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  | Story | 12/9/2011

Bullish on the Hoosier State

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Perfect Game
Before 24-year-old Indianapolis native Drew Storen was a two-time first team All-Pac-10 closer at Stanford; before he was made a first round draft pick by the Washington Nationals; and well before he blossomed into an all-star caliber closer for the Nationals this past season, he was an Indiana Bull.

Storen, a right-hander, pitched for the Indiana Bulls at the 2006 Perfect Game WWBA 17u National Championship, just three years before he was made the 10th overall pick by the Nationals in the 2009 amateur draft. The time he spent pitching for the Carmel, Ind.,-based Bulls made a lasting impression.

“When you play for the Indiana Bulls, college coaches and scouts already respect you more because of their history and success,” Storen told Indiana Prep Baseball Report in an undated testimonial that appears on the Indiana Bulls’ official website. “I give a lot of credit to the Bulls for helping me get the opportunity to play at Stanford, as (Stanford coaches) saw me play with the Bulls three or four times.”

Now officially known as the Lids Indiana Bulls – Lids is an online retailer of baseball hats, apparel and equipment that acts as the Bulls’ official sponsor – the tradition-rich organization will begin its 20th year of operation in 2012.

Hundreds of Bulls alumni have gone on to play collegiately at some level and more than 80 former Bulls are expected to be on college rosters in the spring. The Bulls’ official website (indianabullsbaseball.org) lists 28 former players who were playing professionally at the end of the 2011 season, including 11 who were on big-league rosters.

Recent Indiana Bulls and Perfect Game alumni who were first round selections in the MLB First-Year Player Draft include Tommy Hunter (2007, Rangers), Lance Lynn (2008, Cardinals), Storen (2009, Nationals), Justin O’Conner (2010, Rays) and Alex Meyer (2011, Nationals). Hunter (Orioles), Lynn (Cardinals) and Storen (Nationals) are already in the major leagues.

Dan Held started in his position as the Indiana Bulls’ executive director in the fall of 2006. Dave Taylor and Bob Lowrie got the Indiana Bulls organization started in 1992, and Evansville, Ind., native, 1997 NL Rookie of the Year and seven-time MLB All-Star Scott Rolen was a member of its first team.

Rolen and Held were roommates on two different levels in the Philadelphia Phillies organization during Held’s nine-year minor league career, and the two remain close.

“We’ve had a great number of guys go to professional baseball and a good percentage of them go to college,” Held said of the Bulls organization. “We take great pride in that, and we try to stay in contact with the guys throughout the years.”

The Lids Indiana Bulls hold a player-parent meeting every winter when all the players in the organization and their parents gather with the people running the program. With at least 15 teams in the 8 to 18 age divisions, the number of participants has grown to over 200.

“What we like to do is bring a past player in to talk to our kids,” Held said. “This year we’re trying to get some of our major league guys to come and speak to the kids, and we’re trying to bring our entire first-year team back so these kids can see that 20 years ago these guys were in their shoes. They might not be baseball players – they might be doctors or lawyers or what-not, but they’re successful people.”

What really sets the Bulls program apart is its commitment to Indiana. The organization includes only in-state players on its team rosters, with the exception of the team it takes to the Perfect Game WWBA World Championship. Maintaining that loyalty and going whole-hog Hoosier presents some challenges.

“Not being able to go outside of Indiana (to recruit players) is a bit of a challenge because we’re competing against teams that are drawing from different states and have a wider region to draw from,” Held said. “The fact that we’ve been so competitive for so many years says a lot about the Bulls, the coaches and what-not.”

It is the Bulls’ tradition-rich history that attracts the top Indiana – and in many cases, national – prospects to the organization. It’s not a difficult sell.

“We talk about the quality of our coaching staff and the fact that we’re going to get them into the best tournaments and the best platforms to showcase their talent so they can succeed and get a college scholarship, hopefully, or a professional contract,” Held said.

“We just try to get the best kids – our bylaws are set where we cannot get anybody outside of Indiana at this point. We try to sell that too, and say, ‘Hey, we’re promoting Indiana kids.’ We’re not trying to go out and get a Florida kid to come up here to Indiana to play.”

Held said the whole premise on which the Bulls program was built was based on the belief Indiana players weren’t getting scouted enough. “When it started, Dave felt like he needed to get them on the national scene a lot more,” Held said. “That was the whole reason the Bulls were brought about.”

The Lids Indiana Bulls sent six teams to five Perfect Game WWBA tournaments this summer and fall, including two to the WWBA 2012 Grads or 17u National Championship. Their youngest entry enjoyed the most success, winning its first six games before losing in the second round of the playoffs at the WWBA 2014 Grads or 15u National Championship.

The two teams at the WWBA 17u Nationals finished a combined 4-5-1, the entry at the WWBA 2013 Grads or 16u National Championship went 2-2-1 and a top group of 2013s and 2014s finished 3-2 at the WWBA Underclass World Championship. The group that went to Jupiter, Fla., for the WWBA World Championship in late October finished 1-3.

Eight prospects that had played on one of the other four WWBA tournament teams were part of that revamped WWBA World Championship squad. The group included 2013 middle-infielder Westin Edrington from Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Ind., the nation’s No. 161-ranked prospect (No. 5 Indiana, No. 9 middle-infield) in his class.

Edrington, who is yet to commit to a college, played in the WWBA 16u National Championship and was the only Bulls player to participate in both the WWBA Underclass World and WWBA World championships.

“Having moved from Colorado a little over a year ago, I have been extremely blessed ending up at an organization like the Bulls,” Edrington told Indiana Prep Baseball Report this summer. “Bulls coaches Dan Held, Quinn Moore, Jered Moore and Tony Cookerly have all played vital roles in my development as a player, as well as an individual.

“The Bulls are a top-rate organization and have been extremely instrumental in my recruiting process,” he continued. “I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for me so far. There is not a better organization in Indiana to be a part of.”

Third baseman/outfielder Adam Bolen of Russiaville; MIF/RHP Colin Hawk of Beech Grove; RHP Taylor Lehnert of Schererville; 1B/OF Ryan Levenhagen of Indianapolis and SS/RHP/3B/OF Isaac Sampen from Brownsville – all 2012s – were on both the WWBA 17u National and WWBA World rosters. Samuel Sampen, a 2013 SS/C from Brownsburg, was on the Bulls’ WWBA 16u National roster and RHP Johan Patten of Ossian was on the WWBA 15u National squad.

Hawk (Cincinnati), Lehnert (Central Michigan), Levenhagen (Army) and Isaac Sampen (Purdue) are all NCAA Division I recruits.

Seven other roster spots on the WWBA 17u team were filled by prospects already committed to D-I school: RHP Brian Ghiselli from West Lafayette (Miami of Ohio); MIF/3B Troy Kuhn from Zionsville (Ohio State); RHP/OF Nick McCarty of Noblesviille (Notre Dame); LHP Jimmy McNamara of Munster (Central Michigan); RHP Jake Post of Valparaiso (Ohio State); INF Drew Small from Zionsville (Butler) and C/MIF/OF Cody Strong from Lafayette (Purdue).

“It was a challenging year for us because we added our 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12-year-olds this year,” Held said of the season just completed. “That was a challenge for us, but we did well at the lower ages and we’re going to build from there. Our hope is that it helps us as those kids get older.”

The Lids Indiana Bulls organization is in the middle of huge undertaking: It is involved in building a complex with 26 baseball fields ranging in size from high school dimensions down to little league dimensions and there will also be an indoor facility, all at a location near Westfield, just north of Indianapolis.

“Our player development is just going to explode and it’s going to help our organization even more,” Held said. “People have been working a long time to get this put together, so I take my hat off to the guys that have been around here awhile.”

As 20 years of operation flows seamlessly into 25, 30 and beyond, the Lids Indiana Bulls legacy will only continue to develop. The list of first round draft picks that call themselves former Bulls will grow, as will Bulls alumni who make it all the way to the major leagues. There will probably be more doctors and lawyers, as well.

“I think we’re going to continue to grow,” Held said. “If there are opportunities for kids to play and get instruction and get into a facility to improve their skills, then I think absolutely there are places to grow there. I don’t think we’re set yet and I don’t think we’re going to really understand what’s going to happen when the facility is up and it allows us to really utilize it.”

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
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
Press Release | Press Release | 1/7/2026

PG Announces Naming Rights in Chesterfield

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 AND FIRST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION ANNOUNCE CHESTERFIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX    Landmark Partnership to Center on Community, Inclusion and Youth Sports    Chesterfield, Missouri (Wednesday, January 7, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, along with the City of Chesterfield, today announced  an exclusive naming rights partnership with First Community Credit Union (FCCU) for the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. Effective immediately, the venue will be known as the “Chesterfield First Community Athletic...
Read More
College | Rankings | 1/8/2026

2026 Preseason Top 25

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
With an interesting and action-packed fall behind us, a new college season is just around the corner. The college game continues to prove it is alive and well as the Division 1 team count has now ballooned to 308 teams for the 2026 season. With new legislation allowing teams 5-weeks to prepare for opening day, many student athletes have returned to campus and will begin skill related workouts soon. Opening Day, as usual, will fall on Valentine’s Day weekend and it is just six weeks away. After a fall of evaluation and months of research and discussion, we are ready to release our annual Perfect Game pre-season Top 25 poll. After winning 53-games, hosting the NCAA Regional and Super Region, and sweeping their way through the College World, the LSU Tigers will debut the 2026 season as our No.1 ranked team. Head coach, Jay Johnson, has now led the Tigers to two national titles in the...
Read More
College | Story | 1/7/2026

Preseason Collegiate All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The transfer portal, JUCO gems, 6th year waivers and impact freshman; following the college game and figuring out rosters is basically a fulltime job nowadays. This is the new norm, and while the baseball purist may not like it, the college game has never been more exciting. It looks like 2026 is shaping up to be an incredible season with the balance of power seemingly spread out evenly from coast to coast. Like we seem to say every year, the depth and quality of talent has never been better, and the 2026 Perfect Game Pre-Season All-American teams will attest to that fact.With the 2026 College Baseball season is just around the corner, the Perfect Game college staff will have you loaded with coverage heading into the new year. On the heels of our Pre-Season Top 25 poll, the All-American list will be headlined by a banner sophomore class on the 1st team. The sweet lefthanded swings of...
Read More
College | Recruiting | 1/6/2026

Recruiting Notebook: January 6

Michael Albee
Article Image
Griffin Boesen (‘27, IA) shoots this one backside down the line. Adds his second hit of the day. Picked up a base knock. Physical LH bat w/ an ability to drive the baseball here. @IowaPG @PG_Uncommitted @CanesMidwest #WWBAWorlds https://t.co/pmpIzaAbLz pic.twitter.com/Qz0CHiS3P1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 13, 2025 Griffin Boesen, Class of 2027 Commitment: Duke Another top 100 prospect is off the board as the Corey Muscara led Duke Blue Devils picked up a physical two-way prospect in Boesen out of Florida recently. At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Boesen looks the part of a middle of the order type slugger and he's just that, showing lots of looseness and bat speed in his left-handed stroke and is coming off a Jupiter where he hit .700 (!!) as an underclassman while driving in 10 runs. The bat-to-ball skills are obvious as he simply hit at all the big stops in 2025,...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/7/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2028

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 Well, the fastball department is dominated by two arms in particular with Striker Pence and Dexter McCleon Jr. combining for almost 200 mph of velo between them on their peak heaters in 2025. That's just absolutely insane. The freakiness of the class continues down the boards with a 6.26 60-yard from Colton Fitzgibbon to the 88 mph hand cannon of Grant Arnold behind the plate to Christian Lux's 106 (!!!) mph exit velocity, this class has out of this world chart toppers. Even scarier? They don't graduate for another three years... Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Striker Pence 101 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Uncommitted Santiago Corona, CA 2 Striker Pence 99 2025 PG 17U World Series - National Uncommitted Santiago Corona, CA 2 Striker Pence 99 2025 PG 16U WWBA...
Read More
Showcase | Story | 1/6/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2027

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 To think this group still has another two years of high school is a scary thought given what some of the category leaders already are. Samir Mohammed up to 97 mph on the mound, Bryce Fontenot with a max exit velocity of 103 mph and a 6.22 60-yard out of Dylan Seward are all otherworldly numbers that you'd expect to find on a college campus, much less a junior in high school.  Below we check in on several categories for the Class of 2027 and will continue to do so through the week, taking in the top 10 for each, from both Perfect Game showcases and tournaments.  Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Samir Mohammed 97 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Louisiana State Tampa Jesuit Trinity, FL 2 Connor Salerno 96 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Mississippi State Sun Valley Indian Trail, NC...
Read More
Draft | Mock Draft | 1/9/2026

MLB Mock Draft: January 9

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
As we turn the calendar to 2026, we move one step closer to draft day. With the lottery behind us and the order now set, we wanted to take one final stab at a preseason mock draft before players take the field. The talent at the top of this class stands out and feels as deep as it has been in quite some time. There is solid depth in the first round, with real value extending later into the round. While things are certain to shift once the season gets underway, this is how we see things going for now.  1.  Chicago White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA The White Sox come away with one of the most polished profiles in the class and one of the better draft prospects we’ve seen in a while. Cholowsky gives Chicago a high-level college shortstop with a refined offensive approach, quality in-game power, and advanced defensive actions. There’s a strong blend of floor 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.