THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Championship | 1/24/2025

MLK East Crowns Champions

Hannah Jo Groves
MLK East Championship

14U 

PLO White took the 14U PG East MLK Championship on Monday in a 10-2 win over ZT Southeast. 

With a chill in the air and no sun in the sky, the uncommon weather had everyone in the Southwest Florida complex bundled in jackets and clutching a hot chocolate or coffee. 



Even though the wind was whipping through the air, the 14U champions did not let it affect their play or their attitude. 

“I felt very confident in myself,” PLO third baseman Bengie Del Nodal said. 

ZT Southeast pitcher and tournament MVPitcher Mason Moeller’s performance was strong on the weekend, striking out 12 batters in 5 innings pitched - 6 of the strikeouts coming in the championship game. Moeller got up to 80 mph with his fastball. 

However, when Moeller hit his pitch limit, Del Nodal got the action started in the bottom of the fourth inning with a triple to centerfield. The line drive brought 2 runners in and set the stage for some major offense - ending the inning with 8 runs scored.

“I was having positivity in my mind,” Del Nodal said about when he stepped up to the plate before knocking a 2-RBI triple. “I was focused on my at-bat and thinking about what I was going to do - having a plan for my at-bat…It makes [me] feel that I really helped the team. This was my first tournament that I had with this team - a good way to start the season off.”

PLO White’s head coach, Adam Reeves said he wasn’t surprised by Del Nodal coming through.

“We saw a kid that was prepared, confident and ready to execute for his team.”

Reeves’ son, left fielder AJ Reeves (Adam Reeves) won MVP of the tournament - with 7 runners batted in and 8 hits on the weekend.

“As a father and you’re coaching your son, there’s a stigma on that sometimes. So to have him go out there and earn it on his own and be recognized like that is very special to me.”

AJ said this MVP award came as a result of going back to the basics. 

“I was just trying to see the ball well. I just had to be myself and not do too much - focusing on opposite field… [The MVP award] means a lot to me, because it shows that my hard work pays off.”

This championship-winning PLO White team will make its next appearance at the 2025 Weston Travel Ball Winter Warm-Up starting on January 29. 

15U

After a slow, back-and-forth game against Florida National 15U - LHB emerged victorious, winning 8-7. 

By the time the 15U division began their championship game, the sun had begun to warm up the ballpark, making the weather much more tolerable for spectators and players alike. 

LHB came out hot, scoring 5 runs in the second inning, but the pace of the game grew sluggish. Parents in the stands and players on the field struggled to get any energy going in the middle innings. However, Florida National 15U came steadily creeping back, up 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth. 

In the top of the sixth, left fielder Niuler Lima drove a double to center and got 2 runs across home plate to get his team’s lead back.

“I was just expecting a fastball first pitch and it was kind of in the upper side, so I just went for it,” Lima said. 

In terms of the pace of the game, Lima said he was reminding himself to stay present. 

“Stay focused and never let your guard down. There were many times that we were down, like in the sixth inning, and we kept going. And we won.”

16U

After semifinal games that were decided by just one run, the 16U division competed at Terry Park for the championship title - with Hit Dogs OH winning the contest 5-0. 

The game was a defensive battle for the first four innings with not a single run on the board.

In the top of the fifth, after a couple walks were issued by Hit Factory Pros 2027, Grayson Ryan put the first run on the board with an RBI single to left field. 

Then, with two outs, extra hitter Carter Hullett brought the energy levels up when he lined one to left field for a 2 RBI double - making the score 3-0. 

“It was a great moment - a big moment in the game that kind of broke it open…giving our team some momentum to close out the game,” Hullett said.

Hullett showed a lot of patience and mental strength throughout the weekend - as he was walked 9 times in the tournament. 

“I decided, ‘if I walk the rest of the tournament, I’ll take 10 or 11 walks over trying to do too much.’

I kind of had to bide my time in a way and just wait for pitchers to put something in the zone so I could mash it - or anything close to the zone. Nothing too far, but definitely something that I could put a bat on and make something happen.”

Coach Jason Slack said he was impressed with Hullett’s discipline. 

“[Hullett] is a very mature young man for the age of 16. He’s one of the guys that the maturity jumps off the page at you and he’s very advanced. And because he’s advanced, he has a great approach to the game.”

On the other side of the ball, Slack said his team’s strategy on defense is part of what helped them get to the championship game. 

“Anytime there’s a guy on second base with less than two outs and a ball hit to the outfield, we’re not throwing the ball home to throw you out. We’re going to give up the ones, but we’re not going to throw home. Then the guy who just hit rounds first and goes to second, and now all of a sudden, you basically set the table for the flood gates to open. We want to keep the double play in order, so we never throw the ball home unless it’s the bottom of the seventh.”

This Hit Dogs OH team is a “pick-up” team assembled by Slack. Their first time meeting one another was on Day 1 of the tournament. Some players, like Hullett, traveled about 12 hours by car to compete in Fort Myers.

“Using the power of social media, just reaching out to some coaches that we’ve played against and then finding a couple players that some of our players had recommended - that’s ultimately how the team got put together,” Slack said.

A foundational part of the team was Tournament MVP Koltyn Watters, who goes by the nickname “Flip.” On the weekend, Watters contributed 6 hits, 4 stolen bases and 9 runners batted in.

“I’m in the cage every day, just hitting balls, just trying to be the best that I can. And it finally showed,” Watters said. 

Slack has known Watters and his family for years and has seen a lot of development in Flip’s game. 

“It’s kind of unique for me, because I remember this little 12-year-old, 13-year-old a couple years ago…and then all of a sudden, he becomes a pretty good-sized young man and one of the better hitters that I’ve seen for that age.”

As for Hullett, he said he’ll never forget winning this title.

“I’ve been playing Perfect Game for a couple years now and I think it’s the first tournament I’ve ever won with a team. It just has a special feeling when you finally get to hold that trophy and hold that banner and you’re champions.”

17U

A couple fields over from the 16U championship, Legacy Adidas took the 17U title with an explosive sixth inning - winning 13-3 versus MN Blizzard 2026 Blue. 

MN Blizzard 2026 Blue steadily built a lead through the first four innings - but right-hander Cole Novara really picked his defense up. Novara struck out 5 batters with only 36 pitches in 3 innings. His fastball got up to 86 mph and he mixed in a 73 mph curveball. 

“I knew that I could trust [my teammates]. I knew the talent we had, so I just knew in the back of my mind that we were going to get the job done. Our coaching helped out a lot. They motivated us severely. And I just thought, ‘this is our time. This is where we need to go.’ And we got it done.”

Though the average onlooker might never guess, Novara is primarily an outfielder. Coach Scott Tousa said Novara really stepped up for his team when they were down on pitching. 

“[Navara] typically plays center field for us, and nothing drops in center field…(He’s) a kid that’s willing to do whatever the team needs of him.”

“I was excited to go for the team and just get the job done,” Novara said. “I was hoping I could just help the team any way I could. So if it was on the mound, centerfield, wherever they needed me, I was just ready for the moment and ready to help the team and lead them to victory.”

Novara, a Michigan State commit who took a 2-hour flight down from Dexter, Michigan also won MVP with 9 hits, 3 stolen bases and 9 runners batted in.

“He’s been an incredible leadoff hitter, works the count, doesn’t strike out very much and has been hitting the ball very hard and has very good speed as well,” Tousa said. 

“I think my swing started clicking later in the tournament,” Novara said. “I started off a little bit rusty, and then I kind of found my swing and I think my teammates were motivating me too…There’s a lot of guys that could have gotten [MVP] and I was pumped that I got it, obviously. I believe it was honestly more of a team award, because we played great that tournament. It was our first tournament together as a full team and I think we really thrived.”

Close behind Novara in the top performers of the weekend was shortstop Nolan Klein. He hit 2 home runs during the weekend - one of them in the championship game. 

“That home run was his second home run of the weekend, and he was just going up there with a lot of confidence and hitting balls hard…Nolan had really good at-bats all weekend. He was working counts really well, squaring up balls really well, hitting well - good situational hitting as well,” Tousa said.

Tousa said there was a specific lesson that he wanted his guys to remember as they continue on this season:

“We ended up going 5-0 on the weekend, but we were down in three of the games, and down late in three of the games. So, I think the big takeaway was: don’t get down. Don’t get down if things aren’t going your way early on. I think it was a good character builder for our team to face adversity in multiple games and still be able to come out on top.”

18U

Lastly, for the east’s 18U division, DRD DI Bat Puerto Rico got the 8-0 championship victory against Central Pointe Christian Academy. 

Tournament MVP and Central Pointe Academy’s first baseman, Aemed Nasser, had 8 hits, 6 runners batted in and a home run on the weekend. 

“I was just trying to get my job done for the team,” Nasser said. “As a lead-off hitter, I just try to give these guys energy. I try to have good at-bats, high-quality and get the job done…I was seeing the ball very well. I was reading pitches, taking high-quality at-bats. I took the ‘first pitch fastball’ method to start the game very seriously - taking early hacks.”

Nasser didn’t let the championship loss get him down - and said that no one has seen the last of his team.

“We did get second place, but I’m very proud of what we did. It just felt good, because my whole team’s been working really hard this fall. I’m just glad that we can execute the way we want. And there’s more tournaments to come, so I’m excited for that…Our team is going to be up there this year. Last year, we had an amazing team - the ’24 class. Don’t expect anything less than that from the ’25 class, because we’ll be up there in all those big tournaments.”

Though up against a strong team, DRD DI Bat Puerto Rico’s right-handed pitcher Yariel Navarro Irizarry was able to shut out Central Pointe Christian Academy. In 4 innings, he threw 53 pitches and struck out 5 batters with a high-80s fastball, a 77 mph curveball and a high-70s slider. 

Navarro Irizarry’s performance in the championship game put the icing on the cake for him to win MVPitcher - with 21 outs and 7 strikeouts in 7 innings pitched and no earned runs through the tournament. 

On the other side of the ball, DRD DI’s offense was explosive in the second inning of the final game. After one run came across on a hit-by-pitch, shortstop Gustavo Melendez stepped up to the plate and lined one to right field to get 2 more runners home - creating the offensive spark for his team. 

“In that at-bat, it was bases loaded,” Melendez explained. “I was trying to get some RBIs to keep the game going towards our team to win the game. We went up there to straight-up win the game and I was just trying to get some runs.”

Melendez said that it was more than just his team’s talent that led them to the title game.

“The chemistry that we have in the team, it’s very unique…Not every team has the chemistry that this team has…“We’ve been practicing because we have another tournament back in Puerto Rico. So we went here to get prepared and we had a great time.”
 
 
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 12/29/2025

PG Expands Presence in Pacific Rim
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME EXPANDS PRESENCE IN PACIFIC RIM, STRENGTHENING YOUTH BASEBALL DEVELOPMENT    Sanford, Florida (Monday, December 29, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a significant expansion of its presence across the Asia-Pacific Zone, with a strategic focus on the 10-15 year-old age group. The initiative will be led in partnership with longtime Japanese youth baseball executive and coach Takaharu Nasu, as Perfect Game continues to grow its global footprint and strengthen pathways for elite youth...
Read More
Draft | Story | 1/1/2026

2026 MLB Draft Preview & Superlatives

Tyler Kotila
Article Image
As we look ahead to the 2026 calendar year, we take a step closer to the 2026 MLB Draft. While we recently dropped our Top 300 College Prospects for the 2026 group, there is still a lot to sort out throughout this year. High school ball is right around the corner and the college season is on the horizon. Many players are going to see their stock improve as games start to get played and players pitch/hit their way up or down the board. We’ll see some breakout candidates, collegiate performers, and high school arms that pop throughout the 2026 spring and summer. In this article, we are going to talk through some of the narratives/storylines shaping up for this 2026 draft class. We’ll also talk through a couple of players who fit the build of some pre-season superlatives. Battle for 1:1 It’s still really early in the race for things, but with the Draft Lottery done with,...
Read More
Showcase | Story | 12/27/2025

Main Event Invades Fort Myers

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME CLOSES OUT 2025 WITH MAIN EVENT SHOWCASE  AT JETBLUE PARK IN FT. MYERS, FLORIDA    Nearly 1,000 players expected at largest showcase of the year  that has produced over 1,000 MLB Draft picks    Ft. Myers, Florida (Saturday, December 27, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, will host its 2025 Main Event Showcase from December 28–31 at JetBlue Park, the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox, in the Fort Myers area.    The Main Event is the largest showcase Perfect Game holds annually,...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 12/26/2025

2026 MLB Draft Board Update

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The calendar is just days away from being flipped over to 2026, and while the players may be on break, it’s clear that they are just itching to get back on the field and compete once again, with another season of college baseball right around the corner. For prep players (especially in warm-weather states), the season’s right around the corner, and players will be back on the ball fields sooner than later. With that said, the PG Draft Team came together and got to work on a 2026 MLB Draft Board update. A little pre-season shake-up and expansion as we took our board from the Top 150 names to the Top 300 names, in preparation for the 2026 college and prep seasons to begin. The 2025 MLB Draft Lottery occurred earlier in December and shed some light on what the draft order will look like in 2026, with the Chicago White Sox taking home the first overall pick, followed by the Tampa...
Read More
PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 12/26/2025

2025 Year in Review: PGAAC, ASG, Festivals

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
All-Star Game Continues To Thrive We’re only a couple of years into having the PG All-Star Game around, an underclass event attached to the All-American weekend, this year played in Petco two days before the Classic. The talent that is a part of it continues to grow to significant levels, and this year was a mix of young guys and some newer names that left lasting impressions. The two hardest throwing guys in the game were the only 2028s in attendance, Striker Pence and Dexter McCleon Jr who both were upper-90s as guys who just started their sophomore year, while the loudest moment of the day came when Kinon Bastian obliterated a pitch into the top deck of the famous Western Supply building in left field, something that we’ll remember for a long time. Extra Swings In The All-American Derby One of the best events every All-American weekend is getting to see these guys with...
Read More
College | Story | 12/25/2025

2025 Year in Review: College

Craig Cozart
Article Image
The LSU Tigers Win It All Again For the second time in the last three years, the LSU Tigers, led by head coach Jay Johnson secured the national title. The national championship was the eight in LUS program history as they swept Coastal Carolina in the MCWS championship series. As a result, Johnson was virtually a unanimous choice for National Coach of the Year on media outlets and is the fastest coach to win multiple CWS championships at a single school. The tournament’s Most Outstanding Player was Tigers’ lefthanded ace and Perfect Game First-Team All-American, Kade Anderson highlighted by his complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the CWS Finals. The roster was a tremendous blend of offensive firepower, frontline pitching and elite defense, leaving opponents with very few avenues to victory. PG Second-Team All-American, Jared Jones was the heart of the lineup with his 20...
Read More
High School | General | 12/24/2025

2025 Year In Review: High School

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
IMG Academy Takes Home the National Title Every year IMG Academy comes into the spring with top-to-bottom one of the top rosters in the country and every year have the expectation of winning the national championship. Well in 2025 they did just that after finishing the spring 24-1, winning the High School Showdown, and winning 15 straight games to end their season. Their high end offensive ability was on full display throughout the year and they will once again be one of the most talented teams in the country in ’26 as they look to go back-to-back. Two Top-10 Picks in the MLB Draft Headline National Players of the Year It was another loaded crop that took home the National Players of the Year as both Ethan Holliday, the National Player of the Year, and Seth Hernandez, National Pitcher of the Year, heard their names called within the first-10 picks in the MLB Draft. Another first...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 12/24/2025

Top 2027 Collegiate Draft Prospects

Isaiah Burrows
Article Image
With the 2025 cycle officially behind us and the calendar nearly flipping over to 2026, it is time to start looking ahead to the future. More importantly, start looking ahead to the next season of college baseball and what that may mean for draft-eligible players with big dreams of continuing their journey. While the 2026 MLB Draft is now on the horizon, we are looking ahead to the future even further – to see which players have already made impacts upon their arrival to college campuses. We have already dropped our 2028 Top 75 collegiate prospects board, but this one is our Top 100 college prospects who will be eligible for the 2027 class. These are the Top 100 players in our eyes for this group, and many of them have already shown up on campus and been impactful in many ways. Whether its our top-ranked player in Oregon State’s Dax Whitney or ninth-ranked William Schmidt...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 12/23/2025

Top 2028 Collegiate Draft Prospects

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The college players in the 2028 draft class have yet to step on campus, but they're positioned to make an immediate impact. Several high end talents either turned down significant money last year or honored strong college commitments, resulting in their arrival on campus this fall. The class is currently led by a trio of high-upside arms in Jack Bauer, Angel Cervantes, and Cameron Appenzeller. They are followed by a deep group of bats that rounds out a strong, high end Top-10. Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State 1 Jack Bauer C LHP L-L Mississippi State Frankfort IL 2 Angel Cervantes C RHP R-R UCLA Lynwood CA 3 Cameron Appenzeller C LHP L-L Tennessee Springfield IL 4 Brayden Jaksa C C R-R Oregon Fremont  CA 5 JD Stein C SS R-R Wake Forest Carmel IN 6 Mason Ligenza C OF L-L Pittsburgh Brockton PA 7 Ty Peeples C OF L-R Georgia Lavonia GA 8 Lucas Franco C SS L-R TCU Katy TX 9...
Read More
Juco | Story | 12/23/2025

2025 Year in Review: JUCO

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Looking Back at the 2025 Top 10  Matt Barr (‘25 Niagara, ‘26 Minnesota Twins) Bursting onto the scene last winter, footage of an indoor bullpen rocketed Barr onto the radar of many. Explosive fastball reaches near triple digits with incredible spin numbers across the secondaries. Huge numbers at Niagara earned him the title of the first Juco player drafted in 2025. JC Vanek (‘25 Chipola, ‘26 Kansas City Royals) Just a professional hitter. Vanek for two years at Chipola was an impossible out. While there are questions if the power will ever reach what it takes to play first base at the big league level, the bat and quality defensive skillset at first base may carry. Donovan Becerra (‘25 New Mexico, ‘26 Texas Tech) One of the more high octane arms anywhere in the country last year. Can reach back for upper 90’s and has shown serious swing and...
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.