | Rankings | 4/26/2026

College Top 25: April 27

Vincent Cervino
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It was another weekend of upsets, upheaval and consequential series victories across the nation.  After the dust settled, the UCLA Bruins (39-4) remain the No. 1 team in the nation after their (3-1) week stepping outside Big Ten play, taking a series against Sacramento State.  Their perfect (21-0) start in conference play is still intact with three weekend series to go.  UNC (36-8) sticks at No. 2 this week after they went across town to take on archrival Duke, winning that series and finishing the week with a (3-1) record.  The No. 3 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (36-7) showed their moxie by coming back from large deficits multiple times and swept conference foe Wake Forest, extending their lead in the ACC standings to 2-games.  The Texas Longhorns (32-9) are No. 4 in the poll this week after winning a tightly contested series on the road against Vanderbilt. ...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 4/24/2026

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Vincent Cervino
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PG Draft: Top-100 Reports (April Update) 1. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA R-R, 6-2/202, Chandler, AZ Previously Drafted: Never Drafted Roch Cholowsky has consistently ranked at the top of the class throughout the cycle due to the safety and upside of the profile. Defensively, he is a plus defender at shortstop with soft hands, consistent actions, and quality range. Not only should he stick at the position long term, he should excel there at the next level. Offensively, there is a strong mix of hit and power potential from the right side of the plate. The swing is a bit unorthodox with a shorter finish, but Cholowsky consistently finds the barrel and drives the ball with authority to all fields. He has strong bat to ball skills with impact. He has walked more than stuck out during his collegiate career, giving him a high on-base ability. The run tool is the only tool that doesn’t jump...
Draft | Rankings | 4/24/2026

2026 MLB Draft Board: Top 400

Tyler Henninger
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Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Roch Cholowsky C SS R-R UCLA Chandler AZ 2 Grady Emerson H SS L-R Fort Worth Christian Argyle TX Texas 3 Vahn Lackey C C R-R Georgia Tech Suwanee GA 4 Jackson Flora C RHP R-R UC Santa Barbara Pleasanton CA 5 Jacob Lombard H SS R-R Gulliver Schools Miami FL Miami 6 AJ Gracia C OF L-L Virginia Monroe NJ 7 Ace Reese C 3B L-R Mississippi State Canton TX 8 Eric Booth Jr. H OF L-L Oak Grove Bassfield MS Vanderbilt 9 Justin Lebron C SS R-R Alabama Miramar FL 10 Drew Burress C OF R-R Georgia Tech Perry GA 11 Gio Rojas H LHP L-R Marjory Stoneman Douglas Coral Springs FL Miami 12 Ryder Helfrick C C R-R Arkansas Discovery Bay CA 13 Chris Hacopian C SS R-R Texas A&M Potomac MD 14 Cameron Flukey C RHP R-R Coastal Carolina Egg Harbor Township NJ 15 Cole Carlon C LHP L-L Arizona State Tempe AZ 16 Jared Grindlinger H LHP/OF L-L Huntington...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/23/2026

Kash Shaikh Named Perfect Game CMO

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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 NAMES KASH SHAIKH CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER AND HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, April 23, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that Kash Shaikh has been named the company’s new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Head of International. In this role, Shaikh will serve on Perfect Game’s executive leadership team, overseeing global marketing, brand strategy, creative, partnerships and sponsorships, while leading the company’s international P&L and expansion. Shaikh brings more than two decades of experience building brands, businesses and communities across sports, media and consumer...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 4/22/2026

PG Softball Battle for the Belt

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Perfect Game Softball Battle for the Belt April 18-19, 2026 Des Moines, Iowa It was a cold and very windy weekend, but the girls still came out and put in their best efforts. If you wanted the place to see some of the state’s top talent, this was the tournament to be at. The 18u division was quite the slugfest! The Ankeny Centennial 18U -Kennedy team took down a tough Iowa Alliance Select-Benge team in the championship. Both teams had double digit homeruns on the weekend. In the 16u division the Iowa Aries CE Fire Black took control of the game from the start and never let up on the gas, taking down a solid Alliance Select- Harper team. 18U Division Kori Lincicum (2026 Ankeny, IA) of the Centennial Jaguars- Kennedy and Drake Bulldog softball commit was the weekends MVP Pitcher. Lincicum defeated a tough Alliance team in the championship game finishing with that game with 11...
High School | General | 4/23/2026

Northeast High School Notebook

Jheremy Brown
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In a season that has already had many exciting matchups across various events, we as a staff would like to highlight or “Shout-Out” notable performers along with an Uncommitted Spotlight and Team Spotlight.  Uncommitted Spotlight: Mason Rosenberg, 1B, 2027, Bishop Eustace Prep  Uncommitted Mason Rosenberg (2027, NJ) has been an absolute force within the Bishop Eustace lineup, as the left-handed hitting slugger is hitting .481 through eleven games including six homers. The strength has vastly improved, allowing for Rosenberg to impact the baseball with authority to all fields. Couple that with improved speed and athleticism, this uncommitted 2027 can be a welcomed addition to a class looking for offense.  Team Spotlight: Northern Burlington (9-0) Northern Burlington is once again off to a hot start, as the Greyhounds sit at 9-0 thus far and have continued to...
Juco | Rankings | 4/22/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 22

Blaine Peterson
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Another week down and Johnson County continues their torrid run to remain at number 1. They're 46-2 on the season with multiple hitters over 25 bombs which is astonishing for the level as the Cavs have announced themselves as title favorites. Just a couple of weeks left heading down the stretch and our field remains mostly the same with the two additions of midwest powerhouse Iowa Western and the Warriors of East Central who will have a tough test Wednesday in Poplarville against fellow Mississippi adversary Pearl River in a mid-week double header.   Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 46-2 2 Gaston (NC) 47-3 3 Walters State (TN) 42-10 4 McLennan (TX) 38-8 5 Southern Nevada (NV) 33-9 6 Chipola (FL) 39-9 7 Blinn (TX) 33-12 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 32-13 9 Florence-Darlington (SC) 42-10 10 Pearl River (MS) 39-9 11 Cloud County (KS) 40-4 12 Cochise (AZ) 39-11 13 Midland (TX)...
College | Story | 4/23/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 23 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: Tague Davis – University of Louisville  Between 2016-2022, the University of Louisville produced 14 players taken in the Top 5 Rounds of the MLB Draft, seven of whom were taken in the 1st Round. The Cardinals haven’t produced a Top 5 Rounds pick since 2022, but that will change soon with Davis. Still only 20 years old and not draft-eligible until 2027, Davis continued his assault on college baseball this weekend with a 7-for-12 performance that included 5 HR. On the 2026 season, Davis is hitting .389 AVG / .489 OBP / .911 SLG / 1.392 OPS. That’s a 400+...
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