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General  | Blog | 11/30/2023

Scout Stories: Part 2

Scout Stories: Part 1

New England Dream Team (2024 & 2025 Grads)

We’ve officially reached that point in the year where many guys are shut down for the Winter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still recognize studs across the region who have made an impact in 2023. Listed above is a group of players a coach could only dream of having in the dugout with a wide range of advanced talents to say the least. With 28 D1 commits, it’s safe to say that there’s an abundance of riches available when it comes to constructing a lineup.



Starting with the infield, there’s tons of balance present in terms of pure offensive value, as many of the names listed have shown the ability to hit for both contact and power. Depending on the route a coach wants to take, these boys would be able to beat you in multiple ways whether it be going base to base with advanced speed or choosing to boast the juice potential and rely on the long ball. In just 2023, Christian Nilsen, John Mass and Gabriel Tirado hit for over a .350 batting average while Luke Gallo and Julio Solier connected for multiple home runs. If that wasn’t enough firepower, Bennett Crerar and Cooper Tarantino achieved both milestones. Defensively, the value is just as prominent, especially behind the dish. Tirado, Matt Conte, Cesar Gonzalez, Connor Lane, and Thomas O'Connell have all posted sub 2.00 pop times in PG events with big time arm talent present. Regardless of who gets the start at catcher, don’t expect the opposition to even sniff a stolen bag. All in all, what’s really impressive is the depth here, as many of these prospects are athletic enough to play that “Swiss Army Knife” role and provide insurance at a range of defensive spots. 

The talent only continues into the outfield where Owen Carey, Colin Larson, and Carter Bentley provide defensive stability with the ability to cover tons of ground while also producing pop at the plate. All three names have at least one home run in the previous season and certainly do not get cheated on swings, whipping the barrel through the zone with easy strength in the hands along with leverage created. Once again, the multi-dimensional advantage comes into play here with Bentley, as the ‘25 prospect has been up to 93 mph from the outfield, 91 mph across the diamond, and runs a 6.70 sixty. Can’t ask much more from the Virginia Tech commit who really excels on both sides of the field and can even give you innings out of the pen if needed.

We could be here for days talking about the arms listed above, but we’ll just let you know how good this group of guys is by stating a couple facts. All nine of the primary arms above are 91+, and their combined ERA for 2023 is under 2.00. Led by none other than Mavrick Rizy, this staff would cause absolute headaches for opposing lineups with over 240 combined strikeouts racked up in ‘23. Rizy, an LSU commit and #1 overall player in the state of Massachusetts, towers on the mound at 6-foot-9, 225 pounds and pumps low 90s with ease. Consistent mid-90s is expected to be right around the corner as the defending National Champs seem to get better and better each time you look. Pair him with the other eight premier arms on display here, and you have a staff that could pretty much compete with anyone in the nation. 

Each and every one of these guys deserves every bit of recognition they get, and while no one is going to argue that these are 29 of the top players in the region, it doesn’t mean that they are the only players. There were countless names that could’ve easily gotten onto this squad, again revealing the true depth of the region. Regardless of the names that are on here or not, what matters is the performances on the field, and 2024 should without a doubt bring another action packed season in the heart of New England.

C:
Gabriel Tirado, 2024, South Charlotte Panthers
Matt Conte, 2024, NEB

1B: 
Christian Nilsen, 2024, Clubhouse 2024 Evoshield
Logan Charboneau, 2025, CT Mets 2024

2B:
John Mass, 2024, New England Scorpions
Bennett Crerar, 2025, CT Clubhouse 2025 Demarini

SS:
Brendan Horne, 2025, NH Prospects
Luke Gallo, 2025, NEB

3B:
Julio Solier, 2024, Westernmass Rebels
Fiztgerald Barranco Villanueva, 2024, Northeast Supreme

OF:
Owen Carey, 2024, Boston Red Sox Scout Team
Colin Larson, 2024, Powerhouse Bulldogs
Carter Bentley, 2025, Nokona Chiefs

UT:
Cesar Gonzalez, 2024, Powerhouse Bulldogs
Jayden Novak, 2024, Clubhouse 2024 Evoshield
Connor Lane, 2024, CT Edge/Boston Red Sox Scout Team
Thomas O'Connell, 2025, Artillery Baseball
Tyler Stone, 2025, MVP New England 2025

DH:
Braeden Purser-Eber, 2024, Dirtbags 17U All Black
Cooper Tarantino, 2025, NEB

P: 
Mavrick Rizy, 2024, Canes National
Michael Yeager, 2024, USA Prime National
Alex Grant, 2024, Clubhouse 2024 Demarini
Aiden O'Connell, 2024, Boston Red Sox Scout Team
Gavin Lyons, 2024, Clubhouse
Cole Raymond, 2025, MVP New England
Austin Howard, 2025, CT Dawgs
Garrett Snyder, 2025, Ninth Innings Royals
John Paone, 2025, Route 2 Blue Sox/Dirtbags Scout Team

-AJ Denny

Best Game I saw

2023 WWBA South Jupiter Qualifier: PNT Scout Team V. Banditos Scout Team 2025

An electric pitcher’s duel that ended in dramatic fashion. Texas A&M commit Jake Evans went toe-to-toe with Oklahoma commit Jaden Barfield on the hill over five-plus innings of one-run ball. The final blow for PNT Scout came off the bat of Texas commit Matt Scott II in the bottom of the sixth, who took a hanging fastball deep over the right field fence the other way for a game breaking grand slam. PNT Scout would end up winning and advancing to the championship in the final frame, where they won it all.

Best Tournament Performance I saw

Couldn’t get much better to start the summer circuit than seeing Texas Twelve’s Jordan Garza (2026, Corpus Christi, Texas) toss a 14-strikeout perfect game over seven innings. It was a simply dominant performance from the right-hander. He ran it up to 87 mph and had it all working. He spun a tight slider for strikes and missed bats at will. Garza certainly made an impression.

Favorite Single Game Moment

Two swings turned the tide in the championship game of the WWBA South Underclass Qualifier. HP 2025 Greene took the lead in bottom six off a huge swing from uncommitted Austin Glasscock (2025, Cypress, Texas) who launched a two-run shot to pull. But Banditots Underclass 17u didn’t fall in its final frame, as Baylor commit Caldwell McFaddin (2025, Magnolia, Texas) launched a two-run blast of his own to help retake the lead. He closed it out on the bump to cap-off a thriller all in the span of 5-10 minutes.

Biggest Showcase Breakout Performer

Now a 2023 PG Select Fest member, George Ferguson (2027, Abilene, Texas) first popped for us at the Sunshine South Showcase in Tomball, Texas. Ferguson was a big two-way force with advanced arm talent for his age and size. He was 84-86 with life out of hand and snapped off a sharp two-plane breaking ball with big arm speed from a physical 6-foot-4 build. Safe to say he impressed that weekend.

Pick to Click

Going with Brayden Stevenson (2026, New Waverly, Texas) out of New Waverly High who has the traits of a true power Texan arm. He didn’t get a ton of time on the hill in 2023, but the physical ability on the hill shines at points. He’s all of 6-foot-6 with ample projection left, was up to 89 mph for us this year and it jumps a bit out of the hand. Stays inline and controlled with good intent to the arm. Can spin a good breaker in the mid/high-70s and flash feel for a split-type changeup, as well. Traits are all there to click next year.

-Isaiah Burrows


General | Blog | 12/10/2025

Youth Baseball Exec. DeDonatis III Joins PG

Jim Salisbury
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Youth Baseball Executive Don DeDonatis III Joins PG By Jim Salisbury  It’s free-agent season in baseball and Perfect Game has landed a big one. Don DeDonatis III joined PG as a consultant in November. The DeDonatis name is synonymous with youth baseball and softball. Along with his dad, Don Jr., DeDonatis helped build USSSA into a big hitter in the game. He brings decades of experience and knowledge to PG. “We all acknowledge that Donny has moved on from USSSA,” PG CEO Rob Ponger said. “This is a new chapter for him and we hope both sides take advantage of it to help youth sports in general. “The DeDonatis name has a legacy attached to it and we’re hoping that Donny is going to help us. PG is a growing brand and he’s on board to help.” DeDonatis was CEO at USSSA from 2018 until his exit from the company two years ago. “I’m...
Tournaments | Story | 12/18/2025

14u Tourney All-American Team

Tyler Russo
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Player of the Year: Asher Williams It was an incredible year for Williams that was rewarded with a trip to the 14U Select Fest, before some more impressive play in the fall. He came to the plate almost 250 times in PG tournaments throughout 2025 and reached base in well over half of them, hitting to a .500 AVG while slugging a 14U circuit best 12 bombs and driving in 113 runs. The numbers on the surface are ridiculous, but when you look at the high-level events he put them up in, it makes it even more impressive. Pitcher of the Year: Tristan Blalock Blalock earns this honor after a dominant 2025 where he struck out 85 batters in just 48.2 innings of work with a minuscule 1.58 ERA. This included several strong performances at many national level tournaments and showcases where he was able to bully some of the best hitters in the country. It’s hard not to fall in love with...
Tournaments | Story | 12/17/2025

15u Tourney All-American Team

Jason Phillips
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Hitter of the Year: Landon Bonner The 2028 class saw many players from across the country take the next step in their development as they entered the High School ranks. There were huge performances from highly ranked players on the PG circuit as well as some under-the-radar guys who burst onto the scene. Landon Bonner came into Sophomore National as a Top 500 ranked player and after an impressive showing, left with all eyes on him as a rankings riser in the class. The left-handed hitting shortstop from The Colony, Texas, had a summer to remember with All-Tournament Team selections in three of his next four events culminating with a historic performance at the 2025 PG 15U WWBA National Championship. The Hebron High School prep went 20-for-24 in nine games for 5 Star Mafia 15U Black with four homeruns and 12 runs batted in. He also scored 17 runs and finished with a mind-boggling 2.500...
Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

AJ Denny
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Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...
College | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15

John McAdams
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Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...
Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino
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There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason.  Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
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Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
College | Story | 12/12/2025

College Notebook: December 12

Craig Cozart
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Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Highlights: The Cornhuskers were a difficult team to figure in ’25 as they finished with 33 wins, played just .500 (15-15) in the Big Ten but had some big wins at various times during the season and got hot at the right time. They knocked off then #16 Vanderbilt in the second game of the year, beat #5 Oregon State 2-out-of-3 at home in late March and then got hot at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to win the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Michigan State in a 10-inning thriller before taking care of #4 Oregon, knocking off Penn State and then shutout #13 UCLA to punch their ticket to the Chapel Hill Regional. Head coach Will Bolt has now led his alma mater to three conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during his six years in Lincoln. No different than when he was a player, Bolt’s teams play with passion and toughness, this was never more...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

Troy Sutherland
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 You like athletes? You like defenders who can impact a game at any given point? Look not further than this class as it's loaded from coast-to-coast with elite defenders all over the diamond.  C: Brogan Witcher, Bakersfield, CA Our scouting staff got several strong looks at Witcher whether that was at the Summer Kickoff, Sophomore National or the Underclass All American Games where he showcased his strong overall skillset and especially his advanced ability behind the plate. His 6-foot-3,180 pound build looks like one that will fill in quite nicely and be that big and physical catcher’s frame. His arm talent is undeniable where he gets it out quick and runs it up to 79 mph on throwdowns to 2nd (1.84 pop). Besides the standout catch/throw ability, we’ve seen him frame/receive strong arms and block it well during...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 12/11/2025

PG Softball "Toys 4 Tots" Fundraiser 18U division

Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - 2025 Perfect Game Softball Toys 4 Tots Fundraiser One Day, December 7, 2025. Kicking off the holiday season, six teams participated in this one day, 3 game guarantee tournament in the 18u Division. We would like to thank those that donated a toy, and know that they will be distributed to area underprivileged children through a local charity organization. Following are some of the top performers from the weekend. Earning Tournament MV-Pitcher was Jolee Strohmeyer (2026 Dubuque, IA), a RHP/UTIL with tournament champion Lady Expos Blue. Strohmeyer shows hitters a consistent and repeatable motion and delivery with good use of the legs in the drive phase, and a quick and aggressive arm whip. Working with a six pitch mix of fastball, change-up, rise, drop, curve and screw, Strohmeyer topped out at 60 mph, and showed good movement  as she worked her rise and curve just out...
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