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 | 7/8/2016

FTB Tucci powers way to title

Photo: Perfect Game

EMERSON, Ga. – The 17u WWBA National Championship came to a close this afternoon as the No. 1 overall seed FTB Tucci dispatched the South Charlotte Panthers 7-3 to claim the 2016 title. Tucci struck early and often on offense to roll to a win that was never really in doubt.

The Panthers struck first as they pushed across a run in the first inning without recording a hit. After getting runners to first and second with a hit by pitch and a walk, respectively, a double play ball was hit to short. The runner beat out the throw at first and the runner who was on second made a smart base running move and scored on the play.

Tucci responded by scoring two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Mervyl “M.J.” Melendez, the No. 2 catcher nationally for the class of 2017 and a Florida International commit, knocked in a run on an RBI double, and Oraj Anu, the No. 4 outfielder nationally for the class of 2017 and another Florida International commit, followed by bringing in a run on an RBI single over the head of the shortstop. After one inning, FTB Tucci had a 2-1 lead.

The Panthers responded to tie the game in the top of the second. Justin Guy, the No. 11 outfielder in the state of North Carolina for the class of 2017, came through with a clutch, one-out RBI single to tie the game heading into the bottom of the inning.

The score would remain tied until the bottom of the third inning. Christian Robinson, the No. 2 outfielder in the state of Florida for the class of 2017 and a Florida commit, brought in Melendez to score on an RBI single. The score would remain 3-2 until the bottom of the fourth inning when Tucci broke it open.

Jordan Anderson, the No. 1 outfielder in the state of Alabama for the class of 2017, started the scoring in the fourth with an RBI triple. Matthew Golda, the No. 9 shortstop in the state of Florida for the class of 2017 and a Florida Atlantic commit, brought in the next run with an RBI single. Golda would later come in to score following a throwing error. Brandon Stone, the No. 19 shortstop in the state of Florida for the class of 2017 and a Boston College commit, scored the final run after he came home to score on the old Little League rundown play with Melendez between first and second. Tucci now had a commanding 7-2 lead.

The Panthers would come back to score a run in the top of the sixth thanks to a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 7-3. The Panthers would not be able to overcome the deficit and were defeated after an uneventful top of the seventh inning.

Emotions were high for manager Jered Goodwin as he had come very close before and reached the top of the mountain against a very competitive field.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Goodwin. “This is a great group of kids. We have so many different personalities that came together. I talked about it the other day that it was going to come down to chemistry and finding leaders and we certainly did. The chemistry was unbelievable. I knew this is what it was going to take and it was a real program effort today with some young guys throwing. It was a really good day for our entire program. We hope every time we step on the field we make our founder George Gonzalez proud. He was the one who started this all and we’re lucky enough to represent him and FTB. Also a big thanks to our sponsor Tucci Lumber.”

Goodwin talked previously about how he felt team chemistry and the emergence of leaders in the dugout were going to be the biggest factors in how far the team would go. He was clearly impressed by his team’s ability to step up in moments and grind out tough victories.

“The first couple days we weren’t communicating and our dugout was really dead,” added Goodwin. “Then all of a sudden some guys stepped up and one guy in particular Bryce Hutchinson. After that it was all of our pitchers, all of our infielders, all of our outfielders, and our catchers. This team became this new club that was exclusive, and that’s the stuff that sounds weird but all of a sudden you start fighting for each other. It was awesome to see it evolve like that.”

FTB Tucci orchestrated a systematic comeback after going down 4-0 early in the semifinals. Goodwin was proud of his team’s ability to overcome the adversity and grab victory from the jaws of defeat.

“It’s weird, you go down 4-0 and we were down 4-0 in the semifinals in 2010 and we ended up putting a bunch of runs up right away and went to the finals,” said Goodwin. “This year it was different, it was kind of a grind, we were flipping lineups and running the bases well. We just had to get those big two-out hits and grind at-bats. I didn’t think it was ever too high or too low, I think we just knew we had to keep grinding and chipping away and it went in our favor in the end.”

Goodwin wants his team to remember not only the championship trophy, but the journey they took to get there. Building relationships and creating lifelong memories are the biggest things that he wants his team to take from the tournament.

“I told them a couple nights ago how many former players in the pros have texted me this week saying they were following on GameChanger,” said Goodwin. “That is what you take away from these tournaments are these lifelong friendships. They want to look back and they want to see how everyone is doing. Literally three big leaguers told me they were following on GameChanger and these guys aren’t going to get it now, but they will in a couple years. This is special. Take away the championships and they’re building relationships and that’s what’s going to help them heading into life and their baseball careers.”

The MVP of the tournament was Conner Uselton, the No. 3 outfielder nationally for the class of 2017, of FTB Tucci. Uselton finished with a tournament high 16 hits, a .457 batting average, and added eight runs and eight RBI. The MV-Pitcher was James Decker, the No. 26 righthanded pitcher in the state of North Carolina for the class of 2017, of the Panthers. Decker finished with a 2-0 record in 8 2/3 innings pitched and struck out eight batters while only allowing only one run. Decker also started and won the semifinal game for the Panthers.

The Panthers reached the championship game after a dominating 10-2 victory over Elite Baseball Training. The Panthers scored multiple runs in three innings, including a five-run first inning, to pile on often and soundly to defeat Elite Baseball Training. Conner VanCleave, the No. 1 lefthanded pitcher in the state of Kansas for the class of 2017, led the way on offense as he went 2-for-3 with one run scored and three RBI.

FTB Tucci defeated the Home Plate Chili Dogs Maldonado 6-5 in extra innings to advance to the championship game. FTB went down 4-0 in the first inning and clawed their way back to tie the game at five apiece in the sixth. Christian Robinson brought home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth with a walk-off RBI single off the right field wall.


2016 17u WWBA National Championship runner-up: South Charlotte Panthers 2017



2016 17u WWBA National Championship MVP: Conner Uselton



2016 17u WWBA National Championship MV-Pitcher: James Decker






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...
High School | General | 2/5/2026

Georgia Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Georgia All Region Team & Top Tools Rk School Record 1 Etowah 34-4 2 Blessed Trinity 34-9 3 Parkview 26-11 4 Houston County 33-7 5 Lowndes 28-13 6 Walton 34-8 7 Buford 25-9 8 Pope 31-5 9 North Cobb Christian 24-11-1 10 Harrison 23-14 11 Newnan 32-5 12 North Paulding 28-10 13 Marist 30-7 14 Cartersville 32-10 15 Denmark 19-14 16 North Oconee 27-8 17 Loganville 29-8 18 Morgan County 32-10 19 North Gwinnett 35-5 20 Carrollton 23-12 21 Troup County 32-9 22 Hillgrove 21-13 23 River Ridge 25-15 24 Pickens 32-7 25 McEachern 24-8
High School | General | 2/5/2026

Georgia HS All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
Article Image
Georgia has its usual depth of high-level athletes and Perfect Game All-Americans, although three 2027 players did make the All-Region team.  There are an unusual number of two-way prospects among the All-Region players, a testament to the big arms that the state has right now. Two Georgia high schools are ranked in the top 10 of the PG Pre-Season High School Top 50 rankings and the Georgia high school ranks are annually among the most competitive in the country.  Etowah is the highest ranked team at 5th overall, while Blessed Trinity Catholic checks in at 8th.  Parkview is the only other Georgia team in the top 50, holding down the 34th spot.   OF-RHP Dexter McCleon Jr will be fixture on the Georgia All-Region team for the next two years but the top ranked prospect in the 2028 class will have to take a back seat to his elders this year.  McCleon’s absurd...
High School | Rankings | 2/4/2026

Florida Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Florida All Region Team & Top Tools   Rk School Record 1 Stoneman Douglas 31-2 2 Tampa Jesuit 25-10 3 Trinity Christian Academy 30-5 4 South Walton 31-4 5 IMG Academy 24-1 6 Venice 29-5 7 Bishop Verot 32-3 8 American Heritage (Plantation) 29-6 9 St. Thomas Aquinas 29-6-1 10 Doral Academy Charter 27-8-1 11 North Broward Prep 23-8 12 Lincoln 24-11 13 Mater Academy 25-9-1 14 The First Academy 30-4 15 Alonso 21-13 16 St. John's Country Day 26-9 17 Bishop Snyder 23-8 18 Spruce Creek 30-4 19 Buchholz 33-3 20 Lake Mary 15-15 21 Miami Springs 28-3 22 Jupiter 25-10 23 Plant City 16-12 24 Berkeley Prep 25-10 25 Winter Park 25-6
College | Story | 2/4/2026

Conference Preview: Northeast

Jason Phillips
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 CCSU 23 7 31 17 Coppin State 13 17 15 34 Delaware State 6 24 7 34 FDU 16 14 16 37 LeMoyne 17 13 20 28 LIU 24 6 35 23 UMES 6 24 7 41 Mercyhurst 15 15 17 35 New Haven* 12 12 24 20 Norfolk State 4 26 4 38 Stonehill 18 12 20 32 Wagner 23 7 31 22 *Member Northeast-10 DII Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Frankie Ferrentino CCSU .281-13-35, 9 2Bs, (Merrimack), Double digit HR all 3 years at Merrimack 1B Jayden Walker Mercyhurst .314-12-40, 10...
Press Release | Press Release | 2/4/2026

Baseball Meets Hollywood For Great Cause

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
BASEBALL MEETS HOLLYWOOD FOR A GREAT CAUSE    There’s no crying in baseball, but there is laughing, and there was lots and lots of it -- for a great cause -- last Saturday night in Hollywood, California. Perfect Game and its Believe in Baseball Foundation assembled a star-studded cast of comics and guests for the inaugural “In the Spirit of the Game” dinner and auction. The event was held at the iconic Laugh Factory, a historic venue that, in baseball terms, would be equivalent to Dodger Stadium or Wrigley Field. Late-night superstar Jay Leno took a turn on stage. So did comedic aces Tiffany Haddish, Nikki Glaser, Dustin Ybarra and Gary Cannon. “It was 4 ½ hours of straight laughter,” said PG commissioner Dennis Gilbert, still beaming a couple of days later. “It was a really nice success.” No one kept score at the event, but...
College | Story | 2/5/2026

Conference Preview: Western Athletic

Scott Rankin
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 Abilene Christian 34 23 15 9 Cal Baptist 30 27 12 12 Sacramento State 32 26 15 9 Tarleton State 24 32 12 12 UT Arlington 21 33 11 13 Utah Tech 24 31  9 15 Utah Valley 29 29 13 11 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Mason Strong Utah Valley 1st team All-WAC in ‘25 hitting .366 and leading the conference in hits.  Also hit 11 Home Runs 1B Grant Watkins Abilene Christian .292 with 14 Home Runs and drove in 48 runs in...
High School | General | 2/4/2026

West Region High School Sleepers

Joey Cohen
Article Image
Talking and debating sleeper prospects might be my favorite part of scouting. It’s where context, projection, and conviction matter most—whether it’s an underrated performer who keeps producing on the circuit, a raw but explosive athlete you can dream on, or an arm with starter traits that hasn’t quite made the stuff jump yet. These are the players who tend to separate evaluators, reward patience, and make the spring HS season really fascinating. Below are several West Region prospects outside the T100 who fit that mold and deserve serious attention as the spring unfolds. Jet Berry, Queen Creek HS, Arizona There’s a lot to like with Berry. He’s one of the more explosive, twitchy athletes in the country, and it shows consistently in all facets of his game. From a tools perspective his easy plus run and bat-to-ball ability stand out. He’s been a...
College | Rankings | 2/4/2026

Preseason NAIA Top 25

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
The 2026 NAIA Baseball Rankings arrive with the familiar weight of expectations and a few fresh storylines that make the new season feel electric from top to bottom. At the very front of the pack, perennial power Tennessee Wesleyan stands tall once again, a program that has turned sustained excellence into something bordering on routine. The Bulldogs are not just ranked highly, they set the tone. Year after year, they combine elite talent, veteran leadership, and a culture that refuses to blink under pressure. It says everything about the depth of this year’s field that it was genuinely difficult not to slide LSU Shreveport back into the top spot yet again. After all, how in the world does a team stay that good after losing so many impact players? The answer is simple and timeless. Success breeds success. Programs that live in championship air know how to reload, not reset, and...
College | Story | 2/6/2026

Conference Preview: Missouri Valley

Blaine Peterson
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 Belmont 26 34 13 14 Bradley 16 35 12 15 Evansville 17 37 10 17 Illinois-Chicago 22 33 16 11 Illinois State 28 28 15 12 Indiana State 24 31 12 15 Murray State 44 17 17 8 Southern Illinois 37 20 16 11 Valparaiso 10 40 5 22 Preseason All-Conference Team  Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Ryan Bakes Illinois State Talented transfer to the MVC this season. Standout performer in the Northwoods League over the summer hitting .313 with 4 HR, 8 XBH and 24/18 BB/K. 1B...
College | Story | 2/3/2026

Conference Preview: Patriot

Anthony Gambardella
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 Army West Point 25 25 14 11 Bucknell 18 27 10 15 Holy Cross 31 27 17 8 Lafayette 14 35 9 16 Lehigh 24 26 11 14 Navy 26 25 14 11 Preseason All Conference Team Pos.  Name  School  Stats/Notes  C  Ty Deperno  Navy  Named PL Rookie of the Year & to 2nd Team All-PL in ‘25; batted .307 w/ 33 runs & 32 RBI  IF  Thomas Schreck  Army West Point  Named to 1st Team All-PL in ‘25; batted .335 w/ 40...
Loading more articles...