THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,802 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,802 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Championship | 1/24/2025

MLK West Brings Heat, Delivers Hardware

Hannah Jo Groves
Photo: Bruin Agbayani (Perfect Game)
MLK West Championship

14U



Over in Arizona, BTA 14U got the 10-0 victory over AZBC 2029 Pruitt for the championship title.

Coach Troy Silva said that his guys’ willingness to do whatever it took to aid the team was one of their winning traits. 

“Some of the kids that normally wouldn’t pitch stepped up, and if they didn’t do that, we wouldn’t have made it as far as we did,” Silva said, mentioning Anders Jarvi as one of those who came through in a time of need. “Our hitting was on point this weekend and everybody provided at some point some sort of help to the team wins.” Silva said. 

His son, right fielder JJ Silva, contributed 2 RBIs in the championship game, but also won the 14U MVP with 9 hits, a stolen base and 12 total runners batted in during the weekend.

“We’re a Christian organization, so we pride ourselves on trying to honor God with our attitude and our effort. [We] don’t take for granted everyday that [we] get to play the game that [we] love.”

15U

In the 15U division, an organization that has a legacy of winning this specific tournament added another notch to its belt - with Baum Bat NW 2028 getting a 7-5 victory over MMW Arizona Victus 2028. 

Over the first few innings, Baum Bat NW steadily built a lead, then really got going, getting 4 runs in the the fifth inning and making the score 7-0. Though MMW fought for a comeback, scoring 5 runs in the top of the seventh, it wasn’t enough to catch up. 

Right fielder Cameron Hockett and designated hitter Beau Johnson led their team in runners batted in - each contributing 2 in the championship game. 

Hockett had himself a weekend - standing out with 10 hits, 7 runners batted in and 3 stolen bases. 

Though his physical game looked to be strong, he said it’s his mental game he’s been working on. 

“I just had a lot of confidence and was just thinking, ‘I can beat you and you can’t beat me.’ I used to have not a lot of confidence, like this fall. But I was just having a lot of confidence and just thinking that I was going to get on and not thinking I was going to strike out or just do something bad.

[This weekend] I struck out, and popped it out, and I just let it go. I realized if I get mad, then I’m just gonna affect myself, because my team needs me, and if I just get mad at myself, then that’s hurting me.”

Hockett said that his dad and brother have helped a lot with making sure his mind is right. 

“My dad always talks about the mental side and how on and off the field, I need to be mentally strong…not let my emotion get the best of me.”

Beyond focusing on his mental, Hockett credited the team’s attitude as a big reason for them getting to the championship match - which is especially impressive as this team hasn’t known each other very long.

“If somebody struck out, we’re just picking them up and not moping around if something bad happened. I mean, we scored every inning like we were supposed to, and just played the game the way we’re supposed to…I think the way we just clicked and how fast we clicked - and not getting down on each other no matter how bad or terrible we’re doing - we didn’t ever get down on each other.”

17U 

In a game that could have gone either way all the way down to the bottom of the seventh, NorCal U 2026 snatched the 10-9 win over Baum Bat NW 2027 for the 17U title. 

In the bottom of the fifth, right fielder George Schmitt stepped up to the plate and knew he needed to do something big in order for his team to get the lead back, as they had just gone down 5-4. 

“We were down at that point and they brought in a new pitcher right before I went to hit. I was just thinking, ‘get a run. Get two runs in or something.’ And I was just hoping sac, fly or base hit at least, and I got a little bit more than that,” Schmitt said. 

He did, in fact, get 2 runners across home plate with a double to center field. Schmitt also tacked on one more RBI after being intentionally walked in the bottom of the seventh. It was the only intentional walk of the contest.

However, even after that offensive momentum from NorCal U 2026, Baum Bat NW added 4 more runs in the top of the sixth. 

Though NorCal U 2026 had the MVPitcher on their team (right-hander Jp Harmon with 6 innings pitched, 9 strikeouts and 1 earned run on the weekend), he had reached his pitching limit by the championship game. So they brought right-hander Griffin Messenger up to the mound with all three outs left in the top of the sixth.

Messenger didn’t allow any earned runs through 35 pitches in 2 innings. He worked in the low-80s with his fastball and mid-70s with his slider to get the job done for his team. 

“When I got called up to pitch, I was like, ‘the team needs me. I’m the last guy to throw,’” Messenger said. “I just stepped up and threw some strikes and trusted my infield and outfield. At the last batter, I was like, ‘I just need to turn this double play.’ I had runners on first and second, and I just thought to myself, ‘I’m going to second if the ball comes back to me.’ And it did. [I] made a sweet play, my shortstop made a great play and ended the inning. Then from there, energy was up.”

It was Max Medina who stepped into the box in the bottom of the seventh hoping to get his team the walk-off win.

“I was just excited because, man, this is what makes baseball fun,” Medina said. “Having that moment - it doesn’t come around often, but when it does, it’s important to take advantage of it.”

Medina did take advantage of the moment with an RBI single to right field - bringing in the runner that sealed the championship for NorCal U 2026. 

When it comes to potentially stressful moments, Medina is no stranger. He credits his experience playing quarterback as the main reason that he doesn’t let the nerves get to him. 

“I’d say football is a lot of these pressure moments for sure. Having to be a leader on the field - you gotta perform when it’s crunch time. So, these moments in baseball, they don’t come around a lot, but when they do, it kind of just feels like I’ve been there before and I’m not really too nervous. I’m more excited if anything.”

While a lot of the members on this NorCal U 2026 team have played together for years, Messenger and Medina were somewhat new on the squad.

“I knew all these guys by name, of course, because they’re all studs,” Messenger said. “But the chemistry is really awesome. The banter is there, but it all shuts down. When we’re on the field, we’re all focused. Obviously, there’s some jokes here and there, but we always pick each other up. There’s never one guy left out. It’s a team game out there with them…[our coach] always makes it welcoming for any and every player that comes in. He brings together all of California, not just NorCal. He does a great job incorporating everybody and he makes it a really fun time for all of us.”

“I came into this tournament not really knowing a lot of people, and then I came out of it having made some good friends and getting along with the guys. That was fun,” Medina said. “You always just got to put yourself out there. I made a couple of new friends that I really like hanging out with. So, yeah, that was awesome.”

Finally, the Baum Bat NW Upperclass, who won last year, took the title again this year against the Mountain Lions 18U - the final score being 8-0. 

The major standout from the entire weekend was Bruin Agbayani - who had 8 hits, 17 runners batted in, 3 stolen bases and 4 home runs on the weekend. It’s easy to see why he won MVP for the tournament. 

The MVPitcher of the tournament also came from this Baum Bat team in left-hander Logan Sanchez. With 12 strikeouts in 8 innings pitched and no earned runs, he was a force to be reckoned with on the mound. 

In the championship game, it was left-hander Alexander Lopez who facilitated the shut-out victory. In 5.2 innings, he threw 65 pitches, striking out 7 batters with a low-80s fastball, a mid-70s curveball and a mid-70s slider. 

“My mindset was simply to get ahead of hitters and then keep attacking the zone and let my defense do the work,” Lopez said. “I had a great defense behind me, so I just let them make the plays and that’s what they did. They were making the routine plays. [They] weren’t overthinking…I had my full trust in them to make any play when needed.”

There’s a seemingly simple concept that Lopez said has helped him tremendously through his pitching career: 

“Taking deep breaths is one of the things that I’ve done for a long time. Being able to take deep breaths when things don’t go your way and maybe a bad call happens, you just kind of know how to flush it and go right after the next pitch.”

On offense, Agbayani, catcher Isaac Pfeifer and first baseman Connor Johnston each contributed 2 runners batted in throughout the championship match. 

“I felt good. My mindset there was just, ‘if it’s in my zone, drive it in.’ That’s what I did,” Johnston said. 

Lopez said that the 4-year relationship that he has with some of his teammates was a big part of their success in this tournament. 

“A lot of us, we were practicing with each other for a couple years now and we’ve been working all off-season. So the relationships are definitely there.”
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 1/9/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2030
Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 | Class of 2029 Today we wrap up our reviews of the 2026 thru 2030 class where we looked back on some of the eye opening metrics we saw from around the country, both in a showcase and tournament setting. To those not inside the youth baseball world, some of the metrics below would seem truly unattainable from current 8th graders, from the pair of 90 mph heaters courtesy of Amani Tuiasosopo and Kingston George, to upper-80s velocity from all over the field and multiple players north of 90 mph on the exit velocity testing (with wood), this 2030 class is one that has a chance to be special as we continue to watch it unfold moving forward.  Top Fastball Velocity  Rk Player FB Event School Hometown 1 Amani Tuiasosopo 90 2025 WWBA 14U World Championship Renton...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 1/16/2026

Perfect Game Hires Blakeley As Regional Dir.

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 HIRES ERIC BLAKELEY AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR    Sanford, Florida (Friday, January 16, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the hiring of Eric Blakeley as a Regional Director. Blakeley brings more than two decades of experience in elite baseball and softball events, along with an accomplished background as both a collegiate and professional player.    Blakeley joins Perfect Game after building the highly respected Crossroads Baseball Series, where for more than 20 years he developed and operated baseball...
Read More
College | Story | 1/14/2026

2026 College Preview Index

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
From Preseason All-Americans to a Top 25, make sure to check back daily as we will continue to pump out content as a staff. Every conference preview will include a Preseason All-Conference Team as well as Draft/Prospect lists for each of the next 3 years (2026, 2027, 2028) while also breaking down every team within each conference. Publish Date Content Wednesday January 7 Preseason All-Americans Thursday January 8 Preseason Top 25 Monday January 12 Top 100 Freshmen Tuesday January 13 Top 100 Sophomores Wednesday January 14 Top 100 Juniors Thursday January 15 Top 100 Seniors College Conference Previews Publish Date Conference Friday January 16 Atlantic Coast (ACC) Monday January 19 Southeastern (SEC) Tuesday January 20 Oregon State Preview Wednesday January 21 Big 10 Thursday January 22 Big 12 Friday January 23 American (AAC) Monday January 26 Atlantic Sun (ASUN)...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 1/14/2026

Perfect Game Softball Turf Wars

Ashley Mears
Article Image
2026 Perfect Game Softball Turf Wars January 9-11 Ashley Mears   The 2026 season kicked off in impressive fashion at the Fun City Dome in Burlington, Iowa, featuring a highly competitive field across both age groups. The 18U division was loaded with talent, including over 20 Division I and II commits and several high-upside prospects, leading to intense bracket play and multiple walk-off finishes. Iowa Nationals claimed the championship over a well-rounded Iowa Prospects Gold team. The 14U division brought together quality programs from Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. The tournament championship was an exciting matchup where Southeast Iowa Swarm edged a tough Black Dragons squad. 18u Lauren Hagedorn (2026, Adel, IA) of Iowa Nationals and future Iowa State Cyclone earned weekend MVP honors after a strong two-way performance. In the circle, she consistently kept hitters off balance...
Read More
College | Rankings | 1/15/2026

Top 100 Collegiate Seniors

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen | Top 100 Collegiate Sophomores | Top 100 Collegiate Juniors This senior board is one of the deepest we’ve assembled in years. From experienced weekend arms with power stuff, to proven position players coming off loud 2025 spring seasons, to former prospects returning from injury and looking to reestablish their status, impact players are scattered throughout the group. Headlining the board is Maika Niu, now at Arkansas after a strong season at Marshall and an MVP summer on the Cape. Nui is a high-level athlete in center field and a legitimate offensive force who should slide seamlessly into the heart of the Razorbacks’ lineup. Close behind are two premium arms in Ole Miss’s Hunter Elliott and Kentucky’s Jaxon Jelkin. Elliott is coming off a monster 2025 spring, going 10–3 with a 2.94 ERA and 104 strikeouts, and...
Read More
College | Rankings | 1/14/2026

Top 100 Collegiate Juniors

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen | Top 100 Collegiate Sophomores As we look ahead to another season of college baseball and continue our week of class-by-class lists, we look at the Junior class and we’ve got our Top 100 Juniors in the 2026 college season. This list aligns with the PG Draft lists we compiled at the top, with Roch Cholowsky, Drew Burress, and AJ Gracia rounding out the top three. There’s a litany of storylines to follow this year, with players who have tons of draft upside or players looking to be impactful players among their respective programs. These are the players who we feel are in a position to make some serious noise during the 2026 season. Talent is present all across the board, with players who could make some serious statements this year. Looking all the way up and down the board, there are impact bats, players primed for a breakout, Friday...
Read More
College | Rankings | 1/13/2026

Top 100 Collegiate Sophomores

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen As we creep toward opening day here in a month or so, the draft team has put together the Top 100 sophomores on campus this spring.  This list is chalk full of talent, with future draft prospects littered top to bottom. The headliner of this group is Derek Curiel, a draft eligible sophomore that took the SEC by storm last spring. The Perfect Game All-American posted a .990 OPS over the course of a full season and is projected to vault himself further up the board during his ‘26 campaign. An electric arm in Dax Whitney follows up Curiel, with Strosnider, Lawson and Franco rounding out the top five.  Keep tabs on the draft eligible sophomores in this group come the summer. The rest of the pack are eligible for next year’s draft and figure to feature at the top of many draft lists in ‘27.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 1/12/2026

Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
As we creep toward opening day here in a month or so, the draft team has put together the Top 100 freshmen on campus this spring.  Three high-end arms lead the way, starting with Jack Bauer. The Mississippi State left-hander reached triple digits as a prep and is sure to make an immediate impact this spring. UCLA right-hander Angel Cervantes was selected in the 2nd round of last year’s draft but held firm on his commitment and should be an impact arm for the Bruins. Following the arms, a collection of bats rounds out the Top 10. There is loads of upside to the group with the potential and they should draw considerable playing time as freshman.  As the list gets deeper, there are plenty of players that should pop up and make significant contributions both this year and years down the line. The class has both depth and talent, making for a very intriguing group of...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/8/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2029

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These players below are just entering their freshmen year's of high school, a scary though as you scroll through the 11 categories and see some of the eye opening numbers from the fastballs to the infield and outfield velocities, down to the Diamond Kinetic testing and their three sub-categories.  Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Brody McCorkle 92 2025 18U PG Mid-Atlantic Fall Elite Championship Uncommitted Ranney Forked River, NJ 1 Caleb Polk 92 2025 14U Perfect Game Select Festival Uncommitted IMG Academy Dallas, TX 1 Knox Myers 92 2025 PG WWBA Freshman World Championship Uncommitted East Bay Riverview, FL 2 Alex Bello 91 2025 16U PG Fall World Series Uncommitted Montverde Academy Orlando, FL 2 Alex Bello 91 2025 14U Perfect Game...
Read More
College | Story | 1/9/2026

LSU Reloads & Returns; Opens No. 1

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
“How do you get to success? You have to honor the process that you built to get to that success…The standard is how we operate, train, and get better each day.”” Process-oriented leadership is a popular coaching strategy here in the mid-2020s but no one exemplifies that more than LSU head coach Jay Johnson. He’s won the Tigers two national titles during his time in Baton Rouge and expectations won’t be any lower in 2026 as LSU is the No. 1 team in the country in Perfect Game’s Preseason Top 25.  Johnson is heading into his fifth season at the helm in Baton Rouge and it’s fair to say that he has already experienced enormous success. There have been two national titles in four years (2023, 2025), a Golden Spikes winner (Dylan Crews, 2023), a first overall MLB Draft pick (Paul Skenes, 2023), and five first-round MLB Draft picks during...
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.