THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/3/2016

Slammers grow at national level

Vincent Cervino
Photo: Perfect Game

EMERSON, Ga. – Colorado is not normally known for being a baseball state. With only two Division I college programs in the state that field a baseball team, Clint Zavaras, manager of the Colorado-based Slammers, has worked hard over the past decade to improve the quality of Colorado baseball and to compete with traditional powerhouse states like Georgia and Florida.

“When we first started this program, about 13 or 14 years ago, we were lucky to have two or three D-I guys total in the state of Colorado,” said Zavaras. “Over the years we’ve grown and the coaching around Colorado has gotten better and in turn our program has gotten better. Last year we had 44 seniors and all 44 got a college scholarship for baseball. Sixteen or 17 of those guys had D-I scholarships. So now we have this group and the next group of 2018s who will end up being another 15-18 D-I guys and hopefully that will stay from here on out.

“We still get the token ‘You’re a good team from Colorado,’ but we’re just a good team and we compete all over the place.”

One of the latest examples of the talent in Colorado is righthanded pitcher Caleb Sloan. Sloan is the No. 10 righthanded pitcher in the class of 2017 nationally (he’s ranked 32nd overall) and has a power fastball that has reached 94 mph, as it did on Sunday at the 17u WWBA National Championship in a game against the Georgia Jackets. Sloan, a former football player, has embraced his notoriety and loves the game of baseball.

“I started playing baseball when I was four years old,” said Sloan. “I was mainly a football player for a long time and then I started working with Clint (Zavaras) and the Slammers. Baseball became everything for me, I started working and practicing every day. I love this team, I love the players, I love the coaches, traveling with everyone is so much fun.”

The summer has been full of travel and showcases already. After performing at the Perfect Game National Showcase – where he impressed with a 90-94 mph fastball and low- to mid-80s slider – the TCU commit is in Georgia to compete against some of the most talented players in the country at the 17u WWBA National Championship.

“This summer has been crazy,” said Sloan. “I knew it was going to be long but I didn’t know it was going to be this much fun. I’m not at home much but I love traveling with my team and meeting new people. Throwing on the road is so much fun. The (recruiting) process was very exciting. TCU was my place because I have a lot of family in Texas, that’s where my parents are from. It’s been exciting, I really love the process.”

His work ethic and desire to be great have rubbed off on his team and his coaches. Zavaras calls Sloan the “hardest worker on the team” and he sets an example for the rest of his teammates to follow.

“Caleb has, in the last six or seventh months, started to come into his own,” said Zavaras. “He’s always had arm strength the question was would he pitch enough to be that kind of pitcher. He’s a good strike thrower and his slider is coming around. The best thing about Caleb is that he works harder than anyone else on the team. The other kids look at that and realize if he has to work hard then they do too. He’s a good leader that way.”
Joshua Dudden went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and five RBI in the Slammers' run-rule win on Sunday
The Slammers program has produced many notable names recently, including Arizona College World Series standout and third-round pick Bobby Dalbec. Joshua Dudden is another player who has blossomed under Zavaras and his program.

“I’m only 5-11 and I don’t try to do too much,” said Dudden. “Just see a pitch and hit it. I take what the pitchers give me and the whole team does that too. We don’t have a lot of big, I think half of our team is under six foot, we’re not big but we put good wood on the ball and hustle. We’re a good team and there’s been a lot of good Slammers team in the past. Bobby Dalbec in Arizona for example, but it’s very exciting.”

Zavaras also had high praise for his middle-of-the-order bat. In a 16-1 barrage over the Georgia Jackets National, Dudden went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and five RBI.

“Josh is the rock in the middle of our lineup,” said Zavaras. “He’s not a big kid but he’s got a little pop and plays really good defense. He’s been our most consistent hitter, tons of RBIs, and when guys are in scoring position he generally delivers. Josh has worked himself, over the last eight months, into a solid D-I type middle infielder.”

With the win over the Georgia Jackets the Slammers are now 3-1 in their pool and have shown they are a quality team. The game ended after three innings due to the run rule, and Sloan threw only 2 2/3 of those, on 44 pitches, meaning he could make another appearance in this tournament depending on how far the Slammers advance. Zavaras says that the most important part of tournaments like this is that the players compete against other elite teams and realize that they are good enough to win games.

“The best part about this tournament is that our kids realize they can compete,” said Zavaras. “They grow up hearing how great kids from California, Texas, or Florida are and we get a chance to play against them and that helps our guys realize that they’re good too. They start to find their place in the baseball world. Our best players in Colorado are as good as the best players anywhere in the country, there’s just not as many of them. They grow up competing now as opposed to 10 or 12 years ago when there wasn’t enough talent to push our top guys. It’s good for us to travel and our kids learn that they fit in with the rest of the country.”

Going forward, Zavaras preaches clean baseball. He knows his team needs to not make mistakes and capitalize opportunities in order to reach bracket play.

“For us, when we get out of Colorado and start playing better competition, we have to make sure we’re playing the game correctly so when we have a chance to score we make sure we put runs on,” said Zavaras. “We’re really good defensively so when we make plays we’re tough to beat. We want to put pressure on the other team so maybe they’ll make a mistake. We try to play a clean game every time whether it’s offense, defense, or pitching. If we can take care of that we’ll have a chance to win almost every game.”
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
Read More
College | Story | 1/30/2026

Conference Preview: Big West

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  School W L W L Cal Poly 43 19 23 7 Cal State Bakersfield 18 38 9 21 Cal State Fullerton 29 27 19 11 CSUN 15 34 10 20 Hawai'i 35 21 16 14 Long Beach State 22 31 15 15 UC Davis 27 28 13 17 UC Irvine 43 17 24 6 UC Riverside 16 36 5 25 UC Santa Barbara 36 18 16 14 UC San Diego 26 25 15 15 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Nate Vargas UC Santa Barbara Honorable Mention All Big West performer, posted a 306 average with 10 HR’s and 50 RBI. ...
Read More
High School | General | 1/30/2026

High School Top 50: 10-1

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
High School Preview Index Top 50 Breakdown: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 10. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2025 Record: 24-1 Head Coach: Dave Turgeon Notable Prospect(s): C Dillon Moss (Stanford), RHP Michael Ramsey, C Charles Messina (Northwestern), 1B Cy Chrisman (Oklahoma State), SS Dylan Messina (Pennsylvania), RHP Michael Todero (St. Joseph’s), SS Max Hemenway (Tennessee), OF Kyler Meccage (Mississippi State), OF Sebastian Wilson (Tennessee), 1B Frank Thomas III (Auburn), SS Juan Diaz (Florida State), C Ethan Armbruster (Mississippi State), SS Antonio Chavez (University of California, Berkeley), RHP Henry Britt, OF Aiden Choo IMG Academy rattled off an incredible season a year ago, finishing with a 24-1 record, and ended the season being named the national champion. It’s another year in Bradenton with some of the most talented players in...
Read More
College | Story | 1/30/2026

Conference Preview: SWAC

Michael Albee
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Alabama A&M 2 27 10 40 Alabama State 22 10 31 29 Alcorn State 1 29 6 43 Arkansas Pine-Bluff 17 9 19 34 Bethune Cookman 24 5 37 23 Florida A&M 25 5 34 24 Grambling State 18 11 26 28 Jackson State 16 12 30 21 Mississippi Valley State 7 23 12 29 Prairie View A&M 13 14 17 36 Southern 15 14 26 28 Texas Southern 15 15 22 31 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Vinny Saumell Arkansas Pine-Bluff Reliable backstop and offensive...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 1/29/2026

JUCO: Top 500 Prospects

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
JUCO Preseason Top 50 RK Name Class Pos. School State Commitment 1 Carson Bailey SO LHP McLennan TX 2 Bishop Quarles SO OF Florida Southwestern FL 3 Holden Hering FR RHP Weatherford TX Arkansas 4 Mikhai Grant SO RHP Northwest Florida FL 5 Jimmy Anderson SO SS Heartland IL Kentucky 6 Noah Bentley SO RHP Weatherford TX Oklahoma 7 Hayden Morris SO RHP Blinn TX LSU 8 Collin Smith SO RHP Cochise AZ South Carolina 9 Anthony Quigley SO OF/3B Northwest Florida FL 10 Anson Seibert RS FR RHP Johnson County KS 11 Major Osbolt RS FR RHP Walters State TN LSU 12 Ben Polleschultz SO LHP Blinn TX Texas A&M 13 Peyton Firgens RS FR MIF McLennan TX Mississippi State 14 Garrett Mirel FR LHP Golden West CA North Carolina State 15 Kole Fenton SO SS Walters State TN North Carolina 16 Joseph Sandusky FR SS Weatherford TX Texas A&M 17 Caden Mitchell SO C Weatherford TX Oklahoma 18 Easton Davies SO RHP...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 1/28/2026

2026 Pacific Baseball Championship Set

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES VENUES, DATES FOR   2026 PACIFIC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP    Elite global talent converges in Southern California, December 26-29, 2026, at the Dodgers’ new ONT Field Stadium and October Empire Complex    Ontario, California (Wednesday, January 28, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced additional details surrounding the 2026 Perfect Game Pacific Baseball Championship (PBC), including official venues, dates and the various nations that players will be coming from,...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 1/28/2026

JUCO Top 50: January 28

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Welcome to the 2026 Junior College baseball season. Once again, this year will begin for us with annual coverage of the PCB JUCO Classic in Panama City Beach, FL this week. With that we bring you our beginning of season JUCO baseball rankings. Perfect Game JUCO rankings combine all levels of JUCO baseball across the country into one overall ranking.  The top of this year’s beginning of season ranking begins where the D1 NJCAA World Series ended, with Walters State and Salt Lake. Walters State returns several contributing pieces from last season's team and will begin the year in the top spot. Defending D1 JUCO National Champion Salt Lake will slot in at number 2. This list shows the strength of junior college baseball around the country with programs from 16 different state represented in our initial top 25. Six teams from Florida make our initial top 25, four of which will...
Read More
College | Story | 1/29/2026

Conference Preview: Southland

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Southeastern 38 16 22 8 UT- Rio Grande Valley 36 18 22 8 Lamar 40 17 20 10 Northwestern State 35 21 19 11 McNeese 31 17 19 11 Houston Christian 32 23 17 13 TAMU- Corpus Christi 21 31 12 18 New Orleans 28 26 12 18 Nicholls 17 32 10 20 Stephen F. Austin 17 32 9 21 Incarnate Word 17 33 3 27 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Player School Stats/Notes C Julius Ramirez UTRGV Huge numbers at the Juco level as a member of New Mexico JC. Impact stick that will force his way...
Read More
College | Story | 1/29/2026

Conference Preview: Sun Belt

Michael Albee
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Appalachian State 13 17 23 31 Arkansas State 14 16 26 28 Coastal Carolina 26 4 56 13 Georgia Southern 13 17 28 31 Georgia State 11 19 26 30 James Madison 10 20 17 38 Louisiana 16 14 27 31 Marshall 16 14 33 26 Old Dominion 15 15 22 31 South Alabama 12 18 23 28 Southern Mississippi 24 6 47 16 Texas State 14 16 27 31 Troy 18 12 39 21 Louisiana-Monroe 8 22 22 33 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Jimmy Janicki Troy Lots of buzz coming into the...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 1/27/2026

Believe In Baseball Event Adds Stars

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    JAY LENO, NIKKI GLASER, TIFFANY HADDISH, DUSTIN YBARRA AND GARY CANNON ADDED TO PERFECT GAME   BELIEVE IN BASEBALL CHARITY EVENT     Laugh Factory hosts an all-star comedy lineup for Perfect Game’s charity gala    Los Angeles, California (Tuesday, January 27, 2026) - The Perfect Game Believe in Baseball Foundation today announced an all-star comedy lineup for its first-ever “In the Spirit of the Game” charity awards dinner and auction, taking place this Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the world-famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood to benefit youth...
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.