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Tournaments  | Story | 5/18/2024

Beast of the East Quick Hits: Part 1

Jheremy Brown
Tyler Russo
Photo: Chase Cotton (Perfect Game)

Dexter McCleon (Buford, Ga.) has already established himself as one of the premier talents in the 2028 class and he did nothing but add to the allure with his start in game one on Opening Day for USA Prime. Working 3 innings on the mound, the 6-foot-3 McCleon continued to find his release point on the mound as he ultimately walked 5, but also struck out 4, and showed improvements in his comfort level as he was able to find his balance at the foot strike, though the arm talent was immediately undeniable. Opening up and living comfortably in the 89-92 mph range, the primary outfielder grabbed a couple of 93s along the way and let one rip in the third inning that registered at 94 mph with the ball absolutely exploding out of his hand. The fastball is without a doubt the headliner but each of his secondaries have made a jump as well, particularly with the changeup and slider as he showed comfort landing both in the zone in the low-80s, turning over a couple quality changeups (video above) while showing real spin on the slider as well. 

Like so many arms on day one, right-hander Chase Cotton (Lincoln, Calif.) was limited in his pitch count and outs but the 2028 California native made the most of his time on the mound. Ever refining and tinkering with his delivery, Cotton also showed a jump in his velocity as he opened up sitting right around the 88 mph mark, bumping a 90 on the gun early from a similar compact and hidden arm stroke we’ve come used to seeing. He’s both poised and in control on the mound, incorporating his lower half with improved lower half direction towards the plate which turned into a plethora of strikes while maintaining that mid- to- upper-80s mark throughout. It was a fastball heavy approach in this brief outing, showing a couple shorter breaking balls in the low-70s as well as a few mid-70s changeups in the zone. 

One of the better swings I saw in the opener came from the 13u level courtesy of Peyton Lopez (New Caney, Texas) as the 12u Select Festival alum went 2-for-2 on the day for Elite RBI. Appearing bigger than his listed 5-foot-9, 159 pounds, Lopez kicked his tournament off by seeing a low-80s heater from the left-handed Greyson Bell deep into the zone, but given how direct and quick his swing is, the Texas native was still able to drive the ball the other way to split the right-center field gap for a stand up double. His next at-bat was a mirrored swing in terms of mechanics, sending a hard ground ball through the 6-hole for a single, setting the tone for the rest of the weekend. 




Left-hander Greyson Bell (Douglasville, Pa.) is a younger-for-the-class 2028 and took the hill for SBA National in the 13u opener. A long and lean 6-foot-1, Bell continues to see his velocity climb as he opened up and sat in the 81-83 mph range with his heater out of an extended slot, creating some real angle while showing the ability to locate to either side of the plate. The ball hops out of his hand very cleanly, jumping on hitters from a stretch-only operation and just when hitters started to sit heater, Bell went to his low-70s breaker which he landed comfortably and played extremely well off of his fastball. 

Opposing Bell was fellow Festival alum Russell Nelson (Gilbert, Ariz.) who got the start for Elite RBI and went 3.1 innings, surrendering just one hit while punching out 3 without handing out any walks. Utilizing some drop and drive in his lower half, Nelson sat comfortably in the 82-84 mph range throughout, showing some real riding life up in the zone at a velocity that on its own can miss plenty of bats. Over the course of his outing the slider sharpened with each offering, showing tight spin from a similar release in the upper-70s which helped make the fastball all the more effective, maintaining his release and getting hitters to chase off the plate. 

It was an extremely quick look at Brody Costantine (Deltona, Fla.) on the mound as he worked just a lone inning, meaning we’ll likely get another look as the tournament continues to unfold, but he was still able to show a nice uptick from when we last saw him throw. A long and lean primary outfielder, Costantine ran the fastball up to 88 mph and lived very comfortably in the mid-80s out of a higher release point, powering the ball downhill when he was on time with his delivery. The arm speed stands out immediately and as he continues to incorporate additional lower half, that number will creep towards that 90 mph rather quickly. Despite a steady rain the young Floridian managed to rip a couple solid sliders as well, working upwards of 78 mph with some teeth through the zone. 

-Jheremy Brown

2028 RHP Nolan Slaymaker (Fort White, Fla.) was the first to get the ball here this weekend and worked 2+ solid innings of work while showing some easy stuff. It’s a mid-80s fastball with good extension out front, which allows him to create life in the bottom of the zone, and while the breaking ball is on the softer end right now, there’s good components that’ll allow it to mold into a solid offering. He has good size and overall, it’s a cleaner operation already.


2028 SS Bryan Mesa (Hialeah, Fla.) only had a single hit, but it was one of only a few to go for extra bases on the day given the quality of arms that rolled out to start the event. He’s a very well-known young prospect as a Top 10 player in the class, and he continues to show that there’s an enticing blend of now and ability and long-term upside. He’s consistent with the bat, showing excellent bat speed and impact already, while his prowess at shortstop already makes him one of the better pure defenders in this group; he’s very well-rounded.

2028 OF Chase Potter (Davie, Fla.) had a couple hits to get his weekend going, driving in 3 in total leading to an opening win. He’s one of the more physical hitters here, generating some serious bat speed which in turn creates some of the hardest hit balls of this age group. He gets separated/extended very well in his swing process, which allows him to both create leverage and use the whole field as he needs. It’s an intriguing power-bat profile to follow.


2028 OF/LHP Carter Shouse (Middletown, Ohio) got the ball for the late game and although he fell on the losing end, he still showed the kind of stuff that positions him up toward the top of the class. He’s an athletic two-way with a big arm, showing that from the outfield at times, while on the mound he’ll run it into the upper-80s with a bit of ease, creating angle and filling the zone with comfort. The secondaries are headlined by a very good changeup out of the same release, but he can spin it too. The bat is a good one with physicality that creates higher-end bat speed and good impact already, and overall, he does a lot of things well.

-Tyler Russo
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Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
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Juco | Story | 4/8/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 8

Troy Sutherland
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Another week of conference play down and Johnson County continues there tear through the spring of 2026, they retain the top spot with Gaston nipping their heels at number 2 for the third consecutive week. McLennan jumps up to number 3 with a big series sweep over rival Texas powerhouse, Weatherford. Out west, Cochise just keeps rolling in the desert and California looks to be hotly contested all the way down the final stretch. A couple of debut appearances down the board with Harford, CCF, and Linn Benton all earning their spot on our top 25 for the first time in the first week of April. So many great records out there it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out with so many teams vying for seeding and conference championships on this final stretch run. Rank Team Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 38-2 2 Gaston (NC) 38-3 3 McLennan (TX) 29-7 4 Chipola (FL) 34-7 5 Walters State (TN)...
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College | Rankings | 4/8/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 8

Nick Herfordt
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We are past the midpoint of the college baseball season and the stakes are rising by the week. Conference races are tightening, schedules are getting harder, and the résumés that will matter in the selection room are being written right now — one series at a time. This week's most significant development came in Division II, where North Greenville swept Young Harris in three consecutive one-run games to claim the top spot for the first time this season, knocking Tampa from a perch they've held most of the year. It's a genuine changing of the guard at the top, and it's exactly the kind of shakeup that makes this stretch of the season worth paying close attention to. Across all three divisions the picture is coming into focus. In Division I NAIA, Georgia Gwinnett remains the standard while Taylor and Cumberlands continue to make their cases from behind. In Division III,...
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High School | General | 4/7/2026

Iowa Spring League Notes: Week 1

Perfect Game Staff
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Brooks Mitchell-Birdsell (2027, Atkins, Iowa) was solid on both sides of the ball this weekend. He was able to show a clean move working into it, with the feel to impact it out in front and drive hard through contact. He had good barrel accuracy with feel to drive the ball well, especially working pull-side. He was 4-for-8 on the weekend with a double to his credit, driving in 7 runs as well. Mitchell-Birdsell also put together a good outing on the mound, delivering 2 innings of scoreless work with 3 punchouts. He worked the low 80s with some run, flashing a mid-70s curveball with good 11-5 shape and depth.  Maddux Mueller (2026, Amana, Iowa) LH bat with plenty to like in the batter’s box, and he put together a solid showing this weekend. He finished 2-for-3 with a double, demonstrating both contact ability and the capacity to drive the baseball for extra bases. Mueller...
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College | Story | 4/7/2026

College Players of the Week: April 7

Craig Cozart
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April 7th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Andrew Williamson, OF, UCF  The UCF Knights (20-9) are coming off one of their biggest series victories in years when they went to Morgantown and took down the Mountaineers to take control of the Big 12 regular season standings.  The offense put on quite the performance and Andrew Williamson set the tone by leaving the yard in his first at-bat of the weekend launching a towering home run over the centerfield wall.  The 6-0/195 lefty from St. Petersburg, FL has one of the sweetest strokes in the college game today and when he goes, so do the Knights.  In the 3-game series, the junior collected 6 hits in his 10 at-bats, scoring 6 runs, on 5 walks, a double and he launched 3 home runs all told.  While he had a stretch earlier in the season where he was searching for his stroke a bit, he is getting locked in at the...
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College Top 25: April 6

Vincent Cervino
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With another week in the books, some teams at the top continue to prove they are elite, and others continue to fall by the wayside.  Meanwhile, there were several teams that had been lingering outside the Top 25 that had huge weekends to put themselves in the thick of things as every weekend has significant consequences for good or for bad.  The No. 1 UCLA Bruins (29-2) have now pushed their win streak to an incredible 23-games as they swept USC (27-6) who was previously ranked No. 7 in the poll.  The Bruins are off to a perfect (15-0) start in Big Ten play and are without a doubt the most complete team in the country right now.  The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (26-5) move up to No. 2 this week after they dismantled now No. 12 Auburn (22-9) in the midweek and then swept Cal on the West Coast last weekend.  Texas (26-5) moves down one spot to No. 3 this week after...
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Draft | Mock Draft | 4/3/2026

PG Staff Mock Draft

Jheremy Brown
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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...
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High School | General | 4/2/2026

High School Notebook: April 2

Steve Fiorindo
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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...
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NHSI Scout Notebook

Cam McElwaney
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All American Classic Heading to Citizens Bank

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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 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...
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College | Rankings | 4/1/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 1

Nick Herfordt
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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...
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