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College  | Story | 3/3/2009

NORTHERN IOWA BASEBALL TEAM NEEDS YOUR HELP

 CEDAR FALLS – The University of Northern Iowa baseball team needs a $1.2 million bailout, but the money won’t be coming from the government. It needs to come from you. And from us, the baseball fans of America.

 The Panthers were told on Feb. 23 by Troy Dannen, UNI”s director of athletics, that they have to raise the entire $1.2 million by April 5 to save the program. If they don’t, the baseball program at UNI will be dropped after the 2009 season due to financial problems in the athletic department.

 The Panthers have only a few short weeks to save their program, and the clock is ticking.

 “We’re going to get this money,” vowed Zach Zirbel, one of UNI’s captains. “We’re going to keep this program alive.”

 Dannen said the baseball program runs an approximate $400,000 deficit on an annual basis, when you subtract revenues from expenses. He wants the team to raise $1.2 million so the program can be saved for three years, instead of just one year at a time, but even that won’t be enough. Even if the Panthers find the $1.2 million, they’ll have to raise another $10 million during the next three years to create an endowment to fund the program on an ongoing basis. If they don’t, the program ends.

 It’s a daunting task, but the campaign began almost immediately after the team got the bad news last week. Coach Rick Heller has received hundreds of phone calls and messages from people who are outraged and willing to help. There’s a special web site for people to pledge their support, and as of Tuesday morning, March 3 the web site had received pledges of more than $165,000 in one week. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s a start.

 "We want to help any way we can," said Perfect Game president Jerry Ford, whose company has pledged $25,000. "It's the right thing to do. Rick Heller is one of the best college baseball coaches in the country."

 You can reach the website to help Northern Iowa at
www.SupportUNIBaseball.com. You can make a pledge on-line and have your pledge added to the master list, which is displayed on the website. Or if you like, you can make a pledge and remain anonymous. In addition, you can contact Coach Heller directly at Rick.Heller@uni.edu.

 There had been rumors for several years that the UNI baseball program was in jeopardy, due to financial problems in the athletic department and problems with gender-equity issues under Title IX. The problem got worse in recent months when the Iowa Board of Regents was ordered by the state government to cut 9 percent of the total budgets at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. That 9 percent cut is being passed along, and the athletic department at UNI faces a $500,000 cut (or more) in the funds it receives from the school’s general fund.

 Dannen had to decide where to make cuts, and baseball was it. Just last summer, when Dannen was introduced as UNI’s new director, he promised that no sports would be cut on his watch. He promised to raise more money for the department and to create more opportunities for women, rather than drop a sport. The economic climate changed, however, and Dannen said he was forced to make a difficult decision.

 Dannen met with UNI’s players for 90 minutes on Feb. 23 to deliver the news. “I said I’m sorry,” he said after the meeting.

 Originally, the program was going to be cut without the possibility of a reprieve. That changed after Heller met with Dannen last Monday morning, and the possibility of a $1.2 million bailout was announced.

 “Well, we’ve got a chance,” said Heller. “We’ll fight. I owe it to everybody out there.”

 Northern Iowa has had a baseball program since 1906. Iowa State dropped its program after the 2001 season, which means the University of Iowa would have the only NCAA Division I program in the state if UNI drops the sport after this year.

 The Panthers were in Arkansas for a series against Arkansas-Little Rock during the weekend of Feb. 20-22 when the news broke in Iowa that their program would be dropped. At the time, nobody knew there’d be a chance to save the program, and Heller had to unexpectedly call the team together to confirm the news. Heller had been told by Dannen and knew an announcement was coming, but was hoping to keep it quiet until after the team had returned from Arkansas. Instead, he had to confirm the worst while the team was on the road.

 “It probably was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life,” he said.

 The players were shocked, saddened and angry, especially after being assured the program was not in jeopardy.

 “When we found out, I looked around the room and I was heartbroken,” said Zirbel, a senior. “There were so many tears in so many guys’ faces. I saw the fear in a lot of the players’ eyes.”

 The Panthers are determined to fight for their program, even though the time is short.

 “We’ve got a lot of fighters on our team, and we’re not going to give up until the last straw,” said Deric Manrique, a senior and one of UNI’s captains. “We can’t go down without a fight.”

 With your help, they won’t.

College | Rankings | 6/25/2026

College Top 25: Final Update

Vincent Cervino
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With a postseason run for the ages, the Oklahoma Sooners (43-23) took home the National Championship and naturally finish the 2026 season as our No. 1 team in the land.  It is the third national title for the Sooners, playing in their 12th CWS and making their fourth championship series appearance.  They add to previous national titles won in 1951 and 1994 and did it by taking the most difficult path of any team in this year’s tournament.  In the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma took down national seeds, No. 2 Georgia Tech twice, No. 3 Georgia twice, No. 5 UNC twice, No. 7 Alabama and No. 15 Kansas twice.  This was the second time that head coach Skip Johnson has led the Sooners to the CWS Championship Series since 2022 and the first time he has taken home the crown.  The North Carolina Tarheels (54-14) was one win away from their first national title and finish...
Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

Freedom Classic Opens Holiday Weekend

Alyssa Golden
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More than 30 teams from the 14U-18U age divisions will head to Fort Myers, Florida this Fourth of July weekend for the seventh annual Perfect Game Freedom Classic. The tournament, running July 3-6, features several nationally ranked prospects from across the country as teams look to compete for a championship. Headlining the field are twin brothers Derek and Ryan Yormark of Merrick, New York. Right-handed pitcher Derek Yormack is the No. 51-ranked player in the class of 2027, the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 5-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. First baseman Ryan Yormark comes in just behind his twin brother as the No. 3 overall player in New York, the No. 5 first baseman in the nation and the No. 90-ranked player nationally. Both brothers are committed to Vanderbilt. Derek Yormark has established himself as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2027 class. He has run...
High School | General | 7/1/2026

PG High School All-Americans

Tyler Russo
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High School Top 50: Final Update With the High School season all wrapped up, today we take a look at our First, Second and Third Team All-Americans from around the country. Below you'll find three teams with stats that seem otherworldly from players who'll likely hear their names called in the coming week's MLB Draft. Within the "Notable Stats" section you'll see the individual award winners as well. First Team All-American Pos.  Name Class School State Commitment Notable Stats C Cole Prosek 2026 Magnolia Heights MS Ole Miss .595 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI 1B Will Adams 2026 Hoover AL LSU .489, 13 HR, 52 RBI IF James Tronstein 2026 Harvard-Westlake CA Vanderbilt .531, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 21 XBH IF Grady Emerson 2026 Fort Worth Christian TX Texas .508, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 34/35 SB, National POY IF Jacob Lombard 2026 Gulliver Schools FL Miami .477, 10 HR, 52 R, 42 H, 14 SB OF Martin Shelar 2026 Marist GA...
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2  ‘28 AJ Bonnette (TX) with 7 Ks thru 4 IP thus far, living 89-91 w/ heavy traits. Filling up all four quads & attacking hitters early in counts. Mixing a slurvy breaker & turning the CHG over well. @PG_Uncommitted #NatElite @Texas_PG pic.twitter.com/oz2XXoKHvt — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Aj Bonnette (2028, Keller, Texas) showed out on both sides of the ball at the National Elite Championship, but really stood out on the mound Tuesday. He toed the rubber in round two of the playoffs, proceeding to toss six innings with eight punchouts and zero earned runs allowed. The 6-foot southpaw filled up all four quadrants of the strike zone, attacking hitters early and often with his fastball. The heater lived in the 88-91 mph range with heavy traits, often setting up his slurvy breaking ball. Bonnette showed good feel...
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

Performance Baseball Rolls On

Kinley Kitchens
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Championship teams often reveal themselves when the game isn’t going their way. Performance Baseball 2028/Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team did exactly that. Trailing Florida Burn 2028 Scout through four innings, the Brewers refused to panic. Instead, they relied on timely hitting, consistent pitching, and an unselfish approach at the plate, rallying a five-run fifth inning before pulling away for a 9-5 victory to clinch their spot in the semifinals. The comeback was fueled by contributions throughout the lineup. Six different players drove in runs, including two RBIs each from Aiden Capobianco and Cameron Massey, while Matthew Heredia, Parker Weston, Ethan Smith, and Aj Bonnette each added an RBI of their own. On the mound, Derek Wenzel set the tone with 3.2 solid innings before Ethan Smith shut the door in relief, helping preserve the comeback victory. Although the Brewers have had a...
Tournaments | Championship | 7/1/2026

JK Select Hawaii Tackles 14u West WS

Emily Hicks
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JK Select Hawaii capped off an impressive tournament run by defeating GBG Vegas 14u Red14-4 in the championship game on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark, claiming the 14u West World Series title. From the opening pitch, JK Select controlled the pace of the game. The offense jumped out early, scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning after timely hits from MVP Sean Shindo and Kade Manarpaac. The early lead gave the pitching staff confidence as they worked efficiently through the opposing lineup. “I've worked hard to get better at my game for the past few months; it means a lot that I did well and performed in a tournament like this” said Shindo. Starting pitcher Maddox Prones turned in a strong performance, allowing 3 runs while striking out 5 batters over 3 innings. The defense backed the effort with great plays in the middle infield, preventing GBG Vegas from building momentum....
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

"Wow" Swings Catch Eyes at 16u Elite

Kinley Kitchens
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On the second day of the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, one swing turned heads across the ballpark. The next one brought everyone to a stop. With Wow Factor Nation 16U trailing midway through its matchup against Sandlot Scout Team 2028, Micheal O'Connor launched a solo home run to spark the offense. Just one batter later, Aaron Frink stepped into the box and sent another ball over the fence, delivering back-to-back home runs that quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the tournament’s opening days. Parents gathered along the nets, players from previous games stopped to watch, and college scouts turned their attention toward the action as the two towering swings energized the crowd and brought new life to the game. Although Wow Factor Nation ultimately lost 5-3 after a hard-fought performance, the back-to-back home runs served as a reminder of the...
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

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Will Dembo
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Following a jam-packed week of entertainment at the 17u WWBA Championships, the top nationally ranked program, USA Prime 17u National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team, faced off against Stacked Baseball 17u (No. 80 nationally) in the highly anticipated championship matchup as both teams looked to earn one of the most prestigious titles in all of travel baseball. Each talented squad entered the finale undefeated, but Stacked Baseball continued their dominance throughout the tournament, defeating the Detroit Tigers Scout Team 10-2 in mercy rule fashion to become national champions behind explosive bats and impressive pitching. Stacked Baseball was the overwhelming top team throughout the week as the WWBA Champions outscored opponents by an absurd 117-12 during their 11-0 run. “We got some talented kids, but we played against a little bit of Goliath over there,” Stacked Head Coach Mike...
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 7

Perfect Game Staff
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4  Day 5 | Day 6 Shea Corona (2027, Brooklyn, N.Y.) showcased some loud stuff out of the bullpen for MLB Breakthrough Series 2027. The New York native and primary shortstop topped out at 93 with the fastball, sitting comfortable in the 90-92 range. Corona paired it with a sharp and tight slider at 81-83, staying on the same plane until late. The pitch plays well already and the delivery is very athletic. The uncommitted right-hander went three scoreless and was in the zone plenty, striking out two while not allowing a walk. '27 SS Moises Gudino (FL) continues to stay red hot, working a long AB & cracking an oppo 2B on the 8th pitch. Really seeing ing well. #WWBA @Florida_PG https://t.co/OjNJ8Bmzao pic.twitter.com/WoDDp35EI1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Moises Gudino (2027, Tampa, Fla.)...
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Texas Twelve Firing On Full Cylinders

Kinley Kitchens
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Every team hopes to start a tournament with momentum, but few make a statement quite like Texas Twelve Maroon 2028. Matched up against defending champion Excel Blue Wave National to kick off their debut in the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, Texas Twelve Maroon delivered a complete team performance, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory and immediately establishing themselves as one of the top teams to watch this week. The win showcased the balance that has made Texas Twelve Maroon a powerful team. Strong pitching, timely hitting, and steady defense all played a role as the team held off one of the tournament’s premier programs. Right-hander Ty Antley turned in an outstanding performance on the mound, throwing a complete game while allowing only five hits and two walks over seven innings. The High Follow prospect worked consistently between 85-89 mph and mixed in a sharp...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/30/2026

Flames Capture 18U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
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Flames Natty used timely hitting and a dominant start from Beau Collier to defeat NLB American 7-3 and capture the 18U BCS National Championship on Monday at Lee Health Sports Complex. Despite being assembled just hours before the tournament began, the Flames quickly developed chemistry throughout the tournament. “This team was put together 12 hours before this tournament, and they went on a crazy run,” head coach Adam Vasquez said. “These kids know each other locally, but they don’t play together. For them to come together last minute like that, it’s crazy. I’m proud of them for that.” The game opened as a pitchers’ duel, with David Acevedo recording the lone hit through the first two innings. NLB American starter Hayden Graham kept the Flames in check early, allowing just one hit while striking out one over 2.0 innings. The right-hander...
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