THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story | 2/23/2017

Weekend Preview: Week 2

Photo: Courtney Culbreath




Perfect Game Top 25 | PG/Rawlings Player/Pitcher of the Week | PG College Player Database | Database Spotlight

The second weekend of the 2017 college baseball season is a little more quiet in regards to nationally ranked opponents, although Miami visiting No. 3 Florida in Gainesville is a series to watch each and every year and will certainly be played in front of a large, loud and raucous crowd at McKethan Stadium. While Miami holds the all-time series lead (128-117-1), the Gators have narrowed that gap with Kevin O'Sullivan as the Head Coach, who holds a 24-11 record against Jim Morris and the Hurricanes. More details on this series are available below.

The only series pitting Top 25-ranked opponents against one another will occur in Baton Rouge, La., as second-ranked LSU hosts No. 25 Maryland. Maryland is at risk of falling out of the rankings after opening the year with a 1-2 record in Clearwater, Fla., while the Tigers beat Army (twice) and Air Force by a combined score of 25-3, which included senior lefthander Jared Poche's no-hitter on Saturday.

Wright State will look to continue to be a pest in the state of South Carolina as they visit the fifth-ranked Gamecocks after winning their opening-season series against Clemson, ASU will have their hands full with No. 1 TCU in Fort Worth and Sam Houston State will look to continue to make their case for Top 25 inclusion as they host No. 13 Louisiana.

LakePoint will once again be in action as part of Perfect Game's Spring Swing with several Division I (and junior college programs) taking the fields, as Canisius, Chicago State, IPFW, NJIT, Ohio and SIU Edwardsville all travel to Emerson, Ga. Follow all of the action in the Scout Notes from PG Park at LakePoint blog.

Stay tuned to Perfect Game throughout the weekend as Mike Rooney will provide observations on No. 7 Oregon State among others from the Big Ten/Pac-12 Spring Training College Baseball Challenge in Surprise, Ariz.


Top 25 in Action

Rk. Team Opponent Location
1 Texas Christian home vs. Arizona State Fort Worth, TX
2 Louisiana State home vs. Maryland Baton Rouge, LA
3 Florida home vs. Miami Gainesville, FL
4 Florida State home vs. Samford Tallahassee, FL
5 South Carolina home vs. Wright State Columbia, SC
6 Louisville home vs. Nebraska-Omaha Louisville, KY
7 Oregon State at Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge Surprise, AZ
8 Ole Miss home vs. UNC Wilmington Oxford, MS
9 Vanderbilt home vs. Illinois-Chicago Nashville, TN
10 North Carolina home vs. Radford Chapel Hill, NC
11 Oklahoma State home vs. Texas State Stillwater, OK
12 Cal State Fullerton at UNLV Las Vegas, NV
13 Louisiana at Sam Houston State Huntsville, TX
14 NC State home vs. Austin Peay Raleigh, NC
15 East Carolina home vs. La Salle Greenville, NC
16 Texas home vs. UConn Austin, TX
17 Washington at Saint Mary's Moraga, CA
18 Stanford home vs. Kansas Stanford, CA
19 Houston at Kleberg Bank Classic Corpus Christi, TX
20 Clemson home vs. Elon Clemson, SC
21 Rice home vs. Southeastern Louisiana Houston, TX
22 Arizona home vs. McNeese State Tucson, AZ
23 Texas A&M home vs. Pepperdine College Station, TX
24 Virginia home vs. Rutgers Charlottesville, VA
25 Maryland at No. 2 Louisiana State Baton Rouge, LA


Gators, Hurricanes clash in Gainesville

When the third-ranked Gators take the field on Friday against in-state rival Miami it will make the 247th time the two teams have played one another. Miami holds a 128-117-1 all-time series lead, but that gap has been significantly closed by Florida under the watch of Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan, who is 24-11 against the Hurricanes and has claimed 23 of the last 29 meetings, winning six of the last seven regular season series, including the last two in 2015 and 2016.

The Gators also ended Miami’s season, in Omaha at the College World Series, in 2015 with a pair of big victories over the Hurricanes. Florida also ended Miami’s season in 2009 (Gainesville Regional), 2010 (Gainesville Super Regional) and 2011 (Gainesville Regional).

Prior to that Miami ended Florida’s season eight different times, in 1981, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2003 and 2004. During that time the Hurricanes won the College World Series four times (1982, 1985, 1999 and 2001), something the Gators have yet to accomplish, although they have reached the College World Series five times in the last seven years.

It's safe to say this isn't the most friendly of rivalries.

While O’Sullivan has entered his 10th year at the helm of the Florida program Miami Heach Coach Jim Morris in on year 24 with the Hurricanes. Miami has qualified for the NCAA Tournament a record 44 years in a row and Morris has taken his team to Omaha 13 times in his 23 years, including appearances in both 2015 and 2016. He now has 1,537 wins at the Division I level after opening the 2017 season 2-1.

Morris is now seventh all-time in head coaching wins at the Division I level and the only active coaches with more wins than him are Florida State’s Mike Martin (1,900) and Stanford’s Mark Marquess (1,586).

A series win for unranked Miami over the third-ranked Gators, in Gainesville, will be considered an upset for certain, and may be enough for the Hurricanes to crack into Perfect Game’s Top 25 after opening the season ranked 30th. They will face arguably the most dynamic starting staff in all of college baseball in Alex Faedo, Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar, all three of whom could be taken among the top 3-5 overall picks in either this year’s draft (Faedo) or next year’s (Singer and Kowar).

While Faedo gave up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings last Friday he did strike out seven William & Mary hitters, and the Gators earned the win. Singer and Kowar proved to be much more stingy on Saturday and Sunday respectively, giving up only one earned run each in five and 5 2/3 innings, with Kowar in particular standing out, finishing his day with 10 punchouts.

Miami will counter with three proven starters of their own in Jesse Lepore – who allowed just two hits and struck out seven in six shutout frames over Rutgers to open the season – Jeb Bargfeldt and Michael Mediavilla. Like Faedo, Mediavilla didn’t fare well in his first start of 2017 and lasted just 3 1/3 innings as Miami lost to Rutgers 17-6 in Coral Gables, but the Hurricanes still claimed the series 2-1.

– Patrick Ebert


King James retains his throne


Rhode Island might be the smallest of all 50 states with a total of 1,045 square miles but nestled alongside the Atlantic Ocean is one of the most dominant pitchers in all of college baseball: Bryant righthander James Karinchak. The Northeast Conference’s reigning Pitcher of the Year, Karinchak entered the 2017 season with high expectations both in terms of draft potential and also in a leadership role to help guide a rather young Bulldog team. It’s safe to say expectations were met, and possibly exceed, in his opening day five-inning start at New Mexico State.

The strongly built 6-foot-3, 220-pound New York native, who has added noticeable muscle mass in the last calendar year, entered last Friday with a 20-8 career mark and was able to add another tally to the win column in exciting fashion. Out of a possible 15 outs Karinchak managed to strike out 12 (good for a 21.60 K-per-9 ratio) while walking just one, giving him 198 strikeouts over 177 1/3 innings with just 77 free passes during his college career. He made noise last spring at the Tony Gwynn Classic with an outstanding performance over San Diego State and he looks to do the same this upcoming weekend as he and his Bryant teammates travel to Fayetteville to take on SEC foe Arkansas.



One of top prospects in all New England this spring, joined by fellow Rhode Islander Tyler Wilson and Boston College outfielder Donovan Casey, reports surfaced over the fall of how Karinchak was putting up big velocity which would only add to his dominance. The uptick in velocity proved to be true as did the notion of added dominance as Karinchak came out of the gates hot, sitting 93-95 mph with his heater, touching as high as 98 mph on some guns before settling comfortably in the 89-92 mph band from innings 2-5. At its best his curveball is a true downer in the low-80s and has proven to be a swing-and-miss pitch both in the past and during opening weekend.

A perennial power in the Northeast Conference over the last handful of seasons Bryant and Karinchak look to stay atop the conference standings once NEC play opens on March 17 at Fairleigh Dickinson. Until then the durable righthander looks to build upon his strikeout total, one that currently ranks fifth best in the country.

To view Steve Fiorindo's full report on Karinchak from last Friday's performance please visit this link.

– Jheremy Brown



A Tribute to Eleven


Mike Martin of Florida State earned his 1900th win this past weekend and this is an accomplishment so enormous that it needs perspective.  So let’s do that.

Martin has a winning percentage of .738, which leads all active Division I Baseball coaches. Martin has also been the head coach at a Power 5 program for 38 consecutive seasons. Take a moment to think about trying to replicate that in today’s environment in college athletics.

Over those 37 seasons, Martin has averaged 51.2 wins per year. That is a large number that gets even more gargantuan when you consider that you are only allowed to schedule 56 regular season games per year.

By almost any standard, 40-plus wins and an NCAA Tournament berth is an outstanding college baseball season. Mike Martin is 37 for 37 in this category. In fact, Martin’s worst year at Florida State meets that “outstanding season” standard. So that means that the Seminoles have literally never had a bad season under Martin’s leadership.

The only college baseball coach with more wins than Mike Martin is the recently retired Augie Garrido with 1,975 wins. Martin is on pace to break that record in the second half of the 2018 season.

It is my opinion that this mark will, similar Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, become a baseball record never to be broken. If you are skeptical, let’s break it down:

Brian O’Connor is on a Hall of Fame pace as a college baseball head coach. He has averaged just under 46 wins per year over his 13 seasons at Virginia. O’Connor just earned his 600th win this week. So Brian O’Connor would need to keep that 46-win pace for the next 41 years in order to get to 1,900 wins. He would be 88 years old when that happened.

Here’s the other challenge: Mike Martin isn’t stopping at 1,900.

– Mike Rooney



College | Story | 12/12/2025

College Notebook: December 12

Craig Cozart
Article Image
Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Highlights: The Cornhuskers were a difficult team to figure in ’25 as they finished with 33 wins, played just .500 (15-15) in the Big Ten but had some big wins at various times during the season and got hot at the right time. They knocked off then #16 Vanderbilt in the second game of the year, beat #5 Oregon State 2-out-of-3 at home in late March and then got hot at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to win the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Michigan State in a 10-inning thriller before taking care of #4 Oregon, knocking off Penn State and then shutout #13 UCLA to punch their ticket to the Chapel Hill Regional. Head coach Will Bolt has now led his alma mater to three conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during his six years in Lincoln. No different than when he was a player, Bolt’s teams play with passion and toughness, this was never more...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
Article Image
Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 You like athletes? You like defenders who can impact a game at any given point? Look not further than this class as it's loaded from coast-to-coast with elite defenders all over the diamond.  C: Brogan Witcher, Bakersfield, CA Our scouting staff got several strong looks at Witcher whether that was at the Summer Kickoff, Sophomore National or the Underclass All American Games where he showcased his strong overall skillset and especially his advanced ability behind the plate. His 6-foot-3,180 pound build looks like one that will fill in quite nicely and be that big and physical catcher’s frame. His arm talent is undeniable where he gets it out quick and runs it up to 79 mph on throwdowns to 2nd (1.84 pop). Besides the standout catch/throw ability, we’ve seen him frame/receive strong arms and block it well during...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 12/11/2025

PG Softball "Toys 4 Tots" Fundraiser 18U division

Dave Durbala
Article Image
BURLINGTON, IA - 2025 Perfect Game Softball Toys 4 Tots Fundraiser One Day, December 7, 2025. Kicking off the holiday season, six teams participated in this one day, 3 game guarantee tournament in the 18u Division. We would like to thank those that donated a toy, and know that they will be distributed to area underprivileged children through a local charity organization. Following are some of the top performers from the weekend. Earning Tournament MV-Pitcher was Jolee Strohmeyer (2026 Dubuque, IA), a RHP/UTIL with tournament champion Lady Expos Blue. Strohmeyer shows hitters a consistent and repeatable motion and delivery with good use of the legs in the drive phase, and a quick and aggressive arm whip. Working with a six pitch mix of fastball, change-up, rise, drop, curve and screw, Strohmeyer topped out at 60 mph, and showed good movement  as she worked her rise and curve just out...
Tournaments | Story | 12/11/2025

Scout Stories: Part 4

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Scout Notes: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Best Game I Saw: Hudson Reed (‘26, GA) torches this ball to deep CF for a solo 💣. Generates easy power that plays to the big part of the yard. Middle of the order traits #UBCWest @PG_Georgia @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXqDVFmUBx — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 18, 2025 I was fortunate enough to see a lot of highly competitive games with loads of talent on the field, the game that sticks out to me the most was Alpha Prime 2026 vs. ZT National Prospects at the UBC West. The game was an efficiently played affair with arms dominating on both sides. Graham Schlicht was masterful for Alpha, striking out 12 hitters over 5 dominant innings. PG All-American Julian Cazares came out of the pen blowing smoke, touching 97 mph with the fastball. On the other side, Jake Carbaugh surrendered just one hit and...
Press Release | Press Release | 12/11/2025

PG Believe In Baseball Announces Awards Dinner

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   THE PERFECT GAME BELIEVE IN BASEBALL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR FIRST ANNUAL “IN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME” AWARDS DINNER AND AUCTION   Los Angeles, California (Thursday, December 11, 2025) – The Perfect Game Believe in Baseball Foundation, together with Perfect Game leadership of Chairman Rick Thurman and CEO Rob Ponger, has announced the inaugural “In the Spirit of the Game” event, an evening of baseball and laughter, taking place Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the iconic Laugh Factory in Hollywood, Calif. The evening supports the Foundation’s mission to provide financial assistance and resources that allow deserving young athletes to play, learn and grow through the...
Tournaments | Story | 12/11/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2027

AJ Denny
Article Image
Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 Elite defenders from coast to coast certainly seems to be a strength and to think you could make another top-tier team without thinking, speaks to the real depth this group possesses. The infield is a no-doubt strength of the group, but what catcher Dariel Carrion can do behind the plate is like something we haven't seen in a while in the prep ranks with an absolutely bazooka of an arm.  C: Dariel Carrion (San Juan, PR)  It isn’t often you get a catching prospect as athletic and natural as Dariel Carrion, a big reason why he holds the rank of #1 player in PR and #18 nationally. Metrics wise, the 5-foot-10, 210 pound San Juan native is all you can ask for and more, posting a sub 1.80 pop time with an 84 mph arm behind the dish. He has both contact and clear power threat on the offensive end, ending 2025 with a .337 BA and 4 HRs while also...
Tournaments | Story | 12/10/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2026

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The Class of 2026 is one of the deeper prep classes that we have seen in a couple of years. With that being said, there is plenty of talent on the defensive side. Let’s take a look at some of the best defenders in the class.  C: Will Brick, Christian Brothers HS (Memphis, TN) Brick is a newcomer to the class after reclassifying, but immediately became the top backstop. Extremely advanced actions are shown behind the dish with impressive athleticism to go with it. Brick showcases big time arm strength and is consistently accurate on throw downs. He can make playing the position look extremely easy at times. Brick possesses all the defensive tools needed to be a premier catcher.  1B: AJ Curry, University City HS (San Diego, CA) Curry has a bigger and stronger frame with good strength throughout. He has a well-proportioned build that serves him well on the dirt. He’s...
General | Blog | 12/10/2025

Youth Baseball Exec. DeDonatis III Joins PG

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
Youth Baseball Executive Don DeDonatis III Joins PG By Jim Salisbury  It’s free-agent season in baseball and Perfect Game has landed a big one. Don DeDonatis III joined PG as a consultant in November. The DeDonatis name is synonymous with youth baseball and softball. Along with his dad, Don Jr., DeDonatis helped build USSSA into a big hitter in the game. He brings decades of experience and knowledge to PG. “We all acknowledge that Donny has moved on from USSSA,” PG CEO Rob Ponger said. “This is a new chapter for him and we hope both sides take advantage of it to help youth sports in general. “The DeDonatis name has a legacy attached to it and we’re hoping that Donny is going to help us. PG is a growing brand and he’s on board to help.” DeDonatis was CEO at USSSA from 2018 until his exit from the company two years ago. “I’m...
Loading more articles...