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
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story | 5/14/2015

Weekend Preview: Week 14

Patrick Ebert
Photo: USC Athletics




National Notebook: May 12 | Projected Field of 64 | Video Vault

This weekend will be the last of the 2015 college baseball regular season, at least for all but two of the 31 Division I conferences (the Pac-12 and Big West don't have conference tournaments). Conference tournaments begin in full swing with several starting as early as Tuesday, while three others (Patriot League, MEAC and the SWAC) will crown conference champions this weekend. Columbia claimed the Ivy League last weekend for the third consecutive year and as a result became the first team to clinch a spot in Regional play.

Interestingly enough there are no series this weekend that pit Top 25-ranked clubs against one another, although there are still several interesting series sprinkled across the country. We have identified three such series below – USC at Cal, UC Irvine at UC Santa Barbara and UConn at Houston – that offer the most intrigue.

Since the conference championships begin next week this will mark the last weekend preview of the 2015 season, although we do full intend to carry our content through the College World Series in Omaha and beyond. Stay tuned to Perfect Game for updates all weekend long as Andrew Krause will be providing first-hand notes from the Kennesaw State/North Florida series, while Scott Zine will once again be in Los Angeles checking in on UCLA as they host Arizona and their dynamic middle infield duo of Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery.
Top 25 in Action

Rk. Team Opponent Location
1 Louisiana State at South Carolina Columbia, SC
2 Louisville at N.C. State Raleigh, NC
3 Illinois home vs. Nebraska Champaign, IL
4 Texas Christian at Oklahoma Norman, OK
5 UCLA home vs. Arizona Los Angeles, CA
6 Florida home vs. Auburn Gainesville, FL
7 Texas A&M at Ole Miss Oxford, MS
8 Miami home vs. Georgia Tech Coral Gables, FL
9 Dallas Baptist home vs. Wichita State Dallas, TX
10 Florida State home vs. Clemson Tallahassee, FL
11 Oregon State at Stanford Stanford, CA
12 Missouri State home vs. Bradley Springfield, MO
13 Iowa at Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
14 Vanderbilt at Alabama Hoover, AL
15 Oklahoma State at Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
16 Arizona State home vs. Washington State Phoenix, AZ
17 Southern California at California Berkeley, CA
18 College of Charleston at Northeastern Boston, MA
19 UC Santa Barbara home vs. UC Irvine Santa Barbara, CA
20 Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky Bowling Green, KY
21 Nevada home vs. Air Force Reno, NV
22 Houston home vs. Connecticut Houston, TX
23 Maryland at Northwestern Evanston, IL
24 Arkansas at Georgia Athens, GA
25 Rice home vs. Florida International Houston, TX



Marquee Matchup #1

No. 17 Southern California at California
Lucas Erceg (Photo: GoldenBearSports.com)

The No. 17 Trojans got a huge boost last weekend when Kyle Davis made his second start of the season on Friday night and tossed a gem, a complete game 1-0 shutout over Stanford in which he struck out 10 Cardinal batters. Saturday starter Kyle Twomey continues to be incredibly steady in his role, and freshman starter Mitch Hart book-ended the series with yet another complete game shutout, moving to 7-2 on the year.

And for as good as the Trojans' weekend staff appears to be heading into the final weeks of the regular season, the offense continues to pose a threat with four regulars hitting above .300 and a cumulative .293 batting average.

Cal has had a taste of the Top 25 this season, and although their stay didn't last long they have been in the conversation to re-enter the rankings ever since. Their 2.88 Pac-12 ERA is second best to UCLA (2.16), and although no one pitcher stands out on the stat sheet, all three of their weekend starters have an ERA below 3.00 and their bullpen has been equally effective.

Aaron Knapp sets the pace on offense, while third baseman Lucas Erceg, who is hitting .321-10-38 this season, has provided a steady presence in the three-hole all year long. Erceg is third in the league in slugging (.542) and his 10 home runs are good for second.

Most importantly in the sense of this series, especially with no conference championship, the two teams are currently tied for second in the Pac-12, along with Arizona State, with 15-9 records. The two programs match up very well on paper, and it will be arguably the most interesting series to follow this weekend.



Marquee Matchup #2

UC Irvine at No. 19 UC Santa Barbara
Keston Hiura (Photo: UCI Media Relations / Duke Burchell)

The Gauchos took one on the chin last week, losing a midweek contest to CSU Bakersfield before losing two of three games at the hands of Big West rival Cal State Fullerton. As a result they fell 10 spots in the Top 25 and currently sit one game behind both Fullerton and UC Irvine in the Big West standings. They have already exacted revenge on Bakersfield, taking this week's midweek contest against the Roadrunners, 8-7, and will look to do the same this weekend against the Anteaters in hopes of re-claiming at least a share of the Big West crown.

UC Irvine on the other hand is coming off of a 3-1 week in which they beat USC midweek before taking their series against Cal Poly. They did lose Tuesday to Loyola Marymount, and will be playing on the road against the Gauchos as they defend their share of the Big West crown with Fullerton, as both teams are currently 13-5 in the conference.

The Anteaters surprisingly have a 4.14 team ERA, which seems rather high for a program that usually excels when their pitching has been stellar. They do play very sound defense as a unit, and are hitting .282 as a team led by outfielder Keston Hiura, who leads the conference in RBI with 50 and overall is hitting .338/.394/.520 with 24 extra-base hits, which includes five home runs.

While Dillon Tate grabs the headlines for the Gauchos, he's only one of three pitchers (Justin Jacome, Shane Bieber) on the staff that has seven wins already this year, and their midweek starter, Domenic Mazza, has been equally as strong. On paper UCSB would appear to have the advantage, with a .293 team batting average and a 2.30 cumulative ERA, but as we all know, games, especially between conference foes, are never played on paper.

Cal State Fullerton travels to Hawaii this weekend to play the 12-9 Rainbow Warriors.



Marquee Matchup #3

UConn at No. 22 Houston
Chris Iriart (Photo: Houston Athletics)

The American Athletic Conference continues to be one of the more interesting leagues to follow down the stretch, as Houston currently only has a one game lead over East Carolina (who they beat last weekend) and a two game lead over Memphis, Tulane, South Florida and UConn. The Cougars remain in the driver's seat but will need to continue to take care of business against the Huskies at home this weekend.

Despite not having Jake Lemoine for much of the year, and with Aaron Garza reduced to a limited role, it's impressive how successful they've been with Andrew Lantrip, Kyle Dowdy and Seth Romero all stepping up to solidify the weekend starting staff. Like UC Santa Barbara's weekend staff, each of them has seven wins on the year with ERAs below 3.00. Housotn has now taken three straight weekend series to re-claim the AAC lead and knocked off crosstown rival Rice on Tuesday for good measure, 2-1.

UConn poses a tough test to close out the regular season, with a formidable 1-2 punch on the mound in Carson Cross and Anthony Kay. The two are a combined 17-7 with an ERA just above 2.00 on the year, and overall the Huskies staff ERA is 2.89. They're also hitting .296 as a team, led by second baseman Vinny Siena and his .362/.412/.523 triple slash. He's leading the conference in batting, runs scored (61), hits (85) and is second in RBI (50) and total bases (123).

Houston counters with Chris Iriart, whose 14 home runs are second best in the conference, and leadoff hitter Kyle Survance, whose 28 stolen bases are also good for second in the league.



National Notes:

• Here are some quick hits on a few other intriguing matchups this weekend:

  • No. 4 Texas Christian at Oklahoma: TCU looks poised to lock up the Big 12 this weekend, as second-ranked Oklahoma State's conference season is over (they play at Michigan). Third-ranked Oklahoma could tie TCU with a sweep in Norman as the Sooners (13-8) trail the Horned Frogs (15-5) by three games.

  • Auburn at No. 6 Florida: Although there aren't any conference implications riding in this series, the Gators will look to solidify their case as a Top 8 National Seed while the Tigers look to fight for their postseason lives.

  • A high-powered Arizona offense travels north to Los Angeles to take on No. 5 UCLA and their usually dominant pitching staff. There is no lack of college star power in this series, from James Kaprielian and David Berg of the Bruins to Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery of the Wildcats.

  • No. 3 Illinois hosts Nebraska in Champaign riding a 24-game winning streak. Although the Huskers have lost some of their luster after rising up into the Top 25 only to quickly slide out, they still have some intriguing players on both sides of the ball that could make this an interesting series.

  • The same is somewhat true as Georgia Tech travels to No. 8 Miami, who have all but wraped up the ACC Coastal Division with a 19-8 conference record. At 32-18 overall, Georgia Tech has found themselves in the conversation to be included in the Top 25 several times this year, but have yet to break through. Sophomore close Zac Ryan is having a huge season for the Jackets, with a 9-1 record, a 2.74 ERA and seven saves in 26 appearances.

  • The Missouri Valley Conference has been fun to watch all season long, with No. 9 Dallas Baptist and No. 12 Missouri State steadily climbing the Top 25. Third-ranked Bradley has also made some noise this year for their impressive RPI ranking, and will travel to Columbia, Mo., to take on the first-place Bears.

• Speaking of Dallas Baptist, they continued their impressive string of tough midweek opponents this season (including Texas A&M, Oklahoma and TCU) by playing No. 15 Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Things didn't go well for DBU as the Cowboys continued to pile runs on through the middle and late innings of the game leading to an 11-2 OSU win. The Patriots close the regular season at home against Wichita State while Oklahoma State, as mentioned above, travel to Ann Arbor, Mich..

• Another team that hasn't been shy about scheduling challenging midweek opponents is No. 2 Louisville, who welcomed No. 14 Vanderbilt to Jim Patterson Stadium on Tuesday. The Commodores continued to flex their pitching depth muscle as Ryan Johnson (now 5-0) and John Kilichowski combined to pitch well in the 5-2 win over the Cardinals. Kilichowski was partciularly impressive, striking out five without allowing a hit or a walk in 3 2/3 innings.

• Things didn't get an easier for No. 20 Florida Atlantic as they got shelled by the host Hurricanes, 14-6, after suffering a weekend sweep to Rice. Five different Miami hitters had multi-hit games, led by George Iskenderian's 5-for-5 night at the plate and Zack Collins' – who has caught fire of late – 13th home run of the year.

• Cal State Fullerton suffered a blow when it was revealed in a CSF release on Wednesday that Saturday starter Justin Garza would miss the rest of the season after a slight tear in his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) was found in an MRI. Garza came out of the game last Saturday against UC Santa Barbara due to discomfort. It also is a blow to Garza given the proximity of the MLB Draft, as he is currently ranked PG's 55th overall draft-eligible prospect, which put him squarely in the mix for the second round. He was named the Big West Pitcher of the Year in 2013 after a 12-0 freshman campaign and is 21-7 overall during his three-year career with the Titans.
Give us your feedback
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
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.