THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,472 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,472 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 7/1/2016

Roadrunners race to 14u title

Photo: Perfect Game


EMERSON, Ga. – The Roadrunners defeated Banditos Elite 4-2 in a tightly contested championship game. Both teams came into this game hot after semifinal victories prior to the championship game. Dalton Pearson had no words to describe the way he felt after Roadrunners Baseball captured the 14u WWBA National Championship.

“I’m just happy to be on the Roadrunners,” said Pearson.

Kyle Hilton started on the mound for the Roadrunners and he was a calm and focused presence the entire game. Hilton worked at his own pace, pounded the strike zone and forced opposing hitters to swing at bad pitches. His final line for the day was a seven inning complete game and only allowed two runs to score along with four strikeouts.

Aaron Nixon started on the mound for the Banditos and he had his fastball working early in the game. Nixon sat 84-86 mph with his fastball and mixed in a curveball to keep hitters off balance. Nixon was able to keep the Roadrunner offense at bay early on but they struck first in the bottom of the second inning.

With two outs and runners on first and second, the Roadrunners pushed their first run across after a throwing error by the shortstop. Evan Hurst came up next and brought in another run with an RBI single. The Roadrunners held the 2-0 advantage heading into the middle innings.

Dalton Pearson led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a triple over the head of the center fielder. He came into score after an RBI groundout to bring the lead to three. The Roadrunners were able to add their fourth run later in the inning thanks to a wild pitch. After four innings, the Roadrunners were in a good position with a 4-0 lead.

The Banditos would spark a rally in the top of the fifth. After loading the bases with only one out, Zane Keener brought home two runs with a single through the right side of the infield. A strong throw by the catcher was able to get Keener out trying to advance to second for the big second out of the inning. Hilton was able to induce a groundout to keep the lead at 4-2.

The score would remain the same as the top of the seventh approached and a championship was on the line. The Banditos had their leadoff man reach after a single but that was quickly erased as the Roadrunners turned a double play on a strike-him-out-throw-him-out at second base. Hilton induced a fly out to left and the celebration was on.

This win was very special for manager Todd Howard as this was the Roadrunners’ first WWBA National Championship as a program. An emotional Howard discussed his emotions during the final inning.

“I told the team that I’ve been a Roadrunner since 1979 and this is probably my favorite moment ever,” said Howard. “Garrett Hodges, one of our older players who’s going to Kennesaw State, found out we were playing and came in the dugout. He told the team before they went out for the seventh, ‘Remember what that Roadrunner name means.’ He also talked to the team after the game and it shows that we’re a big family. All the guys in college summer leagues texted me today and they’ll be fired up to learn that we did it.”

The Roadrunners were involved in many close ballgames during this tournament but they persevered and finished with an undefeated 11-0 record. Howard credits his team’s ability to their heart and their mentality of never giving up.

“They didn’t give up,” said Howard. “Yesterday we were down two runs and a lot of fourteen year olds would’ve given up but we scored three runs to win. Earlier today we were tied 2-2 and Dalton (Pearson) came up with a big two-out hit and threw a runner out at the plate, definitely MVP. Our pitchers came in and did an incredible job.”

Going forward, this is a landmark championship for the Roadrunners program. Their creation of a family atmosphere and track record of success shows that they are an elite program that can compete with anyone.

“When people come to visit and come to the Roadrunner House we’ll be able to show them that first place trophy, which is nice because Perfect Game is huge,” said Howard. “It helps with our recruiting because it shows that when you play for the Roadrunners a player very rarely leaves and the college kids come down and stay with us. It’s a family.”

The MVP of the tournament was Dalton Pearson of the Roadrunners. Pearson finished the tournament with a .581 batting average and 18 hits in only 11 games. He also had 10 RBI and 10 runs scored. The MV-Pitcher of the tournament also went to the Roadrunners and Patrick Holloman. He finished the tournament with a 1-0 record and a team-high 12 innings pitched while striking out 14 and only allowing one run to score.

The Banditos advanced after knocking out the defending champion East Coast Sox Elite 8-3 in the semifinals. The Banditos pushed four runs across in the first inning to give them some momentum heading into the rest of the game. After adding two more in the third inning it looked as if the rout was on. The Sox mounted a comeback, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to only three. But after putting three runs up in response, the game was decided and the Banditos headed to the championship game.

The Roadrunners defeated the 643 DP Cougars 3-2 in an exciting finish to clinch their spot in the championship game. A one-run game for the majority of the afternoon, the score was tied at two heading to the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs and nobody on, it looked as if the game was heading to extra innings. Three batters later, two singles and an error, the bases were loaded and tournament MVP Dalton Pearson hit a walk-off single to secure the Roadrunners spot in the championship game.


2016 14u WWBA National Championship runner-up: Banditos Elite



2016 14u WWBA National Championship MVP: Dalton Pearson



2016 14u WWBA National Championship MV-Pitcher: Patrick Hollomon





Tournaments | Story | 6/14/2026

UBC West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Nash McCarthy (2030, Camas, WA) was outstanding in his start on day two of the UBC West for NW Baum Bat, working six-innings allowing four-hits, no walks and struck out seven.  Standing at 6-foot, 170-pounds with athleticism and room to add.  Effortless mover down the bump with a low effort, up-tempo operation that produced a fastball that was up to 84.  He showed feel for the secondary offerings mixing in a firm breaking ball at 71-74 with 11-5 shape with depth.  Controlled the zone and the tempo throughout the outing, moving the ball around to all four-quadrants.  Projectable arm speed with advanced feel for the spin and strike zone.  Dylan D'Oyen (2030, Cerritos, CA) got the start for 5 Star 2030 in their opening game of the tournament and impressed over six innings of work.  Athletic mover down the mound with balance and repeats the delivery. ...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/14/2026

PG Softball Super Regionals

Erica Beach
Article Image
PG Super Regionals Dripping Springs, Texas June 6-7, 2026     DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX- The weather was nice, the Longhorns JUST won a national championship, and Perfect Game brought it’s first softball event to Dripping Springs. It was a weekend packed with college coaches, quality softball, and a great softball atmosphere. Over the course of the six-game guarantee event, our scout saw some amazing athletes. Below she highlights some of the athletes who caught her eye.   Destiny Sidiropoulos (2028, Houston, TX) of the Impact Gold HTX 16U was an incredible spark plug at the top of their lineup all weekend. She is a true triple threat who has great speed on the basepaths. She can soft and power slap, drop a sneaky bunt, and hit away with pop. Her barrel control is next level, and she is fun to watch pick apart defenses. On defense, she is versatile and athletic. She gets...
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

West Coast Summer Breakout Hopefuls

Joey Cohen
Article Image
With summer ball ramping up, the priority follow lists from our scouting staff start to take shape and every year a handful of intriguing names outside the national spotlight begin to separate. Digging deeper into the West region, there’s a group of prospects currently buried outside the Top 200 who carry real breakout and helium potential over the next few months. All 10 players featured here are coming off strong high school seasons and bring traits that evaluators tend to bet on whether it’s projectable/athletic bodies, strong secondary stuff, or flashes of impact tools. They may not be household names just yet, but the ingredients are there for significant jumps by the end of the summer circuit. Don’t be surprised if several of these names are firmly in the mix and climbing up early boards in a hurry before the fall rolls around. Two innings of work here from Jonah...
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

UBC South Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Quintin Blackwell (2030, Hercules, California) has, literally, been unstoppable this weekend for Premier Banditos Deleon. In six plate appearances, he has a walk and five hits. Doing it all with a double and two triples, while stealing three bags. Plenty of coil on the front side. Hands work through zone and the barrel stays on plane for a long time. High upside bat that makes an already deep Banditos lineup even deeper. Kenson Buth (2027, Trophy Club, Texas) has been an absolute weapon on both ends for Stix 2027 Scout. At the plate, he’s 6-9 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. Linear approach with a ton of bat speed. Plenty of impact at the bottom of the zone and showing some ability to do serious damage in the middle of the field. On the mound, he went four quality innings, punching out three. The fastball lived 86-90 with carry. Good feel for the slider in the mid 70s....
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

WWBA East Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Sawyer Pettit (‘27 MS) Has shown extremely well to start the summer of 2026. Its a physical left-handed hitting corner profile with big muscle mass. Will pass the eye test off the bus at the next level. The swing is clean with controlled violence and big in-air power that has shown up frequently. Good mover for the size and plays the game hard. Candidate for a big frosh season at LSU-Eunice in 2028. Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) Pair of barrels tied together here. Innate feel to hit with fast hands. Line drive approach that gets to pull side power in the air. Excellent athlete that will stick at a premium spot. #LaTech commit.#WWBAEast pic.twitter.com/xeintVTMil — PG Deep South (@PG_DeepSouth) June 12, 2026 Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) The Louisiana Tech commit just does not stop hitting. Left the yard to the pull side yesterday and followed it up with a 3-4 day with a...
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

AZ All-State Ready to Take Place

Emily Hicks
Article Image
This weekend, eight teams will head to Goodyear Ballpark for the 2026 PG Arizona All-State tournament, setting the stage for what should be an exciting few days of baseball. With teams traveling from across the city, the field will be packed with talent and plenty of championship contenders. Among the teams competing in 16U are AZ Select, Marucci Athletics 2028 Grannis, Overfly 2028, Phoenix Phillies, Team Dinger 2028, T-Rex East Valley, USA Scout Team AZ 16U, and West Coast Ghost AZ 16U. Each team enters the weekend with its own strengths and goals, creating several intriguing storylines to follow throughout pool play and bracket action. One of the biggest teams to watch this weekend will be 10-10, T-Rex East Valley. Whether it's dominant pitching, high-powered offenses, or strong defensive play, T-Rex East Valley has already shown they can compete at a high level this season. A few...
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

13/14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
13u & 14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Tucker Richardson (2030, Mobile, Ala.) has already made a name for himself and he continued to play at the expected high level during his time in Hoover, finishing the tournament with a robust .700 average, collecting at least one base hit in each of his team’s games. Now the No. 10 ranked prospect in the country, Richardson more than once showed the ability to read and react to spin out of the pitcher’s hand, barreling up baseballs for a couple of his hits on the tournament. As much as the bat stands out, the defensive actions in the dirt are even better as he’s arguably the best defender in the class, making the most difficult plays look routing, including one where he charged hard on a slow roller with momentum taking him towards the third base dugout but thanks to the big arm, he was able to make the play look second...
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 | 6/11/2026

PG East WWBA to Get Underway

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
One of the summer’s premier events returns to the Hoover area this week as the 2026 Perfect Game East WWBA Championship gets underway. Now in its seventh year, the event has become a staple on the summer travel baseball calendar, bringing together some of the top organizations and prospects from across the country. A total of 132 teams will compete across three age divisions, including 38 teams in the 15U division, 48 teams in the 16U division, and 46 teams in the 17U division. Past champions include organizations such as Top Gun Team Alabama, EBC, USA Prime Alabama, and defending champion USA Prime Southeast 15U. As always, the tournament field features some of the nation’s top-ranked players. In the 15U division, all eyes will be on Alabama right-hander Tristan Blalock, the No. 23 ranked player nationally in the 2029 class and the top ranked player in Alabama. Blalock...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/11/2026

Team Elite Takes Another PG Elite

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
After capturing last year’s championship, Team Elite Scout 14U returned to Hoover looking to prove their success was no fluke. Four days later, they accomplished exactly that. Behind strong pitching, timely hitting, and the confidence that has defined the team throughout the tournament, Team Elite Scout 14U defeated SBA Bolts National 14U to claim the 2026 PG 14U National Elite Championship and secure back-to-back titles. “It’s awesome,” Team Elite Coach Blankenship said. “This is our first event of the year, so it’s good to get it to start with them, and they won it last year, so I know they are excited to do that back-to-back, so it’s pretty awesome.” The championship game showcased many of the same qualities that carried Team Elite through the tournament. Ryan Johnson delivered 4.1 scoreless innings on the mound, allowing just two hits...
Loading more articles...