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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 | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap

Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
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Ron Wolforth
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Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 62, Part 1 | Part 2 Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls - Part 3  We've made it to Part 3…the final installment of our series on baseball's most misunderstood and debated topics.   In Part 1, we tackled the curveball. The takeaway: the pitch itself isn't what’s dangerous. Decades of awful and ineffective coaching cues, ”snap your wrist," "turn the doorknob”…exacerbated and even in many causes caused some of the problems. Teach it correctly, when the athlete is ready, and it's no riskier than a fastball.  In Part 2, we examined pitch counts. The takeaway: they're a useful tool, but a limited one. Treating a single number as a universal measure of safety ignores everything...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/20/2026

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Dave Durbala
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/19/2026

14U PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor

Erica Beach
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PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor 14U January 17-18, 2026 Springfield, IL   SPRINGFIELD, IL- It may be cold outside, but there was some hot competition going on at the PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor tournament. Six team converged on the Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe and the Texas Glory IL 29 walked away with the hardware after a close 7-6 ballgame. Below we highlight some of the impressive athletes who competed on the weekend.     Lila Rafferty (2029, Leroy, IL) of the Texas Glory IL 29 was an unstoppable force at the plate over the weekend. She showed great tenacity in the box, proving to be one of the most consistent hitters in the tournament. She finished her weekend batting an incredible .750, tallying nine hits and scoring five times. She flashed her speed on multiple occasions, stealing two bases and legging out two doubles and two triples. She came in clutch,...
High School | General | 2/19/2026

Pacific Northwest All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
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NORTHWEST REGION (WA, OR, ID, WY, AK, MT, HI)    The biggest change in the Northwest Region for 2026 is the addition of Hawaii, which has always been overlooked due to being lumped with California in the former Pacific Region.  This also coincides with an increased Perfect Game presence in the islands in the form of additional events and scouting.  And Hawaii certainly contributed in it’s first year, placing four players on the All-Region team, including slugging 2026 outfielder Judah Ota. The powerhouse Puyallup HS team is the only Northwest Region team to be represented in the PG Pre-Season Top 50 National HS Rankings, beginning the year ranked 26th.  C – Teagan Scott (Sr., South Salem HS, Ore.) Scott has been on the prospect map since he played in the 2023 PG 14U Select Festival and is signed with Oregon State.  A right-handed hitter with lots...
Showcase | Story | 2/20/2026

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PG ID Camps Help Youngsters Build a Baseball Resume There was still snow on the ground in a lot of places last weekend, but that didn’t stop more than 200 young players from going indoors to participate in the first round of Perfect Game Select Fest ID Camps for the 2026 season. John McAdams, PG’s national crosschecker and Northeast scouting director, ran the event in Farmingdale, New Jersey, and was impressed with his group’s energy and desire to improve at the game. “We’re giving young players the opportunity to build their baseball resumes and chart their growth and progress over a span of years,” he said. In addition to New Jersey, Select Fest ID Camps were held in Lake St. Louis, Missouri; Rossford, Ohio; Marietta, Georgia; and Kent, Washington. The ID camps debuted in 2025. Twenty-two of them were held around the country with nearly 700 young...
Draft | Story | 2/19/2026

Then vs. Now: '26 Class Look Back

Tyler Henninger
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One constant across our scouting staff is the volume of in-person looks we get at prospects during their high school years. With assignments at national tournaments and showcases throughout the calendar, we’ve built a deep library of reports and video on many of today’s top college prospects dating back to their prep days. This week, we took a step back to revisit what those players looked like as high school prospects. Which tools stood out? What was missing from the profile at the time? And what, if anything, did we overlook that ultimately helped shape the player they’ve become? Below, we break down 10 players in a “Then and Now” reflection. Justin Lebron (23 FL) finishes off the tournament getting in on the hit parade with a single to the pullside. #PGShowdown #Bama commit pic.twitter.com/C4Irym2ZTR — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 4, 2023...
High School | General | 2/18/2026

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Cam McElwaney
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Grady Emerson (‘26 TX) laces this ball to right for a walk off single. Clean lefty stroke. Looks the part both sides of the ball. Checks all the boxes. Will be scouted heavily this Spring. #PGHS #HookEm commit. #PGDraft pic.twitter.com/wXvdHdgqME — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) February 6, 2026 Grady Emerson (2026, Argyle, Texas) had a strong showing throughout the opening week of high school baseball out here in Texas. Works good at-bats and is always a tough out in general. Makes all the plays at short and just has the look of a future big leaguer. He does all the little things right. Bat to ball will play at a high level and there is still a lot more power to project on here. There is a reason why Emerson is one of, if not the most highly coveted high school prospect in the 2026 class and it’s easy to see why. Currently committed to Texas, but has the potential to...
High School | Rankings | 2/18/2026

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Tyler Russo
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/18/2026

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Dave Durbala
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College | Rankings | 2/18/2026

DIII Rankings: February 18

Nick Herfordt
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Every spring, Division III baseball begins as a wide-open map. Cold mornings turn into long bus rides, non-conference gauntlets test resolve, and by the time the dust settles, only a few teams are still standing with a clear line to the NCAA Division III baseball tournament. The 2026 Perfect Game Division III Baseball Rankings capture that moment before the stretch run, highlighting the programs that have separated themselves through depth, durability, and an ability to win in a variety of ways. These eight teams are not simply piling up wins; they are shaping identities built to survive the grind and thrive when the margins narrow.  The destination is familiar, even if the journey never is. Once again, the final chapter will be written at Classic Park, where timing, composure, and roster balance matter as much as raw talent. The teams ranked here enter 2026 with more than ambition....
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