2014 Year in Review: MLB Draft | College | High School
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Both the 2014 Perfect Game showcase and tournament schedules kicked-off January, albeit on the opposite ends of the country. The PG World Showcase was held Jan. 4-5 in Fort Myers, Fla., while the third annual 14u, 16u and 18u PG MLK Championships tournament events were held two weeks later on Jan. 17-20 in Glendale, Ariz.
When the 16th annual PG WWBA World Championship came to an end in Jupiter, Fla., on Oct. 27, it marked the 63rd PG tournament event to reach its conclusion in 2014. In between the PG MLK Championships in Arizona and the World Championship in Florida, other tournaments were held in Georgia, Iowa, California, Texas and New Jersey.
The 43-event PG showcase schedule concludes Dec. 30 when the PG National Underclass Showcase-Main Event completes its three-day run at the JetBlue Park Player Development Complex in Fort Myers. The 43 showcases were staged from California to Puerto Rico, Massachusetts to Arizona, and many, many other stops in between.
What follows is a rundown of just 10 happenings that stood out from the 2014 calendar:
10. PG Park South at LakePoint opens its doors; PG Super25 champs crowned
At precisely 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 5, Perfect Game began writing another chapter in its already remarkable story when the gates flew open at Perfect Game Park South at LakePoint in Emerson, Ga., for the first games at the 2014 17u Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational.
The 17u PG-EC Invitational, which ran June 5-9 simultaneously with the 16u and 18u PG-EC Invitational, was the first of 26 Perfect Game tournaments the facility hosted, with that number expected to more than double in 2015.
The complex that opened in June featured four all-turf fields with state-of-the-art scoreboards and LED lighting that left players, coaches and parents alike appreciative of the efforts that went into getting the facility ready for use in early summer 2014.
“The fields play really well,” Home Plate Baseball head coach Esteban Maldonado told PG after his team opened play on the new fields with a 1-0 win over Team Elite Black. “It’s really impressive the way everything is set up. The whole layout is really nice.”
Home Plate left-hander Adam Goodman was the first pitcher to officially throw from the turf mound on one of the fields and was thrilled to be given the opportunity.
“It was a little nerve-racking but it was a great experience,” he told PG after working four shutout innings in the opening game. “There were a lot of people out there and it was an honor to get the first start. The mound is very realistic and felt like you were actually pitching on a dirt mound.”
Perfect Game’s archives will forever note the first championship teams ever crowned at Perfect Game Park South at LakePoint on June 9, 2014, were as follows: Team Elite Roadrunners (Georgia), 16u Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational; East Cobb Bulldogs (Georgia), 17u Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational; East Cobb Astros 18 (Georgia), 18u Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational.
Another “first” in 2014 was the crowning of the inaugural PG Super25 National Champions. The nine champions were: 9u, Midland Blackhawks (Ohio); 10u, Banditos Baseball (Texas); 11u, Arkansas Express (Ark.); 12u, East Coast Bombers (S.C.); 13u, PSA Red Sox (Miss.); 14u, Tri-State Arsenal (N.J.); 15u, Tri-State Arsenal (N.J.); 16u, East Cobb Astros (Ga.); 17u, Marucci Elite (La.).
9. 2016s, 2017s shine at PG Junior National, PG Underclass All-American Games
More than 170 top prospects from the high school classes of 2016 and 2017 were invited to this year’s Perfect Game Junior National Showcase which ran June 9-11 and preceded the PG National Showcase’s five-day run at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla.
As the event wrapped up, it was easy to reach the conclusion that there is no shortage of quality arms in the class of 2016 while the three top 2017 prospects at the event were position players.
Florida right-handers Austin Bergner, Anthony Molina and Gregory Veliz were identified by PG Vice President of Player Personnel David Rawnsley as the event’s top 2016 prospects. Bergner’s fastball touched 93 mph (he would reach 95 later in the summer), Molina was at 91 (93 at both the PG National Showcase and the PG WWBA World Championship) while Veliz – also a terrific shortstop – topped them all at 95 mph.
“Of course, it’s an honor to get chosen for Junior National. Some of the best players are here from Perfect Game and in the whole country,” said Veliz, who PG dubbed “The Key West Express” in reference to his Florida hometown.
“I’m coming out here and I’m trying to do good and I’m trying to get my ranking higher. I try to do the best that I can and, like I said, get higher than the person in front of me, and just fight. I want to study him and try to beat his numbers when I’m at home and then try to bring it here.”
Other top 2016 pitchers that stood out at the event included Florida left-hander Cole Ragans, Kansas righty Tyler Benninghoff and Utah right-hander Dakota Donovan, with Ragans flashing a 93 mph fastball.
2016 catchers Michael Amditis from Florida and Thomas Dillard from Tennessee enjoyed break-through performances, as did 2017 backstop Zach Jackson from Florida. The other 2017s that got the attention of scouts at the event included Texas outfielder Ronald Washington and Florida first baseman Alejandro Toral, ranked Nos. 1 and 5, respectively, in their national class.
The PG Underclass All-American Games showcase is held annually in San Diego on the two days immediately following the PG All-American Classic, and many of the top underclass players in attendance arrive with the thought of being invited to that event the following year.
The 2014 Games, held at the University of San Diego, showcased dozens of top 2016 and 2017 prospects from across the country, including PG Jr. National Showcase 2017 top prospect Ronald Washington. Six of the top-10 2016 prospects identified by PG’s Rawnsley at the event were position players, although three of the top-four were pitchers.
Herbert Iser, a catcher from Miami who is ranked No. 5 in the 2016 class and has committed to the U. of Miami, was put at the top of the Top Prospect List. Rawnsley wrote that Iser “has firmly established himself as one of the top prospects in the country this summer and perhaps the best overall position prospect. His combination of defensive tools and left-handed power/bat speed is outstanding.”
The top 2016 arms at the Under A-A Games belonged to Syracuse, N.Y., left-hander Jeff Belge (No. 6-ranked, St. John’s commit); Fort Worth, Texas, right-hander Blair Henley (No. 80, Texas) and Decatur, Ga., righty Garrett Gooden (No. 22, Georgia Tech).
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., right-hander Kyle Hurt (No. 44, Southern Cal) and Long Beach, Calif., outfielder JeVon Carrier-Ward (No. 43) joined Washington as the top 2017s at the showcase.
8. Young California teams play beyond their years
A couple of California-based organizations fielding teams consisting primarily of high school sophomores and freshmen made huge inroads in 2014, announcing in no uncertain terms that they will need to be reckoned with in 2015 and beyond.
BPA DeMarini Elite out of San Juan Capistrano’s roster was stocked with class of 2017 prospects – technically, a 15u team – that played on the 16u and 17u level all season and was quick to assert it could more than hold its ground against the older players.
DeMarini Elite won the championship at the powerhouse PG WWBA 16u National Championship in Emerson, Ga., behind the play of Most Valuable Player Hagen Danner (2017, Huntington Beach, Calif.) and co-MV Pitcher Zach Wolf (2015, Dana Point, Calif.). BPA DeMarini Elite beat the favored Team Elite Roadrunners, 1-0, in the championship game.
“This is the best tournament that we go to every summer and we enjoy coming out,” BPA DeMarini head coach Jared Sandler told PG at the conclusion of the event. “This is the farthest we go to play because we feel like it’s the best competition. Most of our team is 15-year-old kids playing up and we just take it game by game.”
BPA DeMarini Elite finished runner-up at the PG California World Series (Upperclass) tournament and in the final four at the PG/EvoShield National Championship (Upperclass).
Danner and Wolf were joined on the all-tournament teams at both the Cali WS Upper and the PG/EvoShield Upper by left-hander Jack Owen (2017, Coto De Caza, Calif.). Five other players were named to all-tournament at the PG/EvoShield event, including Hans Crouse, a 2017 right-hander from Dana Point who is ranked No. 3 nationally in his class.
BPA DeMarini Elite finished the 2014 season as the No. 1-ranked team in PG’s Final 16u Travel Team National Rankings.
Team Phenom out of Mareno Valley, Calif., finished No. 1 in the Final 14u Travel Team National Rankings after going undefeated while winning championships at the 14u Perfect Game MLK Championship and the PG WWBA 14u West Memorial Day Classic. Both tournaments were played at the Camelback Ranch spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz.
The Phenom finished 6-0-0 at the season opening 14u PG MLK Championship in mid-January behind the play of MV Pitcher Sean Osceola, a 2018 right-hander from Okeechobee, Fla. It was more of the same about four months later when Team Phenom again went 6-0-0 en route to winning the championship at the PG WWBA 14u West Memorial Day Classic in late May.
Outfielder Preston Hartsell (2018, Newport Coast, Calif.) was named the MV Player while right-hander Diego Alacron (2017, Lennox, Calif.) received the MV Pitcher nod.
“For me it’s kind of hard because I dictate success on long-term success,” Team Phenom founder and head coach Joe Keller told PG in reference to his team’s two titles. “I don’t really think winning a tournament builds who you are as a person. … It’s the step-by-step of making sure, first, these guys are getting prepared for high school and the next step is hopefully getting them prepared for college.”
7. All-Virginia championship game at PG WWBA Underclass World goes to Cardinals
College coaches and recruiting coordinators are recognizing the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship as the most important event on the PG tournament schedule, and this year they were treated to a championship game featuring most of the top underclass prospects from the state of Virginia.
With eight teams from seven states playing in the quarterfinal round of the PG national championship tourney played Oct. 9-13 at the JetBlue Park Player Development Complex in Fort Myers, Fla., the two Virginia outfits – the Virginia Cardinals out of Midlothian and the storied Richmond Braves National – landed in the championship game. In the end, the No. 8-seeded Cardinals routed the No. 1-seeded Braves National, 10-2, in the six inning run-rule finale.
Regardless of the outcome, it was a statement tournament for the quality of baseball played on the youth level in Old Dominion, which is also home to many of the top collegiate programs in the country.
“This really represents Virginia,” Braves National shortstop Andre Lipcius told PG. “We’re obviously the best state in America in our age group.”
The two Virginia teams eliminated powerhouse squads from Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina in the quarterfinals and semifinals on their roads to the championship game. The Braves National’s pitching staff had allowed only two runs in 41 innings (0.34 ERA) in its seven wins coming in, but the Cardinals jumped to a 3-0 lead after 2 ½ innings and never looked back.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” Virginia Cardinals head coach Rich Graham told PG. “They stayed diligent and competed on every single pitch the whole week long, and that’s what it takes when you’re facing teams like this. The Braves are a nationally recognized, long-standing, historically excellent program and it took every bit of our effort to come out on top.”
Cardinals 2016 right-hander Grey Lyttle from Ashland pitched a five-inning shutout in their 10-0 semifinal win over the Charlotte (N.C.) Megastars; he was named the MV Pitcher after going 2-0 and allowing only two hits and striking out nine over nine shutout innings.
The Braves National’s Lipcius, a 2016 Tennessee commit from Williamsburg, was named the tournament’s MV Player after batting 10-for-19 (.526), hitting for the cycle with three RBI and 11 runs scored. He also threw a complete-game shutout in the Braves National’s semifinal victory.
Twelve Cardinals (including Lyttle) and 11 Braves (including Lipcius) were named to the event’s all-tournament team.
“This just says a lot for Central Virginia and Virginia as a whole as a baseball hotbed, and it really is,” Graham said. “We’ve had a lot of high-end players come out of our area – like Justin Verlander and Sean Marshall and other players like that – but the youth baseball is fantastic; you see it in the colleges, as well. … There are hundreds of guys in Virginia who dedicate so much time and effort to teaching the kids how to play the game the right way.”
6. GBG, CBA show how the West was won
With Perfect Game’s ever-growing tournament presence in Arizona and California, relatively new organizations are starting to exert their strength and position themselves prominently on the national map on both the upperclass and underclass levels.
While traditionally strong California-based programs like the San Diego Show and NorCal Baseball (Pleasanton, Calif.) certainly remain relevant, two Southern California-based organizations emerged in 2014, primarily at the 17u and 16u levels.
Los Angeles-based Garciaparra Baseball Group (GBG) Marucci and Chino-based California Baseball Academy (CBA) Marucci combined to win five West Coast 17u and 16u tournaments and place five other teams in those tournaments’ final four.
GBG Marucci Navy won PG national titles in Glendale, Ariz., at the Perfect Game/EvoShield National Championship (Underclass) and PG/EvoShield National Championship (Upperclass) on consecutive weekends in September.
Perhaps most impressively, GBG Marucci made a run into the final four at the PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., in late October, finishing with a 6-1 record after a 2-0 loss to eventual runner-up Orlando Scorpions/Mets Scout Team in the semifinals.
GBG Marucci finished No. 3 in PG’s Final 17u Travel Team National Rankings while GBG Marucci Navy came in at No. 5 in the Final 16u Travel Team National Rankings.
“It’s not really showing people what we’re capable of, it’s showing these guys that they can play with anybody,” GBG founder, general manager and head coach Mike Garciaparra told PG while in Jupiter. “The teams and the talent out here, it’s huge and it’s immense and there are so many good teams, sometimes it’s hard for the California teams to make it out here.
“It’s like I tell the guys … if you guys play the game right and do the fundamental things right, you can win a ballgame; anybody can,” he continued. “It’s not about proving that we’re not better than anybody, we just want to say that we’re going to play baseball the best we can.”
CBA Marucci won PG tournament championships at the 16u Perfect Game MLK Championship in Glendale, Ariz., in late January then won both the inaugural PG California World Series (Upperclass) and PG California World Series (Underclass) championships on Oct. 5 on fields in Los Angeles and Northridge.
CBA also lost to GBG Navy, 9-6, in the championship game at the PG/EvoShield National Championship (Upperclass). Led by Perfect Game All-Americans Chris Betts and Kyler Molnar, CBA Marucci wound up No. 7 in PG’s Final 17u Travel Team National Rankings. The CBA Marucci underclass team came in at No. 4 in the Final 16u Travel Team National Rankings.
“It’s hard to actually put something like this together and have a team sustain itself for so long especially the way club baseball works nowadays with kids moving in and out,” Jon Paino, CBA’s executive director and head coach told PG while at the 17u PG World Series. “These guys are dedicated to each other and we’re dedicated to them, and when things get tough I think that allows them to work a little harder for each other and make sure that they take care of what they need to take care of.”
GBG outfielders Matt Lautz (2015, Agoura Hills, Calif.) and Jordan Prendiz (2016, Visalia, Calif.) were named the Most Valuable Player at the PG/Evo Upper and PG/Evo Under, respectively.
CBA right-hander Tim Holdgrafer (2015, San Diego) was the Most Valuable Pitcher at both the PG/Evo Upper and the PG Cali World Series Upper. Outfielder Luke Williams (2015, Laguna Hills, Calif.) received the MV Player award at the PG Cali WS Upper after slugging a walk-off grand slam in the championship game, and CBA’s Cameron Jabara (2016, Newport Beach, Calif.) and Nick Allen (2017, San Diego) were co-MVPs at the PG Cali WS Under.
5. ‘Prime Time’ for Elite Squad, Orlando Scorpions, Team Elite 17u’s, 16u’s
Although they had only one Perfect Game national championship between them to show for their efforts this summer and fall, Florida-based Elite Squad Prime and Orlando Scorpions Prime, and Georgia-based Team Elite Prime shared more than the word ‘Prime’ in their names in 2014.
Collectively, the 17u, 16u and 15u “Prime” teams from these three prominent organizations accounted for 15 podium finishes at numerous PG tournaments, including PG WWBA, PG BCS and PG World Series national championships. It was an impressive show of force from programs that consistently assemble national championship-caliber teams and proudly put them on display at PG’s most prestigious tournaments.
Elite Squad 16u Prime, headed by founder, owner and head coach Richie Palmer, won the only PG national championship among these Prime teams this season, grabbing the title at the 16u PG BCS Finals in Fort Myers, Fla, in early July. As fate would have it, Elite Squad Prime met Team Elite Prime in the championship game and cruised to an unexpectedly easy 10-0, six inning win.
Elite Squad Prime finished 11-0 at the tournament, Team Elite Prime 10-1. The Squad’s Gregory Veliz was named the MV Player and right-hander Nick McDonald won two of those 11 games – including the championship – and was named the MV Pitcher.
“This means everything,” Palmer told PG after the championship game. “First and foremost, we want to get kids to the next level and one thing we’ve prided ourselves on is that not only do we showcase our kids, but we teach them lessons through going out there and trying to win championships. I think it reveals a lot of character, going through adversity and playing for something. These kids play for each other and they have a chance to be very special.”
This Elite Squad Prime 16u team was special all season. It finished as the runner-up at both the 16u PG World Series and PG WWBA Florida Qualifier and reached the playoffs at the PG WWBA 16u National Championship and PG WWBA Underclass World Championship. It finished No. 7 in PG’s Final 16u Travel Team National Rankings; the Team Elite Prime 16u team finished No. 13 in the Final 16u Rankings (Team Elite Roadrunners, with a different roster from Prime, were No. 5 in the rankings).
The Elite Squad Prime, Orlando Scorpions Prime and Team Elite Prime 17u teams were stocked with some of the most outstanding senior talent in the country. Five PG All-Americans dotted their rosters all through the summer and fall: No. 1-ranked 2015 prospect and shortstop Brendan Rodgers and catcher Nick Fortes from the Scorpions; outfielder/first baseman Isiah Gilliam and catcher/outfielder Elih Marrero from Team Elite, and outfielder Danny Reyes from Elite Squad.
Elite Squad 17u Prime landed at No. 4 in the PG Final 17u Travel Team National Rankings after finishing as co-champions at the 18u East Memorial Day Classic and runner-up at the PG WWBA 17u National Championship, and reaching the semifinals at the 17u PG World Series and the playoffs at the PG WWBA World Championship.
The Orlando Scorpions Prime added a couple more PG All-Americans for the PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., in late October, and playing under the name of Orlando Scorpions/Mets Scout Team finished as runner-up to the EvoShield Canes. The Scorpions Prime also reached the playoffs at the PG WWBA 17u National Championship and finished at No. 5 in the Final 17u Rankings.
Team Elite Prime won the PG WWBA Southeast Qualifier #1, reached the quarterfinals at the PG WWBA World Championship and the round-of-16 at the PG WWBA 17u National Championship and finished No. 9 in the Final 17u Rankings.
Another Georgia-based 16u team whose efforts in 2014 are worth noting were the storied East Cobb Astros. Playing up as they always do, the Astros finished as runner-up at the 17u PG BCS Finals, reached the semifinals at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship and earned playoff berths at the PG WWBA 17u, 18u and World Championships. They were also the inaugural 16u PG Super25 National Champions, and finished No. 2 in the Final 16u National Rankings.
And yet another Georgia-based team, this one a 15u group headquartered in Alpharetta, rose to the top spot in the Final 15u National Rankings thanks to a stellar summer of play. The Georgia Jackets won PG national championships at the WWBA 15u National Championship, the 15u BCS Finals and the 15u PG-East Cobb Invitational, reached the semifinals at the PG Elite Underclass Championship and the quarterfinals at the WWBA 16u National Championship.
4. Eyes of Texas focused on Houston Banditos in 2014
The venerable Houston Banditos climbed back to the top of the PG national ladder when it won the championship at the 17u Perfect Game World Series. The Banditos beat Elite Squad Baseball in two separate rounds of the playoffs, avenged a pool-play loss to CBA Marucci in another playoff round and then stunned the favored EvoShield Canes in the championship game to grab the title.
The Banditos battled not only the intense competition provided at the prestigious 20-team PG national championship tournament but also three straight days of 113-degree temperatures in Goodyear, Ariz., to finish 7-1-0. Due to the tournament format, they had to beat the leather-tough Elite Squad in both the first round of the playoffs and the semifinals, while beating CBA Marucci in the quarterfinals to avenge an earlier loss.
That led to the championship game against the Canes where they teed off on three elite Canes pitchers – including PG All-American Ashe Russell – for six earned runs on 12 hits in a rousing 10-4 victory. Garrett Wolforth tripled and drove in three runs, Chris Scherff was 3-for-4 with two RBI and Joe Davis went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI to lead the Banditos.
“We live by a phrase on this team, ‘Never stop playing,’ and I’ve said that phrase about a thousand times since I’ve been on Arizona soil,” Banditos head coach Robert DeLeon told PG after the championship game victory. “These boys understand what that means and we never stopped playing.”
2016 outfielder Conner Capel from Katy, Texas – a Texas commit ranked No. 23 nationally – was named the Most Valuable Player after hitting 14-for-25 (.583) with two doubles, a home run, six RBI and seven runs scored. Cedar Park, Texas, 2015 right-hander Christopher Paddack was named the MV Pitcher who finished 2-0 and allowed just one earned run in 10 innings (0.70 ERA) with 13 strikeouts and five walks.
“We just came together as a brotherhood … and we just kept playing. ‘Never stop playing’ is one of the things that Coach has been telling us,” Paddack told PG. “We never stopped playing, we came together as a group and I’m really excited.”
The Banditos – with a roster that included PG All-Americans Kody Clemens and Ryan McKay – weren’t done winning after they left the desert. They resurfaced at the 5th annual PG WWBA South Qualifier near their Houston home in Tomball, Texas, as not only the three-time defending champion but the prohibitive favorite to win a fourth straight; they didn’t disappoint.
Davis, the Banditos’ 6-foot, 220-pound 2015 catcher from Austin who is ranked 86th nationally and has signed with the University of Houston, proved early the playing fields at the Premier Baseball of Texas facility were not going to be able to contain him.
The Banditos won all seven of their games at the South Q riding Davis’s bat as he .435 (10-for-23) with five home runs – including a two-run shot in the 5-1 championship game victory over the South Texas Sliders – three doubles, 12 RBI, seven runs scored and a 1.697 OPS. He was named the MV Player.
But everyone contributed to this championship, from the 14 pitchers Banditos founder, owner and head coach Ray DeLeon employed over the four days to other top-line hitters like Wolforth, Clemens and Andres P. Sosa.
“It’s a team effort; as you can see every day and every game someone does something different,” Ray DeLeon told PG after the title game. “… It’s all a team effort, man, and everybody here brings something to the table. It’s flattering for me to have such a great group that you can just sit over there like you’re on a couch and watch the game play out.”
Other Houston Banditos teams finished third at the PG WWBA 16u National Championship in Emerson, Ga., in July and won the 13u PG BCS Finals championship in Fort Myers, Fla., in June. Houston Banditos team finished No. 2 in the 17u Travel Team National Rankings, No. 12 in the 16u Rankings, No. 16 in the 15u, No. 2 in the 14u, No. 5 in the 13u and No. 1 in the 12u.
3. EvoShield Canes win 2nd straight PG WWBA World, PG WWBA 17u national titles
The elite, Virginia-based EvoShield Canes organization came into the 2014 Perfect Game tournament season looking to build upon and ultimately surpass the considerable success it had enjoyed the previous season.
EvoShield Canes teams were among the pace-setters in 2013, winning PG national championship titles at the PG WWBA 16u National Championship, the 17u Perfect Game World Series and, ultimately, the PG WWBA World Championship.
With the bar set so high, the Canes came within a whisker of pulling off that notable trifecta again in 2014. They went out and won the PG WWBA 17u National Championship the second week in July in Emerson, Ga., before slipping ever so slightly with a runner-up finish at the 17u PG World Series the last week in July, this time in Glendale, Ariz.
Beaten but not buried, the Canes rallied to win their second straight PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., the final week of October, capping a season in which they finished in the No. 1 spot in PG’s Final 17u Travel Team National Rankings.
“These guys just have a knack for winning. We’ve only lost three baseball games the entire year and we’ve played since June,” EvoShield Canes general manager and head coach Jeff Petty told PG after winning his second straight WWBA World Championship. “They just know how to win and I can’t say enough about them … this group of kids just going out there and competing and being able to score runs when we need it.”
This season’s championship run began at Perfect Game Park South at LakePoint in Emerson when the Canes 17u introduced themselves to the rest of the country’s top 17u teams rather rudely by rolling past their first 11 opponents by a combined score of 72-16, including 24-4 in four playoff wins.
That set up a championship game against the equally as formidable Elite Squad 17u Prime from Pembroke Pines, Fla., a game the Canes won 5-2 to complete the championship run with a 12-0 record.
2015 first baseman Desmond Lindsay, a North Carolina signee from Bradenton, Fla., currently ranked the country’s No. 52 top prospect in his class, was named the event’s Most Valuable Player. 2015 right-handers, Perfect Game All-Americans and Texas A&M recruits Ashe Russell from Indianapolis and Beau Burrows from Weatherford, Texas, were named the co-MV Pitchers; a total of nine Canes were named to the all-tournament team.
The Canes lost their opening game at the prestigious, 20-team 17u PG World Series to the Georgia Roadrunners then won six straight to earn a spot in the championship opposite the powerful Houston Banditos. The Texans were not to be denied on this day, sending the Canes packing with a 10-4 knockout punch. Nine Canes were named to the all-tournament team, including Lindsay and Burrows.
Climbing confidently back in the saddle, the Canes rode into Jupiter determined not be knocked-out again. In their eight wins – including an 8-2 victory over the talent-laden Orlando Scorpions/Mets Scout Team in the championship game played at Roger Dean Stadium – they scored 48 runs and hit .284 as a team, with 15 of their 42 hits going for extra bases.
Brad Debo, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound catcher from Durham, N.C., who is ranked 31st nationally and is committed to South Carolina, went 2-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI in the championship game victory. He hit .286 with nine RBI and four runs scored in the Canes’ eight games but went 4-for-11 (.364) with two doubles, seven RBI and three runs scored in their four playoff games; he was named the Most Valuable Player.
“This has been crazy,” Debo told PG after the championship game. “This is the first time that I’ve played with these guys – I played a couple of games with them last weekend – but I came in and I knew my role; I came in to help out because they were down a catcher and they needed me. I’m just glad to be here and help the team win games.”
Petty used 13 pitchers in Jupiter and to a man they were brilliant. They combined to allow just five earned runs in 52 innings (0.67 ERA) with 76 strikeouts and 22 walks.
2015 right-hander Nic Enright, a Virginia Tech recruit from Richmond, Va., pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts and no walks, and Logan Allen, a South Carolina recruit from Fletcher, N.C., threw a complete game, five-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and four walks to highlight the pitching efforts.
Allen is the only prospect that was a member of all five of the EvoShield Canes’ teams that won PG national championships the last two years. He was named the Most Valuable Pitcher at the 2013 PG WWBA 16u National Championship and to the all-tournament team at four of the five events.
“It’s been an unreal experience,” Allen told PG at the conclusion of the 2014 season. “Coach Petty and the rest of the guys have just been a world-class organization and being given the chance to be a part of that team is something I’ll never forget. Being together with such great guys has really helped with my success.”
2. Prospects push, perform at 14th PG National Showcase
The expanded 14th annual Perfect Game National Showcase that played out June 12-16 at the JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla., was memorable on many fronts. Forty-three of the top-50 nationally ranked prospects at the time from the 2015 graduating class were on hand, a number that included 26 of the top-30, 18 of the top-20 and the entire top-10.
The pre-showcase hyperbole centered on a trio of shortstops, all ranked in the top-five nationally going into the event: Brendan Rodgers from Florida, John Aiello from Pennsylvania and Nick Shumpert from Colorado.
Rodgers rose to No. 1 in the national rankings following his performance at the event, where he ran a 6.78-second 60-yard dash, threw 93 mph across the infield and hit a pair of home runs over the replica Green Monster in left field and another to straightaway center field at JetBlue Park.
“It makes me push myself,” Rodgers said of the PG National experience. “Seeing how I know most of these kids out here, all of the top players, from friends, seeing them makes me push myself to do a little better. I know them all; it’s fun being around them, nice meeting them, so it’s fun being out here with all these kids.”
Going into the PG National, scouts also expected to be totally impressed by Georgia outfielder Dazmon Cameron and he did not disappoint. Cameron had held down the No. 1 ranking in the class of 2015 for more than a year and showed all five of his impressive tools during the workouts and game action at the event.
Gordon was a member of the PG Red team at the National, which featured many of the top class of 2015 prospects from across the country. During one game, the PG Red infield featured first baseman Isiah Gilliam, second baseman Cadyn Grenier, shortstop Alonzo Jones and Aiello playing third base, each of whom were also selected to play at the PG All-American Classic in August.
Yet another prospect whose stock rose considerably at the National was South Carolina outfielder Kep Brown, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound right-handed power-hitter who shined in all aspects of his game during the three days he was in Southwest Florida. He has since risen to No. 20 in the national rankings.
“I couldn’t have pictured it going any better,” Brown told PG after his participation at the event concluded. “The way I played, the way my team played, the way the workouts went – a lot of my friends did real well. It was a great experience; I’m not going to lie, it was awesome.”
Indiana right-hander Ashe Russell was one of the last pitchers to throw on the final day of the National Showcase and he wowed the many scouts still hanging around with his 95 mph fastball. It was an outing that earned him the starting nod for the East Team at the PG All-American Classic later in the summer.
Russell, ranked fifth nationally, wasn’t the only pitcher throwing BBs during the five-day PG National Showcase, of course. California right-hander Mike Nikorak (No. 7-ranked) threw the hardest with his fastball topping out at 97 mph, while Texas righty and Beau Burrows (No. 6) delivered his top offering at 96 mph.
“I felt pretty good out there,” Burrows told PG after his outing. “I had a lot of adrenaline and it was hot, so I was sweating and my blood was running. So I guess I was throwing pretty well, I felt pretty good out there.”
A couple of other right-handers – No. 24-ranked Luken Baker from Texas and No. 36 Joe DeMers from California – cranked-out 95 mph fastballs; nine other pitchers reached 94 mph at the event.
1. 12th PG All-American Classic another 'awesome' experience
Perfect Game and the Pacific Oceanside city of San Diego, Calif., were once again honored to host 54 of nation’s top prospect for 12th annual Perfect Game All-American Classic, Aug. 10, played for the sixth straight year at the San Diego Padres’ downtown Petco Park.
The West rolled to a 7-0 victory over the East, its fourth straight win dating to the 2011 game, a streak that started after the East won four straight from 2007 through 2010. The seven-run winning margin was the most in the event’s 12-year history.
California left-hander Kolby Allard was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after striking out the East’s Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters – Daniel Reyes, Brandt Stallings and Cornelius Randolph – in order in the top of the second inning.
“There really weren’t many nerves. I was just going out here and trying to have as much fun as I can,” Allard told PG after receiving his award. “… This has been awesome. Perfect Game put on an amazing event and they treated us like kings, to be honest.
“Just to be out here with all the best players in the country is just totally humbling and it’s just completely awesome.”
West’s 10 pitchers held the East Team to two hits with all 10 throwing fastballs of at least 92 mph. California left-hander Justin Hooper delivered a game-high 97 mph rocket with his West teammate Joe DeMers from California coming through at 96. East right-handers Austin Smith from Florida and Beau Burrows from Texas also threw 96 during the game.
The West hitters totaled just six hits – all singles – but took advantage of four East errors and two wild pitches to score five unearned runs.
The Perfect Game All-American Classic is about much more than the game itself, of course. All proceeds generated from the event go San Diego’s Rady Children’s Hospital and its Herculean pediatric cancer research efforts. The All-Americans took part in their own fund-raising efforts leading up to the event and raised nearly $50,000 that went toward the cause.
“When you’re selected to a game like this it’s amazing, and you walk away proud to be able to actually do something with that selection and be able to make a difference with that selection,” said East team outfielder Willie Burger from Pennsylvania, who raised more than $5,700 himself. “Luckily, everybody was very generous and able to give to this cause. The fund-raising part of this was just amazing.”
The annual Perfect Game All-American Classic Awards Banquet was held at the San Diego Hall of Champions the evening of Aug. 9; seven of the game’s top prospects received prestigious awards.
Georgia outfielder Dazmon Cameron, the son of former MLB All-Star Mike Cameron, received the Jackie Robinson Award as the 2014 Perfect Game National Player of the Year.
“It’s an honor, man. It’s Jackie Robinson,” Daz Cameron told PG after receiving the award. “It’s great to be named the Jackie Robinson Award Player of the Year; it’s just great. … There is always a lot more hard work to put it; that’s the way you’re supposed to go about the game. Working hard plays a big role in this game and staying humble is a big part, too.”
The other 2014 award winners were:
Greg Pickett, Louisville Slugger Most Outstanding Offensive Player; Brendan Rodgers, Rawlings Defensive Player of the Year Award; Chris Betts, EvoShield SWAG Award; Justin Hooper, Baseball Prospectus Prospect of the Year; Ryan McKay, Baseball America Pitcher of the Year; Jahmai Jones, Perfect Game Nick Adenhart Award.