THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,416 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,416 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/7/2017

17u WWBA Day 7 Scout Notes

Vincent Cervino
Travis Clark
Photo: Perfect Game

Daily Leaders | Player Stats | Day 1 Notes | Day 2 Notes | Day 3 Notes | Day 4 Notes | Day 5 Notes | Day 6 Notes

A team who impressed us all week at the 17u WWBA National Championship before ultimately falling in the playoffs was the Bo Jackson Elite club out of Ohio. Righthander Mitchel Megias (2018, New Albany, Ohio) got the start vs. the East Cobb Colt .45’s and was solid for his two innings, allowing a single run while pounding the zone consistently.




He’s got a large frame with good projection remaining, with a hooked arm stroke through the back that is solid in terms of timing along with good arm speed overall. He worked his fastball up to 92 mph in the first inning, settling into the 86-90 mph range and really filling up the zone consistently. He showed both a curveball and slider, the former thrown in the upper-70s with good depth and the latter in the low-80s with good, sharp tilt, though it would get one-plane at times.




On the other side, the East Cobb Colt .45’s got the victory behind a dominant five-inning complete game from Davis Sharpe (2018, Dacula, Ga.), a Clemson commit who had no trouble on the mound on this day. He scattered two hits and two walks while punching out nine to earn the win. Sharp was, for lack of a better word, extremely sharp, doing a good job repeating his relatively high-maintenance delivery quite well and pounding the zone consistently.

His fastball worked in the 88-91 mph range for the majority of his outing, showing the ability to get it to both sides of the plate as well as to manipulate the life of the pitch. He flashed some cut to the glove side and a bit of sink to the arm side, giving the pitch multiple dimensions to go along with his solid command of the offering. He showed a slurvy breaking ball in the mid-70s with good depth, getting caught in between a slider and a curveball at times but showing very good spin and snap. He was able to miss bats consistently with it.

Throughout the course of the day at LakePoint, high octane, high upside arms took center stage like never before seen in amateur baseball, with scores of players throwing 90-plus mph.




Slade Cecconi (2018, Oviedo, Fla.) ended up taking a hard-luck 1-0 loss for the Scorps Prime 2018 club, but still drew dozens of scouts and looked every bit like a high draft candidate for next year. Cecconi came out firing bullets, working up to 96 mph in the first inning and holding 92-95 mph for several innings, absolutely pounding the strike zone downhill with command to both sides of the plate. It’s a dominating fastball brought about by plus arm speed and clean delivery, with a long, fluid arm stroke. He’s got fantastic size with some remaining projection through his body to go along with it.

The off-speed stuff was solid, showing a curveball in the mid-70s with good depth and a hard, better cut-slider in the low-80s with sharp horizontal break that often turned two-plane and able to miss bats. He definitely has the look and the raw tools of a high-end draft prospect, and as such will be followed closely over the next year.




One of the biggest scouting draws in LakePoint history took place on Thursday afternoon when the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2018 Kumar Rocker (2018, Watkinsville, Ga.) took the mound for Team Elite. Not since Jason Groome has there been so little room for scouts to try and sneak a look at a player, and the best part of the whole deal was that the same scenario happened in the very next game as well, but we’ll get to that.

Rocker checks nearly every box from a scouting perspective, possessing excellent size with big time strength and athleticism throughout his frame to go along with a plus arm action that produces plus arm speed — all in conjunction with a smooth, repeatable delivery. He touched 98 mph with his fastball early on before settling into the 93-97 mph range, throwing a complete game shutout allowing only a single hit with no walks and ten strikeouts.

Dominating doesn’t begin to describe the performance, as Rocker was in complete control the entire way, and that’s after having to get fully warmed up, wait out an hour rain delay, then get hot again to start the actual game —  and still throw 98 mph. The biggest development from my perspective was how good his breaking ball has gotten over the course of his personal development. It’s a sharp slider with excellent vertical break, thrown in the low-80s and flashing plus relatively often once he got a feel for it later on in his start. He maintained his velocity extremely well, still throwing 92-95 mph consistently in his last inning, and quite frankly absolutely looked the part of the No. 1 overall player in the class.




As mentioned above, the dynamic of not having enough room for scouts behind the plate came into play twice on Thursday afternoon, both Team Elite Prime games. Once was when Kumar Rocker took the mound as detailed above, the second was when Ethan Hankins (2018, Cumming, Ga.) strolled to the hill and delivered a second consecutive shutout win for Team Elite Prime as they made their way into the Sweet 16.

Whereas Rocker’s physicality screams power arm, Hankins is the still-projectable one, still lean at 6-foot-6, 200-pounds, and looking like he could pack on another 15-20 pounds with relative ease. Speaking of ease, Hankins’ arm action is among the easiest in the class, with a long and fluid stroke through the back to a lower three-quarters slot release, looking like he’s playing catch as he fires 97 mph bullets with good command. He worked up to 97 mph several times in the game, holding 93-96 mph all the way throughout the game, scattering four hits over those five innings while walking none and collecting nine strikeouts.

The velocity is supremely easy and explodes out of his hand, flashing well above average life to the arm side down in the zone at times which adds to the already tremendous effectiveness of the pitch. He worked in a curveball in the mid-70s with 10-to-4 shape, showing solid depth to the pitch with good ability to land it for a strike at will. He’s got advanced feel for pitching and athleticism, varying his timing and looks to the plate to add extra deception.




The third consecutive righthanded arm to throw 97 mph was Mason Denaburg (2018, Merritt Island, Fla.), a primary catcher who is committed to Florida and one of the cavalcade of stars on the Central Florida Gators roster. Denaburg possesses one of the simpler deliveries you’ll see when evaluating a pitcher, with a simple small step back to start his windup and a small coil over his back hip before exploding downhill succinctly and efficiently. His arm stroke is online and very fast, with a hook through the back to generate leverage. The fastball peaked at 97 mph early on and held consistently in the 92-96 mph range for the most part.

Denaburg threw three innings before coming out, allowing a pair of runs and striking out six with no walks. His breaking ball is thrown in the 78-83 mph range, showing excellent spin and sharpness with two-plane snap, with good feel for burying it down in the zone and getting whiffs over the top of it.

Elite Squad got up early by way of Adrian Del Castillo (2018, Miami, Fla.), a Miami commit with serious lefthanded hitting tools, who drove a 93 mph Denaburg fastball over the left field fence for an opposite field solo home run. Del Castillo has really stood out at our events over the course of his career for his really sound and explosive hitting tools, capable of hitting for both average and power at the next level.

The Gators were to be the victors on this day, however, as Judson Fabian (2019, Ocala, Fla.) hit a walk-off two-run homer to give Central Florida the 3-2 victory. Fabian is ranked 14th overall in the class of 2019, mostly on the strength of his offensive profile, as the righthanded hitting outfielder possesses some of the best bat speed and barrel feel of the entire class at this point.

Xavier Edwards (2018, Wellington, Fla.) has been written about over and over again over the years, as he’s cemented himself as one of the best players in the 2018 class both defensively and at the top of the Canes 17u order. Edwards has excellent feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate, with the ability to manipulate the barrel all around the zone and make firm contact to all fields swing both left and-righthanded. He put an exclamation point on that hitting ability buy launching a home run to deep right field (hitting lefthanded) to give the Canes a 1-0 lead in one of their playoff games late Thursday night. He’s a part of the obscenely-loaded Vanderbilt 2018 recruiting class, which includes the aforementioned Kumar Rocker and Ethan Hankins.

Another big arm took the mound (very late) on Thursday night (Friday morning) as J.T. Ginn (2018, Brandon, Miss.) came on to close out the quarterfinal victory for the East Coast Sox Select. Ginn is one of the more intriguing two-way talents in the class, and is committed to Mississippi State where he could potentially play both ways.

What is really drawing the scouts to his profile, however, is his strength on the mound as a righthanded pitcher, where his explosive arm speed is simply tremendous. Ginn struck out the side, never throwing a fastball below 95 mph and hitting 97 mph three times, including on the final pitch of the night. Perhaps even more impressive is his hellacious curveball, thrown in the mid-80s with tremendous snap and bite with downward shape, a true-bat misser that will continue to play as such for a long time.

– Brian Sakowski



If there was one theme that was constantly driven home during Thursday’s action, it can be summed up nicely with one word: velocity. The 17u WWBA National Championship featured 61 games on Thursday’s action, all but one playoff games, and there were nearly 80-plus pitchers who had velocities recorded at 90 mph or higher. The 2018 class continues to show it’s pitching prowess and pitchers, for the most part, took center stage during the most important games of the tournament.




Righthander Justin Jarvis (2018, Moorsville, N.C.) got the playoffs started on Thursday morning as he started on the mound for Canes American. The righthander is listed at a slender 6-foot-2, 160-pounds with plenty of room to add strength to his frame. The UNC-Wilmington commit was excellent during his start as he mixed pitches well and helped lead the Canes to an extra inning victory.

Jarvis has a multi-pieced delivery with a long front lever that he raises high above his head to lead into the delivery of the pitch. The arm is long through the back with a soft stab but he gets it through consistently on time and is able to generate pretty good downhill plane with the fastball. The command of the fastball was excellent on Thursday as he was able to work the pitch to both sides relatively easily; the fastball also showed occasional cutting life.

What was most remarkable about Jarvis’ performance is how he finished the game. He sat 89-92 mph with his fastball for the majority of the outing, and he had a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the extra inning. The first batter he allowed an RBI single to leave the bases loaded with one away and a one run lead. Jarvis than dug deep and fired fastballs at 91-92 mph past the next two hitters for two consecutive strikeouts, with his final pitch being the hardest one he threw all morning at 93 mph.

One of the most consistent hitters not only in this event, but in the country is Elite Squad’s Cory Acton (2018, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). With another check in the box being his outstanding performance at the G National, the Florida commit had a strong day at the plate during Elite Squad’s opening win in the morning playoff game. The barrel control and feel to hit are extremely advanced for the class and there’s a chance that his hit tool has the highest ceiling in the class right now. Acton has a very short, quick swing through the zone with excellent hand speed and requisite bat speed to drive the ball to all fields. He laced a triple to the opposite field in an early at bat and then also pulled a ball down the right field line for a triple. Acton’s swing is very fluid through the zone and the approach makes him a prospect with intriguing upside at the next level.

An impact offensive performer for Canes American has been Ryan Archibald (2018, Churchville, Md.) and while he has had multiple big hits over the course of the playoffs, he had the biggest hit of the event at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Friday morning with a walk-off home run to send Canes American to the semifinals. The Maryland showed loose hands at the plate with good feel for the barrel. The power played well as he was able to turn on a pitch and clear his hips through the swing to pull the ball effectively.  He launched a ball deep to the pull side and into the night as the walk-off shot sent the Canes to the semifinals.

What set up the dramatic moment in the final game for Canes American was the outstanding pitching performance by Mitchell Parker (2018, Albuquerque, N.M.) who, for all intents and purposes, absolutely shoved. The recent Tennessee commit had everything working for him late on Thursday night, or more accurately Friday morning, with his fastball that was in the 89-93 mph range. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw was carving up hitters and the stuff was filthy with a strong fastball-curveball combination. Parker had an incredible effort on the mound and showed a lot of toughness while doing so, Parker certainly has the stuff and frame to be remarkable successful and he will be a fun one to monitor as he continues throughout his summer.




After Carter Raffield’s (2018, Cochran, Ga.) performance in the opening playoff game for 5 Star National, he followed up by taking himself off the uncommitted market by verbally committing to Clemson. Raffield had previously been the top uncommitted arm in the class following his decommitment earlier in the spring.

Raffield is a physically imposing specimen on the mound, standing at 6-foot-4, 215-pounds with very good strength and durability. The delivery is pretty simple with a slight rocker step into a high leg lift as he stays tall through his backside and down the mound. The arm wraps in the back, but he is able to get it through most of the time. Raffield used mostly his fastball, which sat 91-93 mph early on in the game, to attack hitters as he was able to get significant downhill plane on the pitch. He also mixed in his 12-to-6 curveball that flashed sharp tilt and depth as well.

Raffield remains one of the top arms not only in the state, but in the entire class. He is a solid get for Clemson and he should continue to pitch successfully throughout the rest of the summer season.




Highly projectable lefthander Matthew Liberatore (2018, Peoria, Ariz.) took the mound for the Central Florida Gators in their opening playoff game and showed off strong pitching tools in the process. The Arizona commit has an extremely projectable 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame with quality stuff and an incredibly easy delivery. The arm is pretty loose throughout the path and throws with minimal effort.

Liberatore started out working 88-92 mph with the fastball and the pitch showed occasional arm side run from an extended-three-quarters arm slot. The fastball command was impressive early on as he could spot the fastball very effectively to both sides. He created decent angle with the pitch and it was tough to square up with late life to it.

His curveball was a devastating secondary pitch when he got on top of it effectively. The pitch showed sharp 12-to-6 shape with outstanding depth to it. Liberatore’s curveball only came in at 71 mph but it was effectively a hammer pitch when located effectively that garnered many swings and misses on Thursday afternoon.

Righthander Wade Beasley (2018, Horatio, Ark.) opposed Liberatore on the mound and was also very effective to help quiet an impressive Central Florida Gators offense. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Arkansas commit has incredible present strength and physicality which aids him in being able to hold his fastball velocity through outings.

Beasley has a loose and clean arm action through the back and throws with little effort throughout the delivery. The process of the delivery is multi-pieced and he gets some drop and drive throughout the rear leg on the mound. The fastball comes out of the hand very easily with explosion and worked 90-93 mph in the first inning of work. Beasley’s approach was power-oriented as he was looking to blow the fastball by hitters and often he did or they were late enough to weakly hit balls to the opposite field.

The velocity dipped slightly in the stretch but, overall he showed high-level tools on the mound and should be able to make an immediate impact at Arkansas should he be able to make it onto campus.




Strong pitching performances were not very rare during Thursday’s playoff action and righthander Austin Becker (2018, Sunbury, Ohio) was no exception, as one of the top ranked arms in the 2018 class was dynamic early on. Becker has a very lanky and projectable 6-foot-6 and 185-pound frame that has tons of room left to fill out and add strength, which makes the prospect of his future velocity all the more intriguing.

The Vanderbilt commit worked with three pitches that he could command effectively with an extremely quick arm that traveled very fast throughout the arm circle, albeit with a slight hook in the back. Becker would set hitters up with his fastball, which is nothing to scoff at when it is coming in between 90-95 mph, and then go to his secondaries to put them away for strikeouts. He pounded the lower third of the strike zone with consistent downhill plane and showed the ability to work to both sides with ease and not drastically changing the delivery.

The curveball and changeup both showed varying degrees of success and high potential as well. There were some inconsistencies with the curveball, but it flashed the potential to be a strong pitch in his arsenal. It had very sharp 12-to-6 shape when he got on top of the pitch and he could bury it low in the dirt to garner swings and misses. The changeup was a new development as he did not show the pitch at the PG National but it showed high potential. The pitch had the bottom fall out of it as the mid-80s offering showed good fade down in the zone.

Becker showed all the makings of a top pitching prospect with his arm speed, frame and repertoire and should only continue to get better as the top prospect continues to refine his stuff and delivery.

The Colt .45s and Tri State Arsenal played one of the most highly contested playoff games of the day and pitching, again, took the center stage. For the Colt .45s, starting pitcher Will Shirah (2018, Blue Ridge, Ga.) was dynamic and masterful over three innings while allowing only one hit. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Georgia Tech commit used his entire repertoire on Thursday and also showed impressive pitchability to be able to mix his pitches well and keep hitters off balance.

Shirah’s feel to spin is extremely advanced and he has multiple breaking balls to show for it. Shirah showed a hard slider in the 79-80 mph range to go along with a big curveball. Both pitches were incredibly effective at garnering swings and misses while working very well off his fastball. The slider had sharp break and two-plane action while the curveball also showed big depth and the ability to fall off the plate against righthanded hitters.

Shirah’s fastball worked 87-91 mph for the most part over the course of the afternoon and the arm is loose and long through the back. He used the fastball early in the count and showed extreme confidence in the breaking balls once he got ahead or had a strike on the batter. Shirah is a power pitcher and would attack the strike zone and challenge hitters consistently. He throws his breaking balls with similar arm speed to his fastball and he feel to spin the ball overall is extremely impressive and makes him one of the best in the class at doing so.

Brandon Neeck (2018, Chappaqua, N.Y.) and Tyler Ras (2018, Middletown, N.J.) both showed skill-sets on the mound and combined for a shutout of the Colt .45s on Thursday afternoon.




Neeck is a very low effort lefthander with a loose and easy arm stroke through the back. After pitching early on in the trournament, Neeck came back to start Tri State’s playoff game against the Colt .45s. The delivery is exclusively from the stretch and he has a very low effort level throughout the delivery and releases the ball with ease. There were some control concerns but he was at his best when he was working the fastball low in the zone and sat 90-93 mph. Neeck projects extremely well physically and he also mixes in a short slider. The pitch worked in the low-80s and showed short two-plane action. Neeck tossed three scoreless innings and was removed with the bases loaded and no outs in the fourth, and that’s when Tyler Ras came into the game.

Ras has already impressed during this event as he threw three hitless innings in his first start and somehow found a way to top that performance with what he did on Thursday afternoon. Ras came into the game with the bases loaded, no outs, and a 0-0 tie, and finished the inning without allowing a run. He came in and powered his fastball by hitters and struck out the next three batters to preserve the tie. Ras showed similar stuff to what he did earlier in the event with a fastball that worked 90-94 mph and was effective at getting by hitters thanks to his extension and ability to generate plane. The slider was an effective off-speed pitch and he flashed a hard changeup as well. At this point, Ras has put together one of the stronger tournament performances from the field this week and he is certainly a prospect to watch as the summer continues.

A walkoff grand slam is a very rare feat in any circumstance, but when there are two in one day? That’s insane. Justyn-Henry Malloy (2018, Bergenfield, N.J.) launched the first walkoff grand slam of the day as his blast put the Dodgers Scout Team ahead and advanced them to the next round of the playoffs. The Vanderbilt recruit has incredible strength through the point of contact with explosive hand speed that allows him to whip the barrel through the hitting zone very quickly. Malloy’s strength was evident with his long, no-doubt home run to the deepest part of left-center and his hitting has continued to impress throughout both the PG National and the 17u WWBA National Championship.

Another arm who had a strong performance earlier in the event, righthander Matt Rudis (2018, Madisonville, Texas) was absolute nails for a Texas Twelve team that advanced to the semifinals of the tournament. Rudis came in for the final two innings of Twelve’s victory over the Banditos and showed off his traditionally low-90s fastball and outstanding slider. The fastball was pretty effective in the 89-92 mph range with explosive arm speed on the mound. The slider was the big story on Thursday night as the pitch was unhittable. The Banditos have a talented hitting squad and Rudis was able to consistently get them to chase the pitch low and out of the strike zone. The slider topped out at 84 mph and showed consistently above average with the impressive velocity, tilt, and two-plane action on the pitch. Texas Twelve may very well come away with the championship and Rudis is a big reason why they are competing for that title.




Dominating performances don’t normally come from games that end around 2:00 a.m., but righthander Landon Marceaux (2018, Destrehan, La.) was masterful during his complete game shutout of Team Elite. The Louisiana State commit struck out eleven batters while only allowing three hits through the five shutout innings pitched.

Marceaux has an excellent curveball and that was his go-to pitch on Thursday night. The curveball had incredibly sharp break with quality depth to it and it consistently showed above average, and even flashed plus at times. The pitch was in the upper-70s and Marceaux showed incredible confidence in the pitch to be able to throw it in almost any count. Two examples come to mind where he rattled off six straight to strike out Kumar Rocker and when he caught a hitter looking on a 3-2 curveball with the game-leading runner on third base.

Marceaux has a pretty compact delivery with a long arm stroke through the back. He is able to generate good downhill plane on the fastball and even though it wasn’t his primary pitch, he was able to use it effectively. Marceaux also got some lower half drive down the mound which only aided in terms of velocity. The command of the fastball was also very impressive on Thursday as the pitch sat 89-92 mph consistently. The feel for spin and the quality of the curveball give him an extremely high ceiling overall and, if nothing else, a go-to pitch to make hitters look foolish.




Starting the final playoff game for the Central Florida Gators was righthander Joseph Charles (2019, Celebration, Fla.) and the rising junior showed quality tools on the mound. The North Carolina commit stands at an extremely projectable 6-foot-3, 190-pounds with plenty of room to add strength and physicality.

Charles arm action is online and very compact with a stab through the back. The arm is directly coordinated with the direction of his body and that helps him stay on time and get the arm through the path cleanly. Charles has a three-pitch mix highlighted by his fastball that sat in the 89-93 mph range. The pitch had some late life to it and he did a good job a throwing strikes.

He mixed in a big breaking curveball and a hard changeup to use as effective off-speed pitches. The curveball had tight 11-to-5 shape with good depth and sharp break to it; there were some timing issues with the curveball but for the most part it looked very impressive. He also mixed in a changeup that showed late fade to the arm side. Charles is an extremely high ceiling talent and he will certainly be a name to watch for this upcoming week’s 16u WWBA National Championship.

– Vinnie Cervino



Making it to day seven of the 17u WWBA National Championship was the goal of 392 teams a week ago. It signifies that you are among the 64 whom have made it to bracket play and a vying for a title. All teams gathered to play at the same premier location, able to see for the first time a compiled collection of some of the best talent in the class. Scouts and coaches alike packed LakePoint anticipating to see their follows play against the best talent. And yet again, it did not disappoint.




When talking to any scout about their (very early) anticipation of the 2018 draft and class of 2021, you are nearly guaranteed to hear about the abundance of quality arms. Jack Anderson (2018, Tampa, Fla.) fits that mold and set the tone of the day, pitching a no hitter to start the round of 64. Building upon his success in his first outing, he came out pounding the zone with a fastball that landed in the 87-91 range with some arm side action to it. He effectively threw a tight spinning, projectable 11-to-5 curveball to keep hitters off balance throughout the contest. The Florida State commit pitches from a lower ¾ slot, varies his delivery tempo, and hits spots arm side and glove side – ultimately leading to his immense success over the course of his outings. His final line for the tournament: no runs over the course of 9 1/3 innings tossed, logging 12 strikeouts in that span.

Travis Hester (2018, College Station, Texas) was extremely impressive in his mature pitching methods early Thursday morning as well. Facing a stacked FTB Tucci 55 lineup, he utilized his ability to paint corners and change speeds to garner a number of awkward at-bats and swings from some really good hitters. The University of Arkansas commit stands at a respectable 6-foot-2 and pitches from a lower three-quarters arm slot. A contact pitcher, he utilizes three pitches, a fastball that sits in the 86-88 range, worked off a curve and changeup – all commanded well and effective. His body is projectable, and as he continues to develop he could be one to watch as he battles against a quality SEC conference.




Marcelo Perez (2018, Laredo, Texas) held his own, going three innings and putting up zeros on the scoreboard. The Texas Christian University commit pitches from a lower three-quarters arm slot and a very easy, repeatable delivery. His fastball was logged at 88-91 and had some sink to it at times, garnering weak contact on the ground. He also flashed a good spinner, 12-to-6 shape with late bite that he will continue to develop a feel for.

Continuing the trend of quality outings, Ryan Hawks (2019, Bowling Green, Ky.) went out and held his own Thursday, pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowing only one hit and fanning nine. The 6-foot-3 Louisville commit pitched consistently in the 87-89 range with arm side run, and the extension he generates made the ball get on hitters in a hurry and appear even quicker. Poised with an athletic frame, he has a short arm action and the ability to hit the catcher in the mitt glove side and arm side. His has some feel to his breaking ball, and it should continue to develop as a quality pitch for him against ACC hitters.




Currently one of the higher ranked lefthanded pitchers by Perfect Game, Garrett McDaniels (2018, Nichols, S.C.) geared to pitch in the playoffs looking to build upon his head turning start earlier in the week. Finishing the game with 6 strikeouts and allowing a mere hit over three innings, it is safe to say he did his job. A medium, very projectable frame, he pitched from a high three-quarters arm slot, consistently hitting 88-90 on the radar. He absolutely pounded the lower part of the zone with his fastball, working both sides of the plate with ease. Working off his heater, he dropped a projectable, quality 1-to-7 breaking ball to keep hitters off balance. The combined use of these two pitches for the Coastal Carolina commit rendered him nearly victimless, and helped him finish the tournament with a spectacular final line: eight innings pitched, allowing no runs while punching out 17.




Bo Blessie (2018, Midland, Texas) came out Thursday afternoon tossing bullets at opposing hitters. The Nebraska commit stands tall with a long limbed frame, pitching from a three-quarters arm slot and has a longer arm action. He pitches with a dual arsenal, led by his fastball that sat in the 91-93 range, and touched 94. His secondary pitch is a curveball that he should continue to develop a feel for and is very projectable with a logged 2400-2700 spin rate. While he will address his balance on the mound at later levels, he gets very good extension from his long legs and ultimately possesses all the raw tools to possibly be one to watch for a while.




Brandon Birdsell (2018, Willis, Texas) also drew the attention of a number of scouts in attendance to see the final full day of the 17u WWBA National Championship. This kid has been on the radar for a number of teams for quite a while, and it is easy to see why with the way he pitches. Possessing a tall, long-limbed frame, the Texas A&M does not step on the mound to throw, but to pitch. The command he has over his pitches is mature beyond his age. Combine that with a low effort sinking fastball that topped at 93 mph, and a 2200 RPM slider that has good shape and depth, the result is a good, projectable pitcher that has the raw skill set to be very successful at multiple levels.




One player that has already been mentioned in the tournament multiple times, but never ceases to produce is Nicholas Northcut (2018, Mason, Ohio). Whether on the mound pitching in the 90s, or playing smooth defense at third, Northcut is a purebred athlete. On Thursday, his bat was what impressed. Featuring an extremely quick bat with a knack for finding the barrel, Northcut explodes through balls with seeming ease. This kid impressed the entirety of the tournament and is poised to produce at a very high level in multiple capacities at Vanderbilt.

– Travis Clark
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 4/21/2026

Southeast Super NIT #2 Scout Notes
Jason Phillips
Article Image
Chase Jelks (‘30 GA)- with a long double to deep CF. Huge day from the primary SS, 5-for-6 w/ 4 doubles & 6 RBI. #SESuperNIT @TheDreamBall @PG_Georgia https://t.co/biFSzXCrUt pic.twitter.com/HCQMduedb5 — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 20, 2026 Chase Jelks (’30, Atlanta, Ga.)- the left-handed hitting Jelks was all over the barrel on Sunday in a pair of games for The Dream 14U Black. He finished the day with five hits in six at-bats which included four doubles and six runs batted in. His two doubles and four runs batted in played a big part in the Gold Playoffs Round 1 victory over the talented BPA squad out of California. He backed up that performance with three more hits in a quarterfinal’s loss to the East Cobb Astros 14U Orange to finish the tournament with a .600 batting average and 1.636 on-base plus slugging percentage. A primary utility infielder,...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 4/23/2026

Kash Shaikh Named Perfect Game CMO

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME NAMES KASH SHAIKH CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER AND HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, April 23, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that Kash Shaikh has been named the company’s new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Head of International. In this role, Shaikh will serve on Perfect Game’s executive leadership team, overseeing global marketing, brand strategy, creative, partnerships and sponsorships, while leading the company’s international P&L and expansion. Shaikh brings more than two decades of experience building brands, businesses and communities across sports, media and consumer...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 4/22/2026

PG Softball Battle for the Belt

Article Image
Perfect Game Softball Battle for the Belt April 18-19, 2026 Des Moines, Iowa It was a cold and very windy weekend, but the girls still came out and put in their best efforts. If you wanted the place to see some of the state’s top talent, this was the tournament to be at. The 18u division was quite the slugfest! The Ankeny Centennial 18U -Kennedy team took down a tough Iowa Alliance Select-Benge team in the championship. Both teams had double digit homeruns on the weekend. In the 16u division the Iowa Aries CE Fire Black took control of the game from the start and never let up on the gas, taking down a solid Alliance Select- Harper team. 18U Division Kori Lincicum (2026 Ankeny, IA) of the Centennial Jaguars- Kennedy and Drake Bulldog softball commit was the weekends MVP Pitcher. Lincicum defeated a tough Alliance team in the championship game finishing with that game with 11...
Read More
High School | General | 4/23/2026

Northeast High School Notebook

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
In a season that has already had many exciting matchups across various events, we as a staff would like to highlight or “Shout-Out” notable performers along with an Uncommitted Spotlight and Team Spotlight.  Uncommitted Spotlight: Mason Rosenberg, 1B, 2027, Bishop Eustace Prep  Uncommitted Mason Rosenberg (2027, NJ) has been an absolute force within the Bishop Eustace lineup, as the left-handed hitting slugger is hitting .481 through eleven games including six homers. The strength has vastly improved, allowing for Rosenberg to impact the baseball with authority to all fields. Couple that with improved speed and athleticism, this uncommitted 2027 can be a welcomed addition to a class looking for offense.  Team Spotlight: Northern Burlington (9-0) Northern Burlington is once again off to a hot start, as the Greyhounds sit at 9-0 thus far and have continued to...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 4/22/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 22

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another week down and Johnson County continues their torrid run to remain at number 1. They're 46-2 on the season with multiple hitters over 25 bombs which is astonishing for the level as the Cavs have announced themselves as title favorites. Just a couple of weeks left heading down the stretch and our field remains mostly the same with the two additions of midwest powerhouse Iowa Western and the Warriors of East Central who will have a tough test Wednesday in Poplarville against fellow Mississippi adversary Pearl River in a mid-week double header.   Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 46-2 2 Gaston (NC) 47-3 3 Walters State (TN) 42-10 4 McLennan (TX) 38-8 5 Southern Nevada (NV) 33-9 6 Chipola (FL) 39-9 7 Blinn (TX) 33-12 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 32-13 9 Florence-Darlington (SC) 42-10 10 Pearl River (MS) 39-9 11 Cloud County (KS) 40-4 12 Cochise (AZ) 39-11 13 Midland (TX)...
Read More
College | Story | 4/23/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 23 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
Article Image
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.     Player of the Week: Tague Davis – University of Louisville  Between 2016-2022, the University of Louisville produced 14 players taken in the Top 5 Rounds of the MLB Draft, seven of whom were taken in the 1st Round. The Cardinals haven’t produced a Top 5 Rounds pick since 2022, but that will change soon with Davis. Still only 20 years old and not draft-eligible until 2027, Davis continued his assault on college baseball this weekend with a 7-for-12 performance that included 5 HR. On the 2026 season, Davis is hitting .389 AVG / .489 OBP / .911 SLG / 1.392 OPS. That’s a 400+...
Read More
College | Rankings | 4/22/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 22

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
The final weeks of the college baseball regular season have a way of separating programs that are genuinely postseason-ready from those that have simply been good enough for long enough. Conference tournaments loom, selection committees are paying close attention, and every game on the schedule carries weight that it simply didn't in February. This week's action, combined with the latest Perfect Game Top 25, paints a picture of a college baseball landscape where the top is clearly defined — and where the middle is a genuine battle. What follows is a cross-level look at teams across the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III ranks who find themselves in that uncomfortable space: not safely in, not clearly out, but firmly on the bubble. Some have built compelling résumés that should hold up under scrutiny. Others have excellent records against soft competition...
Read More
High School | Rankings | 4/21/2026

High School Top 50 Update: April 21

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Another few weeks have wrapped up this high school season as we’re flying through the spring and most southern states are starting playoffs right around the corner. With the end of the regular season, we have another National Top 50 update to bring to you, along with this will be the start of the weekly editions of our National Top 50. We have a change at the top of the rankings as Venice (FL) takes over the top spot after just dominating their competition in the state of Florida this year. Orange Lutheran (CA) drops one spot to No. 2 after dropping a series but still holds firm at No. 2 in the country. Barbe (LA) has continued to dominate and holds onto the No. 3 spot while Tomball (TX) skyrockets in this update to No. 4 in the country, currently holding an incredible 30-0-1 record. The rest of the top-10 is names we’ve become accustomed to see with Aledo (TX) at No. 5, IMG...
Read More
PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 4/21/2026

Select Festival Dates/Locations Announced

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES DATES AND VENUES FOR   2026 SLATE OF SELECT FESTIVALS    Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced dates and venues for its 2026 Select Festivals, a premiere series of invitation-only events showcasing many of the nation’s top young prospects at the 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U levels.    The Select Festivals provide elite players with a unique opportunity to compete alongside and against the best talent in their age group while experiencing a...
Read More
College | Story | 4/21/2026

College Players of the Week: April 21

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
April 21st Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Tague Davis, IF, Louisville  The Louisville Cardinals (22-18) haven’t been able to get themselves in much of a groove this spring, their longest winning streak is 5-games, and they are (4-6) in their last 10-games.  The issue has not been the offense as the Cardinals are averaging over 8-runs per game and Tague Davis is leading the club in virtually every offensive category.  His calling card is his 70-grade power and that was on display last weekend in their series against Cal.  In the three-game series, Davis went 7 for 12, scoring 4 runs, launching 5 home runs and collected 7 RBIs.  The 6-4/220 lefthanded hitter from West Chester, PA has a pure stroke, is one of the premier power hitters in the nation and has significantly improved his plate discipline from a year ago.  After his big weekend, he is...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.