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All American Game  | Story | 8/16/2025

Pence's pitch heard ‘round the world

Jim Salisbury
SAN DIEGO – Eight days after firing the 100-mph fastball heard ‘round the world, Striker Pence sat in front of a locker at Petco Park and munched on a turkey sandwich. In 45 minutes, the 16-year-old right-hander would take the mound for Perfect Game’s third annual All-Star Game for underclassmen.

It was quite an honor to get the starting nod in such a prestigious and talent-filled game.



But Pence was the guy everyone wanted to see, especially after reaching triple digits at the recent Area Code Games up the road in Long Beach.

“He was the talk of the tournament,” said one scout who was there. “The big thing is he’s so young.”

Pence didn’t reach 100 mph in his one inning of work Friday in San Diego. But that 98 he fired up there looked pretty good. So did that hard slider. Thirteen pitches. A strikeout, a groundout and a fly ball. Not too shabby. At the plate, Pence, also a gifted hitter with left-handed power, struck out early but later hung tough in working a full-count walk to help fuel a game-winning rally as the National squad walked off the American team, 4-3. 

As much as Pence loves to swing the bat – he’s a corner infielder who would like to remain a two-way player – it’s his work on the mound that’s gaining him notice and making college and pro scouts salivate.

“He’s as unique as we’ve ever seen when it comes to velocity, plus stuff, plus control,” said Jered Goodwin, PG’s vice president of scouting operations. “Normally, as guys gain velocity, they lose the strike zone a little bit. But as Striker has gained velocity, he’s actually gained control. He’s throwing better strikes now. More strikes.

“I don’t want to downgrade what he can do offensively because if he was just a hitter he’d be on pro scouts’ radar, as well. But we’ve never had a (pitching) prospect like this at his age. We’ve never had somebody like this that young with that type of stuff that also is controlling the zone. It just never happens. He’s also got a great body, he does it fairly easily, and his off-speed stuff is good.”

It's no wonder that Pence was one of just two 2028 draft year players invited to play in the underclass All-Star Game. The other 39 players will be eligible for the 2027 draft.

Pence’s exciting story is becoming more well known by the day. He comes from a baseball family. Howie, his dad, pitched in the San Diego and Houston organizations before an injury cut short his career. Hunter, his uncle, was a four-time MLB All-Star and two-time World Series champion with the San Francisco Giants. According to Striker, his mom, Allison, always wanted to have a son and call him Striker.

“She had a plan,” the young pitcher said with a laugh. “I think it’s great.”

It is a great name for a pitcher. Maybe the best. At least until some mom names her kid No-Hitter.

The young man with the perfect pitcher’s name also has a pretty good pitcher’s body. He stands 6-6 and is strong-bodied. He just entered his sophomore year at Santiago High School in Corona, California, where he carries a 4.2 GPA. As a freshman, he played first base and threw 12 innings as a closer. Surely, there will be more innings in the coming years – and the scouts will be there for all of them.

Pence said he entered high school a year ago throwing 93-94 mph. By springtime, he was up to 97. He couldn’t help but dream about reaching 100.

“I think it’s a goal for every pitcher,” he said. “I figured in a year or two I would get there. Then I was 99 in North Carolina in late June. I was like, ‘Wow, it’s coming soon.’ “

And, sure enough, it did, on August 7 in Long Beach.

The pitch felt good coming out of Pence’s hand, but he abided by one of baseball’s unwritten rules and did not look at the reading on the scoreboard. Then he heard the crowd begin to cheer. He couldn’t help himself.

“I looked back and was like, ‘Oh, my God,’ ‘’ he said.

Those in attendance estimated that 300 college and pro scouts were on hand. When Pence hit 100 mph, the text messages started flying. The news was so big that it was even picked up by media outlets in Europe.

Pence had barely delivered his next pitch when Goodwin got word of the feat back home in Florida. He was elated for Pence, but not at all surprised.

“He’d been 95 to 99 all summer,” Goodwin said. “We become fans of these kids. Striker has been playing in PG events for a long time. When guys develop like that and when they make that next step on big stages, we’re just as excited as anybody.”

Legend has it that chocolate milk is the magic potion that has fueled Pence’s sensational summer of 2025.

But Friday in San Diego, it was a pregame turkey sandwich.

“This was the first time I pitched in a big-league park,” Striker Pence said with a big smile. “It was super surreal being out there.”
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All American Game | Story | 9/15/2025

PG Athletes Raise Money For Charity
Perfect Game Staff
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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 ATHLETES RAISE MORE THAN $130,000   FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITIES THROUGHOUT AUGUST    Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 15, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its athletes raised a combined $130,195 for children’s charities during its August 2025 showcase events throughout the country.    The fundraising efforts took place at Perfect Game’s Select Festivals and the DICK’S All-American Classic, with each age group rallying behind a cause that supports children in need. The 11U and 12U Select Fests each benefited Elite Development Academy out...
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High School | Rankings | 3/3/2026

High School Top 50 Update: March 3

Tyler Russo
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As we get rolling deeper into the spring here in the southern states, other states are only a few weeks away from their seasons beginning and some are even starting the day this will be posted. We’ve concluded the first major event on the high school schedule, the PG High School Showdown, and it was an epic weekend in Hoover. The event was littered with talent and these rankings reflect just that. St. John Bosco (CA) holds onto the first spot in this update and are being pushed by an IMG Academy (FL) team that’s 8-0 after winning the High School Showdown as well as beating two preseason top-10 teams in the first few weeks of the season. Orange Lutheran (CA) holds onto the No. 3 spot after a 1-0 start to the year and just a few weeks away from NHSI. A trio of Florida schools follow Olu in South Walton (FL), fresh off a win at the HS Showdown, Venice (FL), a surging team...
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Press Release | Press Release | 3/3/2026

PG & RaceTrac Expand Partnership

Perfect Game Staff
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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 AND RACETRAC ANNOUNCE EXPANDED PARTNERSHIP   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, March 3, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced an expanded partnership with RaceTrac, naming the convenience store brand the Official Convenience Store of Perfect Game in Georgia and Florida. The enhanced relationship significantly broadens RaceTrac’s presence across Perfect Game’s premier tournament venues and digital platforms, deepening its engagement with players, families, coaches and fans throughout two of the most active youth baseball markets in the country.   As part of the expanded agreement, RaceTrac will launch a robust...
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College | Story | 3/3/2026

College Players of the Week: March 3

Craig Cozart
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March 3 Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Cider Canon, OF, Duke  The Duke Blue Devils (11-3) went through massive changes in the offseason, with a new coaching staff and heavy roster turnover like is often seen in the college game today.  That hasn’t held them back as they have kind of flown under the radar on their way to a tie for the most wins in the nation.  They won 4 out 5 games last week and Cider Canon was the driving force behind their offensive onslaught.  The 5-11/180 outfielder from San Marino, CA put together an incredible week collecting 9 hits in 14 at-bats, good for a .643 BA, scoring 7 runs, with 3 walks, 4 home runs and driving in a total of 10 runs.  After a successful couple years at Davidson College, Cider made the trip north to Durham and has fit right into the Blue Devil’s high-octane offense.  For the season, he is...
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High School | General | 3/2/2026

HS Showdown Scout Notes: Days 2-3

Vincent Cervino
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High School Showdown Event Page | High School Showdown Preview High School Showdown Scout Notes: Day 1 An extended look at ‘26 3B/RHP Coleman Borthwick (FL)… 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 8 K, 0 BB #PGShowdown @SWseahawks @Florida_PG @PG_Draft https://t.co/IHJFWFbn4T pic.twitter.com/I2izGcEdyA — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 28, 2026 Coleman Borthwick (2026, Freeport, Fla.) was excellent over the weekend, securing MVP honors and delivering one of the best starts of the event on the mound. At 6-foot-6, 255-pounds, Borthwick is an ultra-physical prospect and one of the top two-way prospects in the draft. The Auburn signee drew the biggest crowd of MLB scouts in attendance as there were around 50 or 60 so lined up behind home plate on Friday morning. Borthwick was nothing short of dominant, striking out eight hitters and...
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College | Rankings | 3/2/2026

College Top 25: March 2

Vincent Cervino
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Three weeks in and we are beginning to see some separation across the country.  The quality and depth, or lack thereof, are becoming evident and the conference segment for several conferences starts up this weekend.  Midweek games continue to be a tossup and only the teams that are strong on both sides of the ball have been able to maintain momentum.  We have a new No. 1 in this week’s poll as UCLA (9-2) has already accumulated 5-wins against teams that are currently or were previously ranked in the Top 25.  With last weekend’s sweep of No. 17 Tennessee (8-3), Texas A&M (10-1) and No. 4 Mississippi State (11-1) at the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series, the Bruins leap now No. 2 LSU (11-1) and No. 3 Georgia Tech (11-1) to take over the top spot.  The Texas Longhorns (11-0) are up to No. 5 as one of only 3-remaining undefeated teams in the nation,...
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High School | General | 2/27/2026

HS Showdown Scout Notes: Day 1

Tyler Russo
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High School Showdown Event Page | High School Showdown Preview ‘27 1B Frank Thomas (FL) goes liftoff once again for 2nd HR, again in the L on L. Leveraging w/ such easy juice. #PGShowdown @IMGABaseball @Florida_PG https://t.co/BgWiDyMiMo pic.twitter.com/IC6sdAkhmT — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 26, 2026 Frank Thomas III (2027, Sarasota, Fl.) was all over a breaking ball in the first inning of an IMG Academy offensive explosion, making it back-to-back-to-back homers to start the game. He did not turn back from there, homering on two more occasions. The ball explodes off the barrel with low effort strength and he showed the ability to manipulate the barrel to lift with authority. Thomas III is built strong and physical and he is just beginning to tap into that huge power upside. He showed no issues handling left on left matchups, with his first two homers coming...
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Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 2/26/2026

PG Draft: Early Season Underclass Performers

Tyler Henninger
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Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 RHP Dax Whitney, Oregon State (‘27 elig.) Whitney may not just be the best arm in next year’s class, he may be the best arm in the entire country right now. The right-handed sits 98 mph with the heater and has been up to 100 mph. Both the slider and curveball are plus offerings that he spins extremely well. Whitney will mix in a quality Gavin changeup that sits in the upper-80’s and has also introduced a new cutter. All the pitches come from the exact same release point and jump out of the hand. He...
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High School | General | 2/26/2026

PGHS Showdown: Academies Scout Notes

AJ Denny
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Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) going WAY out to right. Rhythmic approach and smooth swing get into big time power. #Mountaineers commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/qyDaIPxIol — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) First live look at the left-handed hitting West Virgina commit. The power is real, launched two long homers in game action this weekend. Easy mover with very clean path with sky high offensive ceiling if he continues to show like this. Swing is built for power and lofted pull side impacts.    CJ Alfano (‘26 NY) long PS bomb this morning. Just leaning on everything that’s thrown over the heart. #WVU commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/4lGnhOEyrl — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Cj Alfano (‘26 NY)Just an impossible out throughout the weekend....
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High School | General | 2/27/2026

SoCal High School Notebook: Feb. 27

Steve Fiorindo
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5 K's over 4 hitless innings of work for Jared Grindlinger (2026), making first start as member of the 2026 class. 92-94 t95 w/ the FB, SL 80-83, CH 81-83, CB 77/78. Efficient outing, 50 pitches, 39 strikes. #PGHS @PG_scouting @PG_Draft @HBHS_basebll @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/y7jwX1oPyB — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) February 25, 2026 Jared Grindlinger, LHP, Huntington Beach High School (2026) Gringlinger’s first start as a member of the 2026 class was a good one… 4 innings of no hit ball with 5 strikeouts.  Ran the fastball to 95, lived 92-94, throwing a ton of strikes.  50 pitches on the day, 39 strikes, pretty much landing all four pitches in the zone.  Went to the slider early and often, quadrupling up on the slide piece to the first hitter of the game. The slider shows late lateral action with some vert, living 80-83.  Used...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/25/2026

Perfect Game Softball 16U Winter Elite Showcase

Dave Durbala
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SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball 16u Winter Elite Showcase, February 20-22, 2026. Twenty-Four teams arrived in Springfield for the opportunity to showcase some of the best talent in the midwest. After 3 pool play games,  the field was split and seeded into either the Platinum or Gold Division to begin bracket play.  With several highly sought after young arms on display, it was Indiana Magic Gold 16U Carroll and Indiana Magic Gold 14U National making it into the Platinum Division Championship, and through a mutual agreement, they decided to end the tournament as Co-Champions. In the Gold Division, it was Gts 16u Elite-Gonzalez with a 7-2 win over Cedar Rapids Blue Devils 14u, to earn the championship. Below are some of the players that played their way onto the top performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from both the Platinum and Gold Divisions. Earning the...
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