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Tournaments  | Story | 7/3/2025

CBA Tackles The 17u WWBA

Photo: CBA Marucci (Perfect Game)
CBA Marucci took the 2025 17U WWBA National Championship in dominant fashion - winning 7-2 over USA Prime/Aces National.

MARIETTA, GA - It had been a long week for both teams competing in the Georgia sun - but the tournament’s MVP, CBA’s Eric Zdunek, said his team came into the final game with the right mindset - even though they were considered underdogs coming into the WWBA:

“I think it was our fifth game in two days,” Zdunek said. “But we knew if we had some good energy, we’d be able to pull off a win."



In terms of pressure on the championship game - Jet Berry was locked in, as always.

“I don’t get too nervous before games,” Berry explained. “There’s only pressure when you put it on yourself. We want to win, we want to do good, but at the end of the day, we’re just going out there trying to have fun…I’ve never gotten to play in a big championship game like that. I was kind of stoked to play in it.”

The first run came in for CBA Marucci as Troy Southisene came in on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first.

After a quiet second inning from both teams, Berry advanced to home on a throw during Eric Zdunek’s at-bat. 2 pitches later, Zdunek knocked in a run with a line drive double.

CBA added even more runs in the bottom of the fourth - one coming in on a wild pitch, another advancing on the throw and the final of the frame coming off a run-scoring single from Berry, who went 4-4 in the ‘ship.

“I didn’t want to do too much. I just wanted to hit some fastballs up the middle and be the contact guy,” Berry said. “I was basically sitting fastball every at-bat. Then I got some good swings off. And then my third at-bat, I was sitting fastball, got a curve ball, hit it up the middle and I was just kind of all over the barrel…I was feeling real good, real confident. I don’t know - I was kind of in that mode. I was kind of just going off.”

In the top of the fifth, USA Prime/Aces National showed signs of life. Jalen Moton hit a 2-out, solo home run and Trevor Condon plated a run with a double.

“That’s when our whole team decided, ‘we have to put an end to this. Now. We have to win this game before we give them a chance to come back,’” Zdunek explained.

Leading off in the bottom of the fifth, Zdunek stepped up to the plate and crushed a solo homer off the first pitch he saw - making the score 7-2.

“I knew the pitcher wanted to get ahead and challenge me. So I just looked for my pitch, got my fastball and did what I can…

I was excited. Off the bat, I knew it was gone. I hit that ball so well and then I was pumped up. It’s awesome being able to have a big moment like that on such a big stage,” Zdunek shared.

Through the week, the 17-year-old had 13 hits, 10 runs, 14 runners batted in and 4 home runs.

“It was really just staying locked in every single at-bat,” Zdunek said - explaining the success that led up to his MVP award. “We had 11 games…sometimes it can be hard to be locked in the

whole time. But I was just trying to help my team win… [I] stuck to it, had a lot of confidence, and kind of just did my thing, just trusted my ability and it all worked out really well.”

Beyond the hitting power that CBA displayed, Berry wanted to shout out the pitchers for their work during the tournament.

“Our pitchers really, really carried us through the week. We hit really well, but, man, our pitchers did a great job.”

CBA Marucci’s starter for the ‘ship, right-handed pitcher Caden Dockan, put in 4.2 innings of work in the championship game. Through 79 pitches, he struck out 3, walked 3, allowed 3 hits and 2 earned runs. His fastball stayed in the mid-80s range - topping out at 86 mph - and he mixed in a low-70s slider.

Coming in relief and pitching the last 2.1 innings for CBA was right-hander Chase Hilt. He threw 36 pitches, struck out 2 batters, allowed 2 hits, no earned runs and no walks. He worked in the mid-80s range with his fastball and the mid-70s with his slider.

Berry added that the team’s chemistry is a big part of their success.

“This has been the best club team I have ever played for in my life. [Coaches] Jon Paino, Matt Jervis - they know baseball really heavy, but they really prioritize relationships with the kids…Everybody likes each other. Everybody’s cheering each other on.”

As for what Berry will remember about this tournament, one specific thing came to mind:

“I’m going to remember the dog pile, for sure, the best - and just how much of a grind it was to get there.”

Tournaments | Story | 4/9/2026

Don't Boot the Loot Scout Notes

Cam McElwaney
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‘30 UTL Chase Jelks (GA) lifts this one deep into the gap & rolls around the bags for a triple. Loose LH swing w/ feel to lift. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/leF4GMTawJ — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 4, 2026 Chase Jelks (2030, Atlanta, Ga.) put together a great weekend for The Dream 14u Black in their run to a championship game appearance, hitting .444 with two triples and a double along with three RBI. He controlled the zone throughout the event in the box and finished with a 6:1 BB:K ratio because of it while also swiping five bags as well. It was a strong showing for Jelks, something that’s becoming common this spring in PG events.    ‘30 MIF Cohen Carter (TN) hits this one on the screws into the gap for a triple. Functional & compact swing. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Tennessee pic.twitter.com/YVUfxbHBxx — Perfect Game...
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Perfect Game and vivenu Partner Up

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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 PARTNERS WITH VIVENU TO POWER DIGITAL COMMERCE ACROSS YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL    Sanford, Florida / New York, New York (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, has selected vivenu as its ticketing and commerce partner to unify revenue operations across its tournament ecosystem.    With 1.6 million tickets sold annually, 9,800 events in 40+ states and an immense social footprint, Perfect Game has built the most influential pipeline in amateur baseball. The organization has produced over 2,200 MLB alumni, and...
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Ron Wolforth
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Perfect Game Staff
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Jheremy Brown
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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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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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Perfect Game Staff
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Craig Cozart
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College | Rankings | 4/6/2026

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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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