THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,406 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,406 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 6/6/2014

SR Preview: Maryland at Virginia




Charlottesville SUPER REGIONAL PREVIEW
Starting pitching

 

Of all the categories to dissect about the Cavaliers and Terrapins, this was the toughest decision with both teams possessing high quality weekend rotations.


Maryland has an outstanding one-two punch in senior righthanded pitcher Jake Stinnett and freshman righty Mike Shawaryn. Stinnett is a mid-90s righty who will use a wipeout slider against you, while Shawaryn is an 89-92, and up to 93, pitchability type of guy. The Terps also have enjoyed a good season from Jake Drossner.


For the Cavaliers, it doesn't get much better than sophomore lefthanded pitcher Nathan Kirby. Kirby is one of the top prospects for the 2015 Major League Baseball draft and has big-time overall stuff. In addition to good secondary stuff, Kirby possesses a fastball that often sits anywhere from 92-95. Meanwhile, fellow lefty Brandon Waddell sits 89-92 with his fastball and has a good changeup, while Artie Lewicki is a power arm with plenty of experience.

Bullpen

 

Bullpen-wise, the Cavaliers get the edge because of righthanded pitcher Nick Howard. Howard is one of the nation's elite arms and a likely Perfect Game All-American with a fastball anywhere from 94-95 and an electric slider, while freshman righthander Connor Jones and veteran righty Josh Sborz are other quality, power, arms to watch, with Sborz being inconsistent at times.


For the Terrapins, Ben Brewster enters the weekend with a 2.74 ERA and has a fastball around 90-92, while Bobby Ruse has appeared in 29 games and has a 2.70 ERA in 60 innings. Alex Robinson (2.45), Taylor Stiles (2.95) and Kevin Mooney (4.05) are other talented, consistent, arms to watch this weekend.


In the end, Virginia should get the edge with Howard at its disposal.

Offense

 

Maryland has one of those sneaky offensive lineups entering this weekend's series against the Cavaliers.


Second baseman Brandon Lowe has been playing a good brand of baseball and is hitting .339 with a home run and 39 RBIs, while shortstop Blake Schmit and outfielder Charlie White both are table setters for the Terrapins. Schmit is hitting .313 with a home run and 29 RBIs, along with good athleticism, as evidenced by 16 stolen bases, while White is a good prospect with good speed and a .284 batting average. The Terps aren't an overly powerful club, but Kevin Martir and Jose Cuas do provide some pop in the lineup, while LaMonte Wade is capable of having a big weekend.


For the Cavaliers, athletic outfielder Joe McCarthy leads the offense with a .303 batting average, while first baseman Mike Papi is a scary piece in the lineup with 11 homers and 51 RBIs. Meanwhile, John LaPrise (.383) and Derek Fisher (.288) are quality bats, with Brandon Downes a potential power producer despite having some consistency issues at times.

Defense

 

The Terrapins have some athletic and talented guys to watch this weekend, such as outfielder Charlie White, but again, Virginia gets the edge in this category.

What makes Virginia's defense special, particularly, is the left side of the infield. Third baseman John LaPrise is terrific defensively, while young shortstop Daniel Pinero has smooth actions and a consistent glove. The Cavaliers also have a very solid outfield with athletic Derek Fisher, Joe McCarthy and Brandon Downes leading the charge.

There's a lot of versatility with these Cavaliers.

WHAT COACHES ARE SAYING

On Maryland:

"The middle of the order is what makes them go. Mike Papi, Derek Fisher, those two guys do their thing, and that is a very hard team to beat. That ballpark up there will kind of balance things out a little bit. Pitching-wise, Virginia isn't near as deep as people would assume they are entering this weekend. Brandon Waddell has been throwing the ball well, but I'm not real confident in a guy like Josh Sborz. Nathan Kirby is great and Nick Howard is a big-timer who will be in the big leagues before you know it. But other than that? They are good in a sprint, but make them go through a marathon and see what happens."

On Virginia:

"They can flat out play. They play a scrappy brand of baseball and they've got nice guys at the top of the lineup. They will wear it, hit it and defend it, and those arms of theirs are better than people realize. Jake Stinnett and Mike Shawaryn are very good, and I think playing a team they're familiar with is going to help this team in their first NCAA Super Regional. Stinnett is very durable, has good command, and can throw three pitches for strikes, while Shawaryn only throws 90-91, but the ball really jumps on you pretty good with a Troy Percival-type of whip/arm action. He can also threw his changeup when he wants to. This entire team is just really well coached."




College | Rankings | 4/15/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 15

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
Welcome to this week's small school baseball rankings, covering NCAA Division II, the NAIA, and NCAA Division III. As the calendar turns toward the final weeks of the regular season, the urgency is real across all three levels — teams are running out of weekends to build their cases, and the extended postseason invitations that every program is chasing don't go to programs that peak in March. The next few weeks of results will carry more weight than anything that happened before spring break, and the postseason committees in all three divisions are watching closely. Every series dropped to a team you should beat, every road sweep you let get away — it all matters now in a way it simply didn't two months ago. What you'll also notice as you read through the breakdowns below is that the numbers are doing more of the heavy lifting in how these rankings are constructed. Run...
Juco | Rankings | 4/15/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 15

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another week of undefeated weeks for our top 4 ranked teams. Joining them in the top 5, coming off an undefeated week of their own, is Florence-Darlington, a team we have consistently had as a top 10 team all season long. Cloud County and Midland College continue to put together strong weeks and climb the rankings each week it seems. Jumping into the rankings this week on the strength of a 15-game winning streak is Seminole State (OK). And Linn Benton makes the top 25 for a 2nd consecutive week and looks like the top team in the NWAC this spring. Plenty of high-level matchups at the JUCO level for some of the top teams in the county this next week.  Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 42-2 2 Gaston (NC) 43-3 3 McLennan (TX) 34-7 4 Chipola (FL) 37-7 5 Florence-Darlington (SC) 40-8 6 Walters State (TN) 37-10 7 Blinn (TX) 31-11 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 30-12 9 Southern Nevada...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/15/2026

Perfect Game & Youth Prospects Team Up

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND YOUTH PROSPECTS ANNOUNCE   BROADCAST RIGHTS AND CONTENT PARTNERSHIP    Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, April 15, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with content platform Youth Prospects centered around broadcast rights, content collaboration and expanded visibility for elite youth baseball events.    As part of the agreement, Perfect Game will grant Youth Prospects broadcast rights to select games across its premiere events, including marquee matchups at the WWBA World...
College | Story | 4/14/2026

College Players of the Week: April 14

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
April 14th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Jaquae Stewart, INF/OF, Texas State  The Texas State Bobcats (24-12) are sitting in second place in the ultra-competitive Sun Belt Conference, and they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country.  They average right at 8-runs per game and can slug with the best of them, averaging almost 2-home runs per game as well.  Sitting in the middle of the order, Jaquae Stewart, is putting together a career year and is becoming the focus of opposing teams.  The 5-10/234 junior from Sinton, Tx is your classic lefthanded power hitter and is thriving in his move from Austin to San Marcos.  While it wasn’t the best week for his club, Stewart was sensational, collecting 8 hits in his 19 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, launching 5 home runs and driving in an insane 17 runs.  For the season, he is now slashing...
Showcase | Story | 4/14/2026

PG Announces Prospect Gateway Schedule

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
PG has announced the dates for Prospect Gateway events across the country - unique opportunities for young players to receive professional feedback and prepare for the next level. The Prospect Gateways are for players ages 13U-14U and serve as a qualifier for the National Showcase. Kevin Schuver, the senior director of showcases at Perfect Game, said these events are chances for players to step out of their comfort zone and show what they’re really made of. “Perfect Game Prospect Gateways aren’t just events. They’re doorways into something bigger. For young athletes, they serve as the first real step beyond their local fields, where raw ability begins to meet visibility and purpose.” At the event, each player is assigned a PG advisor who will watch and advise them individually. There will also be other scouts giving tips on how to enhance and develop a...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/13/2026

PG & MLB Clubs Offer Discount Tickets

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME PARTNERS WITH THREE MLB CLUBS TO OFFER EXCLUSIVE TICKET DISCOUNTS FOR YOUTH TEAMS    Sanford, Florida (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new fan engagement initiative in partnership with three Major League Baseball clubs — the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals — to provide exclusive discounted ticket opportunities for teams participating in Perfect Game events.    Through the collaboration, youth baseball and softball teams competing in...
College | Rankings | 4/13/2026

College Top 25: April 13

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
In a season where remaining in the Top 25 has become a war of attrition, the No. 1 UCLA Bruins (33-2) are making the game look much easier than it is in all reality.  Winners of 27-games in a row, this club continues to win games by any means necessary as they continue their historic run.  Beyond the incredible win streak, the Bruins have started off Big Ten play (18-0) by sweeping their first six conference weekend.  Adding to their resume, in Game 1 of their series at Rutgers, they won a 14-inning thriller by a score of 4-1where their pitching staff registered an eye-popping 30-strikeouts while only surrendering 1 walk and 4 hits throughout.  In most any other season, the No. 2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (30-5) would be sitting atop the poll as they are putting together a historic season of their own.  They swept Florida State (24-11) who was previously ranked...
Draft | Story | 4/10/2026

PG Draft: Favorite Position Group

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Every draft class has its strengths. Some years its a loaded group of prep infielders, some years its a deep collection of college arms. In this year’s class, certain position groups stand out above the rest to us. This week, the draft team dives into their favorite position groups. Groups that we believe are loaded with depth, upside, and big league potential. College Infielders It’s hard not to get excited about the crop of college infielders in this year’s class because of who is at the top. Roch Cholowsky alone makes the group exciting. He’s got gold glove potential at the next level and an offensive profile that should make him one of the Top 15 to 20 prospects in all of baseball the second he gets drafted. Justin Lebron is another player with as much upside in the class. He is a premium athlete that can really pick it at short and has big upside with the...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/10/2026

Perfect Game and vivenu Partner Up

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME PARTNERS WITH VIVENU TO POWER DIGITAL COMMERCE ACROSS YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL    Sanford, Florida / New York, New York (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, has selected vivenu as its ticketing and commerce partner to unify revenue operations across its tournament ecosystem.    With 1.6 million tickets sold annually, 9,800 events in 40+ states and an immense social footprint, Perfect Game has built the most influential pipeline in amateur baseball. The organization has produced over 2,200 MLB alumni, and...
General | Blog | 4/10/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
What Do Barry Zito, Justin Verlander, Trevor Bauer, and Dallas Keuchel All Have in Common? By Ron Wolforth | Texas Baseball Ranch® | PG Arm Care Take a second and think about the question posed in the title before you read on. Four Cy Young Award winners. Four of the most decorated pitchers of their generation. What's the common thread? The first answer is obvious… they all won the most prestigious individual award in pitching. Most of you probably got there immediately. The second answer is less obvious… they all trained at the Texas Baseball Ranch® at some point in their development. Interesting, maybe, but not the point of this article. The third answer is the one I really want you to sit with, because it has direct relevance to your career right now: they all move completely differently. And they all attack hitters completely differently. Don't rush past that....
Loading more articles...