THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,580 MLB PLAYERS | 16,393 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,580 MLB PLAYERS | 16,393 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
High School  | General | 3/29/2018

NHSI Day 1 Notes

David Rawnsley
Vincent Cervino
Photo: Perfect Game

The first day of the seventh annual NHSI at the USA Baseball complex in Cary, N.C., was fully loaded in national level talent, not to mention national level scouts from across baseball, but Day 1 was a day to watch pitchers, as most of the 16 high school teams from around the country threw their best arm in this single elimination four-day event. So we'll concentrate almost solely on pitchers in the Day 1 recap and start working in some of the many talented position prospects starting on Day 2 after additional looks.




Righthander Cole Winn (2018, Anaheim, Calif.) moved from Colorado to Southern California and Orange Lutheran High School for his senior year and the decision has done wonders for his exposure in the scouting community. He was the star of the day on Day 1, throwing six seemingly effortless shutout innings, working consistently at 92-94 with his fastball, with just as many 94's as 92's, over the first five innings. Winn threw two types of curveballs, a bigger early count offering that changed hitter's eye levels and a shorter and sharper version that was his swing and miss pitch, along with a short slider and filled up the strike zone with all his pitches. He seems to have significantly calmed down his delivery since last summer and his dramatically improved command and pitchability was the most important takeaway from this outing, as the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Winn has always had top drawer stuff. Winn is currently ranked 23rd in the PG national class rankings and one can see him moving into back of the first round consideration based on this outing and the number of scouts who saw it.




Lefthander Matt Liberatore (2018, Peoria, Ariz.) has been a popular name in speculation about the top five picks in the June 4-6 draft and while he did some very good things in throwing seven one-hit, two-run innings in a game that his Mountain Ridge team eventually won in extra innings, the outing was unlikely to solidify or raise his already high draft stock. Liberatore worked primarily in the 90-92 mph range the first two innings, touching some spots in the 93-95 range a couple of times and notably hitting 95 immediately after allowing a first inning run. He settled into the 88-90 mph range during the middle innings and didn't display his normal advanced feel for spotting his changeup and curveball, although one important development in his arsenal since last summer has been the addition of a 81-84 mph slider that flashed quality but is still inconsistent. In the bottom of the seventh in a tie game, Liberatore attacked with his fastball for perhaps the only stretch in the game, pumping 90-91 and hitting 93 mph with his last pitch of the game, while showing his most competitive body language of the game as well.

PG All-American southpaw Luke Bartnicki (2018, Marietta, Ga.) had an outing he will likely want to forget, lasting only four innings in a loss to North Carolina's Green Hope High School. Bartnicki worked in the 87-91 mph range, touching higher twice on 0-2 counts, and got good cutting action at times on his fastball. However, his low to mid-80s slider was loose and ineffective and virtually indistinguishable from his changeup at times and this was the pitch that was a big separator for him last summer. Finding that pitch again will be key for his future development.

Bartnicki was matched up against an extremely impressive sophomore lefthander in Liam Norris (2020, Cary, N.C.), the ninth-ranked player in the PG Class of 2020 rankings. After a nervous start where he walked two of the first three hitters, Norris settled down quickly and was in complete control for the rest of his outing. He worked in the 88-91 mph range, touching 92 at least once, with a loose easy arm action and a equally low effort and under control delivery. His 75 mph curveball and 81 mph slider were especially effective against lefthanded hitters. Norris resembles a taller Ryan Weathers physically and is similar in not only his body and general stuff but also in his athleticism. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Norris fielded his position very well in many opportunities and also lined two hard singles up the middle against Bartnicki fastballs.

Another very impressive youngster on Day 1 was Florence High School freshman Grant Taylor (2021, Florence, Ala.). Taylor is the sixth-ranked player in the PG Class of 2021 rankings and topped out at 90-92 mph at all eight PG events he pitched in during 2017. He didn't quite have that velocity on Wednesday, working 86-89 mph out of the bullpen, but his most impressive tool was actually the tight spin he generated on a 75-80 mph breaking ball that took both curveball and slider shapes at different times, although unlikely with intent at Taylor's young age. Taylor is listed at 6-foot-3, 215-pounds in the PG records and that weight looks to be on the high side. He has an athletic and projectable build with a very fast and loose arm both front and back.




Taylor's Florence High School teammate, senior Cole Henry (2018, Florence, Ala.) showed the arm strength he's known for, working 91-93 mph early from an extended three-quarters release point before setting down to more 89-91 after the first inning. Henry had some difficulty working down in the strike zone with both his fastball and 75 mph curveball, which led to some hard contact, and his changeup was his best pitch on the day and could have been used more frequently.

One position prospect who definitely warrants Day 1 mention in addition to all the pitchers is Green Hope High School centerfielder Jordyn Adams (2018, Cary, N.C.). Adams is a football first athlete whose father, Deke, is an assistant football coach at North Carolina. He's ranked as the 58th best prospect and eighth best wide receiver prospect in the 2018 class by one football recruiting service and it's easy to see why looking at his athleticism. Adams is listed on the baseball program at 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, although his listed football size of 6-foot-2, 175-pounds seems like a more realistic present number, and much of that is in his very long and strong legs. Adams showed much better right handed bat speed than this scout saw last summer, with a projectable pull-centric approach, but his best tool is his explosive speed. He ran a 4.00 home to first on a routine ground ball to shortstop and did it easily without any perceivable dig and effort. While Adams name doesn't circulate much nationally in baseball, if he was a baseball first athlete who had more national exposure and experience, it's easy to see him as a potential top 50 player in baseball as well as football. He is signed to play both sports at North Carolina and time will tell about how much baseball he does eventually play.

– David Rawnsley



Starting off the first game of the 2018 NHSI was Hanover (Va.) against No. 22 John Curtis Christian (La.) and Hanover righthander Jack Dragum (2018, Mechanicsville, Va.) provided a solid start and showed off a pretty well-rounded arsenal on the hill. The righthander worked up to 92 mph early on in the game before settling in the 88-90 mph range for the rest of the way. The Virginia signee works from a shorter arm action, but has some funk to his overall delivery, which aids in deception and helps his fastball to play up some.

The frame is pretty physically mature, however the present stuff is pretty solid. The curveball worked in the mid-70s for most of the affair with tight rotation and sweeping 11-to-5 shape including lots of depth. The curveball worked as the primary out pitch for Dragum during this look, but he also had no issue pumping fastballs by opposing hitters as well. Dragum showed a couple of changeups too and was dealt a hard luck loss by finishing with six innings and striking out seven batters.

George Jenkins (Fla.) earned a hard fought win over Mount Carmel (Ill.) and lefthanded starter Daniel Batcher (2019, Lakeland, Fla.) was masterful for the Eagles during their victory. The southpaw struck out 10 batters and earned the win for George Jenkins as the junior lefthander stood out among the top underclass performers on the day. The West Virginia commit is the ideal picture of physical projection, at a listed 6-foot-4 and only 160-pounds with very long limbs and tons of room for additional strength and increased velocity to the frame.

Batcher recorded what would be his highest velocity per his Perfect Game profile as he touched 87 mph early on and sat comfortably in the 82-85 mph range. Everything is pretty clean about the delivery from the fluidity and rhythm to the timing and ease of the arm stroke through the point of release. Batcher throws a considerable amount of strikes and mixed in a big breaking 1-to-7 curveball with lots of depth in the 68-72 mph range that could be thrown for strikes. The changeup was arguably his best weapon on the day as it worked in the upper-70s and was a neutralizing weapon against righthanded hitters.

Tossing a gem to give the sixth-ranked American Heritage Patriots (Fla.) an opening game victory over Sanitago (Calif.) was lefthander Ryan Cabarcas (2019, Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and the lefthander has shown off his outstanding pitchability before but he was very close to untouchable today. The Florida commit worked up to 89 mph early in the first inning before settling more in a 84-87 mph range on the afternoon. Cabarcas is a bit undersized, under 6-foot per his PG profile, but commands and mixes his pitches extraordinarily well. He is best when he is attacking hitters ahead in the count and can get hitters to roll over on his secondary pitches, which is what happened a lot on Wednesday as Cabaracas surrendered just one hit on his six shutout innings. The breaking ball worked well but he also featured a changeup on the afternoon, and all in all it was another classic showing by a pitcher who has some of the best feel for pitching in the 2019 class.




On a day that featured a ton of top talent pitching, Christian Scott (2018, Parkland, Fla.) was one of the top draft prospects to take the mound and he certainly didn’t disappoint. The Florida commit worked his fastball up to 94 mph and struck out nine batters over seven frames while pounding the strike zone. For the early portion of his start Scott was predominantly 90-93 mph flashing hard run on his fastball as the pitch is a high spin rate fastball. Scott worked side to side with the pitch and routinely ran it by hitters.

Scott is a very lean and projectable righthander with extra-long limbs and looks a bit gangly in terms of body type on the mound. He projects immensely to add velocity with lots of arm speed although he does throw with a bit of head whack. The curveball was the put away pitch for Scott and even though it didn’t have premier velocity of tight rotation, he commanded the pitch very well and went to it often on two strikes. Scott would bury the pitch low and to the glove side with 11-to-5 shape and he kept the pitch in the strike zone long enough to induce swings before it disappeared into the dirt.




Certainly one of the performances that drew the most eyes was that of Mater Dei’s (Calif.) Hunter Cope (2019, Newport Beach, Calif.) as the 6-foot-11 righthander put on a pretty impressive display. He is uber-athletic for his size as Cope spends his offseason on the basketball court, as you might expect a 6-foot-11 high schooler to do, and repeats his delivery pretty well for someone his size. There are some checkpoints to the delivery and he does collapse his front side early, which takes away from some plane or leveraging with his fastball, but he is able to run the pitch in the 88-91 mph range while bumping 92 once. Cope throws a lot of strikes and generates easy plus extension down the mound, which allows his fastball to play up as he’s releasing very close to the plate.

He showed two breaking balls, and flashed one 79 mph slider that showed some promise though he might have just cut it across his body, and utilized more of a short breaking curveball in the 73-76 mph range. It has the makings of a quality pitch but he throws it with a bit less conviction at times. The San Diego commit’s changeup was an effective neutralizing pitch, as O’Connor’s (Ariz.) top three hitters were all lefties, and he throws it with a similar delivery and arm speed as the fastball. Cope was hit with the hard luck loss, but there is a lot to like on the profile and the No. 72 prospect for the 2019 class looks to be one of the top underclassmen on the west coast for next year’s draft.

– Vinnie Cervino
Give us your feedback
High School | General | 7/1/2026

PG High School All-Americans
Tyler Russo
Article Image
High School Top 50: Final Update With the High School season all wrapped up, today we take a look at our First, Second and Third Team All-Americans from around the country. Below you'll find three teams with stats that seem otherworldly from players who'll likely hear their names called in the coming week's MLB Draft. Within the "Notable Stats" section you'll see the individual award winners as well. First Team All-American Pos.  Name Class School State Commitment Notable Stats C Cole Prosek 2026 Magnolia Heights MS Ole Miss .595 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI 1B Will Adams 2026 Hoover AL LSU .489, 13 HR, 52 RBI IF James Tronstein 2026 Harvard-Westlake CA Vanderbilt .531, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 21 XBH IF Grady Emerson 2026 Fort Worth Christian TX Texas .508, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 34/35 SB, National POY IF Jacob Lombard 2026 Gulliver Schools FL Miami .477, 10 HR, 52 R, 42 H, 14 SB OF Martin Shelar 2026 Marist GA...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/29/2026

"Excel"ling Through the Hoover Classic

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
After a long summer of baseball, Excel Blue Wave National had one final opportunity to end it the way every team hopes to.  Together, having fun, and as champions. Excel Blue Wave National closed their summer with a 13-9 victory over Excel Blue Wave American – Morrison to capture the 2026 16U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship. In a game that required contributions throughout the lineup and seven innings of competition, the Excel Blue Wave National relied on the same qualities and approach that had carried the group all summer. With talent, perseverance and a chemistry built far beyond the baseball field, they were unstoppable.  For head coach Brennan McCullough, there couldn’t have been a much better way for his players to finish their final weekend together .  “It’s great,” Coach McCullough said. “We’ve had a long...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

16u West WS Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Quinton Hall
Article Image
16u West World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Jason Lizotte (‘28 | NV) Smooth LHH, hunts pitches down in the zone he can rip to the middle & PS w/ a downhill & direct path. Some strength in the hands w/ feel for the barrel #PGWS pic.twitter.com/kbK5Ayvhd7 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 27, 2026 Jason Lizotte (2028 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-9, 145-pound left-handed hitter and outfielder was a spark plug all weekend for MTBA Dawgs 2028, finishing with seven hits, eight runs scored, one double, one triple, four RBI, three stolen bases, and four walks without a strikeout. Lizotte refused to give away an at-bat, consistently working hitter’s counts before spraying line drives all over the field. The left-handed swing stays short and direct with plenty of feel for the barrel, and once he reached base, he immediately put pressure on the defense with...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/29/2026

SBA Sox Save Best for Last

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
Sometimes the best ending comes after a season of figuring things out. For SBG Sox American, the summer wasn’t always seamless. The team spent their early weeks learning where players fit best, building chemistry and searching for the combination that would allow them to play their best baseball. By the final weekend, they found it.  SBG Sox American closed their summer with a 7-5 victory over Dirtbags Midsouth 2027 Black to capture the 2026 17U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship, putting together one final winning performance in the last tournament this group would share this summer.  For SBG Sox Coach Cooper Williams, that made taking home the championship trophy even more meaningful. “It’s been great, especially for it being their last summer event,” Coach Williams said. “It’s really cool for them to kind of pull this thing out for...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

17u World Series Scout Notes: Days -3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
17u World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Lukas Waite (‘27, CA) showed LOUD stuff out of the pen. 6-2/205 frame. High-end athlete on the mound. FB sat 92-95 (T96). SL at 80-82 generated uncomfortable whiffs #PGWS @California_PG @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXaVxqA2kv — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 27, 2026 Lukas Waite (2027, San Diego, Calif.) came out of the pen on day four and showcased the loudest stuff out of the entire event. The recently named PG All-American ran the fastball up to 96 mph and sat 92-95 mph throughout the outing. A slider at 80-82 mph was lethal. It tunnels well off the heater and gets uncomfortable whiffs often. Waite features a 6-2, 205-pound frame that moves extremely well. There is supreme athleticism throughout the delivery that stands out. The upside is extremely high and will be sure to draw heavy draft interest during this...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 7/29/2026

Victorino & Girardi Tabbed PGAAC Managers

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   SHANE VICTORINO AND JOE GIRARDI NAMED MANAGERS FOR PERFECT GAME DICK'S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC AT CITIZENS BANK PARK   Former Phillies Stars to Lead Nation's Top High School Baseball Players on August 16 in Philadelphia   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Wednesday, July 29, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that former Phillies All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino and former Phillies manager Joe Girardi will serve as managers for Team East and Team West, respectively, at the 2026 Perfect Game DICK'S All-American Classic, taking place on Sunday, August 16, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa.   Joining Girardi and...
Read More
College | Story | 7/28/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 28 Summer Edition

John Coppolella
Article Image
The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Blake Schaaf – Bourne Braves  Schaaf had a big week, going 12-for-22 (.545 AVG) with 3 Doubles, 4 Stolen Bases, and 9 Runs Scored. It’s been the continuation of a terrific summer for the...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/28/2026

Co-Champs Crowned at 15u WWBA

Will Dembo
Article Image
Following a jam-packed week of competition in East Cobb, Georgia, at the 15u WWBA National Championships, East Coast Ghost '29 National and eXposure 15u National were crowned co-champions after inclement weather prevented the championship game from being played. Both clubs completed the tournament undefeated behind dominant pitching and explosive offensive performances on their way to the title. "Couldn’t be more proud of this group," East Coach Head Coach Mike Valerio said. "The amount of work that went into this moment is something no one sees. The countless team and individual practices, workouts, mindset calls and time put in makes this moment even more special. The summer hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to, up to this point, but the boys never let it affect them. We just always said we need to get back to our team standard, which is “make the routine play”....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/28/2026

16u West World Series Notes: Days 1-2

Quinton Hall
Article Image
Auron Blackledge (2028 | Agoura Hills, CA) The 5-foot-11, 165-pound right-handed hitter and middle infielder is off to a great start in the 16U West World Series for TPA National, grabbing seven hits, one double, two triples, three runs scored, three RBI, two stolen bases, and five walks without recording a strikeout. Blackledge consistently controlled his at-bats while finding the barrel, showing advanced bat-to-ball skills and the ability to work gap-to-gap. His disciplined approach and ability to use all fields makes him one of the most consistent offensive performers to start the weekend. Noah Casale (‘28 | AZ) goes a perfect 3 for 3 for Swarm Red Elite National 2028. Athletic frame, negative toe-tap trigger, strength in the hands w/ speed thru the zone + MOF approach #PGWS pic.twitter.com/cWg2hiY2io — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 24, 2026 Noah Casale...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/28/2026

17u World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Derek Arold (‘27,AZ) helps himself out squaring one up to the pull side for a knock. Posted a 3-for-3 day at the plate with 3 RBI. He’s the #13 ranked 1B in the state. Have a day young man. #PGWS https://t.co/qcvdwFgLTK pic.twitter.com/7egKe8fVO8 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 23, 2026 Derek Arold, LHP/1B, Chandler, AZ. Stacked Arizona (2027) A physical left-handed two-way presence who stood out. On the mound he delivered a 3-inning complete-game no-hitter, punching out six while walking two. Fastball topped 90 mph with solid pitchability. Mixed a usable curveball/slider combo in the 76-78 mph range that generated swings and misses. Arm works cleanly from the left side with feel for sequencing and the ability to expand the zone. At the plate he was locked in, going 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and driving a ball hard to the pull side. Shows noticeable strength...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/28/2026

D1 College Championship Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘28 OF Nick Morrow (OH) has now homered in three straight games.. 8-for-14, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs & 1.929 OPS🔥 #D1Champ @Nick_Morrow18 @OhioHeat2028 https://t.co/Swl0eHXRB3 pic.twitter.com/NIMGf1och2 — Jordan Gates (@JGatesPG) July 24, 2026 Nick Morrow (2028, Liberty Township, Ohio) took home MVP honors after a blistering week at the plate. Morrow collected nine hits in the 21 at-bats, driving in 12 runs, and at one point had a three-game home run streak. It was a good way to end the summer to say the least. It’s a short, direct swing path with good feel for the barrel and bat speed. Morrow creates quality separation and gets good rotation around the front side. Keeps hands tight to the body and creates good leverage with the bat path. At 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, he will continue to gain strength as he is a notable two-sport athlete. Each time at the plate, there was a...
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.