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Tournaments  | Story | 7/13/2016

17u BCS Finals Day 2 Scout Notes

Brandon Hohl


Day 1 Notes | Daily Leaders | Top Ranked Players Team Database

The second day of the 2016 17u BCS Finals begins at Terry Park with two uncommitted, non-ranked players that were really impressive facing each other. On the mound, it was uncommitted righthander Nick Stoner (2017, Elizabethtown, Pa.) representing the Keystone State Bombers. Stoner and his skinny frame stands tall on the mound with his hands at his chest, hands raised with his high leg lift creating some coil. Nick, then drives off his back leg into a long stride synced with a long arm swing allowing his arm to gain speed at his over-the-top release point. While there’s direction to home plate, and he will fall off to first base side, he remains under control of his finish despite a head whack. Stoner sat 88-90 and touching 91 mph with his fastball attacking hitters early and working dominantly to his arm side. The fastball showed arm-side run and set the tone for his pitch sequences. He mixed a changeup at 72-75 mph and a 78 mph curveball once ahead with the fastball. The change showed depth and late arm-side run causing righthanded hitters to swing over it. He struggled with command of the curveball, and despite his tendency to spike the breaking pitch, it was most effective when thrown at the shoulder of righthanded hitters allowing for the sharp 11-to-4 movement to take shape. Stoner’s head whack added some deception to his off-speed pitches as well. Overall, Stoner’s outing was impressive, as he maintained his velocity and hit 91 mph on his 81st pitch of the game and did not lose velocity in the stretch while showing advanced pitchability while controlling the run game with varying holds and leg lifts.

Facing off against Stoner and the Keystone State Bombers was uncommitted prospect Josh Rulli (2017, Riverview, Fla.) and the 2017 Scorpions South Purple. Rulli, a catcher and a third baseman, is listed at 5-foot-10 185-pounds and has a strong and thick frame, showcasing that strength in his righthanded swing. At the plate, Rulli has an athletic, hinged stance with jis knees bent and shoulders leveraged over his toes. His hands are slightly in front of his back shoulder with his barrel tipped towards the pitcher. As he loads Rulli maintains his barrel angle as long as possible bringing him to a strong launch position, with his stride he creates elastic tension between the hands and lead leg that results in a lot of bat speed and power potential, finishing in the lower half power-L position, and working up to the ball. Josh had three at-bats against Stoner and the one that stood out the most was his last. Based on previous at-bats it was clear that Rulli went in to his third plate appearance anticipating he was not going to see a fastball. He was able to recognize some of Stoner’s best curveballs in his outing, laying off a wipe-out spiked curveball and singling on a 1-2 curveball. Rulli finished the day 2-for-3 with both hits coming off Stoner and is batting .500 in the BCS Finals.

Over at JetBlue Ballpark and Red Sox spring training complex, the 17u Super25 National Championship began. And we begin with another Perfect Game Top 150 prospect from the 643 DP Cougars, lefthander Brant Hurter. The Georgia Tech commit stands at 6-for-6, 230-pounds with a very tall and projectable frame on the mound. He sets his hands high, keeping them close to his chest, with a high leg lift and internal rotation creating torque in the rear leg and putting his body in a powerful position. He has a short quick stride that he syncs with a quick arm action and low three-quarters release. Hurters strides closed and finished around with his lead leg, with his direction taking him to the third base line. Brant worked his fastball at 84-86 mph, touching 87 (he was up to 89 mph at the National Showcase) that showed life and was most effective when he commanded the inside part of the plate. His length and extension added to the perceived velocity the hitters were seeing. He occasionally would miss far into the lefthanded batter’s box or leave his fastball up over the middle of the plate, which is where hitters saw the majority of their success off Hurter.

Hurter mixes in a changeup at 72-75 mph with depth and good arm action. He preferred his firm curveball over the changeup in this game, sitting at 68 mph, showing late break that was effective against lefthanded hitters. If Brant can add a slider to his repertoire he’d be devastating to face for both left and righthanded batters, as the pitch angle he creates with his low three-quarters slot and direction to the righthanded batter’s box would make a great combination for a wipe-out, back-foot slider. The Georgia Tech commit finished the day with six innings allowing six hits and three walks while striking out nine to earn the win.

It’s hard to see someone the size of Georgia State commit Stephen Cullen (2017, Braselton, Ga.) step into the batter’s box and not stop to see what happens. At 6-foot-4, 220-pounds, the Triton Rays Scout Team corner infielder and three-hole hitter didn’t disappoint and led the way for them offensively. Standing tall with his hands slightly above the shoulder and bat vertical, Stephen begins his swing with a small gather to the rear leg with a leg lift, coiling his front side as he falls into his landing leg with a long stride, generating a lot of force forward into the direction of the oncoming pitch. He uses a barrel tip as a timing mechanism with the pitchers release point to give his barrel the best chance to accelerate in the zone. Hunting fastballs, Cullen doubled to deep left-center in his first at-bat plating two runs. He finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. From the short period I saw Cullen his approach at the plate seemed to be to drive the ball in the air, as the only time any of the balls that the Georgia State commit put in play touched the ground were when they landed. Living in the air is an approach he should continue to maintain because it fits the type of player he is and will be in his future.

Uncommitted Chandler World outfielder, Ian Diaz (2017, Philadelphia, Pa.) also grabbed attention at the plate. Sharing a similar body type to the previously mentioned Josh Rulli, Diaz stands at 5-foot-10, 185-pounds with a strong and athletic build. He has a tall, narrow stance with his hands set above his shoulder by the ear. Keeping the back leg braced throughout his swing he begins a leg lift while simultaneously tipping the barrel and dropping the hands into a low launch position below the shoulder. Utilizing a long stride, Diaz creates separation and elastic tension leading to easy bat speed. What I think will be the most beneficial to Diaz in his future is that he is able to stay on the pitch plane with his bat path for a very long time. He does by holding his hands back as long as possible and letting the barrel fall around his shoulder, which tends to create a positive attack angle (ZEPP) to the ball. Another factor that stood out in his swing was his ability to finish with his back foot off the ground at contact. This shows me that Diaz knows how to generate a lot of power into his lead leg and therefore into the pitch. This is not something that is necessary to a successful swing but is an advanced movement we don’t see a lot of amateur hitters do. He finished the game 1-for-3 and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of Ian in the days to come at the PG Super25.
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Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 3-4
Perfect Game Staff
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East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Trigg Listerman (28, Tampa, FL) had a great showing on the mound Sunday, throwing 4 inning while allowing only 2 hits and no earned runs. Listerman is a quick, athletic righty arm with a fastball that ran up to 90 with some run to it and a sharp breaking ball with sharp, late break to it. Kept hitters guessing at the plate all game and struck out 7 batters. Brody Root (28, Saint James City, FL) had a good start on the mound in the first round of the playoffs, throwing 5 innings allowing only 3 runs and sitting 6 batters down on strikes. pounded the zone with the fastball that ran up to 86 and complimented it nicely with a late breaking slider with tight spin to it. Drives hard down the mound and has an explosive, quick arm. Hayden Pelegrin (27, Miami, FL) had a great day at the plate today going 2-2 with 2 doubles and bringing in 2 RBIs. Smooth...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

Southeast Memorial Day Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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‘27 SS Malachi Butler doesn’t miss a stitch of this one, hitting it out to the PS for a 2-run HR. Profile littered with tools & performs at an elite level. @GTBaseball commit. #SEMemorialDay https://t.co/WOCXkOZmiL pic.twitter.com/lSHadfcfKZ — Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) May 22, 2026 Georgia Tech commit Malachi Butler (2027, Powder Springs, Ga.) hasn’t missed a beat since the summer began, putting up gaudy numbers through the first two tournaments. A week ago, he hit .500 while taking home MVP honors, well he almost replicated those numbers over the weekend, hitting .412 across six games with three doubles and a homer. He showed elite strike zone awareness throughout, finishing with six walks to zero strikeouts and the impact has ticked up in a big way. Butler recently took over the top spot in the state and it’s easy to see why. He checks a ton...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

USA Prime Claims 17U Title in Thriller

Alyssa Golden
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USA Prime Tampa Scout 2027 edged VSA Scout 17U 4-3 Monday afternoon, using strong defense and a walk-off RBI from Bryce Flemming to secure the title. A light breeze helped cool down an otherwise warm afternoon at JetBlue Park during the championship game. USA Prime jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning to apply early pressure on VSA. VSA responded behind relief pitcher Finlee Crowder, who settled the game down after entering in the second inning and helped keep his team within reach as the game turned into a back-and-forth battle. VSA eventually battled back to tie the game at 3-3, but several momentum-shifting defensive plays from USA Prime catcher Marcello Fraccola helped preserve the tie throughout the middle innings. “I feel like a huge motivator on the team,” Fraccola said. “The catcher is a big position on the field. You have to make...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Hawk Licari (‘27,AZ) lambastes this one to the LCF gap for a triple. Finished the day 1-for-3 with an RBI. This kid can swing it. He’s a legit @PG_Uncommitted 2WP and the #1 ranked LHP in the state. Get in to see this one. #MDWest pic.twitter.com/9gKjZdkcLq — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 23, 2026 Hawk Licari, LHP/1B, Scottsdale, AZ. Canes West National (2027) Licari is a high-upside uncommitted 2027 who can really swing it from the left side. The combination of hit tool, athleticism, and left-handed pitching projection makes him a priority follow for college programs. Continued strength gains and refinement on the mound will only elevate his stock. Colin Murphy (‘27,CA) Stands 6’1/190 and shows athletic actions and promising offensive traits. Stays inside this one and shoots it to the back side for a...
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College | Story | 5/25/2026

Field of 64 Projections

Vincent Cervino
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The 2026 season was one of the most exciting and unpredictable editions of college baseball in recent memory, and as quickly as it flew by, we are ready to start the “Road to Omaha”.  After hours of deliberation, we are ready to release our projected region field and “Field of 64” as we see it.  The UCLA Bruins (51-6) start us off as the anticipated No. 1 National Seed as they put the finishing touches on a historic season, including a 27-game win streak, a Big 10 Regular Season title and Big 10 Tournament championship.  The Big 10 looks like they will have (4) teams in the field, with (3) host sights, representing the West Coast well.  The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (48-9) should secure the No. 2 Nation Seed and lead the charge for (8) teams from the ACC in the field with (3) of them securing host opportunities.  Meanwhile, the Georgia...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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‘27 IF Braylon Sheffield (FL) with an absolute 🚀 here, launching high off the RCF wall for a 3B. Super polished LH stick; hit over .400 last year on the circuit. #GoHoos commit. #EastMemorial pic.twitter.com/mdehqpR5v5 — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) May 23, 2026 Braylon Sheffield (2027, Fort Myers, Fla.) got the event started with the loudest swing of the night on Friday at Terry Park, rocketing a triple off the wall in the stadium. Sheffield, ranked 121 and committed to Virginia, is a super polished left-handed hitter with left side of the infield projection long term. The swing is tension-free with loose wrists and he generates easy bat speed with already present power to the pull side. This blast came inches away from being a home run and hitting a ball that far at Terry Park stadium is a significant shot. Sheffield also tripled in his second game of the weekend at...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Tyler Henninger
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Colton Floyd (‘27,AZ) just misses a HR here. Can really impact the baseball & shows over the fence power potential. Took 3 QAB’s today. He’s the #1 ranked 3B in the state and #4 in the country. #MDWest https://t.co/ReMh7D0v4y pic.twitter.com/w1dzssSy8N — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 23, 2026 Colton Floyd, 3B, Chandler, AZ. Canes West National (2027) Floyd is a high-upside prospect with physical tools and burgeoning power. His combination of size, bat speed, and raw strength makes him one of the top power-hitting third basemen in the country. Currently ranked the #1 third baseman in Arizona and #4 nationally in his class. With continued refinement of his approach and defensive consistency, he has all the ingredients to be a middle-of-the-order bat at Texas A&M and a legitimate MLB Draft prospect JJ Utash (‘27,AZ) with a triple here....
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Tournaments | Story | 5/21/2026

Memorial Day Classics Set to Kick Off

Perfect Game Staff
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Southeast Memorial Day East Cobb Baseball will welcome more than 100 teams spanning the 13-17u age groups this weekend as summer baseball gets underway with the highly anticipated PG Southeast Memorial Day Classic, commencing on Thursday, May 21st. This weekend’s annual premier event will feature 11 nationally ranked teams across the five age groups with the No. 9 16u East Cobb Astros headlining the 17u division alongside top prospects such as No. 11 ranked Bryan Johnson Jr. And No. 22 ranked Georgia Tech commit, Malachi Butler. The No. 34 17u ranked 643 DP Cougars will also be a squad to watch as they will look to challenge the Astros for the championship amongst the other 14 17u division teams. While the oldest division will draw lots of attention with highly touted prospects, the 16u field is stacked with 29 total teams including three nationally ranked clubs. Over 30 top 1000...
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Northeast High School Notebook: May 22

Anthony Gambardella
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‘26 RHP Hunter Brown (@NHLionsBaseball - NJ) struck out 1️⃣5️⃣ thru 6 IP w/ 0 BB & 2 H allowed. FB lived 90-92, T93 w/ ASR & late life. Froze bats with his 11/5 CB both early/late in counts (2600rpm). Mixed in fading CH & short/tight SL. #WeAre commit. @PG_Draft#PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/NbSSOmCyD0 — Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic (@PGMidAtlantic) April 23, 2026 Hunter Brown - 2026 RHP, North Hunterdon Reg (N.J.) was utterly dominant in his start against Franklin last month, tossing six shutout innings with 15 strikeouts, zero walks and just two hits allowed. The 6-foot-5 215-pound right-hander has pitched to a 0.97 ERA this spring with 78 punchouts over 36 innings of work. Brown has been one of the many northeast arms receiving increasingly more buzz ahead of the MLB Draft this July. Brown’s heater lived in the low-90s throughout the duration of his...
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Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 65

Ron Wolforth
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The Insidious Lie That Hurts Pitchers Thep Most How many of you have ever had a terrible outing and afterward couldn’t really explain what went wrong? And how many of you have ever had a great outing and couldn’t explain what you did differently either? That gap between what is happening and your awareness of what is happening may be one of the most important gaps in player development. Closing that gap has a name. It is called metacognition. In simple terms, metacognition means thinking about your thinking. It is the ability to understand how you learn, how you perform, how you respond under pressure, and how you make adjustments when things are not going your way. For a pitcher, that matters because no matter how good your coach is, he cannot stand on the mound with you. Your coach cannot take the ball with the bases loaded, two outs, and the best hitter in the league...
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