2016 Perfect Game High School Showdown-Academies Event Page | Schedule
Bandits PR (Gurabo, Pa.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Kiani Marquez (RHP, 2016, Follow List)
• Rafael Burgos (1B, 2017, High Follow)
Pitching
Top arm, senior righthander Kiani Marquez, looks to build off a strong showing at the PG Caribbean Showcase this past winter. He should continue to see his velocity improve as well as his off-speed pitches. Righthanders Antonio Yulian and Carols Rios each look to eat innings for the Bandits.
Offense
Junior first basemen Rafael Burgos has a loose, aggressive swing at the plate and will serve as the big bat in the Bandits offense. Ricardo Reyes will be up the middle playing shortstop and will look to be a catalyst at the plate.
Summary
The Bandits of Puerto Rico have a couple well known names that look to make strides during this year’s Showdown. They will face off against Next Level and Team Wilson-Academia on the fields of LakePoint.
Brunswick School (Greenwich, Conn.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Ted Sabato (OF, 2016, 324)
• Trevor Johnson (OF, 2016, 500)
• Connor Redahan (3B, 2016, High Follow)
• Michael Beninati (RHP, 2017, Follow List)
Pitching
Senior Ted Sabato, when he’s not in the outfield, should look to fill innings for Brunswick with a fastball up to 92 mph. They will also look to get contributions from junior righthander Michael Beninati. Sophomores Trystan Sacrone and Nicholas Mosher also look to impress making the jump to the varsity roster.
Offense
Offensively for Brunswick they return their top three hitters as seniors to a deep lineup. A North Carolina commit, Sabato is the highest ranked member of the group with a strong arm from the outfield to go with a power bat and his aforementioned pitching talents. Fellow seniors Trevor Johnson and Connor Redahan should also contribute offensively.
Summary
Led on both the mound and at the plate, Brunswick should be formidable behind Ted Sabato. They feature a deep lineup as well as some young depth in the pitch staff. They will play St. Anne’s as well as NewMaldy Baseball in pool play.
Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, Conn.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Rich Gilbride (SS, 2016, Top 1000)
• Michael Pasic (C, 2016, Top 1000)
• David Stiehl (RHP, 2016, Top 1000)
• Austen Michel (RHP, 2016, High Follow)
• Jake Randolph (LHP, 2017, 500)
• Griffin Burke (OF, 2017, High Follow)
• Christopher Holcomb (LHP, 2018, 300)
Pitching
Returning a very deep pitching staff, Cheshire will be led by Northeastern commit David Stiehl. They’ll also receive contributions from senior Austen Michel, junior Jake Randolph and touted sophomore Christopher Holcomb.
Offense
Rich Gilbride and Michael Pasic, who committed to Sienna and Maine respectively, look to lead a talented lineup as up-the-middle seniors. They’ll also look to get an impact from junior outfielder Griffin Burke.
Summary
Cheshire returns most of their lineup from a year ago as well as a very deep pitching staff highlighted by David Stiehl. First year Head Coach John Toffey comes over after a long run of success at Salisbury and looks to continue that success in Georgia.
Conrad Academy (Orlando, Fla.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Jouseph Renovales (OF, 2016, Top 1000)
• Michael Perez (LHP, 2017, Top 1000)
Pitching
Junior lefthander Michael Perez is incredibly projectable at 6-foot-4 with good present strength and a fastball that hits the upper-80s. Seniors Manuel Montero and Christian Rivera each will also be heavily relied upon this season for Conrad.
Offense
Led by Renovales and first basemen Cesar Alvarez, the Conrad offense should be formidable. Both Renovales and Alvarez should hit in the middle of the lineup with fellow seniors Alberto Payares and Daniel Soto also collecting significant at-bats.
Summary
Conrad Academy returns a good number of their players from a year ago including top senior, Renovales. Their lineup is deep with multiple two-way players to help give them added versatility.
East Cobb Academy (Marietta, Ga.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Brycen Jones (RHP, 2016, Top 1000)
• Justin Barnett (C/1B, 2017, High Follow)
• Austin Beyers (RHP, 2017, High Follow)
• Nolan Condle (1B/OF, 2017, Follow List)
Pitching
Georgia Southern commit Brycen Jones leads a talented East Cobb Academy staff and should continue to be their No. 1 starter. Zach Ottinger and Austin Beyers also look to eat significant innings for East Cobb this season.
Offense
Nolan Condle and Justin Barnett, a pair of 2017 infielders, look to hit in the middle of the lineup for East Cobb. Condle primarily will play first base while Barnett handles the catching duties.
Summary
The pitching is a solid stride ahead of the hitting as compared to a year ago as Head Coach Matt Hightower will rely on his talented stable of arms to keep games close and give the offense a chance.
Faith Baptist (Ludowici, Ga.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Irvin Cespedes (SS, 2016, Top 1000)
• Neulon Rolle (OF, 2016, Follow List)
Pitching
Faith Baptist returns a plethora of pitching options including Jostyn Baez-Rodriguez, Julio Blanco, Pedro Castellanos and Jarin Lara, just to name a few. All of them are talented options to call on in any situation.
Offense
Their offense will rely on leadoff hitter Irvin Cepsedes to help set the table and man the shortstop position. Outfielder Neulon Rolle looks to contribute as well with a line drive oriented swing that works all fields.
Summary
With 23 returning seniors, Faith Baptist will have an incredibly deep, experienced team. They will look to build off of last year’s championship performance and continue to improve behind their impressive senior class.
Home Plate Citadels (Peachtree City, Ga.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• J.D. Masters (LHP/1B, 2016, Top 1000)
• Timothy Shaw (RHP, 2016, High Follow)
• Michael Young (1B/OF, 2017, Follow List)
• Makenzie Stills (RHP/SS, 2018, 23)
Pitching
Pitching should be the strength of the Home Plate Citadels team that is led by senior J.D. Masters. The big name on the roster is Makenzie Stills who comes in as the 23rd ranked player in the 2018 class and has already run his fastball up to 94 mph. Timothy Shaw should also make contributions on the mound giving the Citadels a trio of strong candidates on the mound.
Offense
Offensively, first baseman Michael Young and third baseman Chase Morey look to fill the middle of the Citadels’ lineup. They will also have the benefit of Stills playing shortstop when he’s not on the mound.
Summary
Pitching will easily be the strength of the Citadels throughout the Showdown with a trio of ranked arms, as well as Stills, who should draw an impressive crowd when he takes the mound.
Johnson Ferry Christian Academy Saints (Marietta, Ga.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Trevor Austin (SS/RHP, 2017, High Follow)
• Danny Glenos (RHP/OF, 2018, Follow List)
• Daniel Southern (3B, 2018, Follow List)
• Michael Buice (RHP, 2018, Follow List)
• Jacob Berger (SS, 2019, Follow List)
Pitching
Starting pitching for the Saints will rely on a pair of talented underclassmen in their first two games. Sophomore Danny Glenos has a very impressive, tall build for his age and already throws in the low-80s. Freshman Michael Buice also looks to collect innings and further improve on his already impressive profile as a youngster.
Offense
Junior shortstop Trevor Austin should help ignite the Saints’ offense at the top of the order. Glenos, as mentioned above, should also get at-bats with present strength in his frame and a power approach. Daniel Southern has also impressed in the past as a switch hitter with a line drive swing that works up the middle.
Summary
One of the younger rosters attending the Showdown this weekend, the Saints will look to make gains as a team against older competition. They’re balanced in all facets of the game and should compete against their first two opponents, the Home Plate Citadels and the Okotoks Dawgs.
NewMaldy Baseball (Peachtree City, Ga.)
Pitching
The NewMaldy Baseball program is led by a pair of intriguing yet relatively unknown arms, senior Joshua Isaac Castillo and sophomore Jan López Andrades. Due to the unfamiliarity of these two pitchers, and the programs as a whole, their games are bound to draw a crowd.
Offense
Sophomore Yeankrlos Lleras Verdejo should be manning the middle of the infield and the top of the lineup for NewMaldy and could see time on the mound as well. Junior Anthony Huggins Suárez will be doing the catching, while senior Morales De la Cruz will be at the hot corner.
Summary
With a talented group of foreign players, the NewMaldy baseball program looks to make a name for themselves while playing St. Anne’s-Belfield Saints and the Brunswick School.
NewMaldy Elite (Carolina, Puerto Rico)
Pitching
Luis Roberto Diaz should be the opening starter for NewMaldy Elite with a very loose, projectable frame and a live fastball. Robert Rodriguez will slide in the No. 2 slot with a good build and two-pitch mix.
Offense
Coaches are excited about outfielder Andres Rolon’s impact at both the plate and on the bases with his impact speed. Eduardo Rosario will also be handling the outfield duties for NewMaldy with plus speed as his primary attribute. Yerald Pagan is the team’s starting catcher and he should hit in the middle of their lineup.
Summary
The NewMaldy Elite program has a good core of both young offensive and pitching talent that should continue to gel together. They’ll face off against a talented Cheshire Academy and TNXL Academy Ducks.
NewMaldy/Team Elite (Cayey, Puerto Rico)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Rafael Rodriguez (RHP, 2017, High Follow)
Pitching
Senior Eric Villanueva is the top starter on the split NewMaldy and Team Elite club, noted for an explosive fastball from his projectable 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame. Rafael Rodriguez, ranked as a high follow out of Puerto Rico, has already run his fastball in the mid-80s and coaches are excited about him moving forward.
Offense
Alejandro Abdiel is vaunted as one of the top catchers in Puerto Rico in the 2018 class and should hit in the middle of their lineup. Outfielder Jesus Padilla has shown impressive pop in his bat and the ability to drive the ball to all fields.
Summary
The third NewMaldy team in the event, they have several players to get excited about including Rodriguez and Abdiel. They should compete well, despite a tough schedule in the Showdown.
Next Level Baseball Academy (Montgomery, Ala.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Deandre Pitts (MIF/RHP, 2016, 500)
• Troy Weatherly (1B, 2016, Top 1000)
• Baker Weldon (OF/RHP, 2017, 436)
• Stephen Cullen (3B, 2017, 500)
Pitching
Next Level features a one-two punch of junior righthander Koree Peppers and sophomore righthander Garrett Dyess. Top hitting prospect Deandre Pitts should also make an appearance on the mound.
Offense
Next Level features a deep and talented roster for hitters starting with Alabama State commit, Deandre Pitts. Talented juniors Baker Weldon and Stephen Cullen also look to make a big impact at the plate.
Summary
The hitting is a step ahead of the pitching for Next Level, but they absolutely should compete. Their lineup should continue to keep them in games and always give them a chance to rally.
North Metro GA Baseball (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Justin Feliciano (C/3B, 2016, Top 1000)
• Keith Nowak (RHP/1B, 2017, Follow List)
Pitching
In regards to their pitching, North Metro should rely on a pair of lefthanders, Brandon Mohler and Dillon Jenkins. They should also receive contributions from junior righthander Keith Nowak.
Offense
The offense will be led by leadoff hitter and outfielder Matt Taylor, who should impact the game with both his bat and in-game speed. Justin Feliciano should hit in the middle of the lineup with real power potential as a player behind the plate.
Summary
North Metro looks to follow up on a strong finish from a year ago posting 15 wins in 2015. Their offense is a step ahead of their pitching going into the season led by Feliciano and Taylor.
Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Academy (Calgary, Alberta)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Justin King (OF, 2016, 384)
• Peter Hutzal (SS, 2016, Top 1000)
• Luke Lepine (C, 2016, High Follow)
• Zack Demchenko (RHP, 2016, High Follow)
• Brett Esau (3B/MIF, 2016, Follow List)
Pitching
Senior Zack Demchenko looks to take the No. 1 spot in the rotation armed with a mid-80s fastball and feel for a changeup. Ben Thompson looks to follow up his appearance in the World Baseball Classic Qualifier with a strong performance as well. The coaches are also excited about sophomore Tyler McWillie, who’s already hitting the mid-80s and should eat innings for them this year.
Offense
Northern Kentucky commit Justin King will man the middle of the lineup for the Dawgs as the top ranked player on their team. Brett Esau also looks to show off the pop in his bat, while shortstop Peter Hutzal mans the middle of the infield and top of the order.
Summary
Head Coach Allen Cox returns many of his top players with a loaded senior class. They look to repeat as Provincial State champs behind a strong crop of seniors, highlighted by a deep lineup and strong defense.
Puma Baseball Academy- Demarini WI (Kenosha, Wis.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Garrett Labreche (MIF, 2017, High Follow)
Pitching
Junior lefthander Devin Puckett should take the mound in game one or two for Puma as he features a low- to mid-80s fastball. Garret Labreche should also make an appearance on the mound with a strong arm.
Offense
Labreche is also the top hitting player on Puma and should occupy one of the two up-the-middle infield spots. Puma will also be looking for contributions from infielders Ryan Hughes and Danny Osep.
Summary
A thin roster could produce some surprises with a large group of talented unknown prospects from Wisconsin. Their first two games will be against Conrad Academy and East Cobb Academy.
St. Anne’s-Belfield Saints (Charlottesville, Va.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Bobby Nicholson (RHP, 2016, 168)
• Jalen Harrison (OF, 2016, 500)
• Nic Kent (SS, 2018, 95)
Pitching
Led by one of the top righthanders in the country, Bobby Nicholson returns for his senior season with a fastball that consistently sits in the mid-90s. Danny Benner as well as Nic Kent should also see time on the mound.
Offense
Another UVa commit, Jalen Harrison looks to pick up where he left off a year ago for the Saints as he mans one of the outfield spots. Kent, who as noted also contributes on the mound, is primarily known as a shortstop and is ranked 95th in the 2018 class.
Summary
Coming off a first place finish and 11-1 record in conference a year ago, the Saints return their three top players from 2015. Their trio of UVa commits look to lead them back to another strong year.
Team Wilson-Academia (Marietta, Ga.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Holden Thompson (OF/RHP, 2016, High Follow)
• James Simmons (OF, 2016, Follow List)
Pitching
Team Wilson-Academia seems to be thin on paper heading into the tournament with only a trio of primary pitchers as well as talented two-way Holden Thompson, but there is some intriguing two-way depth to look forward to. Owen Caproila also looks to impress and collect innings.
Offense
As mentioned in the pitching section, Holden Thompson is the team’s highest ranked player with a strong, athletic build and a power approach. James Simmons looks to set the table with good speed and a spray approach at the plate.
Summary
Armed with one of the smaller rosters of any team in the Showdown, Team Wilson-Academia looks to rely on a team full of versatile athletes. With their pair of talented outfielders, they hope to jump on teams at the plate and force mistakes on the basepaths.
TNXL Academy Ducks (Altamonte Springs, Fla.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank)
• Carols A. Cortes (C/UT, 2016, 13)
• Riley Hogan (3B, 2016, 460)
• Brock Howard (MIF, 2016, 500)
• Alex Ray (SS, 2016, 500)
• Jordan Santos (C/2B, 2016, 500)
• Joe Sostre (SS, 2016, Top 1000)
• Ethan Koehler (LHP, 2016, Top 1000)
• Isiah Wilson (OF, 2016, High Follow)
• Jack Leftwich (RHP, 2017, 222)
• Zane Stephens (RHP, 2017, 300)
• Michael Largey (OF, 2017, 500)
• Ryan Dease (RHP, 2017, 500)
• Tyler Jones (RHP, 2017, Top 1000)
• Austin Mitchell (C, 2018, High Follow)
Pitching
Junior righthander Jack Leftwich leads a very talented and deep Ducks team. The uncommitted starter is joined in the rotation with Campbell commit Ethan Koehler, UCF commit Ryan Dease, and Tyler Jones.
Offense
Much like their pitching, the Ducks are loaded on offense as well. Led by PG All-American Carlos Cortes, the Ducks will also look for contributions from fellow South Carolina commit Riley Hogan. FAU recruit Alex Ray and Clemson commit Brock Howard should form a talented combo up the middle as well.
Summary
You can really start with either facet for TNXL. The newly founded academy is loaded top to bottom with talent with nine Division I commits. Coming in to the Showdown-Academies, the Ducks appear to be the favorites ahead of the rest of the field.