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College  | Story | 4/20/2018

College Notebook: April 20

Photo: Jackson Kowar (Tim Casey)



 College Notebook: April 19College Player Database

During the season Perfect Game scouts will be traveling to some of the top series to watch the very best players in college baseball. Those observations, captured with both written notes and video, will be shared in the College Player Database as linked above, notes that can also be accessed on the players' individual PG profile pages. Throughout the season select reports will be shared in feature format to promote the players, the teams and college baseball as a whole.
 

Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida



The other guy of Florida's two-headed junior rotation monster, Jackson Kowar hasn't had the consistency of success that teammate Brady Singer has over the past two years, but one could make the argument that he has higher overall upside and louder stuff. Kowar threw seven shutout innings against Kentucky on Friday night in a 9-4 win, but much like his career to date, the start was dotted with inconsistencies throughout. He allowed five hits and four walks while picking up five strikeouts to move his record to 7-1 on the season.

Kowar is a rail thin, tall righthander whose length portends to some projection remaining, but his body is of the wiry-thin variety, narrow through the hips and shoulders, and likely won't carry all that much additional weight. There's athleticism throughout the delivery with good balance and he could repeat the delivery better than he currently does given those components, as he lands online and gets over his front side well.

The arm action is very fast, in the plus to plus-plus range of arm speed, with a hook through the back that gets offline but is pretty well timed up coming through, with the ball/hand up at foot strike though still a bit offline. He releases from an extended three-quarters slot, creating good angles to the plate. His fastball worked in the 93-95 mph range to start with solid life to the pitch, but he struggled with his command/control on this day, showing flashes of dominance but overall leaving too many fastballs up and over the heart of the plate. The arm speed is really easy to dream on from a velocity perspective, but to really have an elite fastball as a starter one must also have excellent physical strength, and Kowar's physicality doesn't quite match that yet. 

The off-speed stuff flashes quite well, showing an above average curveball and an easily plus changeup, but the key word there is "flashes." He's especially inconsistent with the curveball, with it ranging literally anywhere from 30-60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, taking a little while to find the feel for the pitch, but once he did it settled into the 50-55 range. It was anywhere from 73-78 mph on the evening, with the best ones being firmer with good, sharp, late break that was effective against both right and lefthanded hitters. The changeup is the bread and butter pitch, thrown in the low-80s with tremendous deception and arm speed, turning it over quite well and creating excellent fading action. The inconsistencies with the changeup had more to do with command, as Kowar would still leave it up a bit where, despite the action of the pitch, it was far more easily identifiable and hittable than it should be, as evidenced by Tristan Pompey's loud double in the first at-bat of Kowar's outing. 

On the whole, Kowar's stuff is extremely live when it's on, and as such he's likely a first rounder in June, potentially a top 15 overall selection. He's much riskier of a prospect than teammate Brady Singer, for example, though Kowar's stuff flashes better and as a result his overall upside is higher. It will be especially interesting to see who is selected first between the two, given the safety vs. risk debate, and we've had Kowar just a few spots higher than Singer on our draft lists over the past several months.


Michael Byrne, RHP, Florida

Byrne, Florida's closer and head coach Kevin O'Sullivan's most trusted bullpen arm for over a year now, came on in the eighth inning of Florida's 9-4 win over Kentucky on Friday night and escaped a bases-loaded jam with two outs by getting a weak flyout. He did run into some trouble in the ninth and gave up a couple of runs as a result but pitched well enough for Florida to secure their sixth straight series win in the SEC. For the most part, Byrne has been absolutely dominant for over a year, often asked to record multiple-inning saves and delivering consistently for the Gators. 

He's not one of those closers who will blow hitters away with power stuff, but rather relies on pitchability, command and sequencing to be as good as he is. His fastball worked in the 88-90 mph range on this night, playing well off of his off-speed stuff and effective when in the zone, but it's not a pitch that's likely to miss many bats at the next level. His curveball is a solid pitch, but what is most impressive is his command of the pitch. He lands it for strikes over either corner and can work it down in the zone as well, going to the pitch frequently. His changeup was solid as well, thrown in the 80-82 range with good fading action, though he didn't quite have command of the pitch on this evening. 

Byrne is the classic case of performance over stuff and will likely be drafted significantly higher than his scouting report would indicate, given that he barely walks anyone, mixes three pitches with success, dominates at the highest level of amateur baseball and has shown the ability to hold his velocity over multiple innings. Given the velocity race of today's pro baseball bullpens, Byrne could very easily be drafted and developed as a starting pitcher and should see success in pro baseball in that role.


Sean Hjelle, RHP, Kentucky



Kentucky's ace and reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year Sean Hjelle has been very good in 2018, but at the same time hasn't quite pitched at the same level he did in 2017. He took the loss against Florida on Friday night, rebounding from a rough first couple innings to settle in a deliver a solid enough start, going seven innings while allowing four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five. 

Hjelle, as has been well-documented, is extremely tall at 6-foot-11, and his athleticism is so impressive as it allows him to repeat his delivery pretty well despite all that length. He has the occasional trouble getting timed up and over his front side, as he tends to still be pretty arched back at foot strike, landing closed off with his front foot, but for the most part Hjelle is a very good strike-thrower who usually pitches with average command. He was a tick off against Florida, walking three – he had walked nine total in 2018 coming into this start – and leaving some fastballs up in the zone. 

When he's in sync it's very tough to square Hjelle up, as he creates excellent plane to the plate from a high three-quarters slot, which, when combined with his height and arm length, gives his fastball a significantly steep entry to the hitting zone when he's working down. He worked 91-94 mph in the first inning with average life to the pitch, settling into the 90-91 mph range for the majority of the rest of his outing. While his height and length make it pretty easy to want to project Hjelle physically, he is narrower through the shoulders and hips and may not hold all that much more weight/strength. The fastball is average right now but how will it play when he's pitching every fifth day as compared to every seventh, especially if he's unable to add much more in the way of weight/strength?

The curveball was good in this start, as it usually is, thrown in the 78-83 mph range with 11-to-5 shape and very good, sharp depth. He's able to land it for a strike as well as bury it down and out of the zone, getting a fair numbers of swings-and-misses over the top of it. The pitch is pretty easy to project plus long term, and should be a weapon for him at the professional level. He threw a few changeups as well, a pitch that could project as average and has been solid for him in previous outings, but he didn't throw very many in this game. 

On the whole, Hjelle seems to be right in that late first comp/early second round range at present, somewhere in the neighborhood of picks 30-50 or so. His performance history and athleticism will help him, as will his present arsenal of stuff and mostly consistent strike-throwing ability, but the overall fastball projection as well as physical projection could potentially be hangups for Major League teams.




College | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15

John McAdams
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Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...
Tournaments | Story | 12/17/2025

15u Tourney All-American Team

Jason Phillips
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Hitter of the Year: Landon Bonner The 2028 class saw many players from across the country take the next step in their development as they entered the High School ranks. There were huge performances from highly ranked players on the PG circuit as well as some under-the-radar guys who burst onto the scene. Landon Bonner came into Sophomore National as a Top 500 ranked player and after an impressive showing, left with all eyes on him as a rankings riser in the class. The left-handed hitting shortstop from The Colony, Texas, had a summer to remember with All-Tournament Team selections in three of his next four events culminating with a historic performance at the 2025 PG 15U WWBA National Championship. The Hebron High School prep went 20-for-24 in nine games for 5 Star Mafia 15U Black with four homeruns and 12 runs batted in. He also scored 17 runs and finished with a mind-boggling 2.500...
Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

AJ Denny
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Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...
Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino
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There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason.  Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
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Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
College | Story | 12/12/2025

College Notebook: December 12

Craig Cozart
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Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Highlights: The Cornhuskers were a difficult team to figure in ’25 as they finished with 33 wins, played just .500 (15-15) in the Big Ten but had some big wins at various times during the season and got hot at the right time. They knocked off then #16 Vanderbilt in the second game of the year, beat #5 Oregon State 2-out-of-3 at home in late March and then got hot at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to win the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Michigan State in a 10-inning thriller before taking care of #4 Oregon, knocking off Penn State and then shutout #13 UCLA to punch their ticket to the Chapel Hill Regional. Head coach Will Bolt has now led his alma mater to three conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during his six years in Lincoln. No different than when he was a player, Bolt’s teams play with passion and toughness, this was never more...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

Troy Sutherland
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 You like athletes? You like defenders who can impact a game at any given point? Look not further than this class as it's loaded from coast-to-coast with elite defenders all over the diamond.  C: Brogan Witcher, Bakersfield, CA Our scouting staff got several strong looks at Witcher whether that was at the Summer Kickoff, Sophomore National or the Underclass All American Games where he showcased his strong overall skillset and especially his advanced ability behind the plate. His 6-foot-3,180 pound build looks like one that will fill in quite nicely and be that big and physical catcher’s frame. His arm talent is undeniable where he gets it out quick and runs it up to 79 mph on throwdowns to 2nd (1.84 pop). Besides the standout catch/throw ability, we’ve seen him frame/receive strong arms and block it well during...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 12/11/2025

PG Softball "Toys 4 Tots" Fundraiser 18U division

Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - 2025 Perfect Game Softball Toys 4 Tots Fundraiser One Day, December 7, 2025. Kicking off the holiday season, six teams participated in this one day, 3 game guarantee tournament in the 18u Division. We would like to thank those that donated a toy, and know that they will be distributed to area underprivileged children through a local charity organization. Following are some of the top performers from the weekend. Earning Tournament MV-Pitcher was Jolee Strohmeyer (2026 Dubuque, IA), a RHP/UTIL with tournament champion Lady Expos Blue. Strohmeyer shows hitters a consistent and repeatable motion and delivery with good use of the legs in the drive phase, and a quick and aggressive arm whip. Working with a six pitch mix of fastball, change-up, rise, drop, curve and screw, Strohmeyer topped out at 60 mph, and showed good movement  as she worked her rise and curve just out...
Tournaments | Story | 12/11/2025

Scout Stories: Part 4

Tyler Henninger
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Scout Notes: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Best Game I Saw: Hudson Reed (‘26, GA) torches this ball to deep CF for a solo 💣. Generates easy power that plays to the big part of the yard. Middle of the order traits #UBCWest @PG_Georgia @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXqDVFmUBx — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 18, 2025 I was fortunate enough to see a lot of highly competitive games with loads of talent on the field, the game that sticks out to me the most was Alpha Prime 2026 vs. ZT National Prospects at the UBC West. The game was an efficiently played affair with arms dominating on both sides. Graham Schlicht was masterful for Alpha, striking out 12 hitters over 5 dominant innings. PG All-American Julian Cazares came out of the pen blowing smoke, touching 97 mph with the fastball. On the other side, Jake Carbaugh surrendered just one hit and...
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