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College  | Story | 5/17/2017

College Spotlight: Week 13

David Rawnsley
Jheremy Brown
Steve Fiorindo
Photo: Arizona Athletics
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Perfect Game College Player Database

Every week during the 2017 college baseball season we will be pulling at least one report, and corresponding video when available, of a player entered into the College Player Database. All of the reports entered into the database can be found in one, easy-to-find place as linked above, and can also be accessed off of the individual PG player profile pages.

To access all of the reports you will need a College Baseball Ticket (CBT) subscription. To learn more about the CBT and to sign up today please visit this link.





Tim Cate, LHP, Connecticut

Having already seen Connecticut sophomore lefthander Tim Cate a handful of times to this point in his career, all of which he’s impressed in, the start he gave in game one against nationally ranked South Florida may have been his best. The velocity was similar and the command was there, as were the strikeouts and easy plus curveball, but the difference was the consistency of the breaking ball and his ability to go to it at will.

Take a quick glance at Cate and his physicality may not jump out as he’s listed 6-foot, 187-pounds but nothing about his listed measurements prevents Cate from dominating on the mound. With longer limbs on his 6-foot frame Cate generates excellent extension out front and really works over his front side, resulting in solid plane regularly and probably helps his effective velocity as the ball seems to get on hitters quickly. 

And it’s not as though his fastball needs any help as he sat very steadily at 91-92 mph over his entire body of work, touched a handful of 93s, and seemingly got stronger with every passing frame. His fastball is rather true in terms of life and most hard contact resulted from heaters left up in the zone, though that was rarely the case as he finished six hits allowed over seven innings and yielded a single earned run. Once he settled in and harnessed his fastball Cate managed to stay in the lower third of the zone and showed he could locate the pitch to either side of the plate. 

While his fastball command would stray at times and he’d miss up and out to his arm side, Cate’s feel for his curveball was firing on all cylinders from the opening frame. It’s true hammer with late snap in the 81-84 mph range and could quite possibly be the best curveball in all the nation. The shape and ability to miss bats (over 15 swings-and-misses on the day) was certainly noted though it was the comfort and ability to go to the pitch in any count that truly stood out. Righthanded batter or lefty, 3-0 count or 0-2, it didn’t matter as Cate was locating and could do so back-to-back pitches, freezing some USF hitters which as a unit was hitting .306 heading into the series. 

After leaving an 87 mph changeup up in the zone which resulted in extra bases early in the contest Cate quickly scrapped the pitch, though he’s shown flashes with it in the past, giving him a full three-pitch arsenal. 

He still has another year left on campus yet scouts are fully aware of Cate who will certainly be a priority for them next spring. The ease of which he generates his high end stuff as well as the ability to carry it has already resulted multiple double digit performances during his two years at Storrs, though Friday was his first time notching 14, a new career high.

Other Connecticut players added to College Player Database:

• Mason Feole
• Wills Montgomerie
• Zac Susi
• John Russell
• Ryan Radue
• P.J. Poulin





Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida

Electric. I wrote that in all capitals letters in my notes while watching McClanahan on the mound as it truly is the best way to describe his left arm and what he produces with it. A redshirt-freshman who is collecting strikeouts by the handful in what’s his first season of college baseball, McClanahan has already established himself on scout’s radar for next spring and helped make Storrs, Connecticut the epicenter of lefthanded prospects Friday afternoon along with UConn’s Tim Cate and Mason Feole.

If you were to draw up a frame for a pitching prospect odds are it’d be similar to what McClanahan shows while standing on the rubber; broad, angular shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist with longer limbs and plenty of room to fill. He’s also the rare case where he looks taller than what’s listed in the program, looking close to 6-foot-3 than 6-foot-1.

McClanahan had gained some steam through his senior season of high school before he required surgery, though he’s back now and stronger than prior to the injury. His delivery is simple with a measured leg lift and slight hip turn before showing an extremely fast left arm which produced an electric fastball. 

The first pitch registered at 95 mph, followed by a 94 and a 96, ultimately setting the tone as he sat within the 93-96 mph range over his six innings and was predominately 94-95 as he opened the seventh. His command wasn’t quite as sharp as I saw opening weekend against Iowa as he struggled early to find a consistent release point, though once he did he was able to cruise a bit. 

He’s able to create some angle with his release point and he can challenge righthanded hitters on the inner half at will, something you don’t often see in young pitchers. Another thing you don’t see? Broken BBCOR bats but in the first inning McClanahan was able to do just that with a 95 mph in on the hands of Isaac Feldstein, a righthanded hitter for UConn. Working to the corners is key for McClanahan as hitters appeared to see the ball and could get to the pitch located up and over the middle of the plate, unlike when he located east and west on the plate. 

It took the young lefthander a couple attempts at his changeup before he found his release point and feel for the pitch, but once he did it showed true above average potential and should develop into a quality out pitch. At its best the pitch crossed the plate at 87-88 mph with the same fast arm stroke and offered late diving life, leaving the hitter with no chance at making contact. With how hard McClanahan throws and his ability to maintain the velocity, if he can establish his changeup early in an outing it simply wouldn’t be fair for opposing hitters, though that already seems to be the case with his .190 batting average against. 

His slider shows the makings of a quality third pitch and is thrown in the low-80s with tight rotation, though like in my first look, he worked mostly fastball/changeup. 

McClanahan has all the pieces to develop and become a premier draft pick next spring and is quickly developing a reputation as a difficult at-bat and a high-level strikeout pitcher. 

Other South Florida players added to College Player Database:

• Phoenix Sanders
• Peter Strzelecki
• Kevin Merrell
• Garrett Zech
• David Villar
• Ryan Valdes
• Joe Cavallaro


Bailey Ober, RHP, College of Charleston

(David Rawnsley saw Bailey Ober earlier this spring and went back for another look, he's his update)

Ober's pre-injury arm strength is back, as are all his secondary pitches.  Ober threw a masterful two-hitter May 12 against Arizona, one of the top offensive teams in the country, striking out 13 hitters, walking only one and needing only 107 pitches for the complete game. There were really only three quality at-bats all game, fittingly by Arizona's two top hitters, J.J. Matejevic and Nicholas Quintana.

Ober worked a four-seam fastball at 91-94 mph and a two-seamer with big life at 88-90 and showed much sharper life and command of both his slider and changeup throughout the outing. In fact his slider, which wasn't a good pitch when observed last month, was plus at times and Arizona hitters simply didn't recognize the pitch. The 6-foot-9 Ober's severe downhill angle on his release makes the downward movement on his pitches even more effective.

Other College of Charleston players added to College Player Database:

• Logan McRae


J.J. Matijevic, 1b, Arizona

This scout saw Matijevic about 20-25 times when he was in high school and the first thing that stands out on seeing him for the first time in three years was that he had a different body. The teenage Matijevic had some thickness to him, strong thickness no doubt, but still thickness which didn't help his athleticism. The 21-year old Matijevic is probably 10-15 pounds lighter and hard body cut.  He's obviously worked very hard to get stronger and build his athleticism.

The big similarity between then and now is that Matejevic's bat has always been his best tool and he hits pretty much with the same style and approach four and five years ago. He has very quick hands and plus bat speed, with an aggressive approach that can both turn on balls with authority and drive them to the opposite field as well. He will get around balls at times, just as he did in high school, but was generally very well timed up in the two games observed.

One of those was against College of Charleston's Bailey Ober showing second-third round stuff while throwing a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts. Matijevic was on Ober all night, with a top spun line drive home run to right centerfield, a hard ground ball down the line that the first baseman nabbed to prevent a double and a medium deep fly ball.

The problem scouts will have is Matijevic's profile as a six-foot first baseman.  He has played some third and second base in the past but is a below average runner with below average arm strength. Left field would be the only realistic possibility. But Matijevic's very advanced hit tool and his average to plus projected power should carry him past those initial concerns.

Other Arizona players added to College Player Database:

• Nicholas Quintana
• JC Cloney
• Cody Deason




Connor Seabold, rhp, Cal State Fullerton

Connor Seabold will grab your attention as he step onto the mount sporting a solid frame for a pitcher, standing at 6-foot-3, 190-pounds. He took the ball against UC Santa Barbara and went to work, starting his delivery with a high leg kick (think Bronson Arroyo) while gathering and showing solid balance over the rubber before driving on line towards the plate.

The righthanded junior saw his fastball work comfortably in the 89-92 mph range, touching 93s throughout his outing. He did a nice job of maintaining his velocity late into the outing, still bumping several 92s and 93s into his 7th inning of work. The command wasn’t there early on for Seabold as he made a few mistakes over the plate, resulting in three balls going over the fence. Once Fullerton tied things back up in the third Seabold seemed to make an adjustment, working on top of the ball while generating downhill plane.

In return, the command was much better and he was able to cruise through the 7th inning  and didn't allow a hit after the 3rd and struck out five of his six in one stretch. The fastball showed more running life on arm side half of plate and would tend flatten out up and out over plate. His breaking ball was inconsistent showing more like a true curveball at times, but would also get on the side at higher velocities, changing the shape. The pitch ranged anywhere from 76 to 81 mph, though it is truly one pitch with an inconsistent hand position. Rounding out his four-pitch mix is his changeup at 80-82 mph that showed fade and sink down in the zone and a splitter at 85-86 mph, though he exhibited more feel and comfort with the changeup.  

Other Cal State Fullerton players added to College Player Database:

• Scott Hurst
• Timmy Richards




Austin Bush, 1b, UC Santa Barbara

The moment Austin Bush digs into the batter's box you're going to notice him as he stands 6-foot-6, 265-pounds, creating a presence like that of a taller Matt Adams. The bat is the calling card as he projects to stay at first base but the power is very easy, even to the deepest parts of the field. While he can launch them in batting practice, he can go deep in games too just as he did against Cal State Fullerton to deep right-center field and did the same in a look against UC Riverside too.  The lefthanded hitting Bush lofts balls with ease and simultaneously generates backspin with big carry off the barrel of the bat.  He implements an all-fields approach and showed ability to go with the pitch as he lofted one outer half pitch to the wall in left field.  Lefthanded power is his calling card and though there's some swing and miss to the profile, the power is for real. 

Other UC Santa Barbara players added to College Player Database:

• Kyle Nelson
• Steve Ledesma
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College | Story | 6/11/2026

Collegiate Freshman All-Americans
Vincent Cervino
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Collegiate Postseason Awards | Collegiate All Americans First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Alonzo Alvarez Miami FR 0.341 0.439 0.551 40 57 13 2 6 32 3 1B Ethin Bingaman Auburn FR 0.330 0.415 0.581 60 71 9 0 15 50 4 2B Ethan Ball Virginia Tech FR 0.310 0.420 0.660 43 63 18 1 17 52 3 3B Nico Partida Texas A&M FR 0.306 0.408 0.550 45 55 8 0 12 43 4 SS Jett Kenady California FR 0.320 0.350 0.573 36 66 17 1 11 34 1 IF Linkin Garcia Texas Tech FR 0.338 0.387 0.489 53 78 21 1 4 59 1 OF Angel Laya Oregon FR 0.296 0.396 0.538 49 66 10 1 14 47 5 OF Anthony Pack Jr. Texas FR 0.359 0.485 0.597 58 74 16 0 11 52 20 OF Jacob Parker* Mississippi State FR 0.339 0.449 0.732 51 57 10 1 18 62 7 OF Teddy Tokheim Stanford FR 0.352 0.414 0.704 40 70 19 0 17 47 0 UT Drew Grego Nebraska FR 0.326 0.417 0.531 33 57 13 1 7 44 5 DH Enzo Infelise Cincinnati FR 0.374...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/19/2026

Road to the 2026 17U BCS Title

Emily Hicks
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This weekend, 11 teams will take the field for the 2026 17U BCS Challenge, a three-day event that brings together programs from across the country for a full slate of pool play and bracket action. With games beginning Friday and a champion crowned Sunday, the format leaves little room for slow starts, making every inning important from the opening pitch. The field features a mix of established programs and rising teams. With so many evenly matched rosters, there’s not much separation heading into the weekend, which puts importance on pitching depth, defensive consistency, and timely hitting. Pool play will quickly determine seeding, and even one loss can shift a team’s path heading into bracket play. One of the teams expected to be in the mix is Hawaii Elite 2G 17U National, a group that is 6-3 overall and ranked as “Honorable Mention” on the Perfect Games...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/18/2026

Big Talent on Display at City of Palms

Alyssa Golden
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The fifth annual PG City of Palms Championship is set to take place in Fort Myers, Florida, from June 19-22, featuring teams from the 15U-18U age divisions. The four-day event will showcase some of the top talent in the state, including several nationally ranked prospects who have already made their presence felt this summer season. Before tournament play begins, here’s a look at some of the highest-ranked players expected to compete this weekend. Leading the group is catcher Nico Ayars in the 16U division. Ayars enters the weekend as the No. 135 player nationally, the No. 3 catcher in Florida and the No. 20 catcher in the country. Through 22 games this summer with Turn 2 Garcia, the right-handed hitter owns a .887 OPS while batting .306 with a .438 OBP and a .449 SLG. Ayars has collected 15 hits while driving in 12 runs and scoring 13 times. Ayars’ teammate, right-handed...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/17/2026

Perfect Game Softball Route 66 Summer Showcase

Dave Durbala
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SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball Route 66 Summer Showcase, June 13-14, 2026. Twenty-Seven teams, representing the 14u and High School Divisions, arrived at the newly opened all turfed Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe, for the opportunity to showcase their talent in a five game guarantee format. As with anytime we bring a group of players together for competition, there will be those players that rise to the challenge and turn in performances that earn them a place on our Top Performers list.  Below are some of the players, from both divisions, that were recognized as top performers. 14U Division Kinley Abrams (2030 Bloomington, IL) is a RHH for Texas Glory IL-2030 (Wyatt). Setting up in a slightly wide parallel stance, into her back leg, Abrams gains separation with a  push back to transfer weight, and then utilizes a small stride to launch her swing. Abrams works a...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/18/2026

150 Teams Set to Battle at SE Select

Will Dembo
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As summer travel season continues to ramp up, more than 150 teams from 13-17u from all over the nation will meet in East Cobb as they look to showcase their talents and compete for a trophy in the PG Southeast Select Championship. The tournament will kick off with pool play on Thursday, June 18th, and champions will be crowned following bracket play on Monday, June 22nd. The 13u division will host 23 teams from four different states in the major style tournament. The East Cobb Astros and Ninth Inning Royals will share the spotlight as the only nationally ranked teams in the field as the Astros enter the weekend as the No. 45 ranked squad and Ninth Inning falls at the No. 31 spot. 14u will also play as a major tournament for the weekend and contains 31 teams looking to compete for a trophy. Although there are currently no nationally recognized teams in the pool, PFA Regional will be a...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

UBC Midwest Scout Notes

Blaine Peterson
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Braydon McMillen (2029, Downers Grove, IL) an athletic MIF with a top of the order skill set at the plate. Reached base in all 5 games played at UBC this week. Including a 3 hit game in bracket play. Shows a balanced and compact swing at the plate with quick wrists and the ability to get the barrel to the baseball regularly. A quick first step defensively with clean glove actions and a quick release from the shortstop position. Made several athletic plays defensively this past week. Lot of promising impact traits and a real skill set to build on.  Paris Head | IF/OF/RHP | 2029 | IL@WhitesoxAce FB: 86-90 | CB: 73-75 SL: 77-79 | CH: 78-82 One of the best pitching performances of the tournament so far. High level athlete with an advanced pitch mix for the age. #UBC @PG_Scouting | @WhitesoxAce https://t.co/V3leWaCBSM pic.twitter.com/EDBvjpgI3p — Perfect Game Illinois...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

Windy City Elite Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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28 LHP/OF Rex Johnson (CO) was impressive on the mound today. Quality FB/SL mix. FB(80-85) showed heavy arm side run, generating s/m. Good feel to spin, landing the low-70s SL for strikes, while keeping hitters off balance. 5.0IP, 9K, 3H #WCElite @PG_FourCorners pic.twitter.com/q459oPmXzW — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) June 14, 2026 Rex Johnson (2028, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) turned in one of the more impressive outings of the weekend for Canes Denver South 2028 Gold. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound left-hander worked 5.0 innings, striking out 9 while allowing just 3 hits and no earned runs. The fastball worked 80-85 with arm-side run and got on hitters quickly, generating both swing-and-miss and weak contact. He mixed in a slider with sharp action and showed feel to land it for strikes. Currently ranked the No. 5 outfielder and No. 8 overall prospect in Colorado, Johnson displayed...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

UBC South Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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Jonell Rodriguez (2027, Spring, Texas) continued his absolute tear this weekend with Banditos 2027 Scout. The Houston commit finished the weekend 7-12 with three triples and two doubles, reaching base a staggering eleven times over the course of the tournament. Super twitchy athlete who is starting to tap into more power this summer. Has always been extremely productive but seems to have leveled up. He has an argument for being the most dynamic player in the state with his 2026 performances. William Bishop (2028, San Antonio, Texas) was a breakout star this weekend for Texas Angels 2028 Lisbon. Was an impossible out this weekend, going 10-14 with five doubles, a triple, and a home run, while driving in eight runs. Uber physical lower half that rotates easily, not a ton of wasted movement in the swing process. Was such a tough matchup for every single arm he faced at UBC. Will Rainer...
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Tournaments | Championship | 6/17/2026

Braves Capture WWBA East Title

Kinley Kitchens
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By the end of championship Monday, the Atlanta Braves Scout Team had done much more than win a title. They had validated everything they believed they could become. After an undefeated run through the 2026 PG East WWBA Championship, the Braves captured the 15U championship with an 8-2 victory, finishing off a dominant weekend that featured elite pitching, explosive offense, and contributions throughout the roster. For coach Jed Douglas, the championship represented the results of months of practice, preparation, and a vision that finally came together. “This is our first championship with this group,” Douglas said. “We finally brought it together and for the first time, everything seemed to work just as we designed it when we were building the team, and it was just beautiful this way.” The Braves backed up that vision with one of the most impressive offensive...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/16/2026

PG Summer Showdown Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Mason Kennerly (2028, Decatur, Ga.) hit .429 with a .667 OBP, five walks and three RBI in four games last week. He’s already showing the tools to be a big-time power bat in his class, and standing at 6’2 with an athletic frame, he’s one of the more projectable players we saw this weekend. His mechanics play into his size well, creating good hand separation from body on his load, using a medium-high leg kick, and getting a wide base when going into his launch. He uses every bit of his size and natural strength to create a violent swing. He’s got the makings of a really solid prospect, and as he develops and his approach matures, he’ll become a guy that college coaches keep at the top of their radar.  ‘27 Grant Barden (GA) up to 90 mph on the hill. Loose on the mound, whippy arm action. Four pitch mix; FB 87-90, CB 71-72, SL 76-78, CH 79-81. Mixed...
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General | Blog | 6/16/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 66

Ron Wolforth
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  The Number That Just Killed MLB Expansion: 1,217   USA Today's Bob Nightengale dropped a bomb shell recently that the baseball world is still digesting. Major League Baseball wants to expand to 32 teams. Team executives are quietly opposing it and the reason has nothing to do with cities or money.   They cannot find enough healthy pitchers.   Between 2020 and 2024, professional baseball performed 1,026 Tommy John surgeries at the minor-league level alone. Another 191 at the Major League level. More than twelve hundred elbow reconstructions in five years on the best young pitchers in the world.   That is not bad luck. That is a system reporting a verdict on itself.   For fifteen years, the youth-baseball industry has chased one number: velocity significantly more than projectability and arm care.    Recruiters scout by it.    Social...
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