THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,397 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,397 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
High School  | General | 3/5/2021

Spanish Fort eyes Showdown prize

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Caleb Hayles (Perfect Game)

HOOVER, Ala. – About an hour before his Spanish Fort (Ala.) Toros would be taking the field at the Hoover Met Complex to face the fellow Alabama entrant Phenix City Central Red Devils in a semifinal-round playoff game at the Perfect Game High School Showdown, head coach JD Pruitt was all business.

He was working with several of his players individually in one of the batting cages about 100 yards or so north of the complex’s main quad, proving once again there’s always time for a little extra instruction; a little extra attention to detail, if you will.



After the session wrapped up and Pruitt made his way back to the field where the semi would be played, he took the time to answer a few questions from PG, the first of which addressed the subject of how he felt his team had been playing 12 games into the 2021 regular season.

“We’ve been OK,” Pruitt said almost matter-of-factly but also with little hint of concern in his voice. “We’ve been very good at times and then there’s other times that we’ve been very inconsistent. We’re trying to figure out who we are and what we want to be as a team, and I think we’re making strides in that area.

“With the arms that we do have at the top of our rotation, each time those guys go out there, they’re going to give us a shot to be in ballgames.”

As it turned out, the Toros’ top arm, the one belonging to senior left-hander Brady Garcia (a top-500 2021 prospect, Alabama signee) struggled early in Friday’s outing but finished strong, and the Toros’ bats carried them to an 11-5 victory over the never-say-die Red Devils.

They also carried Spanish Fort (3-0) into Saturday’s PGHS Showdown Blue Bracket championship game at Hoover Met Stadium where they’ll face the PGHS nationally No. 5-ranked Buford (Ga.) Wolves (3-0); Buford also played in a Showdown championship game last year and finished as runner-up.

Friday’s play at the Met set up what should be a tantalizing Showdown Championship Saturday featuring six teams from Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

The Red Bracket title tilt pits the Cullman (Ala.) Bearcats (2-1) against the PGHS No. 1-ranked IMG Academy (Fla.) Ascenders (3-0-0) while the White Bracket championship has the Oxford (Ala.) Yellow Jackets (2-1) facing the Loganville (Ga.) Red Devils. Loganville was the Red Bracket champion in 2020 after beating IMGA in the championship game.

Spanish Fort trailed Central High, 4-1, after two innings in the semi on Friday but used a seven-run third to take a four-run lead en route to the six-run win. The Toros totaled 10 hits, led by senior Caleb Hayles (Follow, Coastal Alabama CC) who singled twice, doubled, drove in a run and scored two others.

Junior Matthew Thompson (HF) contributed a single and a double with three RBI and a pair of runs scored, junior Cole Morton singled and doubled and drove in two and junior Jackson Ray (HF) delivered a two-run double.

The aforementioned Garcia survived Central’s four-run second and worked five innings, allowing five runs on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks. That outing proved to be more than good enough on this day and gave the arms in the pen a bit of a reprieve.

“There’s just a few little things that we could be doing a little bit better, as always,” Hayles said, “but I’m happy with the way we’re playing. We’re going out there and competing and that’s the main thing. We’ve just got to out-compete the team on the other side of the field.”

Six seniors, including Garcia, are listed on the Toros’ official roster but it is the team’s juniors who garner the most attention, and deservedly so.

The headliners are right-hander/outfielder Carter Stanford (No. 393-ranked ’22)  and right-hander/corner infielder Cameron Keshock (No. 331); in a couple of years they could be facing off against each other in SEC play at arch-rivals Alabama and Auburn, respectively – one can only hope their friendship can endure.

“We’ve got a ton of juniors, as big of a class as I’ve ever had,” Pruitt said. “It’s a good class, it’s a fairly deep class in terms of what those guys can do and how much they can produce...It’s a pretty good class that complements the pieces around them class-wise fairly well.”

Pruitt noted that this is a team that has gone through stretches in its first 12 games (6-6 record) where it’s hit the ball really well, and that carried over into the first three games at the Showdown. But he was quick to point out, the team’s biggest strength is its athleticism – the Toros averaged nearly five stolen bases a game in those first 12 contests.

“We’re able to create an advantage for ourselves offensively by what we do on the basepaths,” he said. “But we’ve got to be (more) consistent defensively and I think our biggest concern as a team and what we’re continuing to try to develop is our bullpen. If we can do that, we’ll give ourselves an opportunity.”

It must not be overlooked that this Central High team Spanish Fort beat on Friday is no slouch – far from it, in fact.

The Red Devils, led by fourth-year head coach AJ Kehoe, got off to a monster start in the 2021 season, winning all nine of their games before arriving in Hoover, meaning they were riding an 11-game win streak before falling to the Toros. Kehoe said the team has been playing pretty well, or well enough, anyway.

“I’m really, really blessed and fortunate; we just have great internal leadership,” he told PG pregame. “I’ve got great assistant coaches (and) everybody’s really bought in to the process of what we’re trying to get accomplished. We’re a very unselfish group and guys really grind out A-Bs.

“Just a blue-collar club, man,” he continued. “They do a good job pushing on the bases, have good approaches, stay disciplined at the plate and we’re hitting just enough. We’re executing defensively and getting the good pitching that we need.”

The Red Devils managed just five hits, all singles, against the Toros. Sophomore Jax Yoxtheimer singled and drove in three runs and senior Zion Morris and junior Caleb Johnson each singled and drove in a run.

They also enjoy the talents of top-500 seniors Tyler Haines (Mississippi State) and Will Cannon (Georgia State) along with senior Cole Kehoe (Fol, Auburn U. Montgomery).

“We rely on our senior leadership tremendously,” Coach Kehoe said. “We do have a great mix and we actually start a great mix. We have 10 seniors and four of them start. The other ones have specific roles [whether] they’re in the bullpen or [whether] they’re being used as a courtesy runner or a pinch-hitter or whatever it may be.”

And so it is the Spanish Fork Toros who will face the monumental task of trying to derail the Buford Wolves on Championship Saturday, a tall task indeed considering their roster boasts eight D-I recruits including the top junior right-hander in all the land, Dylan Lesko (No. 2, Vanderbilt) amongst a host of others. But that’s why, it’s been said, you play the games.

Some may consider it no more than coach-speak when the head guy says he just wants his players to stay the course and not try to become something they’re not while they’re chasing a major tournament championship.

But Pruitt definitely comes across as sincere when he speaks about telling his players to look across the field at whoever’s playing his same position and focus on competing against that guy while your teammates do the same. Don’t change a thing.

“So again, coming into this thing we’re going to be who we are and we’ve done that up to this point (and) if we continue to do that we’ll give ourselves an opportunity,” Pruitt said. “I told them, I don’t care about the wins, I don’t care about the losses, I want you to go out and compete every single pitch.”

Added the senior Hayles: “We’ve just got to play our game, you know. Be aggressive, stay locked-in and just compete. This is a fun team to be a part of.”
Give us your feedback
High School | General | 4/2/2026

High School Notebook: April 2
Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Lennex Minor (‘28 CA) absolutely destroys this offering to the PS for a 2-run shot. 2-4 on the day w/ 4 driven in. Athletic in the box w/ a quick stroke and strength throughout the frame. Also closed out the game running the FB up to 88 in a St. Bernard win #PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/KF7BsKGcm7 — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) March 29, 2026 Lennex Minor, MIF/P, St. Bernard (2028) Minor had a massive day in my look this past Saturday in a game being played at the University of San Diego.  The sophomore had a pair of hits, one which was a no-doubt homer, and drove in four.  Minor’s athleticism jumps out on the field with twitchy actions both at the dish and in the dirt.  He features a 6-foot, 170-pound frame with room to add and generates from a strong lower half and exceptionally quick hands.  Showing two-way potential, he made an...
Read More
Draft | Mock Draft | 4/3/2026

PG Staff Mock Draft

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Welcome to another Perfect Game Mock Draft. This is not your typical mock draft as it features 15 different GMs drafting the first two rounds of the draft. Each member of the mock draft was assigned two teams and as such will be drafting all of the picks in the first two rounds for each responsible team. The actual draft order will be presented below and we will dive into how teams made their selections and how they feel about the players drafted. It is important to note that this is not how we think the draft will play out in almost any capacity. This is simply an exercise 4 months ahead of time with a large portion of the scouting staff and some picks fall under personal favorites, best available, and a multitude of other factors. Chicago White Sox 1:1 Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA | 1:41 Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame The White Sox don’t overthink here and select Roch Cholowsky, who has...
Read More
High School | General | 4/2/2026

NHSI Scout Notebook

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
An extended look at ‘26 RHP Wilson Andersen… 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K. @HailStateBB signee. #NHSI26 @JesuitBaseball @Florida_PG @PG_Draft @PGAllAmerican https://t.co/VLwECd2qZ8 pic.twitter.com/JbTFR3Gd2l — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 30, 2026 Wilson Andersen, RHP, Tampa Jesuit  Andersen got the ball on day two of the event and showed a quick tempo, pounding the zone with a power mix. He ran the fastball up to 97 mph, working comfortably in the mid-90s, with a power curveball/changeup mix he showed confidence in. He’s one of the top right-handers in the class that saw his stock rise in Cary. Andersen is signed with Mississippi State.    An extended look at ‘26 RHP Cooper Sides… 5 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. @LSUbaseball signee. #NHSI26 @olubaseball @PG_Draft @California_PG https://t.co/Ag1MfBAR5a pic.twitter.com/5wSszVjBn8...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 4/2/2026

All American Classic Heading to Citizens Bank

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME DICK’S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC HEADED TO CITIZENS BANK PARK IN 2026   Perfect Game makes debut at iconic Phillies venue during America’s 250th birthday celebration   Former Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel named Honorary Chairman of All-American Classic   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Thursday, April 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that the 2026 Perfect Game DICK’S All-American Classic will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, marking the first time a Perfect Game event has ever been held at the iconic home of the Philadelphia Phillies.   The game will take place on...
Read More
College | Rankings | 4/1/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 1

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
Welcome to another week of Perfect Game Small School baseball — and if you're looking for clarity at the top, you've come to the wrong place. Across all three classifications, the No. 1 spot is very much an open question, and nobody is sleeping comfortably right now. In NCAA Division II, Pittsburg State is stumbling at precisely the wrong moment, leaving the door cracked wide open for hungry challengers to come knocking. In the NAIA, defending national champion LSU Shreveport has dropped four straight and suddenly looks far more vulnerable than a program of their pedigree ever expects to be. And in NCAA Division III, the race for the top ranking is less a competition and more a ten-car pileup of elite programs, none of whom have done enough to pull away — and all of whom have done plenty to deserve it. Three classifications, three vacancies at the top, and a whole lot of...
Read More
Juco | Story | 4/1/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 1

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
Another week of JUCO baseball and another week full of wins for No. 1 ranked Johnson County . The Cavaliers have won 18 games in a row and have swept through the Jayhawk Conference to this point, setting a new school home run record along the way. Walters State returns to the top 5 this week on the strength of a 12-game winning streak. Both McLennan and Pearl River are coming off of undefeated weeks and look like strong top 10 caliber teams, while Midland (now 30-3) continues to climb in the rankings for the third consecutive week. For the first time all year this ranking will feature 4 California schools as Palomar joins Ohlone, Fresno City and Santa Ana in the JUCO rankings. Check back in next week for an update as most of JUCO baseball is now past its halfway point in the 2026 season. RK School Week Overall 1 Johnson County (KS) 4-0 34-2 2 Gaston (NC) 2-1 35-3 3 Walters State (TN) 3-0...
Read More
College | Story | 4/1/2026

Collegiate Midseason All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Collegiate Midseason Awards * denotes Midseason Award Winner - All-Americans chosen based on statistics, prospect status, future projection, among other factors - Only true freshmen considered for Freshmen All-American teams - All Statistics as of Monday, March 30th First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Vahn Lackey Georgia Tech JR .423 .541 .845 36 41 9 1 10 36 7 1B Quinton Coats Cincinnati SO .360 .441 .896 38 45 8 1 19 46 7 2B Jarren Advincula Georgia Tech JR .411 .489 .563 31 46 2 0 5 30 5 3B Ace Reese Mississippi State JR .330 .417 .661 32 36 12 0 8 37 1 SS Roch Cholowsky UCLA JR .350 .493 .730 39 35 8 0 10 32 1 IF Dee Kennedy Kansas State JR .430 .549 .910 44 43 10 1 12 43 15 OF Will Gasparino UCLA JR .351 .468 .794 31 34 5 1 12 38 1 OF AJ Gracia Virginia JR .350 .504 .650 37 36 7 0 8 24 1 OF Landon Hairston* Arizona State SO .469 .551 1.027 44...
Read More
High School | Rankings | 3/31/2026

High School Top 50: March 31

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Another pair of weeks has gone by this high school season and with that we have another High School Top-50 Update. Southern states are within a few weeks of the end of the season while some northern states are just getting started this week. Through the end of the spring, we will be bringing you updates to the Top-50 along with state rankings updates coming soon. For the first time in 2026, we have a new #1 in the country as Orange Lutheran (CA) takes over the top spot after winning the NHSI. Venice (FL) came in second place at the NHSI after a thrilling game against Orange Lutheran and comes in at #2. Previous #1 team in the country St. John Bosco (CA) rounds out the top-3 and will have a big showdown against Orange Lutheran starting tonight. Barbe (LA) boasts a 26-1 record and comes in at #4 while Corona (CA) continues to string together wins and holds down the #5 spot in this update....
Read More
College | Story | 3/31/2026

PG Collegiate Midseason Awards

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Midseason Awards  Perfect Game Midseason Player of the Year:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The season sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston is putting together is generational, even amongst the Hall of Fame talent Arizona State has fielded over the years.  Hairston, the 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ has his club on track for another postseason appearance and they will make plenty of noise in the Big 12 regular season.  To put things in perspective on Hairston’s season, he is currently 5th in the nation in batting average, 3rd in hits, 8th in hits per game, tied for 2nd in home runs, tied for 5th in runs scored and is 4th in runs batted in so far.  He holds a batting average of .469 while slugging 1.027 and reaching base over half the time with an OBP of .551.  Hairston walks more than he strikes out and has 12 doubles, 17...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Roman Keister (2030, Dade City, FL) Could not miss the barrel this weekend tallying 6 hits including 2 triples and 4 RBI. Starts the load early and controls his body well, the up the middle approach really plays in game. Also worked from off the mound for an inning and picked up a punch out.  Colton Russo (2030, Coral Springs, FL) Showed off the power burning outfielders all weekend. 5 hits including two triples that carried over the CF and RF heads. Has a good understanding about using the lower half in the swing and the bat to ball skills really impressed.  Karson Blakney (2030, St. Augustine, FL) Made his impact in a big way this week, collecting the win in the quarterfinals. In his outing he went 5 shutout innings and struck out 5 while only allowing 2 hits. Worked in the mid 70s with the FB and topped out at 78. Also produced on offense driving in 5 RBI on 4 hits. ...
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.