THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,628 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,628 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Championship | 10/9/2017

Squad prevails at Under World

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Perfect Game

FORT MYERS, Fla. – This was one tough row to hoe. By the time the Elite Squad and the Florida Burn 2019 Platinum – two teams representing two of the top travel programs not only in Florida but in the U.S. – took the field for the championship game at the Perfect Game WWBA Underclass World Championship, they had already run the equivalent of a baseball marathon.

The playoff field at the 206-team PG national championship tournament included 64 teams, which made it necessary for teams to play three five inning games on Sunday, and a five-inning quarterfinal game and a seven-inning semifinal game on Monday just to reach the seven-inning championship game.

When the Squad and the Burn showed up at Field 2 at the Lee County Player Development Complex for that title tilt early Monday afternoon, they had already played 27 innings in roughly 30 hours and were staring down the barrel at seven more. Both were up to the challenge, but at the end of this epic journey it was the Squad that prevailed.

Gavin Casas was 3-for-3 with a double, triple and three runs scored, 2020 right-hander Jordan Carrion tossed a complete game three-hitter and the No. 42-seeded Elite Squad outlasted the No. 16 Burn 2019 Platinum, 4-1, on a hot and steamy – but rain-free – fall afternoon at the old 5-Plex.

The victory pushed the Elite Squad’s record to 8-1-0 over the course of this five-day event while the Burn 2019 Platinum lost for the first time and also finished 8-1-0. This was the story of two teams that everyone knew were worthy of duking it out for the title and they didn’t disappoint.

“Their effort was unbelievable,” Elite Squad Baseball president and underclass head coach Richie Palmer said of his players. “I’m not going to sit here and say we were the most talented team in the tournament – there are a lot of good teams here – but do I think we can play with anybody? Absolutely.”

Taylor Clamp singled twice and drove in two runs, Benjamin Rozenblum doubled and drove in a run and T.K. Knierim singled and pushed across a run as part of the Elite Squad's 13-hit attack. It was nothing short of one of the most well-rounded -- pitching, hitting, defense -- attacks that can be expected during a PG National championship game.

The Burn 2019 Platinum averaged nearly six runs per game in their five playoff wins before the championship but could never figure Carrion out on this day. They scored their only run in the bottom of the second on the strength of a Charlie Vari one-out single, a walk, a wild pitch and a throwing error.

The Elite Squad lost their last game of pool-play but had already clinched the pool championship so the loss only affected their seeding, and that No. 42 seed didn’t really do anything to slow them down.

Once in bracket-play they outscored their six opponents by a combined 34-6, which included a 1-0 win over 5 Star National Dobbs in the round-of-32 and a 13-2 win over L&M Baseball in the round-of-16. 2019 left-hander Ryan Cabarcas – a Florida commit ranked No. 125 nationally – pitched a five-inning no-hitter in the win over 5 Star National, striking out three and walking four.

”We lost that last pool-play game and I told them, ‘Listen, I know you guys and I know the way you’re capable of playing, and I know the way that you are going to respond,” Palmer said. “And if you respond the way that I think (you will) and you start believing and you start playing with heart, we’re going to win this thing. I’m not a fortune teller but sometimes it just happens. … You keep saying it until it becomes a reality.”

Casas is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound 16-year-old 2020 corner-infielder from Pembroke Pines, Fla., who is ranked No. 49 nationally in his class and is yet to commit to a college; he is the brother of 2017 PG All-American Triston Casas. Gavin Casas went 9-for-22 (.409) with three doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBI in the nine games and was named the Most Valuable Player.

“We just try to stay with our own game,” Casas said of the championship run. “We know that all the other players here are talented and they can play. This is what we play for and it means the world to me (to put on the Elite Squad jersey). Richie Palmer and the whole organization is great. They’ve given me every opportunity to succeed and I’m just grateful for it.”

The Burn 2019 Platinum were unbeatable until reaching the championship game, outscoring their five previous playoff foes by a combined 29-5. Josh Rivera, a 2019 third baseman and Florida recruit ranked 119 nationally, hit .421 (8-for-19) with two doubles, eight RBI and three stolen bases to lead the Burn.

Four quarterfinal and a pair of semifinal games preceded the championship game Monday morning at the Lee County Player Development Complex.

In the seven-inning semifinals, the Burn 2019 Platinum buried the No. 20 MLB Breakthrough Series (7-1-0), 12-2 in five innings and the Elite Squad snuck past the No. 43 Scorpions 2017 Prime (5-1-2), 2-0.

The Burn pushed across eight runs in the bottom of the fourth to move into run-rule territory. They used five hits and nine walks to score their 12 runs; Josh Rivera doubled and had three RBI.

2019 right-hander Skylar Gonzalez flirted with a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings and finished with a six-inning, seven strikeout one-hitter to pace the Elite Squad. 2019 lefty Brandon Bruno needed only 14 pitches in a 1-2-3, one-strikeout top of the seventh to close the victory. Ryan Keenan and Gerardo Rodriguez, hitting eighth and ninth in the order, each drove in runs in the bottom of the fourth.

It was the second appearance of the tournament for the 6-foot-2, 160-pound Gonzalez, who calls Fort Lauderdale home. He finished 2-0 in nine innings of work, and didn’t allow a run on five hits while striking out 10 and walking but three; Gonzalez was named the Most Valuable Pitcher.

In five-inning quarterfinal play, the Burn 2019 Platinum blanked No. 57 Team GA/MBA Gold (5-2-0), 2-0; the MLB Breakthrough Series shutdown the No. 60 East Cobb Astros (5-2-0), 5-0; the Elite Squad got past the No. 15 Scorpions South 2019 (6-1-0), 6-1 and the Scorpions 2019 Prime escaped the No. 3 Team Elite 17u Prime, 8-6 in six innings. There were noteworthy pitching performances in three of the four games.

Florida Burn 2019 right-hander Danny Rodriguez threw five, two-hit shutout innings with six strikeouts and two walks in the win over Team GA/MBA Gold. 2019 left-hander Aryonis Harrison and 2019 righty Sanson Faltine III combined an eight-strikeout two-hitter for the Breakthrough; Faltine struck-out six in his three innings but also gave up the two hits.

2019 right-hander Chandler Freeman threw four innings of two-hit, seven strikeout ball in the Elite Squad’s win; 2019 lefty Ethan Kramer came in and struck-out the side in a 1-2-3 fifth.

Before the tournament began, Palmer told his young team that they weren’t going to be able to win this PG national championship on talent alone; it was going to take a lot of heart. He kept telling them to keep on pushing, through the heat and the fatigue and the never-ending grind. On Monday morning , his message was even more direct.

“I just asked them just to not tell themselves that they’re tired, to not give-in” Palmer said. “I knew that they were but we wouldn’t say that. … That’s a tribute to them. Not once did they ever give up in this tournament, and even during the summer this group was resilient. It’s just a fun group to be part of because you’re never out of it, and they really want to win.


2017 WWBA Underclass World Championship runner-up: Florida Burn 2019 Platinum



2017 WWBA Underclass World Championship MVP: Gavin Casas



2017 WWBA Underclass World Championship MV-Pitcher: Skylar Gonzalez
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 9/18/2026

Northeast Qualifier Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Another day, another Gavin Greene (‘28 GA) barrel as the @AuburnBaseball commit is now hitting well over .500 on the event #NEQ<ahref="https: pg_scouting?ref_src="twsrc%5Etfw'">@PG_Scouting @PG_Georgia https://t.co/Lf6G8AExjB pic.twitter.com/LFMueYHMxB</ahref="https:> — Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic (@PGMidAtlantic) September 14, 2026 Gavin Greene (2028 Alpharetta, GA) played a major factor in AZ Diamondbacks Scout’s Championship run, finishing his weekend with a .528 AVG and 7 RBI. The 5-foot-11, 175 pound Auburn commit was simply a hit machine regardless of who was on the mound, showcasing the ability to handle velo with ease and repeat the stroke at a high level. Starting from a narrow and upright, slightly open base, Greene does a great job of working directly to the point of impact with consistent hard line drive impact to the pull side of the field. He...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 9/18/2026

JUCO Impact: Top 100 D1 Transfers

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
With the season upon us, let's take a minute to look at 100 of the biggest impact players who played at the JUCO level last year and have since transferred to a D1 program for the upcoming spring.  RK Name JUCO in 2025 DI in 2026 1 Ryan Bradford Johnson County TCU 2 Carson Bailey McLennan Texas Tech 3 Kameron Yearsley John A. Logan  Oklahoma 4 Holden Pantier Walters State Georgia Tech 5 Caden Davidson Gaston Florida 6 Anthony Quigley Northwest Florida Oklahoma 7 Walt Jones Weatherford Kansas 8 Colin Coonradt Johnson County West Virginia 9 Collin Smith Cochise Kansas 10 Ned Frutchey Sac City Arkansas 11 Hayden Blair Walters State Georgia 12 Parker Ishee Co-Lin Oklahoma 13 Coy Clements Pearl River Florida State 14 Griffin Rardin Shelton State Alabama 15 Jordan Martinez Gulf Coast State Florida State 16 Noah Bentley Weatherford Oklahoma 17 Kole Fenton Walters State North Carolina...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 9/17/2026

PG Softball Des Moines Elite Scouting Showcase

Ashley Mears
Article Image
Perfect Game Des Moines Elite Scouting Showcase 2026 Indianola. IA Ashley Mears What started off a perfect weather weekend, unfortunately was cut short due to thunderstorms mid-morning on Sunday. In the 18u Division, the Iowa Gold Prospects and the Midwest Speed National Kotzmacher were undefeated. In the 16U Division, 515 Fastpitch Twogood and Iowa Premier Gold- Brower. The tournament featured a ton of solid hitters and pitchers from across the state and Minnesota. Even with the poor weather on Sunday, there was still plenty to see and write about! 18u Division Lexi Adams (2028 Ankeny, IA), a catcher for Iowa Gold Prospects, had a stellar weekend at the plate. Behind the plate, Adams shows strong command of the game and does an excellent job working the zone, using her framing ability to consistently give her pitchers a chance to earn borderline calls. At the plate, Adams starts from a...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/17/2026

South Underclass Qualifier Scout Notes

Geoff Billock
Article Image
Cole Marquardt (2029, Montgomery, Texas) left no doubt this weekend as he came home with Tournament MVP honors for his work with Banditos 2028 Black. Went 7-10 with a double, a home run, a pair of triples, and the walk off single in the championship game. Projectable left-handed swing with plenty of tools to dream on. Bat to ball was on point all weekend and he had plenty of chances to show off an advanced run tool. Plenty to dream on moving forward. Callen Corley (2028, Houston, Texas) put together a stellar two-way performance for Houston Wildcatters Navy 2028. At the plate, he went 5-10 with a double, triple, and home run, driving in seven runs. Sinks into his lower half well and creates strong angles for leverage. Plenty of power upside remaining in that frame, to go along with the twitch already present. On the mound, Corley went four shutout innings, surrendering just one hit while...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/16/2026

Midwest Labor Day Classic Scout Notes

Brayden Powell
Article Image
Ryan Jones (2027, Tinley Park, IL) was one of the most productive hitters of the weekend, collecting six hits, including three doubles and a home run, while driving in nine runs. The left-handed hitter consistently got the barrel out front and created hard contact throughout the event. Working from an open setup with high hands, he features a compact swing that allows him to get to the ball quickly. His hand speed stood out and helped him drive the baseball to multiple parts of the field. Jones showed a strong understanding of pitches he could handle and rarely missed opportunities to do damage. The swing remains efficient through the zone and produces carry off the barrel. His combination of consistent contact and extra-base impact made him a key offensive contributor all weekend. Uncommitted  JP Elbert (2027, Dubuque, IA) put together an impressive tournament, finishing with five...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/16/2026

Southeast Qualifier #1 Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Walk. It. Off! ‘27 IF Drew Giles (GA) calls game here as he hammers a ball over the CF wall for a solo HR to win it in the bottom of the 7th. #FLQualifier pic.twitter.com/YrzspVZzUY — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) September 12, 2026 Drew Giles (2027, Brunswick, Ga.) took home MVP honors from the weekend after hitting .385 including a walkoff home run during pool play. Giles helped lead his Canes team to victory and did so with the bat. The swing is super short and simple and he gets immense jump off the barrel. It’s a level path through the zone but the blend of hit and power showed out all weekend for the MVP.  August Backman (2027, Venice, Fla.) had a solid weekend on both sides of the ball: hitting .333 over three games and also sitting 88-91 mph on the mound. Backman, a Florida commit who is nationally ranked, has a three pitch mix highlighted by a really...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/16/2026

Fall World Series Scout Notes

Jason Phillips
Article Image
Joseph Mosley 2028, Hendersonville, Tenn.) showed the upside all weekend for Southeast Rawlings Mad Mavericks. The right-handed hitter starts from a medium stance with in-line feet and a low handset with a low back elbow, utilizes a low leg lift stride. Creates separation in the back shoulder with strength through the hands into a flat bat plane and line drive lift in the swing. Stays balanced throughout the swing and showed the feel to use the whole field. The outfielder has an athletic, strong 6-foot, 190-pound frame with more gap-to-gap type power to be unlocked. Collected four hits, including two triples, to drive in an RBI and came around to score three runs. Exciting player with two-way upside. On the mound the right-handed pitcher went two innings in relief with three strikeouts and spread three hits and three walks for one earned run. The fastball ran up to 87 and paired it with...
Read More
College | Recruiting | 9/14/2026

Class of 2026 Recruiting Rankings

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/14/2026

Coastal Fall Battle of the Carolinas Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Deacon Hensley (2028, Zebulon, NC) stands at 6-foot-0, 165 pounds and is a left-handed hitting and throwing right fielder. Lean frame with good athleticism and additional strength likely to come with maturity. Compact swing with quick hands and good feel for the barrel. Relaxed setup with good bat speed through the zone. Good balance in the box with a direct path and solid contact skills. Hensley went 3-for-3, scoring three runs and hitting a double. Great day at the plate. Colt Funderburk (2027, Lancaster, SC) stands at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds with an athletic frame and present strength. Bats and throws left-handed. Physical hitter with a compact swing, good bat speed, and the ability to drive the ball with authority. Good pitch recognition with a disciplined approach. Quiet lower half with a controlled load and good balance. Funderburk went 2-for-4 with one double and two RBI. Cameron...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 9/14/2026

PG Athletes Raise North of $138,000 in August

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME ATHLETES RAISE OVER $138,000 FOR CHARITABLE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT MONTH OF AUGUST   Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 14, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its August premier events raised a combined $138,422 for children's hospitals and charitable organizations, with 1,112 total supporters contributing across five showcases. Since 2016, Perfect Game athletes have raised over $1.8 million for various charitable causes and organizations. The annual fundraising initiative, which runs in conjunction with several of Perfect Game's marquee events each year, gives players, families and fans the opportunity to support...
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.