THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,614 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,614 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Leagues  | Story | 3/14/2018

IA Select, Hitters ready to spar

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Perfect Game

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – 2017 Perfect Game All-American Jarred Kelenic from Waukesha, Wis., will be there, as will his PG All-American Classic West squad teammate, Levi Usher from Fairfax, Iowa.

And they won’t be alone. Kelenic and Usher will be surrounded by many of the other top prospects from Iowa and Wisconsin when they meet on playing fields in the two states on six of the next seven Sundays. Just as importantly, perhaps, it is expected they’ll be joined by pro scouts from every one of the 30 major league teams, each one taking notes with his eye on the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft.

A collaborative effort by Perfect Game’s Steve James and Hitters Baseball’s RJ Fergus resulted in a scheduled weekly dream matchup between the two organizations’ top upperclass teams, Iowa Select Black 2018 and Hitters Baseball 2018. The first meeting takes place this Sunday, March 18, in Runnells, Iowa.

“This is going to be a great opportunity for these guys,” Fergus said. “If they go out there with the idea of wanting to win these games every Sunday, then there are going to be some great games with some great competition.”

James is the director of the PG Iowa Spring and Fall Leagues and the director of the Iowa PGBA, who also oversees the Iowa Select teams program. Fergus is the owner of Hitters Baseball Training Academy in Caledonia, Wis., and has fielded nationally competitive Hitters Baseball travel ball teams for nearly two decades; he also runs the Hitters High School League during the spring.

Both men see these powerhouse contests as nothing but a win-win for the elite prospects involved, most of whom (all the Iowans) are at high schools that don’t offer a spring baseball season. These games are ideal for pro scouts who want to see the players perform under the most competitive of circumstances, and the guys they will be evaluating are among the best of the best. A quick sampling:

The Hitters Baseball 2018 roster features 12 prospects who have either signed with or committed to NCAA Division I programs, including Kelenic, a Louisville signee. A left-handed hitting outfielder, Kelenic is slotted at No. 5 in the PG national class of 2018 prospect rankings and is projected as a first-round selection in the upcoming MLB Draft.

Other top 2018s on the Hitters roster include corner-infielder Alex Bineless (No. 179, Louisville) and right-hander/first baseman Max Alba (No. 247, North Carolina); middle-infielder Xavier Watson (No. 442, Illinois) is the top 2019 and 2020 third baseman/right-hander AJ Vukovich (No. 25, Louisville) and 2021 catcher Ian Moller (No. 11, Louisiana State) are also rostered. Ironically, Moller – an alumnus of the 2017 PG 14u Select Baseball Festival – is from Dubuque, Iowa.

The Iowa Select Black roster features six prospects that have either signed with or committed to D-I schools, including five 2018s: right-hander Connor Van Scoyoc (No. 228, Arizona State), right-hander Clayton Nettleton (No. 246, Iowa), middle-infielder Brayden Frazier (No. 482, Iowa) right-hander Nic McCay (top-500, South Dakota State) and right-hander Will Christoffersen (top-500, Michigan State). 2020 catcher Calvin Harris has committed to Mississippi.

Iowa Select does feature 14 2018 prospects that have signed with either junior colleges or smaller four-year schools. That number includes the outfielder Usher (No. 84, Kirkwood CC) and the right-hander Tyler Lewis (No. 356, Indian Hills CC); it’s been reported that Lewis recently had his fastball top-out at 95 mph. 2019 outfielder Josh Fitzgerald is ranked No. 405 nationally and is uncommitted.

So, here’s how this plan to have these two teams face-off a half-dozen times this spring came together, at least in the proverbial nutshell.

The top Iowa draft and college prospects have played together on the Iowa Select Black team during the fall for several years now. The setup was different during the PG Spring League season, when the top guys were split up and put on two or three separate teams in an effort to make each team more competitive.

Having experienced what it’s like to play together and duke it out with some of the country’s top travel ball teams in September and October, the Select Black players expressed an interest in somehow replicating that in the spring.

James had discussions with Fergus to see if something could be worked out and last spring they decided to play games on two weekends, one at a venue in Iowa and the other at one in Wisconsin.

Those two weekends proved to be successful, so the two men met again, put the pen to the pad, so to speak, and took the arrangement a step further. This spring, it was decided, they would pit their top upperclass and underclass squads against one another for seven consecutive weekends (the two top underclass teams will play on Saturdays; no upperclass game will be played on Easter Sunday, April 1).

It promises to be a high school-aged baseball bonanza, both for the Iowa and Wisconsin prep draft prospects who will be given the opportunity to compete at the highest level possible, but also for the nation’s scouting community.

There will not be a better high school game played in the Midwest all week – regardless of the day of the week – and since it’s played on a Sunday, the game will have the national stage to itself.

“With their league and our league, we’d both get some pro scouts to come out on Sundays for the games, but combined, we’re going to get everyone there at one time,” James said. “… Going about it this way, there’s going to be a much larger draw on a week-in, week-out basis. We’re combining the two groups and it’s just going to be insane.”

The two teams’ opener on Sunday should prove that out. James was able to secure the turf field at Southeast Polk High School in Runnells, which sits roughly 10 miles east of Des Moines in central Iowa.

The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area is about 150 miles southwest of Runnells and will be hosting two heavily scouted college/juco matchups this weekend: Wichita State is at Creighton in Omaha for games Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and North Iowa Area CC is at PG No. 22-ranked Iowa Western CC in Council Bluffs for double-headers on Saturday and Sunday.

“(The scouts) will be able to make that two-hour trip over to Southeast Polk,” James noted. “There’s going to be some crosscheckers there right out of the gate.”

Hitters will throw the right-handers Nathan Rintz (top-500, Arkansas), Sean O’Brien (t-1000, St. Louis) and Elliot Elm; Select Black counters with McCray, left-hander Austin Krob (t-1000, Kirkwood CC) and right-hander Hogan McIntosh (HF, Waubonsee CC).

And so it will continue, with the last game scheduled to be played on Sunday, May 6. There are indoor facilities in both Cedar Rapids and Caledonia, so if any weather issues arise, the teams will be moved indoors to play simulated games. Also, many of the fields available in both states feature artificial turf, which helps mitigate many of the weather woes.
Give us your feedback
Leagues | Story | 4/28/2026

Iowa Spring League Notebook: Week 5
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Dawson Weller (2027, Ottumwa, IA) showcased his two-way potential with a strong performance this weekend. On the mound, worked two clean innings while striking out 3 consistently living in the zone and getting ahead with first-pitch strikes. Showed the ability to control tempo and attack hitters throughout the outing. At the plate made a big impact in the same game, collecting two doubles and a home run. Displays quick hands through the zone with the ability to connect on an uphill path and generate carry off the barrel. A well-rounded showing that highlighted impact on both sides of the ball. Will Frederiksen (2026, Bettendorf, IA) had a loud weekend at the plate, launching 2 home runs and showing real impact with the bat. Generates plenty of juice in the swing with a simple, controlled load that allows him to stay on time. The swing works clean through the zone and produces strong...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 8/28/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The 2026 MLB Draft is official in the books as those players have been signed and have begun their pro career. That means it is time to turn the page and dive into the 2027 class. This class features an intriguing mix of arms both from the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool. Today, we unveil our first 2027 MLB Draft Board, ranking the Top-100 prospects in the class. There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established ones to rise or fall, but here is where things stand as we begin this cycle.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Dylan Seward H SS S-R Norco Eastvale CA Tennessee 2 Brendan Lawson C SS L-R Florida Toronto ON 3 Dax Whitney C RHP R-R Oregon State Blackfoot ID 4 Gavin Kelly C C/UTL R-R West Virginia Presto PA 5 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State Lockport IL 6 Malachi Butler H SS L-R...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

Underclass Area Codes: Standout Arms

Joey Cohen
Article Image
Year in and year out when the best young talent from across the country is packed into one national-level event the arms tend to win the week. That feels especially true in today’s amateur game where velocity, pitch design and high-level training in general are being introduced earlier than ever, allowing young pitchers to develop impactful stuff at a faster rate than younger hitters can consistently catch up to it. The Underclass Area Code Games are no exception and this year there was no shortage of arms that made you stop and take notice. Narrowing it down to 10 was difficult, but I focused on the pitchers who either displayed starter-type traits, brought something genuinely different from a delivery standpoint whether it was slot, height, crossfire or deception or simply possessed an outlier element of stuff that separated them from the pack. These are the 10 arms that stood...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/23/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL East Atlanta Braves  Grade: 55 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF AJ Gracia (1st rd) | OF Carter Beck (PPI) | RHP Kaiden McCarthy (2nd rd) | RHP Jensen Hirschkorn (3rd rd)   OF AJ Gracia (@UVABaseball) is seeing the ball really well & picked up a couple of hits, including a 2B into RCF. Smooth LH stroke & easy impact. Showed + pwr in BP, 46 BB: 36 K. Jr./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/C4rSc0ZNIc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 30, 2026 Atlanta had $15,870,800 to spend in this year’s draft,...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/22/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL East Baltimore Orioles Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF Eric Booth Jr. (1st rd) | OF Ty Head (2nd rd) | OF Kevin Roberts Jr (4th rd)  Eric Booth Jr. (26 MS) goes big fly 💣 that carried out oppo. Explosive athlete w/ huge LH juice & tools. Big time in several facets. #NatElite #Vandy commit. @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/kXl7ZVyD9G — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2025 Baltimore was about middle of the pack in terms of money available this year, having $13.1m to spend on their class. Booth Jr. is a...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/24/2026

Area Code Gams: Prospect Recap

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Pitchers George Ferguson, RHP, Abilene HS  Ferguson toed the slab for the Rangers squad in game one of the Codes, setting the tone early with some loud stuff.  Ferguson attacked hitters with a verty fastball up to 96 that played well up in the zone with up to 24 inches of induced vertical break.  He showed more than just a power arsenal, going to the changeup often, using the pitch to put away hitters.  Kills the spin to the 1600’s, regularly getting 13-15 inches of horizontal break.  The slider rounded out the arsenal, working 82/83.  Struck out four over his three innings of work, two on the fastball, two on the change.  2026 PG All American committed to Texas.  Quinn Fitzpatrick, RHP, Stratford HS  Another 2026 PG All American out of Texas, the LSU commit punched out three over his two innings of work, allowing just one hit. ...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/21/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate RHP

Ryan Miller
Article Image
2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: College Right-Handed Pitchers  Throughout the 2027 draft cycle, I’ll be breaking down different demographics in the class. Today we begin with collegiate right-handed pitching, a strong group that is headlined by a legitimate 1-1 candidate in Dax Whitney. Most of the group is made up of high-quality power four arms, with a handful of mid-major arms mixed in. Below are the top college right-handers in the 2027 class:  Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 Dax Whitney, Oregon State  Whitney has maintained...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 8/21/2026

Brotherly Love Inspires Carter Hadnot

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PHILADELPHIA – Perfect Game has been a big part of Carter Hadnot’s life since he was 12. He participated in more than a dozen tournaments and showcases, including prestigious Select Festivals as a 13U and 14U player, as well as last summer’s PG All-Star Game for underclassmen in San Diego.   The PG event that Hadnot always wanted to be part of was the DICK’s All-American Classic. Now, that’s on his resume, too. He played in the 24th annual Classic earlier this week at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. “This means a lot to me,” he said during the event. “I always wanted to make it to Select Fest when I was younger. So, every time I get invited to an event it’s an honor and it’s fun. I don’t take it for granted. “This is definitely the one I always wanted to make it to. A lot of big names have...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 8/18/2026

Perfect Game & Delano Partner Up

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME NAMES DELANO BAT COMPANY OFFICIAL WOOD COMPOSITE BAT PARTNER, LAUNCHES LIMITED-EDITION BAT SERIES   Delano Bats will serve as the Official Game Bat of the 13U Select Festival, taking place this coming weekend in East Cobb, Georgia   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Delano Bat Company, LLC, naming the company an Official Wood Composite Bat Partner of Perfect Game. The partnership will feature three exclusive limited-edition bat releases, which began with the Original Glory American Flag Bat in celebration of the United States' 250th birthday, that...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL Central

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West | AL Central With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL Central Chicago Cubs  Grade: 40 Risk: Medium Notable Selections: RHP Cade Townsend (1st rd) | OF Caden Sorrell (2nd rd) | 1B Myles Bailey (2C)   RHP Cade Townsend (@OleMissBSB) sat 95-96 T97 w/ riding FB from fast arm. Nasty cutter at 88-91 is the go-to, showed biting 2 pln SL. Low-80s top to bottom CB & CH ~ 1300 RPM to round out mix. Has had a great spring & risen up boards. Soph./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/TAFbM37f5j — PG College...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL Central

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL Central Cleveland Guardians  Grade: 45 Risk: Moderate  Notable Selections: RHP Liam Peterson (1st rd) | Tre Broussard OF (3rd rd) | RHP Savion Sims (7th rd)  Liam Peterson (@GatorsBB) has been pure power stuff through the first 3.0 IP in his start vs Bama…imposing his will on hitters with a fastball that has grabbed 100 mph a few times, backed up by his power slider and curveball @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/RVThNrdMTn — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 21,...
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.