THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,477 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,477 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 3/12/2015

Weekend Preview: Week 5

Photo: Walt Beazley

Impact Freshmen | National Notebook: March 10 | Houston College Classic Notes

The fifth weekend of college baseball action for the 2015 season doesn't have the big matchups we witnessed a week ago, which ultimately led to significant shakeup in the top 25, although only one new team was introduced this week; Southern California.

Conference play does kick off across the country after ACC opened its conference season a week ago. The biggest matchup has No. 16 Arkansas traveling to Nashville to play No. 5 Vanderbilt, a series that could be effected by rain. This series is previewed in greater detail below, and Jheremy Brown will be in Nashville this weekend to provide first-hand observations from a series loaded with draft-eligible talent.



Top 25 in Action

Rk. Team Opponent Location
1 Florida home vs. Tennessee Gainesville, FL
2 Virginia at Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
3 Texas Christian home vs. Baylor Fort Worth, TX
4 Louisiana State home vs. Ole Miss Baton Rouge, LA
5 Vanderbilt home vs. No. 16 Arkansas Nashville, TN
6 Oregon at California Berkeley, CA
7 South Carolina home vs. Kentucky Columbia, SC
8 Louisville home vs. Boston College Louisville, KY
9 UCLA home vs. Washington Los Angeles, CA
10 Texas A&M home vs. Auburn College Station, TX
11 Florida State home vs. Wake Forest Tallahassee, FL
12 North Carolina at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA
13 Miami home vs. N.C. State Coral Gables, FL
14 UC Santa Barbara at Wichita State Wichita, KS
15 UCF home vs. Fairfield Orlando, FL
16 Arkansas at No. 5 Vanderbilt Nashville, TN
17 Oregon State at No. 25 Arizona State Phoenix, AZ
18 Texas Tech at San Diego State San Diego, CA
19 Texas home vs. West Virginia Austin, TX
20 Florida Atlantic at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
21 Houston home vs. Buffalo Houston, TX
22 Mississippi State home vs. Alabama Starkville, MS
23 Southern California home vs. Washington State Los Angeles, CA
24 Rice home vs. Louisiana Tech Houston, TX
25 Arizona State home vs. No. 17 Oregon State Phoenix, AZ



Marquee Matchup #1:

No. 16 Arkansas at No. 5 Vanderbilt

Does it get much better than this? Opening weekend of SEC Conference play amongst two nationally ranked squads full of elite pitching and big time bats. And both teams received a boost in their pitching staffs last weekend as each welcomed back an elite starter.

Vanderbilt has been picking up quality starts from righthander Carson Fulmer, a projected first round pick for this June's draft, who shows an elite level repertoire and thrives in the heat of the moment. Joining Fulmer now though is another elite arm, fellow righty Walker Buehler, who has missed a few starts due to arm tenderness. He returned last weekend to throw four very strong innings against a talent TCU club in the Dodgertown Classic, scattering three hits while filling up the zone.
Rhett Wiseman (Photo: Vanderbilt Athletics)

Buehler came out throwing like he hadn’t missed an inning, working comfortably in the 93-95 mph range, peaking at 96 while showing his normal, hard curveball that he used to rack up five strikeouts in his four innings of work.

Arkansas will counter Fulmer with an ace of their own, junior righthander Trey Killian, who made his first start of the spring last Friday. Coincidentally enough, Fulmer and Killian were teammates last summer as part of the USA Collegiate National Team. Killian was on a set pitch count last weekend and was able to make it through 3 2/3 innings striking out three while waking none and allowing just four hits.

If those arms aren’t enough to get you excited for the weekend, Arkansas rounds out their rotation with sophomore Dominic Taccolini and freshman righthander Keaton McKinney, both of whom have been solid to this point in the spring. Zach Jackson filled in for Killian during his absence from the rotation and provided quality relief last Friday, throwing 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out five.

Vanderbilt has quality options for Sunday whether it be draft-eligible sophomore John Kilichowski or freshman flamethrower Jordan Sheffield. Either way, whenever the ball is turned to the bullpen the coaching staff has a slew of quality arms to choose from, a big strength of the Commodores. Big lefty Ben Bowden has been lights out with his attack mode mentality, as have Philip Pfeifer, Ryan Johnson, and Kyle Wright.

Shortstop Dansby Swanson continues to show why he is considered a top pick in the upcoming June draft, hitting .380 on the year, and he added his second home run of the season in a mid-week win over Quinnipiac. Fellow junior Rhett Wiseman has really come into the zone this spring and is unleashing what scouts have thought he was capable of. Now hitting a team-high .435, the lefthanded swinging Wiseman leads the Vanderbilt offense in nearly every offensive category and does so while showing his speed with seven doubles, three triples, and is perfect in five stolen base attempts.

The Hogs have benefited from the power in sophomore outfielder Andrew Benintendi’s bat who is one of the four players currently hitting over .300 on the year. Arkansas will look to him to square up some of Vanderbilt’s quality arms and continue to drive in runs, adding to his four home runs and 16 RBI, both team highs. Both Bobby Wernes and Rick Nomura have been consistent so far this year, hitting .386 and .378 respectively, and have done a tremendous job of getting on base. Wernes leads the team with four triples while junior outfielder Tyler Spoon has shown interesting strength, hitting two home runs and a team-high six doubles.



Marquee Matchup #2:

No. 17 Oregon State at No. 25 Arizona State

It'll be a generational battle when the young and electric Beavers come to Phoenix Municipal Stadium this weekend to open Pac-12 play against the grizzled veterans of Arizona State. The draft implications of this series range from difficult projections to high round prospects to solid senior signs.
K.J. Harrison (Photo: Oregon State)

Andrew Moore of the Beavers and Ryan Kellogg of the Sun Devils offer two of the more difficult draft profiles to assess. Both bring outstanding pitchability and track record to the table but neither pitcher shows enough velocity (both pitch primarily in the upper-80s) or the out pitches necessary to merit big prospect status. Kellogg has the physical edge as he is 6-foot-5 and lefthanded compared to Moore's 6-foot righthanded profile. At the end of the day, both arms have had outstanding college careers already, combining for 43 victories in just 71 starts.

In a theme common to this series overall, the high end arms belong to Sun Devil veterans and the Beaver youth movement. Ryan Burr is an "as-is" closer who has touched 96 mph several times this year. He also possesses two additional out pitches in his mid-80s power slider and changeup. Brett Lilek features one of the easier lefthanded fastballs of those eligible for the draft and has touched 94 mph in every start except last Sunday's. Beaver freshman Drew Rasmussen pitched his way into the weekend rotation and he touched 96 mph with his fastball out of the bullpen earlier in the year.

The Beaver lineup is shockingly young and dynamic. K.J. Harrison is on pace for 21 home runs, 77 RBI and an overall historic freshman season. Joe Gillette, Trever Morrison, and Jeff Hendrix grab your attention with loud athleticism, allowing Gabe Clark, and his nation leading six home runs, to fly under the radar. If this group doesn't get you excited to come to the ballpark then it's time to turn in your stopwatch.

The Sun Devil lineup sees your youth and raises it with sleep-inducing baseball savvy. While Colby Woodmansee intrigues scouts with his 6-foot-3 frame and plus defensive chops, the rest of this lineup lulls you into mistakes. Upperclassmen Trever Allen, Jake Peevyhouse, and R.J. Ybarra have been through the wars now and they may fool you with the occasional poor at-bat and their understated tools. Yet this group knows how to win a college baseball game and there is underrated power hidden here.

And so the entire spectrum of scouting is on the table this weekend in Phoenix. In one corner, the Beavers' roster is so toolsy that you could grade them getting off the bus. And while the contrasting Arizona State unit may lack the depth of prospects of years past, don't be surprised if the Sun Devils cranky disposition is still hanging around in early June.



Mound Matchup:


Christian Trent (Ole Miss) vs. Jared Poche (Louisiana State)

Pitching matchups don’t come much more polished than the one we’ll see between two southpaws this weekend in the SEC. With conference play kicking off, there will be strong matchups around the country, particularly in the SEC, but this one between the LSU and Ole Miss’ aces could make a particularly loud statement depending on which way it goes.

Jared Poche (Photo: Louisiana State)

Neither the Rebels’ Christian Trent or the Tigers’ Jared Poche are going to completely overpower anyone, but with their location and secondary feel they will create extremely difficult matchups for these tough lineups.

Trent was an anchor for the Rebels in 2014, serving as the staff workhorse and posting a dominant campaign. He’s gotten off to a strong start in 2015 as well, as he’s put up a 2.96 ERA and struck out 23 batters while walking just seven over his first 24 1/3 innings of work. But, he’s going to have his hands full on Friday, as he looks to quiet what is perhaps the most dangerous lineup in the nation. There is a blueprint, however, for Trent to potentially follow in order to keep those LSU bats under control. Take a look at what Baylor’s Daniel Castano did last week, as he held the Tigers to one earned run over eight innings.

Christian Trent has the tools and then some to repeat what Castano was able to do. The Baylor southpaw found success pounding the outside part of the plate against the potent LSU hitters, and fading his changeup just off the dish. Trent has an above average changeup for which he shows an excellent feel, and he has enough juice on his 88-92 mph fastball to keep the Tigers off balance. He’ll need to force hitters like Alex Bregman, who devour pitches on the inner half, to look away and use the opposite field. Trent’s above average slider will also be a major factor as he tries to neutralize dangerous lefty bats like Andrew Stevenson. And, if LSU includes hot hitting Jake Fraley in the lineup against a southpaw, how Trent fares against him with that slider will be intriguing to watch.

Then, of course there is the extremely steady sophomore lefty, Jared Poche, who by default is the “elder statesman” of this young and talented LSU staff. Poche has been superb through his first four starts, posting a 2.06 ERA and holding hitters to a .200 batting average over 26 innings of work. Armed with a very complete, polished arsenal, Poche has three different pitches he can throws strikes and be effective with. He’s highly adept at back-dooring his big lefty breaking ball against righty hitters, and his changeup will play a major role in keeping hitters off balance. Don’t sleep on Poche’s fastball however, as he shows good life through the zone at 89-91 mph and can run it up there at 92 mph in key situations.

The key to Poche this Friday will be unpredictability. He has the command to throw any pitch in any count. The Ole Miss lineup has not started out red hot, but they have very dangerous hitters just waiting to break out, like slugger Sikes Orvis. A pitcher like Poche is not going to do them any favors, as he will throw strikes, so it will be key for the Rebels’ to stay aggressive early in counts.



National Notes:

Auburn (13-4) heads to College Station, Texas to take on No. 10 Texas A&M (18-0) this weekend. This is a battle of two teams who have been hard to get your arms around. The Auburn braintrust of Head Coach Sunny Golloway and pitching coach Tom Holliday showed great savvy in shifting ace Keegan Thompson to the mid-week starter's role early in the season, allowing him to beat both Alabama and Georgia Tech. Thompson now moves back into the weekend rotation for the start of SEC play and the Tigers hope Anfernee Grier (.424) and California junior college transfer shortstop Cody Nulph (.400) continue to swing hot bats.

Texas A&M may have the most physical offense in the country as sluggers Ronnie Gideon, G.R. Hinsley, Hunter Melton and Logan Nottebrok average 6-foot-3 and 230-pounds. That group clears the way for the ultra-talented Nick Banks and his pure hit tool. While only about three of the Aggies' 18 wins have come against Regional-caliber competition, Rob Childress has a team that is a legitimate Omaha contender.

A situation to watch here is the status of ace A.J. Minter. Minter has been dominant thus far but left last Friday's game after 70 pitches with tenderness and he has been scratched from this weekend's series.

• San Diego State (14-3) hosts No. 18 Texas Tech (12-4) in a series of two teams boasting gaudy records but who are also still looking for a signature weekend. San Diego State recently lost their series to a very good New Mexico team while Texas Tech suffered a road sweep to streaking Cal State Fullerton last weekend. The Red Raiders roster is arguably deeper and more talented than their 2014 team that advanced to the College World Series.

• The WCC will cease its harassment of the SEC this weekend and open up its own conference play. Gonzaga swept Arkansas in Fayetteville in two mid-week games, and punctuated those victories with a 15-5 shellacking on Wednesday night. The 'Zags offense did this with an incredible 10 singles, 13 walks, three HBP and zero extra-base hits.

Add this sweep to the San Diego series win over Mississippi State, the Santa Clara near series win versus Vanderbilt, and San Francisco's recent mid-week sweep of Oregon and the WCC has made a loud statement as a conference deserving of multiple bid consideration.

• The Kentucky Wildcats have quiety gone 13-3 to open the season, although their three losses have come against their two most notable opponents, No. 14 UC Santa Barbara and No. 23 Southern California. The team is coming off of a sweep of Northern Kentucky – a series highlighted by Zack Brown's 11 strikeout complete game shutout performance – and a mid-week win over Cincinnati in which outfielder Ka'ai Tom hit for the cycle. Tom is now hitting .450 on the year while Brown has a 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 innings.

As SEC play opens this weekend, the Wildcats will have another big test this weekend as they travel to Columbia, S.C., to face No. 7 South Carolina. Brown, Kyle Cody and Dustin Beggs, who are a combined 5-3 with a 2.59 ERA, will face an equally formidable Gamecocks' weekend rotation that includes Wil Crowe and Jack Wynkoop, with freshman Clarke Schmidt taking the ball last Sunday for his first collegiate start.

• No. 15 UCF aggressively scheduled four mid-week games in back-to-back weeks, splitting a pair of contests last week with now No. 1 Florida before getting swept in their two-game series with No. 11 Florida State. However, their weekend trio of Zach Rodgers, Cre Finfrock and Robby Howell has yet to take a loss, as the three are a combined 9-0 with a 2.45 ERA.

In the second game of their mid-week series against the Seminoles first baseman Quincy Nieporte erupted for FSU, going 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored and seven RBI. Those runs batted in came in the form of a three-run home run in the second inning and a grand slam in the third. Both games were high-scoring affairs, with Florida State coming out on top 11-8 and 15-11.


College | Story | 6/11/2026

Collegiate Freshman All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Collegiate Postseason Awards | Collegiate All Americans First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Alonzo Alvarez Miami FR 0.341 0.439 0.551 40 57 13 2 6 32 3 1B Ethin Bingaman Auburn FR 0.330 0.415 0.581 60 71 9 0 15 50 4 2B Ethan Ball Virginia Tech FR 0.310 0.420 0.660 43 63 18 1 17 52 3 3B Nico Partida Texas A&M FR 0.306 0.408 0.550 45 55 8 0 12 43 4 SS Jett Kenady California FR 0.320 0.350 0.573 36 66 17 1 11 34 1 IF Linkin Garcia Texas Tech FR 0.338 0.387 0.489 53 78 21 1 4 59 1 OF Angel Laya Oregon FR 0.296 0.396 0.538 49 66 10 1 14 47 5 OF Anthony Pack Jr. Texas FR 0.359 0.485 0.597 58 74 16 0 11 52 20 OF Jacob Parker* Mississippi State FR 0.339 0.449 0.732 51 57 10 1 18 62 7 OF Teddy Tokheim Stanford FR 0.352 0.414 0.704 40 70 19 0 17 47 0 UT Drew Grego Nebraska FR 0.326 0.417 0.531 33 57 13 1 7 44 5 DH Enzo Infelise Cincinnati FR 0.374...
Tournaments | Story | 6/18/2026

Big Talent on Display at City of Palms

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
The fifth annual PG City of Palms Championship is set to take place in Fort Myers, Florida, from June 19-22, featuring teams from the 15U-18U age divisions. The four-day event will showcase some of the top talent in the state, including several nationally ranked prospects who have already made their presence felt this summer season. Before tournament play begins, here’s a look at some of the highest-ranked players expected to compete this weekend. Leading the group is catcher Nico Ayars in the 16U division. Ayars enters the weekend as the No. 135 player nationally, the No. 3 catcher in Florida and the No. 20 catcher in the country. Through 22 games this summer with Turn 2 Garcia, the right-handed hitter owns a .887 OPS while batting .306 with a .438 OBP and a .449 SLG. Ayars has collected 15 hits while driving in 12 runs and scoring 13 times. Ayars’ teammate, right-handed...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/17/2026

Perfect Game Softball Route 66 Summer Showcase

Dave Durbala
Article Image
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball Route 66 Summer Showcase, June 13-14, 2026. Twenty-Seven teams, representing the 14u and High School Divisions, arrived at the newly opened all turfed Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe, for the opportunity to showcase their talent in a five game guarantee format. As with anytime we bring a group of players together for competition, there will be those players that rise to the challenge and turn in performances that earn them a place on our Top Performers list.  Below are some of the players, from both divisions, that were recognized as top performers. 14U Division Kinley Abrams (2030 Bloomington, IL) is a RHH for Texas Glory IL-2030 (Wyatt). Setting up in a slightly wide parallel stance, into her back leg, Abrams gains separation with a  push back to transfer weight, and then utilizes a small stride to launch her swing. Abrams works a...
Tournaments | Story | 6/18/2026

150 Teams Set to Battle at SE Select

Will Dembo
Article Image
As summer travel season continues to ramp up, more than 150 teams from 13-17u from all over the nation will meet in East Cobb as they look to showcase their talents and compete for a trophy in the PG Southeast Select Championship. The tournament will kick off with pool play on Thursday, June 18th, and champions will be crowned following bracket play on Monday, June 22nd. The 13u division will host 23 teams from four different states in the major style tournament. The East Cobb Astros and Ninth Inning Royals will share the spotlight as the only nationally ranked teams in the field as the Astros enter the weekend as the No. 45 ranked squad and Ninth Inning falls at the No. 31 spot. 14u will also play as a major tournament for the weekend and contains 31 teams looking to compete for a trophy. Although there are currently no nationally recognized teams in the pool, PFA Regional will be a...
Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

UBC Midwest Scout Notes

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Braydon McMillen (2029, Downers Grove, IL) an athletic MIF with a top of the order skill set at the plate. Reached base in all 5 games played at UBC this week. Including a 3 hit game in bracket play. Shows a balanced and compact swing at the plate with quick wrists and the ability to get the barrel to the baseball regularly. A quick first step defensively with clean glove actions and a quick release from the shortstop position. Made several athletic plays defensively this past week. Lot of promising impact traits and a real skill set to build on.  Paris Head | IF/OF/RHP | 2029 | IL@WhitesoxAce FB: 86-90 | CB: 73-75 SL: 77-79 | CH: 78-82 One of the best pitching performances of the tournament so far. High level athlete with an advanced pitch mix for the age. #UBC @PG_Scouting | @WhitesoxAce https://t.co/V3leWaCBSM pic.twitter.com/EDBvjpgI3p — Perfect Game Illinois...
Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

Windy City Elite Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
28 LHP/OF Rex Johnson (CO) was impressive on the mound today. Quality FB/SL mix. FB(80-85) showed heavy arm side run, generating s/m. Good feel to spin, landing the low-70s SL for strikes, while keeping hitters off balance. 5.0IP, 9K, 3H #WCElite @PG_FourCorners pic.twitter.com/q459oPmXzW — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) June 14, 2026 Rex Johnson (2028, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) turned in one of the more impressive outings of the weekend for Canes Denver South 2028 Gold. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound left-hander worked 5.0 innings, striking out 9 while allowing just 3 hits and no earned runs. The fastball worked 80-85 with arm-side run and got on hitters quickly, generating both swing-and-miss and weak contact. He mixed in a slider with sharp action and showed feel to land it for strikes. Currently ranked the No. 5 outfielder and No. 8 overall prospect in Colorado, Johnson displayed...
Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

UBC South Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Jonell Rodriguez (2027, Spring, Texas) continued his absolute tear this weekend with Banditos 2027 Scout. The Houston commit finished the weekend 7-12 with three triples and two doubles, reaching base a staggering eleven times over the course of the tournament. Super twitchy athlete who is starting to tap into more power this summer. Has always been extremely productive but seems to have leveled up. He has an argument for being the most dynamic player in the state with his 2026 performances. William Bishop (2028, San Antonio, Texas) was a breakout star this weekend for Texas Angels 2028 Lisbon. Was an impossible out this weekend, going 10-14 with five doubles, a triple, and a home run, while driving in eight runs. Uber physical lower half that rotates easily, not a ton of wasted movement in the swing process. Was such a tough matchup for every single arm he faced at UBC. Will Rainer...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/17/2026

Braves Capture WWBA East Title

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
By the end of championship Monday, the Atlanta Braves Scout Team had done much more than win a title. They had validated everything they believed they could become. After an undefeated run through the 2026 PG East WWBA Championship, the Braves captured the 15U championship with an 8-2 victory, finishing off a dominant weekend that featured elite pitching, explosive offense, and contributions throughout the roster. For coach Jed Douglas, the championship represented the results of months of practice, preparation, and a vision that finally came together. “This is our first championship with this group,” Douglas said. “We finally brought it together and for the first time, everything seemed to work just as we designed it when we were building the team, and it was just beautiful this way.” The Braves backed up that vision with one of the most impressive offensive...
Tournaments | Story | 6/16/2026

PG Summer Showdown Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Mason Kennerly (2028, Decatur, Ga.) hit .429 with a .667 OBP, five walks and three RBI in four games last week. He’s already showing the tools to be a big-time power bat in his class, and standing at 6’2 with an athletic frame, he’s one of the more projectable players we saw this weekend. His mechanics play into his size well, creating good hand separation from body on his load, using a medium-high leg kick, and getting a wide base when going into his launch. He uses every bit of his size and natural strength to create a violent swing. He’s got the makings of a really solid prospect, and as he develops and his approach matures, he’ll become a guy that college coaches keep at the top of their radar.  ‘27 Grant Barden (GA) up to 90 mph on the hill. Loose on the mound, whippy arm action. Four pitch mix; FB 87-90, CB 71-72, SL 76-78, CH 79-81. Mixed...
General | Blog | 6/16/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 66

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
  The Number That Just Killed MLB Expansion: 1,217   USA Today's Bob Nightengale dropped a bomb shell recently that the baseball world is still digesting. Major League Baseball wants to expand to 32 teams. Team executives are quietly opposing it and the reason has nothing to do with cities or money.   They cannot find enough healthy pitchers.   Between 2020 and 2024, professional baseball performed 1,026 Tommy John surgeries at the minor-league level alone. Another 191 at the Major League level. More than twelve hundred elbow reconstructions in five years on the best young pitchers in the world.   That is not bad luck. That is a system reporting a verdict on itself.   For fifteen years, the youth-baseball industry has chased one number: velocity significantly more than projectability and arm care.    Recruiters scout by it.    Social...
Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

Ohio Valley Select Invite Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘27 OF Bryson Rhodes (NE) continues to swing a hot bat in the week. Hammers this single UTM. Bat speed really plays & displays a direct barrel path. #OVSelect @PGMidwestBB @brysonrhodes_ pic.twitter.com/TyK8QI3a70 — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) June 13, 2026 Bryson Rhodes (2027, Lincoln, Neb.) Rhodes found himself on a tear over the four days, finishing inside the top five in batting top performers. In four games, the uncommitted junior tallied seven hits in twelve at-bats. Of those seven hits, three went for extra bases, including a home run. Short direct stride to impact that displayed well above average bat speed. Worked the middle of the field to pull side. Hard, impactful barrels throughout and was a catalyst as a top of the order bat.     ‘28 RHP Asher Visconti (OH) struck out 7 in his five innings of work. Only allowed one hit...
Loading more articles...