THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,572 MLB PLAYERS | 16,355 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,572 MLB PLAYERS | 16,355 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story | 2/22/2015

Washington ready to shine

Patrick Ebert
Photo: Longwood



Friday at LakePoint: Funkhouser carries the cow bell | Saturday at LakePoint: Stewart, Vols on the right path


EMERSON, Ga. – Development is a common theme between Longwood first-year Head Coach Ryan Mau and his stud prospect, outfielder Kyri Washington. Recruiting and development, along with structure, are exactly what Mau has brought to the Lancers baseball team, a team that finished 22-33 a year ago.

Longwood University is also about development, a small liberal arts university nestled in Farmville, Va., a town of just over 8,000 people, which is twice as much as Longwood's enrollment.

Previously an independent NCAA Division I program, Longwood joined the Big South Conference starting with the 2013 season. They made the jump to Division I for the 2004-05 school year, and made the jump from Division III starting in 1980. The program has enjoyed 29 winning seasons in its 33-year history.

Mau is the fourth head coach of the program and spent the four previous seasons as the recruiting coordinator and pitching coach for the Naval Academy. Prior to that he spent four years as an assistant at VMI. Mau pitched for College of Charleston and spent two years in the Marlins organization as a professional player.

Given his experience Mau is quick to recognize the importance of instituting a system based on developing players from the bottom up.

“Before the Naval Academy I was also with Virginia Military Institute, so nine years of structured discipline, that background, is something I bring to this program, and it needed it,” Mau said prior to Longwood's third and final game at LakePoint on Sunday. “Attention to detail, accountability, some more structure and discipline. Self discipline that we're trying to instill in our players and develop citizen leaders. Obviously at the places I've been we've developed some pretty special men that go off an defend our country, so I try to bring some of those elements here.”

Included in those young men were seven all-Patriot League pitchers during Mau's time at Navy, as well as three top 100 finishes on Perfect Game's recruiting class rankings. Given his background in pitching, that is the foundation from which Mau intends to build this program.

“Recruiting is definitely a huge component,” Mau said. “That's how we're going to be able to elevate this program going forward. Currently it's about development of what we have. As a coaching staff we truly believe in developing the players. We're very hands on, high-energy coaches and we try to get the most out of our pieces.

“Developing a pitching is staff is where we're behind a little bit, trying to find those bullpen pieces out, but it's early on and guys are getting better and we've got to figure out what roles they can fulfill for us. Offensively I really like our club. We have some solid returning pieces, some proven hitters.”

One of those hitters is Washington, who stands out on the baseball field with a chiseled 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame. Washington was three-sport star in high school, as he also played basketball and football before deciding to focus on baseball.

“Something kind of clicked my sophomore year in high school,” Washington said about his decision. “That's when I really started to figure out (what I was going to focus on). I was a football guy before and I felt that wasn't going to work out long-term, so I decided to try baseball and I think it's paid off a little bit.”

Washington enjoyed initial success during his freshman year at Longwood. While he hit only .249, he clubbed 17 doubles and six home runs, proving to be a middle-of-the-order force early in his college career. The average jumped to .260 during his sophomore year, with similar power numbers; 18 doubles and seven home runs.

However, it's been during the last two summers that Washington has really put himself on the map as a prospect. He was named Perfect Game's 16th best prospect in the Valley League in 2013, and the 53rd best prospect on the Cape last summer. Currently he ranks as the 156th best overall prospect eligible for this year's draft.

Frankie Piliere graded Washington's power as third-best on the Cape last summer, just behind Boston College's Chris Shaw and Tennessee's Christin Stewart, and had this to say about him:

“A righthanded slugger with effortless – and the word “effortless” can’t be emphasized enough – raw power, Washington is an eye-opening player to watch during batting practice. He possesses 65 raw power on the 20-80 scale, as he can put the wall 30 feet over the fence anywhere in the park, including center and right center … Although getting this massive power to translate into game action hasn’t been easy, Washington does have a fairly sound, short swing path. If he can learn to discipline his approach, his offensive upside is enormous.”

Similar to the players that attend the Perfect Game Park South fields at LakePoint Sports during the summer months, Washington's time on the Cape was all part of the development process, giving himself the opportunity to gauge his own talents while playing with and against the best players in the nation.

“It was just great being on the Cape, being around ballplayers like that every day and see the top-notch (players) from around the country,” Washington said. “It definitely made me make some in-game adjustments. I kind of hit a low point during the summer, but then I started to figure it out and was able to compete and felt like I belonged there. I definitely feel like I improved a lot over the summer.”

Even though Mau is new to the program, he knew enough about Washington to realize the type of talent he possessed.

“When we took over here, obviously we knew Kyri was something special and we heard all the buzz about him,” Mau said. “The one thing that bothered us, that as a junior, they continually described him as being raw. Even coming out of the Cape, unbelievable strength, strength that I truly haven't seen; I haven't seen balls come off the bat like I have with him.

“I tip my hat to our hitting coach, Coach (Chad) Oxendine, who's done an outstanding job, and Kyri, his willingness to make changes. We broke him down mechanically, we've changed the swing, and more importantly he's bought into our mental approach. He's way more balanced at the plate right now, he's utilizing all parts of the field, which is something he hasn't done in the past. Opening weekend he had three opposite field home runs, also on off-speed pitches which he typically struggled with in the past, so Kyri Washington has done an outstanding job of being coachable, making adjustments and buying into our system.”

Washington added another home run on Friday, giving him four for the season. While Friday's dinger was pulled over the left field fence, if you blinked you probably would have missed it.

“Teams usually try to bust me in, bust me in, bust me in,” Washington said. “But the first weekend, surprisingly, pitched everything outside so I had three opposite field home runs because of that. I think that helped me with my swing path to the ball, to right-center, to be able to drive balls the other way.”

Washington and his Longwood teammates are in Emerson, Ga. this weekend at LakePoint due to the brutal winter weather hitting the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. That includes Farmville, Va.

“It's been a very difficult first couple of weeks to the season,” Mau said. “We battled some tough elements at Tennessee Tech last weekend, a very good offensive club. This week we got about eight inches of snow in Farmville, Virginia, so we had an opportunity to come down to Emerson and get on the turf field, (which) was a necessity.”

Mau got the opportunity to see the fields at Perfect Game Park South at LakePoint Sports last summer when he still assumed the recruiting coordinator role for Navy. His familiarity with the fields made the decision to travel south an easy one.

“It's an amazing place to come to,” Mau said. “Not only to evaluate, but for those travel teams to actually play on these surfaces in front of all of the scouts and recruiters is going to be a great experience for them. Once this complex was built it's just made things so much more convenient for us to come to one 'plex and be able to spin around (and watch another game). Weather really isn't much of an issue with the turf facility, it's outstanding.”

Although Washington didn't play much travel ball while in high school, largely due to him still playing football, word had spread of the new facility, even for those playing college.

“Beautiful fields. Wow. I wasn't expecting this. I was expecting some little complex. This is huge.”

With so many series cancelled, altered and/or moved this weekend it caused for teams, players, fans and scouts alike to find themselves in Emerson. With the number of other teams playing in the tournament gave scouts in particular a chance to evaluate players on a weekend many were fearful would be lost due to the weather. Washington embraces the additional opportunities to be seen, once again drawing from past experiences to know what to expect.

“It was great to play in front of scouts like that, to get comfortable, because I think sometimes guys get a little nervous trying to do too much in front of scouts,” Washington said of his time on the Cape in reference to playing this weekend at LakePoint. “It was great to be able to play in front of that many and get comfortable so it wouldn't effect me this season when scouts come to the games.

“I try to go with the flow. We practice every week like we're going to play, no matter how the weather is. We have a foot of snow outside, so we went indoors and did all of the stuff we would have done outside, took BP and all that, so we're prepared. Then on Wednesday coach was like “We're leaving tomorrow to go to Georgia.” That's fine, we're ready to play. It wasn't too unexpected, we figured we'd be playing somewhere and not just taking the whole week off.”

However, Longwood's season hasn't started the way Mau would have liked. Although they did win their season opener against Tennessee Tech, they lost their next four games, including their first two against Ohio here in Georgia.

“We're off to a slow start but I think we'll pick it up,” Wasington said prior to Longwood's game against Ohio on Sunday. “I've seen a lot of good things, but we're catching some bad breaks so hopefully within the next week we'll pick it up and turn it around and today get a W.”

Things appeared bright early on Sunday for the Lancers, as Longwood jumped on the Ohio Bearcats and lefthanded starter Evan Geist, who was up to 88 mph with his fastball, for three first-inning runs. Washington, serving as the No. 3 hitter, was hit by a pitch and came around to score on Connar Bastaich's two-run single.

After the Ohio Bearcats scored five runs in the bottom of the first, the Lancers simply responded by adding three more runs in the top of the second. However, Longwood was on the losing end again after Tyler Wells hit his second home run in the game, a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth, that broke a 6-6 tie and gave the Bobcats a series sweep and a 6-0 start to the 2015 season.

Although the results may not reflect it in the box score, the bigger picture is in mind for Mau and the Longwood Baseball program, once again pointing out the dedication to player development.

“I'm a short-term thinker,” Mau said. “We've got to take it one day at a time, we've got to find a way to get better each and every day. And that's our goal, be better today than we were yesterday, that's how I approach things.

“Ultimately we'd like to make our conference tournament and make a showing there. We've got a long way to go to get to that point. From a program perspective just get Longwood Lancer Baseball on the map, and we're going to do that with recruiting and developing of players and get this program to grow in the right way.”

Washington finished the series 4-for-11, which includes his big home run on Friday as well as a 3-for-4 performance on Saturday, leading to a .292/.370/.792 triple slash line to open the 2015 season. And when it was all said and done, his comments echoed those of his coach.

“I trying to take it one game at a time and just be ready for my opportunity to come to showcase my abilities.”
Give us your feedback
College | Story | 7/14/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 14 Summer Edition
John Coppolella
Article Image
The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Carter White – Falmouth Commodores  Talk about making a great first impression! White introduced himself in a very loud and boisterous way this past week by going 9-17 (.529 AVG) with 6 RBI...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/17/2026

South Champ. & South Elite Scout Notes

Geoff Billock
Article Image
Peyton Alvarez (2029, New Braunfels, Texas) put on a display for Marucci Elite TX Ramirez. Went 4-8 with two doubles. Worked strong at bats, drawing a total of six walks. Lot of deep counts, putting stress on opposing arms. Also swiped a staggering seven bases over the span of five games. Repeatable right-handed stroke with hands that work quickly through the zone. Was an absolute force at the top of the order all weekend. Jack Simms (2028, Cypress, Texas) put together a strong showing for Texas Brigade 2028 - Konarik. Went 3-9 with a double, a home run, and five runs batted in. Showed some quick hands, working through an uphill plane, playing well to the pullside. Frame has plenty more in the tank, impact should continue to develop as he fills out. Riley Thompson (2029, Leander, Texas) had another loud weekend for Test Black. 5-9 at the plate with three doubles and no strikeouts. Super...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/17/2026

BCS Midwest Championship Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
’29 INF Aarion Gould (IL) drives this ball deep to CF for a triple. Simple setup w/ a controlled load. Keeps the barrel in the zone w/ good extension through contact. Big day at the plate going 2-for-3 with 4 RBI. #BCSMW @WhitesoxAce pic.twitter.com/QL9jPCTAv8 — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 12, 2026 Aarion Gould (2029, Chicago, Ill.) earned Tournament MVP honors after helping lead Chicago White Sox ACE 2029 to the BCS Midwest Championship. The right-handed infielder displayed a direct swing path with quality barrel accuracy, using the middle of the field approach. Present strength was evident, producing two doubles, one triple, while hitting .444 (8-for-18) with seven RBI, three stolen bases and a 1.277 OPS. Gould also contributed on the mound, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out six.   ’29 RHP Xavier Alvarez (IL)...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/17/2026

WWBA Midwest Regional Champ. Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
’28 OF Caleb Wilson (IN) drives this fastball into the RCF gap for a double. Quick hands and bat-to-ball skills on display. Good game at the plate. Finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. #WWBAMW @TopTierBaseball @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/IC5dmPojcz — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 13, 2026 Caleb Wilson (2028, Crown Point, Ind.) helped lead Top Tier Americans 2028 to the 16U WWBA Regional Championship and delivered one of the tournament's top offensive performances. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound left-handed outfielder displayed good plate discipline, a quick bat and barreled balls to all parts of the field. Plus speed also added another dimension to Wilson's game on the base paths, consistently putting pressure on opposing defenses. The Tournament MVP saw the ball extremely well, hitting .667 (14-for-21) with two triples, six RBI, four stolen bases and a 1.588 OPS. Brennen...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/16/2026

Top Talent On Display at 17u BCS

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
The 21st annual 17U BCS National Championship brings together some of the nation’s top programs and elite 2027 prospects to Fort Myers, Florida, from July 17-21. With dozens of Division I commits and nationally ranked prospects set to compete, here are some of the players expected to make the biggest impact throughout the weekend. For Florida Burn 2027 Scout, which is currently ranked #5 nationally Florida Burn will be No. 107-ranked outfielder RJ Shields and No. 129-ranked third baseman Braedon Mackay. One of the premier two-way prospects in the tournament, Shields, brings one of the strongest arms in the field. The Venice, Florida native has run his fastball up to 95 mph while also showcasing a 98 mph throwing arm from the outfield, making him a weapon on both sides of the ball. On the mound this season, the Mississippi State commit has struck out 29 batters in 15.1 innings,...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/15/2026

WWBA Arrives in Arizona

Emily Hicks
Article Image
After another week of summer baseball, Perfect Game action returns to Surprise Stadium as teams prepare for another exciting week of competition at the WWBA Championship. From July 14-18, some of the top programs in travel baseball will take the field looking to compete for a championship and showcase their talent against high-level competition.  The tournament will feature both the 15U and 16U divisions, bringing together talented teams and rising prospects from across the West and beyond. With several days of pool play and championship bracket action, teams will have the opportunity to test themselves against strong opponents while competing on one of the biggest stages of the summer.  Surprise Stadium will provide the setting for a week filled with competitive matchups, standout performances, and prospects looking to make an impact. From dominant pitching performances to...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/15/2026

East Cobb Go Undefeated, Takes 14U BCS

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
East Cobb Goes Undefeated, Takes 14U BCS Twenty years after winning the inaugural 14U BCS National Championship in 2006, the East Cobb Astros once again stood atop the tournament, defeating the Original Florida Pokers 7-4 at JetBlue Park. A hot, sunny afternoon set the stage for a tightly contested match between the Original Florida Pokers 2030 and East Cobb Astros 14U Orange. Although the Pokers had a two-run lead with just three innings to go, East Cobb showed their team had no quit as they pulled away with a 7-4 victory. The teams battled through a highly contested tournament field of over sixty teams from across the country, with the Pokers coming in 8-1 and East Cobb entering 8-0 in tournament play. Cohen Carter started on the mound for East Cobb, allowing seven hits and no walks while striking out three batters over four innings. His fastball sat 71-75 mph. Silas Anstett opened the...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/15/2026

Stars Marucci '27 Loaded and Poised

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
Expectations naturally follow one of the nation’s top ranked teams. For Stars Marucci 2027, those expectations have only grown as the summer season has progressed.  Ranked No. 16 nationally and featuring a roster loaded with Division I commits and nationally ranked prospects, Stars Marucci 2027 entered the 2026 Perfect Game 17U National Elite Championship as one of the top teams to watch.  Through the opening two days of the tournament, they have shown why they are a team to watch, opening the week with back-to-back victories over SBA Tucci 2027 (6-1) and FC Twins Scout (5-2) to build early momentum heading into the later rounds.  The talent on the roster is undeniable.  Virginia Tech commits Chase Colangelo, Yogi Colangelo, and Teagan Leach, Maryland commit Jerome Fortier, and Youngstown State commit Sam Capuano headline a group filled with college bound...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/15/2026

Mine Wood Bat World Series Notes

Jordan Gates
Article Image
‘28 OF/LHP Carson Tabler (OH) Rips one deep into the pull side gap for an inside-the-park HR. Athletic in the box w/ a projectable frame. Utilizes a toe tap on a fluid stroke w/ good bat speed. Good runner in stride + efficient around the bases. #MineWS @Carson_T7 @PFFlyers2028 pic.twitter.com/IVfICPg4qV — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) July 10, 2026 Carson Tabler (2028, Cincinnati, Ohio) Tabler was probably the most pleasant surprise when it comes to names from this weekend. A rather unknown for me and my staff going into the event, Tabler managed to cement himself by event’s end. It’s a true two-way projection at this stage, while he has the size in the 6-foot-3 long and loose frame, the strength will continue to add on to the 175-pound stature. While he only had two extra-base hits (triple, home run), the bat-to-ball skills were the calling card, and...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/14/2026

SBA Bolts National Raise Trophy at 16u

Will Dembo
Article Image
After an action-packed week at the 16u WWBA Championships, the tournament came down to two of the nation’s top teams battling for one of travel baseball’s most prestigious titles. No. 5 ranked SBA Bolts National faced No. 60 Alpha Prime 2028 after both teams reached the championship undefeated, but the SBA Bolts were the sole team to exit without a loss, defeating Alpha Prime 10-2 in mercy rule fashion and capture the national title behind dominant pitching and explosive offensive performances. The SBA Bolts were perfect throughout their week, running the table and going 11-0 while outscoring their opponents by an impressive margin of 108-25. “It was awesome,” SBA Head Coach Travis Thompson said on the mercy rule victory. “It just kind of culminated our week. It's been a long week. I can't even remember our first game, which felt like three weeks ago. The...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/14/2026

Coastal Region Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Ridge Whitfield (2029, Charlotte, NC) stands at 6-foot, 158 pounds with an athletic build that should allow him to maintain his mobility and quick-twitch actions as he continues to develop. He bats and throws left-handed. Whitfield locates his fastball to both sides of the plate, mixes his pitches effectively, and keeps hitters off balance. He competes on every pitch and doesn’t back down in big situations. Whitfield threw 5.1 innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, and no walks while striking out three on 75 pitches (58% strikes). He attacked the zone with a fastball that sat 73 mph and topped out at 78 mph, mixing in a 67 mph breaking ball and a 68-70 mph changeup to keep hitters off balance. Sam Jobe (2029, Charlotte, NC) stands at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, with a lean, athletic frame and plenty of projection. He bats and throws right-handed. Jobe shows good feel for the...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.