Perfect Game College Player Database
May 30, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Chad Spanberger, Arkansas
Just in case you weren’t familiar with Chad Spanberger prior to the SEC tournament, the lefthanded slugging Razorback made sure you knew his name following Hoover. Five home runs against SEC pitching is noteworthy for a single season, let alone within in a five-game stretch over a four-day window. Spanberger took things a step further in the “oh wow” department as he enjoyed a three home run game in a run rule over Auburn before pacing the offense to another run-shortened game with two more bombs against Florida. His performance against Auburn was the first three home run game in SEC tournament history as well. On the weekend Spanberger went 8-for-19 with five home runs and three doubles, driving in 10 runs and took seven free passes.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Glenn Otto, Rice
For the first time this spring it’s a relief pitcher who takes home the Pitcher of the Year title as Rice closer Glenn Otto was instrumental in their championship run which then clinched a postseason birth. A physical presence on the mound with a steady low-90s fastball that can touch better and a true swing-and-miss type breaking ball, Otto was used in three of Rice’s four games, recording a pair of wins along with a save. His outings culminated in 9.2 innings on the bump over the five day tournament and he saved his best for last as he threw five innings of scoreless baseball over Southern Miss to preserve the victory for the Owls. In total, Otto struck out 11 batters, walked four, and allowed just four base hits while posting zeroes in the runs allowed column.
May 23, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Scott Hurst, Cal State Fullerton
I believe the correct term to describe former Perfect Game All-American Scott Hurst this past weekend is “locked in”. Not only did he go 5-for-5 in the Titan’s Saturday win over CSUN, but of those five hits, four went for home runs. He’s just the second player to connect for four bombs this spring (along with Louisville’s Brendan McKay) and finished with seven RBI and six runs scored in just that single game. During the four game stretch last week, the ultra-athletic Hurst finished going 10-for-18 (.556 average) with a double, four home runs, and eight runs scored and slugged a robust 1.278.
To read the detailed scouting report and watch video of Hurst’s performance please visit this link.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Tyler Holton, Florida State
It’s one thing to help you team capture a crucial weekend series, it’s another to do it against the No. 2 ranked team who had yet to lose a series at home since joining the ACC in 2015. But that’s just what lefthander Tyler Holton and the Florida State Seminoles did Friday afternoon. With the win, Holton picked up his third straight win as he went eight innings and punched out 11 Cardinals, a tough task in and of itself. He didn’t necessarily overpower hitters with a mid- to upper-80s fastball but he attacked them and located both his advanced curveball and changeup for strikes. Overall Holton scattered five hits and allowed an earned run, improving to 8-3 on the year.
May 16, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Riley Mahan, Kentucky
What a weekend it was for junior Riley Mahan as he collected three knocks in all three of Kentucky’s victories over SEC-foe Tennessee. Along with a 1-for-2 performance which included a walk and a double, Mahan finished the four-game stretch going 10-for-15 (.667 batting average) and reached base safely in 13 of his 18 appearances. Of those 10 hits, three went over the fence (including a 436-foot shot), along with two doubles and a triple, scored six runs and finished with a .722 on-base percentage. With the performance Mahan is now hitting .345 with a team high 13 home runs and 54 RBI.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Bailey Ober, College of Charleston
Prior to his injury, College of Charleston’s Bailey Ober was known as one of College Baseball's most uncomfortable at bats. In a rare out-of-conference series in which Arizona traveled to Charleston, the Wildcat’s hitters found out just how good Ober is as the 6-foot-9 righthander twirled a complete game, one-run gem against a deep and talented Arizona lineup. Ober punched out 12 hitters in the process and walked just one while powering a 91-94 mph fastball downhill with a swing-and-miss type slider that showed plus throughout the outing.
To read the detailed scouting report and watch video of Ober’s performance please visit this link.
May 9, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Micah Coffey, Minnesota
Coffey helped lead Minnesota to a 4-1 win, which included a three-game road sweep over Penn State, as the Gophers improved to 29-15 on the year and 12-6 in the Big Ten, tied for the second best winning percentage in the league with Maryland. Coffey’s biggest game came on Saturday in which he hit for the cycle, saving a three-run home run for his fourth and final hit in a 4-for-6, six RBI performance as part of a 17-1 win. Overall he went 11-for-20 (.550) on the week with nine runs scored and 10 driven in, to go along with three walks, a hit by pitch, two doubles, a triple, the home run, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly. On the year he’s now hitting .351-2-36.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Oliver Jaskie, Michigan
Jaskie enjoyed arguably the best performance of his collegiate career on Friday, tossing a complete game shutout against Big Ten rival Ohio State for a 6-0 win, which led to the overall series win for the Wolveirnes. Jaskie allowed just seven hits and a walk over the full nine innings while striking out 14 batters. His fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range while exhibiting great control of the strike zone from the first pitch to the last.
To read the detailed scouting report and watch video of Jaskie’s performance please visit this link.
May 2, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Brendan McKay, Louisville
Just when scouts appeared to have a pulse on what to do with Louisville’s Brendan McKay at the next level he goes out and clubs six home runs this past week, including a four-home run game against Eastern Kentucky in which he finished with nine RBI. While he “only” hit another two home runs over the final four games of the week (both against Toledo on Sunday) McKay finished the five-game stretch by hitting .429-6-12 with a slugging percentage of 1.286. The icing on the cake came Friday night with what McKay did on the mound as he punched out 12 over eight innings, surrendered three hits and issued a lone walk.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: David Peterson, Oregon
Oregon ace lefthander David Peterson has gone from an above average pitcher to one of the best in all of college baseball throughout the 2017 season, and to no one’s surprise he’s climbing up draft boards and has clearly established himself as a first-round talent. Over 74 1/3 innings this year Peterson has struck out 107, 20 of which came in his most recent and dominant outing over Arizona State. In his first career complete game shutout Peterson was in complete control as he struck out the side three different times with his customary low-90s fastball, throwing both his slider and curveball for strikes. He walked just one (in the fourth inning) and surrendered only four base hits.
April 25, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Andrew Vaughn, California
Not only did Vaughn have a big week statistically, his hits came at huge times for the Cal Bears, slugging a pair of walkoff home runs this past weekend to sweep Southern California. The first one came in the first game of the series on Friday, an opposite-field grand slam in the bottom of the ninth that broke a 9-9 tie. He also hit a three-run home run earlier in the game as part of a 2-for-4, seven RBI performance. On Sunday he stroked a two-run shot in the 10th inning that gave Cal a 8-6 win, finishing that game 3-for-4 with three RBI. On the week he went 7-for-15 (.467), with three home runs, 12 RBI, three runs scored, six walks and a hit by pitch. The 5-foot-11, 208-pound freshman first baseman also tossed a scoreless inning on the mound in the team’s midweek 6-4 loss to Stanford. On the season he leads the Pac-12 in both home runs (11) and RBI (43) and is second in slugging (.629), hits (.56) and total bases (95).
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Eli Morgan, Gonzaga
This marks the second time that Gonzaga’s ace has claimed National Pitcher of the Week honors. Since opening the year with a loss, and then a no decision, Morgan has now won seven of his eight last games (he took a no decision against San Francisco in Week 6). Three of those games have been complete games, and two of those were shutouts. In his most recent outing against Portland, a 13-0 win for the Zags, Morgan fell one inning shy of his fourth complete game of the year, allowing just three hits and two walks over eight frames while fanning 15. He is now 7-1 on the year with 2.34 ERA and has only allowed 51 hits and 18 walks in 73 innings of work. And, he has fanned 95 batters, which is tied for third best in the nation (the leader, Alabama A&M’s Brandon Marsonek, has 104).
April 18, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Stuart Fairchild, Wake Forest
Fairchild is the second Wake Forest to be named the PG/Rawlings National Player of the Week, following Gavin Sheets, who garnered the honor in week two. Sheets was also in the mix this week, although Fairchild had a bigger role in the Demon Deacons’ impressive 5-0 showing, which included a weekend sweep of Notre Dame and a 19-9 dismantling of the defending National Champions, Coastal Carolina, mid-week. Fairchild went 11-for-22 (.500) in that time, scoring five runs and driving in 14 while hitting four home runs and three doubles. He also walked once, was hit once and stole a base. On the year he is now hitting .348/.443/.652 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI, and he also leads the team in stolen bases with 10 while playing flawless defense in center field. Wake moved up to 18th in this week’s Top 25 and are now 28-10 on the year.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Kyle Wright, Vanderbilt
Kyle Wright provided a bright spot on the week for the Vanderbilt Commodores, who went 1-3 and fell out of the Top 25. Wright nearly single-handedly provided Vandy with that one win, tossing a complete game shutout over Florida on Friday, allowing just three base hits and no walks while striking out 13. He needed only 99 pitches to do so and out-dueled Gators’ Saturday starter Brady Singer, who tossed a complete game of his own. Wright was in complete control and showed the reason why he entered the 2017 season as Perfect Game’s No. 1 prospect from the college ranks, working easily in the 92-95 mph range with his fastball and mixing and effectively mixing and matching while commanding the strike zone. To read Brian Sakowski’s first-hand report and watch video on Wright’s performance please visit the Perfect Game/Rawlings College Player Database.
April 11, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Brent Rooker, Mississippi State
Rooker was already having a huge season prior to the beginning of last week, as he was named a PG/Rawlings Midseason All-American and was on the short list of players considered for Midseason Player of the Year honors. After that honor went to someone else (Brendan McKay of Louisville) Rooker made his own case by going 10-for-16 (.625) in five games, and his 10 base hits were made up of six home runs and a double. He also scored nine runs, drove in 13 was walked four times and hit by pitches twice. He led Mississippi State to a 3-2 record in those five games, which included a home series win over Kentucky and a mid-week split against FIU. Rooker is now slashing .448/.548/1.008 with 19 doubles, 15 home runs and 56 RBI. He also has stolen 14 bases (in 18 attempts) for the red-hot Bulldogs who have now won three consecutive SEC series. Rooker is first in the nation in RBI, slugging percentage and total bases (126), second in batting, doubles, hits (57) and home runs and is third in on-base percentage.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Logan Gilbert, Stetson
In the rubber match on Sunday in a competitive ASUN series against Florida Gulf Coast Stetson righthander Logan Gilbert provided a complete game two-hit shutout in the Hatters’ 1-0 win over the Eagles. Gilbert moved to 6-0 on the year while striking out 18 FGCU hitters, fanning the first 10 batters he faced and he was perfect through 7 2/3 innings. Stetson is now tied for the lead in the Atlantic Sun with Jacksonvile with 5-1 conference marks. Gilbert, a 6-foot-6, 207-pound sophomore, has a 1.92 ERA on the season, allowing just 34 hits and 14 walks in 51 2/3 innings with 73 strikeouts. He is also limited opposing hitters to a .186 batting average. A primary third baseman in high school, Stetson has been patient with Gilbert’s conversation as a full-time pitcher this spring and their patience has paid off as he’s throwing in the 93-96 mph range this spring with a mid-80s slider and entered the spring as the 42nd ranked prospect for the 2018 MLB Draft.
April 4, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Drew Lugbauer, Michigan
Michigan junior Drew Lugbauer enjoyed a huge week at the plate as the Wolverines enjoyed an equally huge week, out-scoring their opponents 64-13 in five games to go 5-0 on the week and move to 22-6 overall on the season. They scored double digits in all five games they played, which included a pair of midweek contests against Toledo and Central Michigan before their Big Ten weekend series against Penn State. Lugbauer, who plays both catcher and third base, is a lefthanded hitter who enjoyed three three-hit games and overall went 12-for-19 (.632) with three doubles, three home runs and five walks with nine runs scored and 13 driven in. His biggest game of the week came on Saturday, a 15-2 beatdown of the Nittany Lions in which Lugbauer hit a pair of home runs and a double in a 3-for-4, four RBI effort at the plate. He is now hitting .296 on the year and leads Michigan in home runs (8), RBI (34), total bases (63) and slugging (.583).
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Tim Cate, UConn
Sophomore lefthander Tim Cate has picked up right where he left off after a successful freshman campaign, which landed him a spot on the USA Collegiate National Team. One of the top strikeout pitchers in the entire country, Cate has been limited to just 23 innings this spring but showed no signs of rust with his recent seven inning, 13-punchout performance over previously nationally ranked East Carolina. Though he’s not physically imposing at 6-foot, 187-pounds, Cate has seen an uptick in velocity and worked in the 89-93 mph range in his most recent outing while flashing a plus curveball, a pitch that may be one of the best breakers in the country. Over his seven innings Cate scattered five base hits and surrendered one unearned run while pounding the strike zone with just two walks. If you’re a prospect fan, keep an eye on Cate as he appears to be one of the top arms for the 2018 draft in this early juncture.
March 28, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Matt Lloyd, Indiana
A native of Okotoks in Alberta, Canada, Lloyd made the most of increased playing time this past week, going 9-for-14 (.643) with four home runs, a double, six runs scored and 10 driven in as Indiana went 4-0 on the week, which included a weekend sweep over Northwestern in Evanston, Ill. Lloyd, a lefthanded hitter, served as the designated hitter in all three games against Northwestern and blasted three home runs to open up the series on Friday in a 13-9 win. He also made three relief appearances on the week, picking up a pair of saves. In total he tossed three innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out four. In the process Lloyd raise his season average to .327 and now has five home runs and 17 RBI to go along with a 2.79 ERA in six relief appearances spanning 9 2/3 innings.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Cory Abbott, Loyola Marymount
Cory Abbott was masterful in a 2-0 win over BYU on Saturday, tossing a perfect game in which he struck out 13 batters and needed only 106 pitches to get through his full nine innings of work. Abbott sat in the 90-93 mph range and maintained that velocity the entire game, commanding his fastball to both sides of the plate. His signature pitch was his low- to mid-80s slider that peaked at 87 mph and he also mixed in an upper-70s curveball and a low-80s changeup. He pitched primarily off of his slider but threw all four of his pitches for strikes. It was the first perfect game thrown at the NCAA Division I level since Jesse Scholtens’ gem on March 11, 2016 for Wright State. Abbott struck out the final batter of the game to preserve perfection and moved to 4-1 on the year with a 3.29 ERA for the 13-10 LMU Lions.
March 21, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Jake Scheiner, Houston
Anytime a player transfers to the Division I level from the JuCo ranks you can’t help but wonder how the skills are going to translate. To be fair, not many put up the numbers that Jake Scheiner did last spring at Santa Rosa where he slashed .402/.486/.674 with eight home runs en route to being tabbed the California Junior College Player of the Year. Up to this point of the 2017 season Scheiner has shown no problems adjusting during his first 18 games at Houston, already matching his home run total in far fewer at-bats. A six home run week certainly helps and that’s only part of the reason why Scheiner is taking home this week’s PG/Rawlings Player of the Week honors as he finished 13-for-16 (.813) with eight runs and 15 RBI, including a 5-for-5 game Sunday in which he hit half of his home runs. Houston has a long track record of successfully recruiting from the JuCo level and Scheiner has become the most potent bat in Coach Todd Whitting’s current lineup.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Sean Hjelle, Kentucky
The only thing bigger than his stature this weekend was his performance Friday night as the 6-foot-11 Hjelle helped propel his Wildcats to a series opening victory over Texas A&M. Working comfortably in the low-90s throughout his complete game shutout, Hjelle’s performance was huge for Coach Mingione’s club for two reasons: it helped set the tone for what turned into an impressive sweep for Kentucky and it allowed for a fresh bullpen over the next two games (although the rotation did provide quality starts Saturday and Sunday as well). His command was spot on from the opening inning as he mixed three pitches for strikes with plenty of comfort and managed to punch out nine Aggie hitters with just one walk and four scattered hits.
March 14, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Nick Patten, Delaware
Patten had a gigantic week, playing a huge role in Delaware’s 6-0 week in which they scored at least 15 runs in five of the six contests they played. In the middle of it all was Patten, who went 10-for-20 with 18 runs scored, 13 RBI, three home runs and a pair of doubles. Further proving just how locked in he was at the plate, he also walked nine times and was hit three other times, and did some damage once on the basepaths with three stolen bases. In the process the 6-foot-4, 210-pound sophomore first baseman raised his average over 100 points, from .226 to .333, at the end of the weekend as the Blue Hens improved to 8-6 with wins over Rider, Delaware State, UMBC and Wagner.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Eli Morgan, Gonzaga
Morgan out-dueled Connor Seabold (who also went the distance) in a dazzling complete game performance that resulted in a 1-0 Gonzaga win over No. 16 Cal State Fullerton on Friday night. Morgan was completely dialed in, mixing and matching between his three pitches, a 89-91 mph fastball that touched 92 as well as a curveball and a changeup. His fastball command was particularly sharp, throwing 80 percent of his pitches for strikes, leading to only one three-ball count and two two-ball counts in the entire game. He struck out the final two hitters of the game swinging while moving to 2-1 on the year with a 2.57 ERA in four starts and a sparkling 41-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 28 innings of work.
March 7, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Joey Bart, Georgia Tech
Bart had a huge week for the Yellow Jackets and helped propel them to a 3-1 record, improving to 9-2 overall on the season and waiting for an opportunity to force their way into the Top 25. Bart hit a home run in each of GT’s four games, and hit a pair in their 10-2 win over Belmont on Saturday. He hit a three-run shot against Georgia State in a mid-week 12-5 win, a solo shot in a 12-3 win on Friday over Belmont, a two-run job and a solo blast Saturday and another two-run shot in Georgia Tech’s 11-5 loss to Belmont on Sunday. Overall he hit 9-for-17 (.529) with three walks, eight runs scored and 11 driven in. He also hit a double and stole a base, and is now slashing .447/.500/.957 on the season for a club that is hitting .339 collectively as a team.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: David Peterson, Oregon
Peterson moved to 2-1 on the year with a dazzling performance over Mississippi State on Friday as the Ducks opened their three-game series at home against the Bulldogs. Peterson struck out 17 in eight innings of work, needing just 104 pitches to do so while allowing just three base hits and without giving up a run or issuing a walk. Peterson and his Oregon teammates won the game 1-0 on their way to claiming the weekend series two games to one. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound lefthander and 2013 PG All-American lowered his ERA to 4.50 on the year and has a sparkling 26-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 18 innings of work. Peterson did an excellent job moving his fastball to both sides of the plate and his slider had great depth and bite to it, and was his main strikeout pitch in the game. He also mixed in his curveball and changeup effectively.
February 29, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Gavin Sheets, Wake Forest
Gavin Sheets is known as the son of eight-year Major Leaguer Larry Sheets. This week however, Larry shall be known as the father of the Perfect Game/Rawlings National Player of the Week Gavin Sheets. Sheets went 10-for-17 on the week (.588) with an incredible 16 RBI and nine runs scored. His offensive assault included a monster game against USC in which he set a school record with three home runs and nine RBI. The junior lefthanded hitter helped the Demon Deacons to a very nice 3-1 week with a big mid-week win over UNC Greensboro and the series win over Southern California.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Justin Dillon, Sacramento State
Last Thursday night, Justin Dillon threw the first no-hitter in Sacramento State’s Division I history and the first in the WAC since 2010. Dillon punched out 13 Northern Kentucky hitters and came within two hitters (one walk and one error) of a perfect game. Dillon has battled injuries since being selected in the 39th round by the Colorado Rockies in 2012, having missed the 2013 season with Tommy John surgery and then missing most of the 2016 season. The fifth-year senior was 89-91 mph in this game with outstanding fastball command and an out-pitch breaking ball.
February 22, 2017
Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Brendan McKay, Louisville
McKay, one of the favorites to win the 2017 Golden Spikes Award, did it all for the Cardinals this past weekend in Clearwater, Fla. On Friday he took the mound as Louisville's staff ace and delivered six shutout frames, allowing just four base hits while striking out nine Alabama State batters. He also hit an RBI single in the third inning and added a solo shot in the fifth in a 2-for-3 effort at the plate. On Saturday McKay was pitched around as a result, finishing the game 0-for-1 with three walks and a run scored in a 10-7 win over No. 25 Maryland, but continued his hot hitting ways on Sunday, blasting a two-run shot in the third and adding a bases-loaded walk in the sixth while going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Overall McKay hit .500 in those three games (4-for-8) with the two home runs, five RBI and four walks.
You can read more about McKay's performance on Friday, with video, in the College Player Database here and from his overall weekend exploits here.
Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Robbie Welhaf, Elon
Welhaf tossed the first no-hitter in the history of the Elon baseball program on Saturday in a 7-0 win over Longwood. He faced just one over the minimum, retired 16 consecutive batters at one point during the game and struck out a career-high eight batters. He walked just one batter, and hit another, in his full nine innings of work, needing just 100 pitches to get the job done. Welhaf, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior from Doylestown, Pa., had Tommy John surgery early in his collegiate career, redshirting during his true freshman season in 2014 before making just five appearances in 2015. He appeared in 16 more games last year, which included one start, and overall has a 1-3 record (the no-hitter was also his first career win) with a 5.62 in just 41 2/3 innings in three abbreviated years for the Phoenix.