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Tournaments  | Story | 10/4/2016

Kernels Scout Notes, Days 3-4

Photo: Perfect Game


Daily Leaders | Days 1-2 Scout Notes

Minnesota Blizzard Blue and the Zepp Prospects 18u went head-to-head on Sunday morning with matching 2-0 records and a lot on the line, as the winner would win the pool and advance to bracket play. The game ended in a 3-3 tie, but Florida State commit Francis Villaman (2017, Orlando, Fla.) had an incredible performance for Zepp Prospects 18u. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound shortstop showed incredibly smooth athletic actions defensively and drove in all three of the Zepp Prospects runs offensively. Villaman’s offensive ceiling is very high as he shows the ability to hit to all fields with power. With his dependable defensive skills and game-changing hitting ability, Villaman will be a name to follow closely while with the Florida State Seminoles.

Matt McCumber (2017, Cary, Ill.) got the starting nod for the Red Midwest Scout Team against the Nebraska Prospects 2018 Kenny. The Northern Illinois commit was up to 88 mph early, but fell to the 82-84 mph range in the second inning. The Nebraska Prospects were able to jump on the Reds early and often thanks to the offensive performances of Owen Richter (2018, Elkhorn, Neb.), Dylan Phillips (2018, Omaha, Neb.) and Drew Gilin (2018, Omaha, Neb.). The trio combined for seven hits in nine at-bats and drove in three of the team’s six runs. Gillin, an uncommitted shortstop, was 3-for-3 with two doubles in the 6-1 win over the Reds Midwest Scout Team.

Kyle Perry (2018, Omaha, Neb.) kept the powerful and talented Red Midwest team in check through six innings of work. The uncommitted lefthander allowed one run over his six innings of work while striking out eight batters. Perry was able to consistently keep the Reds hitters off the balance by mixing a 79-81 mph fastball and a curveball that flashed very good sweeping depth. Perry may lack the present velocity to blow hitters away, but his knack for being able to locate to each edge of the plate will make him a very promising prospect to follow moving forward.

Trey Leonard (2017, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) showed why he will be a constant terror at the top of the Louisville Cardinals lineup in the future. The 6-foot, 160-pound center fielder consistently found his way onto the bases collecting three hits in four at-bats Sunday against Iowa Select Navy in the opening round of playoffs. Leonard’s compact swing plane, paired with his ability to generate bat speed makes him a threat to drive the baseball to all fields at any time.

The Nebraska Prospects 2018 Kenny continued their hot run in the semifinals defeating Cangelosi Black 2017 by a score of 3-1. The Nebraska Prospects were led by Drew Gilin, who continued to show a very mature, high-contact approach at the plate. Gilin drove yet another double to deep right field that nearly cleared the fence and drove in the go-ahead run that would prove to be enough for the Nebraska Prospects to advance to the championship round.

Will Hanafan (2017, Council Bluffs, Iowa) patrolled center field for the Nebraska prospects. The 6-fot-1, 170-pound outfielder made two impact plays making a nice diving play in the left-center field gap to save an extra-base hit, then a running catch straight back over his shoulder before quickly getting the baseball back in the infield and nailing down the potential go-ahead run at the plate.

Sam Carlson (2017, Savage, Minn.) was the starting pitcher for the Minnesota Blizzard Blue’s semifinal matchup with Hitters Baseball Navy. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound righthanded pitcher sat 90-92 mph throughout all six innings, showing solid running action to each edge of the plate. Hitters Navy keyed on the Florida commit’s fastball early and was able to scratch together two early runs in the first inning, but Carlson would quickly quiet the Hitters bats hanging five consecutive zeros on the board. Carlson, who is the 19th ranked righthanded pitcher nationally, showed two very good off-speed pitches in a slider and changeup. Each had consistent, late movement that proved to be very difficult for hitters to barrel on Monday afternoon. There is little doubt that the future Gator will continue to add velocity and be an impact starter in Gainesville over the next four years.

Alex Binelas (2018, Oak Creek, Wis.), who was mentioned in Days 1-2 notes for his power potential, showed his overall barrel control and knack for base hits. Binelas collected three hits in three at-bats, two of which were off of Carlson.

Tommy Springer (2018, Apple Valley, Minn.) received the win in the championship game against the Nerbraska Prospects 2018 Kenny. The Missouri Tigers commit tossed a no-hitter while striking out three batters over five innings of work in a shortened 8-0 run-rule game. The 6-foot 190-pound righthanded pitcher was able to induce weak groundballs throughout the game due to his over-the-top release that generated very good downward angle to the plate. Springer sat between 85-88 mph while topping at 89 late in his second inning of work. Springers fantastic performance on the mound earned him Most Valuable Pitcher honors and the Minnesota Blizzard Blue a trip to Jupiter, Florida for the WWBA World Championship later this month.

The Most Valuable Player went to before mentioned Drew Gilin. Gilin was outstanding all tournament long, producing big hit after big hit to lead the Nebraska Prospects to the championship game. Gilin finished the Kernels Foundation Tournament with a .643 batting average (9 hits in 14 at-bats), three doubles, four RBI, five runs scored and a stellar 1.594 slugging percentage. Gilin and the rest of the Nebraska Prospects hope to continue their string of good baseball this week at the WWBA Underclass World Championship in Fort Myers, Florida.



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...
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...
High School | General | 5/22/2026

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...
Press Release | Press Release | 5/22/2026

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...
College | Rankings | 5/20/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: May 20

Nick Herfordt
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There is a reason the preseason pick to win it all rarely does. College baseball's postseason is a gauntlet — double elimination, best-of-three’s, then a full World Series format — and the team that looks unbeatable in February has to prove it again in May against opponents who have had just as long to get ready. Plenty of programs have entered the tournament as the obvious favorite and gone home early. It happens every year. Nobody should be shocked when it does. Top-ranked teams flaming out in regional weekends happens so many times it has become its own genre of schadenfreude Which makes this particular moment worth noting. The Perfect Game preseason picks to win the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III national titles — Tennessee Wesleyan, UT Tyler, and the University of Lynchburg — are all still alive heading into the final rounds. All three...
College | Story | 5/21/2026

Coppy's Corner: May 21 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
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Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart  to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Co-Player of the Week: Carson Tinney – University of Texas  As a Notre Dame alumnus, it pained me to see Tinney transfer from the Golden Dome to the University of Texas after an All-American sophomore season for the Irish. He’s picked up in Austin right where he left off in South Bend and is currently hitting .321 AVG, 20 HR, .475 OBP / .695 SLG / 1.170 OPS on the 2026 season. It’s plus right-handed power and a plus arm; with the numbers I have found indicating that Tinney has erased more than half of attempted base stealers over the past two seasons of college baseball. Tinney threw...
Tournaments | Story | 5/19/2026

Best of the Best Event Preview

Jheremy Brown
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In simplistic terms, the Best of The Best tournament is an absolute gauntlet as seemingly every game brings a playoff game atmosphere. Coaches must strategically map out their pitching to ensure they can get through Pool Play while also making sure they have arms to make a deep playoff run. Each and every age group is loaded with the best teams, composed of some of the best players that travel baseball has to offer. The 9u & 10u age groups will respectively have 9 out of the Top 10 Teams within the latest PG National Team Rankings participating in the event. At 9U, LTP-Reign will look to hold on to their #1 ranking but will have plenty of competition with the likes of ZT National Prospects and HTX-Wildcatters 9U looking to take over that #1 spot. In the 10u age group, Elevate National will look to fend off plenty of talent with #2 ranked Kaos National, East Cobb Astros and ZT...
College | Story | 5/19/2026

College Players of the Week: May 19

Vincent Cervino
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May 19th Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Carson Tinney, C, Texas  The Texas Longhorns just finished off another stellar regular season and are heading to Hoover for the SEC Conference Tournament as the No. 2 Seed this week.  To secure their 2nd place finish, they had to sweep Missouri at home last weekend and did so in large part to the power bat of Carson Tinney.  The 6-4/240 catcher from Castle Pines, CO transferred to Austin after two sensational seasons at Notre Dame and has thrived in his draft year.  In the 3-game set, Tinney collected 7 hits in 13 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, with a double, 3 home runs and he drove in 10 runs all told.  With some of the most prodigious power in the college game this year, Tinney is now slashing .321/.695/.473 with 10 doubles an incredible 20 home runs and 54 RBIs while playing in the most spacious ballpark in the...
College | Rankings | 5/18/2026

College Top 25: May 18

Vincent Cervino
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The regular season is behind us, and it is now tournament time and wow, is there a lot to still be decided.  We are a week away from the Field of 64 being announced and hosting opportunities, at-large bids, as well as automatic bids are there for the taking.  The UCLA Bruins (48-6) continue their stranglehold on the No. 1 spot in the land, finishing the regular season without losing a series all year.  ACC powers, UNC (43-10) and Georgia Tech (45-9) remain at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively and SEC regular season champs, the Georgia Bulldogs (43-12) stick at No. 4.  After that there was a small amount of shuffling within the Top 10 with No. 5 Texas (40-12), No. 6 West Virginia (37-13) and No. 7 FSU (38-16) moving ahead of now No. 8 Auburn (36-18) after they were the only team in this group to drop their weekend series.   No. 14 Florida (37-18) and No. 15...
High School | General | 5/18/2026

High School Notebook: May 18

Jordan Gates
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‘27 RHP Grant Slater (@BoydCoBaseball) gets his 1st start of the year (3rd appearance) as he works his way back. FB opened 89-92 w/ ride & was still up to 91 in the 5th (run rule), while touching 93 in the 3rd. CT worked in the mid 8s & breaking ball in mid 7s (sweep). Big summer… pic.twitter.com/w9EXl6Jmrx — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) May 8, 2026 Grant Slater, 2027, RHP, Boyd Co (KY) Slater made his full start of the year back on May 7th. He had appeared in a few games in relief roles prior as he has come back from a few injury bugs. The Alabama commit went five strong innings, in a complete game fashion (run rule), only allowed a couple hits, one walk, and struck out 13 batters. Slater is beginning to ramp up at the right time with postseason right around the corner. Slater’s fastball peaked at 93 mph a few times, held velocity in the...
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