THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 9/22/2013

PG EvoShield Upperclass Day 2

Photo: Perfect Game

Over the next three days David Rawnsley, Frankie Piliere and Jheremy Brown will be providing their observations from the first three (of four) days at the 2013 PG EvoShield Upperclass National Championship. The event is being held at two prominent baseball complexes/spring training sites, the Peoria Sports Complex (Mariners and Padres spring training) and Goodyear Ballpark (Reds and Indians).




Goodyear Ballpark

– David Rawnsley

I spent three game slots waiting for the theme of the day to develop at the Indians quad and was finally rewarded during the fourth slot, along with a cadre of college coaches who had hung out at the same location since the morning.

The reality of college recruiting is that most of the top 2014 players are verbally committed well before late September. The signing deadline is the second week of November, little more than six weeks away. But there are always players who have slipped through the cracks or have just improved. The coaches are looking for those players, often for specific needs in their programs.

Two uncommitted seniors started games during the final 6 pm time slot and could have significantly changed their college options.

The first was San Diego Show third baseman and right handed pitcher David Hensley. Hensley has attended the past two Sunshine West showcases but has not pitched at either, although he did pick up a 8.5 PG grade at the 2013 Sunshine West as a third baseman. However, at 6-foot-5, 175-pounds, Hensley has the look of a righthanded pitcher all the way. He threw a complete game five-hitter in a five inning run-rule shortened 10-0 victory over the Colorado Travelers, allowing only two hits, walking none and striking out 12 hitters. Hensley pitched in the 85-88 mph range from a low effort delivery with a loose, fluid arm action. He frequently mixed in a 77-80 mph slider that had close to curveball depth at times to give him a second pitch that can get upper level hitters out right now. It was an impressive overall performance.

I asked the Show coach afterwards what might account for Hensley not having a college commitment yet and he said it very well could be his splitting time between third base and pitching, with more of an emphasis on playing the position and hitting.

Whatever the case, he’s clearly a solid Division I pitching prospect for me.

The other senior mound standout was ABD Bulldogs righthander Grant Wilhelm, who threw four innings in a must-win game for the playoffs against a very talented Arizona Athletics 18U team that featured many D-I college commits in their lineup. Wilhelm went the first four innings, allowing two hits and an unearned run while striking out four and putting ABD in position to advance to the playoffs with a hard fought 3-1 win in one of the best pool play games I saw this weekend.

Wilhelm has what one coach called “Zack Greinke mechanics,” with a high arm circle in back and a cross body high three-quarters release that creates severe angle to the plate. Wilhelm pitched steadily in the 86-88 mph range and the ball seemed to get on hitters, especially righthanded hitters, very quickly. His best secondary pitch was a nice changeup with ideal arm speed and he also mixed in a couple of promising sliders.

This was the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Wilhelm’s first ever outing at a Perfect Game/WWBA tournament, although he did pitch at the 2012 California Underclass Showcase, receiving an 8.5 PG grade.

I had the opportunity to talk to Mike Wilhelm, Grant’s father, after the game and asked the same question I had of the San Diego Show coach about Hensley. He answered that it was probably due to Grant not really being very exposed yet; he attends a small high school (Laguna Beach High School) and until recently hadn’t been playing for a scout team or for a travel ball organization, but that things were starting to pick up.

I would suspect things would start picking up very quickly in the near future.

2014 catcher Ryan Oberg of the AZ Athletics and Sunnyside High School in Phoenix is another uncommitted senior who looks to be a definite college level player. He has a strong 6-foot, 200-pound build and was especially talented behind the plate, with a solid line drive stroke from the right side.

Righthanded pitcher Alex Hernandez was also outstanding for the Bulldogs in the 3-1 win over the AZ Athletics, needing only 39 pitches to complete the final three innings in shutout fashion. He pitched in the 83-86 mph range with a big breaking curveball. He is also an uncommitted senior.

2015 first baseman Shane Potter, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound lefthanded hitter who is both presently strong and still very projectable physically, blasted an absolute monster of a home run (the only one hit in pool play at the Indians quad) that left Field 6 in a hurry and hit over half way up the big screen in right field that protects the parking lot.

Iowa Select Red is nominally the second of the two Iowa Select programs but they are in the playoffs and Iowa Select Black is not after the Red’s 6-0 win over the San Gabriel Valley Arsenal, one of the top travel ball organizations from Southern California. I watched much of this game and have to say that I have rarely seen a team execute more consistently throughout a must-win game at this level than Iowa Select Red did through seven complete innings. Of course, it was made easier because of a masterful performance by lefthanded pitcher Ben Nelson, who threw a three-hit shutout, using only 98 pitches to strike out 12 hitters without issuing a walk. Nelson pitched in the 78-81 mph range but liberally used both a cutter and a changeup to get the ball moving in different directions, along with an occasional big breaking curveball. He was in complete command the entire time.

The West Coast Clippers went 3-0 in pool play and look like a candidate to bring home the hardware on Monday if they have enough pitching. Their starting lineup is very solid. San Diego State commit Matt Wezniak has a strong lefthanded swing and impressed on the mound, topping out at 84 mph from the left side as well. Cal State Northridge commit and centerfielder Justin Toerner looks on the slender side at a listed 5-foot-11, 170-pounds, but blasted a pair of doubles and a triple yesterday and could have had a couple of home runs if the games weren’t being played on Major League fields. Catcher Chandler Wagoner is an Oklahoma commit who squares up everything at the plate and does a very good job receiving and blocking.

The most interesting pitcher I saw on the Clippers was slender 6-foot-1, 170-pound senior righthander Ty Connor. Connor threw five shutout innings against a scrappy Team Avenue Aces squad in a 4-0 win, allowing only one hit, no walks while punching out seven hitters. He threw his fastball almost exclusively, topping out at 84 mph, except that his fastball was actually a cutter that bordered on slider depth at times. Given his very young build and the fact that he’s pounding the strike zone with 84 mph breaking balls, it’s very easy to see his spot on a college pitching staff.

I had a long look at Watsonville Aggies shortstop
Kobie Foppe, an Arizona State commit, and came away very impressed. He’s a very high energy player with plus speed on the bases – 4.17 best home to first from the right side, frequently steals bases at will – and some strength in his righthanded swing. He has some work to so to stay at shortstop defensively but is athletic and fast and the motor stands out. First baseman Alex Ellison and 2015 outfielder Tyler Williams had very good days for the Aggies as well, with Williams showing a very sound hitting approach that resulted in many hard hit balls to the middle and opposite fields.


Goodyear Ballpark
– Jheremy Brown

One of the more impressive swings of the day belongs to Kekai Rios, a 2015 catcher from Kaneohe, Hawaii. In his first at-bat of the game, Rios, who swings a quick, fluid bat with strength in his swing, hit a ball over the wall in left-centerfield for one of the first home runs at the Reds complex.The exit speed of the ball on the home run was 95 mph, followed up by a hard line drive double down the left field line in his next at-bat, coming off at 92 mph. His third at-bat may have been his best one, finding himself down in a two-strike count with the tying run was on second base with two outs. The pitcher tried to sneak a curveball by him on the outer half, trying to get Rios to swing over the top of it or roll it over. Rather, he sat back on it nicely and put it through the right side hole for a single, bringing in the tying run.

Occasionally in California good players are somewhat overlooked due to the depth of talent. 2014 righthander Connor Stotz is one of those players, who last night showed that colleges need to take a look at him this spring. With a 6-foot-2, 180-pound athletic frame, Stotz threw a complete game three-hitter, striking out nine batters. Throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot, Stotz pumped his fastball up to 88 in the early going and maintained his velocity well throughout the game, still sitting 85-86 in the last couple innings. With a quick arm with good arm-side run on fastball, he also showed a feel for a sharp curveball at 76 mph, along with a change and slider.

Makoa Rosario
continued to hit the ball well, smoking a hard double down the left field line in his first at-bat. He's quick on his feet and is a good runner along with a strong arm, Rosario may eventually move to left field to let his athleticism play.

Another glove change occurred yesterday for Chay Toson, who started the game as a lefthanded center fielder before moving back to second base, righthanded of course.

Having seen CBA Marucci play a handful of times this summer I’ve been able to get a feel for the players on the team, including Chris Betts, who played first base in the first game, giving him a short break from behind the plate. In his first at-bat Betts showed his strength, lining a hard single through the right side, coming off the bat at 94 mph. He then came in to close out the game, throwing the final inning, something I haven’t seen from Betts before. Whether from stretch or windup, Betts sat 88-89 mph with his fastball, topping at 90, and he also broke two bats in the process. He throws relatively easy, with a long arm action – something you might not expect from a catcher – and gets downhill action.

Nick Allen
put his strong defensive tools back on display, rounding a chopper up the middle, gathering well, and making a strong throw across the infield. He runs well for his size, getting down the line at 4.44 seconds. He also had a nice day at the plate, with two hard hit balls, one of which was a double to the right-centerfield gap.

My apologies go out to Ian Manzo of the Colorado Travelers, a 2014 righthander from Manitou Springs, Colo., who threw in the first day of the tournament. I had notes on him, but for some reason I didn’t put them in the Day 1 report. With a short arm action and three-quarters slot, Manzo throws easy and is able to generate downhill plane on his fastball, which topped 87 mph and sat at 84-86 mph. His slider is a very good high-spinning, tight breaking ball with 10-to-4 shape, and his changeup showed good fade at 76 mph. With square-shouldered, lean frame, Manzo offers plenty of projectability and should see his velocity jump as he continues to add strength and gain experience.

Iowa Select Black split the two games they played yesterday at the Reds complex. Starting the second game was University of North Carolina commit Mitch Keller, a righthanded pitcher who is a veteran of nine Perfect Game showcases, throwing well each time. His fastball topped out at 90 mph, sitting at 85-88 mph with an 11-to-5 curveball that was clocked as high as 70 mph. He has a loose arm and throws from a high three-quarters slot with the ability to repeat his delivery while pounding the strike zone. Overall, Keller threw a complete game three-hitter, striking out four.

Mad Dogs Baseball, a California based team, sent projectable 6-foot-2 righthander Jeremiah Wylie to the mound in their first game. Using a slow, steady tempo delivery, Wylie throws from a whippy, low three-quarters arm slot and topped at 86 mph with his fastball, which has good run. His slider shows late break, although from his arm slot, he tends to get around the pitch and pull it across.

Hayden Schilling
is Mad Dogs' starting shortstop and plays the position well, with fluid defensive actions and a very strong arm across the infield with minimal effort.

Jack Little
, a 2016 righthander who plays for Bishop Gorman High School in the spring, started the game for On Deck Baseball Academy. With a strong, young frame that has projection for more, Little touched 88 mph in the first and sat 84-87. He has both a changeup at 70-71 mph and a true splitter at 74 mph, which falls off the table with late break. He slows up his arm a little on his 12-to-6 curveball, but for a 2016 to have a feel for four pitches, of which he throws for strikes, it is certainly worth taking note of.

When Taylor Fajardo is on deck, you can hear him. Not because he’s loud or anything like that, but because of his swings. He is able to generate excellent bat speed and you can hear the barrel through the zone. Given his bat speed to go along and his strong, 6-foot-3 frame, Fajardo has the ability to hit the ball a long way when squared up.

Blake Perkins
is the leadoff hitter for the PB Outlaws and he runs well. That speed plays well in center field, as does his arm strength. With a man on second base, and a fly ball to center, the runner attempted to tag up, but Perkins delivered a strike to third base, online and in the air, to record the assist.

So Cal Bombers brought in Gabriel Llanes, listed as a primary shortstop who I noted for having a strong arm at third when he played there, showed the same arm strength on the mound. With long limbs and a high waist, the Fresno State commit pretty much sat 88 mph with his fastball, occasionally “dropping” to 87 mph, and flashed arm-side run at times. He has a quick arm and throws from a three-quarters slot, and with his frame – which is about 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-2, not 5-foot-10 as listed on his team's roster – he gets downhill well. His slider sits in the upper-70s with good break, and he has a feel for a 75 mph changeup.

Alan Trejo
, who Frankie mentioned in yesterday’s Day 1 recap, continued to show well with the bat. A San Diego State commit, Trejo has the ability to consistently barrel up the ball with a quick bat and some leverage.

Ryan Lillie
did an excellent job in relief during the Bombers first game, coming in with the bases loaded and two outs and his team already chasing a couple runs. Lillie threw four fastballs, 82-85-85-84 mph, striking out the batter and escaping the jam. Lillie ended up going 6 1/3 innings, as he came into the game in the top of the first, and topped at 87 mph, striking out eight.

The defending champions of the tournament, the Trombly Nighthawks have a loaded roster and are looking to repeat heading into the playoffs today. With numerous bats that can do damage, including PG All-American D.J. Peters and UCLA commit Josh Morgan, the Nighthawks got a strong pitching performance from Joey Deceglie, an uncommitted 2014 lefthander from Los Osos High School. He pounded the strike zone and repeated his delivery well. With a quick arm from a three-quarters slot, Deceglie worked his fastball at 84-85 mph while keeping it low in the zone. His changeup might be his best off-speed pitch, with good arm-side fade at 76 mph. His curveball shows short break and he has nice feel for a cutter at 79 mph. He might not have big velocity, but he is a lefty with a feel for four pitches, throws strikes, and spots up well.

Shane Mardirosian
has smooth, athletic actions at second base, despite being listed as a primary outfielder. Using an aggressive approach, Mardirosian keeps his hands in on his swing and has the ability to drive the ball opposite way.

Ryan Mota
has a strong frame and a quick bat, lining a pitch back up the middle for a single that registered 95 mph off the bat. He is committed to San Diego State.

Two teams based out of Tucson, one the Tucson Cowboys and the other the Tucson Bobcats, each sent a strong armed righthanded pitcher to the mound on Saturday.

The Bobcats sent uncommitted 2014 Luis Gamez to the mound and he showed well during his time on the mound. His fastball topped out at 91 mph in the early going, showing very good, hard cutting action. With broad shoulders, long limbs, and room to fill out, Gamez has a quick arm and gets good extension on his pitches. Working exclusively from the stretch, as Gamez tired his fastball began to straighten out, but was still touching 88 mph. He throws from an over-the-top slot and is able to get 12-to-6 break on his curveball, which he needs to work on maintaining his arm speed.

2015 righthander
Javier Medina started the game for the Tucson Cowboys, throwing from an easy, three-quarters arm slot. When he is throwing in a game, it looks effortless, like he is just warming up, which reminds me off how easily Luis Ortiz throws in games. Medina threw six innings, striking out two with a fastball that topped out at 86 mph. His curveball shows good break at 74 mph, and his changeup, which topped at 73, has good arm-side fade showing a very strong feel for the pitch. With how easy he throws, it’s easy to believe the reports of even higher velocity from Medina.


Peoria Sports Complex

– Frankie Piliere

In what was somewhat quiet early morning of arms, it was 2015 righthander Nathan Madden with the So Cal Birds that stood out. The Huntington Beach native got the start for the Birds and showed high quality stuff and projectability. Although he did encounter some command issues, Madden displayed a very fast arm and a lively 82-84 mph fastball, reaching as high as 85. His velocity plays up a little bit, looking a few ticks better than that present velocity. He also has confidence in two breaking balls, a slider and curveball. His slider shows late, tight rotation and he did a good job of locating it for the most part. If he can command his fastball more consistently, he can be highly effective, and figures to add more velocity to his fastball.

If you were looking for another projectable righthander with some time to develop, you could also find Craig Colen, a 2015 graduate from San Francisco on Field 3 on the Padres’ side of the Peoria complex. Colen’s body type stands out immediately, a tall and lean build that is going to get stronger in the next couple years. The Lamorinda Monarchs hurler was a strike throwing machine on Saturday, attacking with an 82-85 mph fastball that he was able to keep down in the strike zone. He also mixed in and spotted a sharp 11-to-5 curveball mostly around 71-72 mph. His arm works very clean and is another arm that should continue to improve with added strength.

Just as things seemed to quiet down at the end of the first round of games in Peoria on Saturday, Garrett Hutson took the mound for the Midwest Warducks. The righthander, a 2015 grad, came in pumping an 89-91 mph fastball, reaching as high as 92. He threw only 14 pitches, but each one of them was impressive. Hutson threw just one curveball but it was sharp with 11-to-5 action at 75 mph. He tried mixing in a changeup, and it has the potential to be a solid pitch for him.

Scouts and bystanders of all kinds gathered around Field 6 on the Mariners to see another two-way star, Alex Verdugo, for Prospects National Team, as they took on Foothills Dawgs Baseball. I’ll of course get to Verdugo in a moment, but it was Alberta, Canada native Matt Lloyd that ended up opening some eyes for the Dawgs. He stood out not just on the mound, as he made the start for the Dawgs, but also at the plate. He drove the ball well to left field in his first at-bat and showed good carry. On the mound, he worked at 86-88 mph and had a highly effective changeup. His fastball dipped just a little later in the game, ending up at 84-87 mph, but overall he maintained his stuff very well. He’s an athletic two-way player that really further established himself with a strong showing on both sides of the ball on Saturday.

Opposing Lloyd for Prospects National was righty Tyler Giovanoni, a two-way talent from Schertz, Texas. The 2014 grade is an imposing figure on the mound, with his durable 6-foot-4 frame. And, he has the firm fastball to match. He worked at 85-87 mph early in his outing, mixing in a short, late-breaking curveball every now and then. He also shows potential at the plate, and he lists himself as a primary third baseman.

Brandon Alamo
, brother of PG National alum and Cubs’ prospect Tyler Alamo, established himself on Saturday as one of the more impressive overall bats I’ve seen this weekend in Peoria. He looks the part at the plate, standing at a very legitimate, 6-foot-2, 210-pounds. In other words, he’s a very physically mature, strong player for a 2015 graduate. He has an outstanding up the middle, opposite field approach and can hit in that direction with easy power. And, despite his size and power, he still keeps his swing compact and balanced. He uses his lower half well and it makes everything he does look very effortless at the plate.

One of the more projectable hitters that caught my eye on Saturday was Garrett Brockel. In the Placentia Mustangs afternoon contest, Brockel took an outside pitch and drove it with a significant amount of carry, which was fairly surprising considering his tall but young frame. He has a balanced, controlled swing with good extension. He got around the bases very well also. His at-bats overall on Saturday were some of the best I’ve seen this weekend, as Brockel is a 2015 that I’ll be interested to see more of in the future. It should be noted that he and Alamo attend the same high school in California (Cypress).

The Placentia Mustangs had a number of plays that stood out on Saturday, and Tyler Radcliffe was yet another one. He worked at 84-86 mph with his fastball from a high arm slot, and he kept his delivery balanced and controlled, attacking the zone consistently with his fastball. He also flashed a sharp 68-71 mph curveball with 11-to-5 bite that he didn’t use a lot, but was effective with it when he did.

There’s a good reason that Gerard Hernandez is ranked No. 122 in the 2014 high school class, and he showed that on Saturday afternoon. He showed some of the best bat speed of the weekend during Saturday’s action, bat speed that in his first at-bat produced a 95 mph line drive right at the shortstop. The lefty swinging Phoenix, Ariz. native has a good opposite field approach and stays very short to the ball. His offensive game appears to have taken a step forward from June when he attended the PG National Showcase. And, although he ended up running into an out, I liked his aggression on bases on Saturday as he tried to take an extra base on a ground ball through the hole on the right side.

Hernandez kept on rolling in his second game of the day, lining what appeared to be hanging breaking ball into right field for a single. He does a superb job of keeping his hands back. And, those hands have a lot of strength in them.

Hernandez’ teammate, heralded two-way prospect Alex Verdugo, got into the act offensively in their team’s second game of the day, smacking a long opposite field double into the gap. I had noticed Verdugo’s willingness to go the other way in his first game, but in this game he began to square the ball up better.

Bradley Lewis
showed off a dynamic skill-set in ABD Nevada’s two Saturday games, collecting three triples over two games. He hit the ball hard all day, but his difference-making speed going from first to third made those triples possible. He’ll be an interesting bat to follow the rest of this weekend.

We’ve seen better velocity from Prospects National lefty Justin Farrar in the past (up to 88 mph at the PG National) but his pitchability still stood out. He was able to locate his fastball effectively at 82-84 mph. Pitching aggressively with his fastball, he used his curveball sparingly, but when he did it flashed depth at 68-72 mph.

Kyle Dohy
was a guy that when I first spotted from the tower had some traits that make you want to take a closer look. He has an extra easy arm action, and delivery overall, and the ball comes out of his hand nice and easy. He reached 87 mph early in his outing, but worked mostly at 81-86 mph, and there’s a lot more velocity in the tank. He also showed a nice feel for his 11-to-5 curveball at 71 mph. His extension out front was impressive, and his body is projectable enough to believe he’ll continue to add ticks to his fastball.

Reid Budrovich
was another in the line of solid lefties in the late afternoon games in Peoria. The 2014 grad worked mostly at 83-85 mph with his fastball for the CBA Warriors, mixing in a good fading changing going away from righthanded batters.

We’ve seen Clay Pittman before, most notably over the winter at the Pitcher/Catcher Indoor event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. And, as it has before, Pittman’s bat stood out. Playing So Cal NTT, Pittman collected four hits in as many plate appearances against AZ Pro 2014 on Saturday afternoon. He shows above average bat speed and good power potential.

Isaiah Carranza
took the mound in one of the final games of the day on the Padres’ side of the Peoria Sports Complex, and he showed improvement from his Sunshine West Showcase appearance a few months back. Carranza worked at 82-86 mph with his fastball, showing late life through the zone. He varied the speed of his breaking ball, but mostly snapped it off between 71-74 mph. He’s a 2015 arm that at 6-foot-3, 165-pounds, is highly projectable and needs to be followed closely.

Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
High School | General | 1/31/2026

Preseason HS Top 50

Tyler Russo
Article Image
The start of another high school season is right around the corner in a handful of states and with that, as always, comes our Preseason High School Top-50. A whopping twenty states are represented in the initial Top-50, a number that is staggering when you look at the amount of depth some of these rosters have across the nation. Leading the group is St. John Bosco (CA), a team that brought home a CIF Southern D1 title in 2025 and bring back a strong group of seniors to look to repeat. Stoneman Douglas (FL) is a name most people should know by now in the high school ranks and comes in as our preseason #2 team, looking to win their sixth straight state championship in Florida. Orange Lutheran (CA) had a good case for preseason #1 but come it an No. 3, bringing a roster with seven seniors ranked inside the top-200 in the country to the table. Four other Florida schools are represented...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 1/30/2026

Perfect Game Burst the Bubble

Dave Durbala
Article Image
BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game Softball Burst The Bubble Tournament, January 24 - 25, 2026. 15 teams in  this four game guarantee, pool into bracket play tournament, with both a 16u and 18u division contested. In the 16u Division, it was the 09 Midwest Sluggers claiming the Championship over finalist Wisconsin Heat. In the 18u Division it was CIK 08’s taking home the gold rings over finalist Alliance Select Black. The tournament was filled with lots of young talent with big bats, and several players already committed to higher education programs. Below are some of the players that earned their way onto the tournament top performers list. 16U Division  Earning the tournament MVP award was Ruby Stagg (2028 Bettendorf, IA) a solid fielding SS for tournament champion 09 Midwest Sluggers. Stagg, hitting from the right side, sets up in a conventional stance, slightly wide and...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 1/30/2026

Perfect Game Winter Blow-Out 18U Division

Erica Beach
Article Image
Perfect Game Winter Blow-Out 18U Division Burlington, Iowa Jan 17-18, 2026   BURLINGTON, IOWA- The 2026 Perfect Game Winter Blowout, held in the Fun City Turf bubble was competitive from start to finish. Seven teams from three states converged to sharpen their skills and compete for the title. In the end, the Iowa Dynamite 18U took home the hardware, defeating the Alliance Select Harper in the finale. There were some very strong performances on both sides of the ball and below we highlight the top performers from the weekend.     Payton Harris (2028, Mediapolis, IA) of the Black Dragons was lights out on the weekend, batting an impressive .733.  She led the entire tournament in hits, 11 in total showing she was one of the most formidable hitters in her class. She showed her power and ability to drive the ball to all fields, belting four home runs and two doubles on...
College | Story | 1/30/2026

Conference Preview: Big West

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  School W L W L Cal Poly 43 19 23 7 Cal State Bakersfield 18 38 9 21 Cal State Fullerton 29 27 19 11 CSUN 15 34 10 20 Hawai'i 35 21 16 14 Long Beach State 22 31 15 15 UC Davis 27 28 13 17 UC Irvine 43 17 24 6 UC Riverside 16 36 5 25 UC Santa Barbara 36 18 16 14 UC San Diego 26 25 15 15 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Nate Vargas UC Santa Barbara Honorable Mention All Big West performer, posted a 306 average with 10 HR’s and 50 RBI. ...
High School | General | 1/30/2026

High School Top 50: 10-1

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
High School Preview Index Top 50 Breakdown: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 10. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2025 Record: 24-1 Head Coach: Dave Turgeon Notable Prospect(s): C Dillon Moss (Stanford), RHP Michael Ramsey, C Charles Messina (Northwestern), 1B Cy Chrisman (Oklahoma State), SS Dylan Messina (Pennsylvania), RHP Michael Todero (St. Joseph’s), SS Max Hemenway (Tennessee), OF Kyler Meccage (Mississippi State), OF Sebastian Wilson (Tennessee), 1B Frank Thomas III (Auburn), SS Juan Diaz (Florida State), C Ethan Armbruster (Mississippi State), SS Antonio Chavez (University of California, Berkeley), RHP Henry Britt, OF Aiden Choo IMG Academy rattled off an incredible season a year ago, finishing with a 24-1 record, and ended the season being named the national champion. It’s another year in Bradenton with some of the most talented players in...
College | Story | 1/30/2026

Conference Preview: SWAC

Michael Albee
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Alabama A&M 2 27 10 40 Alabama State 22 10 31 29 Alcorn State 1 29 6 43 Arkansas Pine-Bluff 17 9 19 34 Bethune Cookman 24 5 37 23 Florida A&M 25 5 34 24 Grambling State 18 11 26 28 Jackson State 16 12 30 21 Mississippi Valley State 7 23 12 29 Prairie View A&M 13 14 17 36 Southern 15 14 26 28 Texas Southern 15 15 22 31 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Vinny Saumell Arkansas Pine-Bluff Reliable backstop and offensive...
Juco | Rankings | 1/29/2026

JUCO: Top 500 Prospects

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
JUCO Preseason Top 50 RK Name Class Pos. School State Commitment 1 Carson Bailey SO LHP McLennan TX 2 Bishop Quarles SO OF Florida Southwestern FL 3 Holden Hering FR RHP Weatherford TX Arkansas 4 Mikhai Grant SO RHP Northwest Florida FL 5 Jimmy Anderson SO SS Heartland IL Kentucky 6 Noah Bentley SO RHP Weatherford TX Oklahoma 7 Hayden Morris SO RHP Blinn TX LSU 8 Collin Smith SO RHP Cochise AZ South Carolina 9 Anthony Quigley SO OF/3B Northwest Florida FL 10 Anson Seibert RS FR RHP Johnson County KS 11 Major Osbolt RS FR RHP Walters State TN LSU 12 Ben Polleschultz SO LHP Blinn TX Texas A&M 13 Peyton Firgens RS FR MIF McLennan TX Mississippi State 14 Garrett Mirel FR LHP Golden West CA North Carolina State 15 Kole Fenton SO SS Walters State TN North Carolina 16 Joseph Sandusky FR SS Weatherford TX Texas A&M 17 Caden Mitchell SO C Weatherford TX Oklahoma 18 Easton Davies SO RHP...
Press Release | Press Release | 1/28/2026

2026 Pacific Baseball Championship Set

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 ANNOUNCES VENUES, DATES FOR   2026 PACIFIC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP    Elite global talent converges in Southern California, December 26-29, 2026, at the Dodgers’ new ONT Field Stadium and October Empire Complex    Ontario, California (Wednesday, January 28, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced additional details surrounding the 2026 Perfect Game Pacific Baseball Championship (PBC), including official venues, dates and the various nations that players will be coming from,...
Juco | Rankings | 1/28/2026

JUCO Top 50: January 28

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Welcome to the 2026 Junior College baseball season. Once again, this year will begin for us with annual coverage of the PCB JUCO Classic in Panama City Beach, FL this week. With that we bring you our beginning of season JUCO baseball rankings. Perfect Game JUCO rankings combine all levels of JUCO baseball across the country into one overall ranking.  The top of this year’s beginning of season ranking begins where the D1 NJCAA World Series ended, with Walters State and Salt Lake. Walters State returns several contributing pieces from last season's team and will begin the year in the top spot. Defending D1 JUCO National Champion Salt Lake will slot in at number 2. This list shows the strength of junior college baseball around the country with programs from 16 different state represented in our initial top 25. Six teams from Florida make our initial top 25, four of which will...
College | Story | 1/29/2026

Conference Preview: Southland

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Southeastern 38 16 22 8 UT- Rio Grande Valley 36 18 22 8 Lamar 40 17 20 10 Northwestern State 35 21 19 11 McNeese 31 17 19 11 Houston Christian 32 23 17 13 TAMU- Corpus Christi 21 31 12 18 New Orleans 28 26 12 18 Nicholls 17 32 10 20 Stephen F. Austin 17 32 9 21 Incarnate Word 17 33 3 27 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Player School Stats/Notes C Julius Ramirez UTRGV Huge numbers at the Juco level as a member of New Mexico JC. Impact stick that will force his way...
Loading more articles...