THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,623 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,623 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story | 2/21/2016

Sat. 'cap: Filia, Bruins walk off

Patrick Ebert
Jheremy Brown
Mike Rooney
Photo: Don Liebig
 



Perfect Game College Baseball on SiriusXM College Sports | Weekend Preview | Staff Predictions
Friday Recaps: Caravelle Resort Tournament | Florida/Florida Gulf Coast | Friday Recap
Saturday Recaps: Caravelle Resort Tournament | Florida/Florida Gulf Coast
 

No. 14 UCLA 6, No. 22 North Carolina 5

It wasn’t quite the crisp pitcher’s duel that many expected going into the game with a pair of promising sophomores squaring off, but Saturday’s game between No. 22 North Carolina and host No. 14 UCLA still turned into a thriller nonetheless.

UCLA tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning 5-5 before winning in dramatic walkoff fashion in the bottom of the ninth. Eric Filia was the hero delivering the winning base hit, but Luke Persico played just as big of a role, drawing a two-out walk (his third of the game) just ahead of Filia and then promptly stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Persico scored three of the Bruins’ six runs in the game.




Filia’s game-winning hit was only UCLA’s fourth in the game, largely because the flame-throwing J.B. Bukauskas started the game for the Tar Heels. Although he only lasted 4 2/3innings and gave up four runs (two earned) and three walks, he only allowed one hit and struck out nine thanks to a fastball that was clocked as high as 97, a wicked upper-80s slider and a changeup that was clocked as high as 90 mph.

Cole Aker, who was brought in to face Persico in relief of UNC’s closer Hansen Butler (who struck out four in 2 2/3 scoreless innings), allowed both the free pass to Persico and the base hit to Filia.

Griffin Canning got the start for UCLA and he too uncharacteristically struggled with command. He managed to work his way through five innings giving up five runs (three were earned) on eight hits and a walk while striking out five.

Four UCLA pitchers combined to provide four scoreless innings of relief, including closer Tucker Forbes who worked the final two frame to pick up the win.



LakePoint Spring Swing

Nebraska-Omaha, Eastern Michigan and NJIT all took turns playing each other on Saturday. UNO went 2-0 with a win over each team while EMU won their contest against NJIT, 8-0. Matt Czechanski was once again on hand for all of the action and provided the following reports, and video, on some of the games’ standout players, including UNO senior third baseman Clayton Taylor and EMU freshman righthander Davis Feldman.




As noted in yesterday's edition of this blog, Taylor stands in with a very strong 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame at the plate. He showed an impressive ability to pick up spin and lay off when it's thrown low and out of the zone. His bat speed and strength allow him to use his pull-oriented approach to drive the ball through the right side with ease. His swing features a level plane with natural lift, as well as present feel for the barrel, which leads to a high number line drives. At the plate, he led the team with five hits in the Mavericks' pair of games on Saturday.




The 6-foot, 180-pound Feldman toed the rubber for the Eagles' first game of the day. He worked from a three-quarters arm slot with good raw arm speed and a loose arm action. He showed good hip rotation and repeated his mechanics well through the duration of his start. He slightly cuts off his extension in his delivery but manages to land on-line. He threw a pair of fastballs; his four-seam showed good life and hit 90 mph in the first inning, while then sitting in the upper-80s thereafter, and his two-seam fastball worked in the 84-86 mph range with impressive arm-side run. He showed feel and confidence for his 80 mph changeup that showed good fade and depth. His fourth pitch was an 11-to-5 shaped curveball that hit 76 mph that he used sparingly, but showed some tightness and feel for the pitch.

To read more notes from the action at the Spring Swing please visit the LakePoint scout blog.



National Notes

• As noted in the weekend preview on Thursday Rice was expected to have their hands full with Arizona this weekend. However, it’s not the offense that is causing the Owls trouble (the middle-of-the-order power threat of Bobby Dalbec and J.J. Matijevic has only mustered one hit combined in their first two games) but the Wildcat arms. On Friday J.C. Cloney went seven strong innings, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out nine, and Cameron Ming followed that up with 6 1/3 strong innings of his own on Saturday. Dalbec came in to pick up the win in relief of Ming, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, which spoiled a strong start by Rice’s Jon Duplantier. As a result Arizona is off to a modestly surprising 2-0 start.

• All sophomore Alex Lange has done since stepping foot on campus at Louisiana State is win. After a remarkable freshman year that saw the strongly built righthander go 12-0, Lange was up to his old tricks Saturday for the Tigers as he spun 6 2/3 innings of one-hit ball while punching out nine Cincinnati Bearcats. He showed big velocity on his fastball working in the 92-94 mph range but his low- to mid-80s breaking ball and high level changeup proved to be just as effective.

• Most coaches would be happy to have Louisville’s Brendan McKay on their team as either a hitter or as a pitcher, but lucky for Coach Dan McDonnell that he gets him for both. Saturday marked McKay’s first start on the bump in 2016 and it went as Louisville fans have come to expect: five shutout innings, eight strikeouts and just three hits allowed. His fastball peaked at 94 mph and worked comfortably in the 89-91 mph range while showing an advanced feel for both his curveball and changeup. On top of that, the lefthanded hitting McKay also hit a three-run home run giving the fans a little taste of everything he’s capable of doing.

• McKay’s teammate and one of the top outfield prospect eligible for this year’s draft, Corey Ray, has jumped out to a nice start for Louisville as well picking up multi-hit games in each of his first two contests and going deep in his first at-bat on Saturday. An explosive athlete with big-time speed, Ray also made an impact on the bases, as he swiped three bags, as well as defensively, throwing a runner out at home. 

• In addition to Corey Ray’s big day at the plate big individual offensive performances seemed to be the recurring theme in Saturday’s action across the country.
  • Jeren Kendall continued his hot start with a 3-for-5 performance in No. 4 Vanderbilt’s 13-6 win over San Diego after going 4-for-5 yesterday. First baseman Kyle Smith also enjoyed a big day at the plate going 3-for-3 with a two-run bomb, while a pair of freshmen – Alonzo Jones and Ethan Paul – collected the key base hits in the Commodores’ seven-run sixth inning.

  • After going 3-for-5 with a double, two runs, three RBI and two walks in Florida State’s huge 19-1 win over Rhode Island on Friday, third baseman John Sansone followed that up with a 2-for-4 performance that included a home run and four RBI in FSU’s 8-1 win on Saturday.

  • Missouri State third baseman Jake Burger hit a pair of home runs in the first game off a doubleheader on Saturday against Central Arkansas. He now has three bombs on the year while going 5-for-11 collectively in three games with seven runs scored and six driven in.

  • Hunter Melton went 5-for-5 with two home runs of his own, four runs scored and six RBI in No. 3 Texas A&M’s 15-4 win over Hofstra on Saturday. Michael Barash and Ronnie Gideon also hit home runs for the Aggies as eight of the team’s 16 hits went for extra bases.

  • Mississippi State’s 2-3-4 hitters (Jack Kruger, Brent Rooker and Gavin Collins) went a combined 8-for-12 with four doubles, eight runs scored and eight driven in as part of their 17-4 win over South Dakota State. Unfortunately for the No. 17 Bulldogs they also lost their second game against Florida Atlantic and open the year with a 1-2 record.


• Stanford was rained out Friday night so College Baseball had to wait one more day to see the debut of freshman ace Tristan Beck. Well, Beck was worth the wait and then some. The young righthander showed pitchability beyond his years allowing no runs over 6 1/3 innings. Beck featured a fastball ranging from 90-93 mph and his nasty curveball was 76-78 mph. Fullerton may not be an offensive juggernaut but Beck allowed just three of the 22 batters he faced to reach base. Let the Tristan Beck era begin.

Stanford ended up sweeping Saturday's doubleheader against the Titans to open the year 2-0.

• Oregon won the first two games at San Diego State versus an Aztec program that has been to three straight Regionals. Cole Irvin was outstanding in game one as noted in our Friday recap. Fellow lefty Matt Krook had a choppier outing, allowing four runs (only two were earned) in his four complete innings. Krook's high-octane fastball was 91-95 mph and he even flashed a handful of plus curveballs. Pitch count management will be the initial challenge for Krook as he needed 85 pitches to complete his four innings. For those of you with Oregon in your "Eight for Omaha," the Ducks are currently averaging nine runs per game.

• Despite suffering a disappointing Opening Day loss to UTA, Oklahoma State may have found a major piece for their weekend rotation. Righthander Thomas Hatch dominated Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, going seven innings and allowing just two runs. Hatch sat 91-94 mph and touched 95 but two other numbers really stand out: he recorded 13 ground ball outs and needed just 79 pitches to complete the seven innings.

Donnie Walton has been in the middle of everything for the Cowboys and he is hitting .500 (6-for-12) through three games. Sophomore Jon Littell, who is a former Perfect Game All-American, looks poised for a breakout year. Littell did not start on Opening Day but he recorded four hits, three runs scored and three RBI in Saturday's doubleheader sweep.

• Alec Hansen, one of the early season candidates to be in the mix for the first overall pick in this year’s draft thanks to his big stature and equally big fastball, had a pretty rough beginning to the 2016 season. After getting two quick outs to open his start against Northeastern the wheels quickly came off as he lasted just one inning giving up three runs on four walks and a base hit. Northeastern won game one of the doubleheader 5-3, although the Sooners did bounce back with a much-needed 10-4 win in the second game.

• Congrats to Augie Garrido who recorded his 800th victory as Head Coach of the Longhorns with a 11-2 victory over UNLV on Saturday.
Give us your feedback
College | Story | 8/7/2026

Cape Cod League Notebook: August 7
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
RHP Jason Flores (@BaseballUGA) Showed some electric stuff, up to 98 several times CT, SL, CH to round out the arsenal in his 5IP 9K performance. @HarwichMariners So./‘27 elig pic.twitter.com/p2nTvkFnWh — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) August 5, 2026 Jason Flores | RHP | University of Georgia | Harwich Mariners  Flores heads to Georgia this fall looking to reestablish himself as one of the premier arms in the 2027 draft class after showing significant promise during his freshman season at Texas. Flores posted a 2.78 ERA over 32.1 innings as a freshman before a limited sophomore campaign in which he logged just 12 innings. The stuff was on full display this summer, highlighted by a dominant five-inning, nine-strikeout playoff performance in which he touched 98 mph five different times. His fastball averaged nearly 96 mph throughout his time on the Cape, pairing the...
Read More
Draft | Story | 9/11/2026

PG Draft: Potential Risers Into Top 50

Michael Albee
Article Image
We are in the early stages of the 2027 cycle and there is still plenty of time for players to make significant jumps up the board. While our current Top-100 provides an early look at the class, several players just outside that group have the upside to make a run at becoming Top-50 pick by next July. With that in mind, each member of the draft team each selected one college player and one prep player they believe could make the jump into the Top-50 over the course of the spring. These are the names to keep an eye on as the 2027 draft picture continues to develop. Joey’s Picks:   Jake Cueto (27 FL) goes oppo πŸ’£ on a mid-90s LonL heater. Performing at a very high level, hitting .464 with 5 homers. Excellent hit/run combo and here comes the juice! #PGHS #Miami commit @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/g4gtml81mm — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) April 1, 2026 Prep: OF, Jake...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/9/2026

PG Wood Bat Fall Kickoff Scout Notes

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Evan Thompson (‘29, AZ) showcasing the all-fields power with this ground rule double the other way. Immense power upside. Really fun offensive profile #FallKickoff https://t.co/l551KirUOf pic.twitter.com/QW0AIeg59g — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) September 7, 2026 Evan Thompson (2029, Gilbert, Ariz.) put on an offensive clinic throughout the weekend, going 8-for-13 with three extra-base hits. He capped off his MVP performance with a walkoff home run to take home the championship. Thompson is one of the premier players in the 2029 class. A fluid left-handed stroke consistently finds barrels. There is all fields power present that will only continue to develop further. It would not be a surprise if Thimpson ends up the top ranked player in the class when it is all said and done.  Chase Fillman (2028, Goodyear, Ariz.) put together a loud summer circuit and...
Read More
Draft | Story | 9/8/2026

What Profiles Are Valued Most at Top of Draft

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The landscape of the MLB Draft continues to evolve each and every year. What teams value at the top of the draft can change based on the strength of a particular class, shifts in player development philosophy, and, perhaps most importantly, the way organizations evaluate risk and upside. Some trends are subtle, while others become impossible to ignore when viewed across multiple years. For this study, I set out to answer one question: What player profiles do teams value at the top of the draft? To answer it, I analyzed the Top-100 picks from each of the last six drafts (2021-2026). That gives us 600 total selections to examine and provides a large enough sample to identify both the profiles that have remained consistently popular and those that have gained or lost significant ground. The data was broken down by position, handedness and level to create individual player profiles. While...
Read More
General | General | 9/7/2026

First Look: Class of 2031 Rankings

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Read More
Draft | Story | 9/7/2026

Chubb Jones Jr. Enrolls Early

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Harry Chubb Jones Jr. is getting an early start on the next chapter of his baseball career. The Perfect Game All-American announced Sunday that he will enroll early at the University of Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide an early addition from one of the more intriguing two-way prospects in the 2027 class. See y’all at The Joe! πŸ‘πŸΎπŸ‘πŸΎπŸ‘πŸΎ pic.twitter.com/Kn0T0mJxq7 — 6._.chubbjones (@chubb_hitter) September 6, 2026 Jones, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound SS/RHP from Georgia, was ranked No. 39 in the 2027 class and came in at No. 83 on the initial Top-100 2027 Draft Board. Chubb Jones Jr (‘27 GA) smokes this one the other way for an RBI single & we’re all level in the 6th. Adv bat speed, impacts w/ authority to all fields #PGAAC@PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/FZ46IvYVp1 — Dick’s Sporting Goods All-American Classic (@PGAllAmerican) August 16, 2026 The McEachern...
Read More
Draft | Story | 9/7/2026

2027 MLB Draft: PG Content Hub

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
No more having to search for articles pertaining to the 2027 MLB Draft as we will keep it all centrally located here, in the PG Content Hub, leading up to the first pick next July. Tyler Henninger, Joey Cohen, Michael Albee and Ryan Miller, along with the rest of the Perfect Game staff, will continue to provide you with the latest info as it pertains to this 2027 crop.  Article Date Initial Follow List July 12 Way Too Early Mock July 13 Realistic Expectations of 1:1 August 11 Preview: Collegiate RHP August 21  Draft Board: Top 100 August 28 Way Too Early 1:1 Predictions September 4 Chubb Jones Jr. Enrolls Early September 7 Preview: Collegiate LHP September 7 What Profiles are Valued Most at Top of Draft September 9 Potential Risers Into The Top 50 September 11
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 9/7/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate LHP

Ryan Miller
Article Image
2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: Collegiate Right-Handed Pitchers The collegiate left-handed pitching class is always a popular demographic, and this year’s is no different. The group contains a mix of power pitch mixes and polished pitch-ability, with healthy representation from power four schools and a handful of mid-majors. Below we look at this year’s top college left-handers. An extended look at LHP Tomas Valincius (@HailStateBB)... 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K https://t.co/lCHgGnsdbi pic.twitter.com/Vm3nQkAukc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 28, 2026 Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State Valincius followed head coach Brian O’Connor from Virginia to Mississippi State and immediately established himself as their ace last spring. The Illinois native posted a 3.50 ERA over 17 starts in 2026, striking out 33.5% of hitters and walking just five percent....
Read More
General | General | 9/6/2026

Update: Class of 2030 Rankings

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Read More
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 9/4/2026

2027 Draft: Way Too Early 1:1 Predictions

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2027 Top 100 Draft Board  Current Favorite: SS Dylan Seward, Norco HS (Calif.) In our first iteration of the 2027 Draft Board, Norco shortstop Dylan Seward ranks No. 1 overall. The switch-hitter is an ultra-twitchy player with a lot to like on both sides of the ball. He is a supreme athlete that should stick up the middle. Explosiveness is shown in all aspects of his game and gives the profiles big time upside.  In the event that Seward does not go 1:1, each member of our draft team selected a player that they think could wind up in that spot. We are still nearly a full year away from draft day, but here are our “Way Too Early” predictions for the 1st overall pick next July.  Henni’s Pick: C/UTL Gavin Kelly, West Virginia    Gavin Kelly (@WVUBaseball) sends this over the wall in CF for a solo πŸ’£ (100 EV/ 416 ft). Adv. hitter with accurate...
Read More
General | General | 9/3/2026

Class of 2029 Rankings Update

Article Image
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.