THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 6/30/2018

California arms lead Blackhawks

Photo: Wesley Scott (Perfect Game)

EMERSON, Ga. – Blackhawks National improved to 2-0 at the 17u WWBA National Championship on Saturday with a 7-3 win over USA Showcase Prime. On the mound, a pair of power arms from California in Wesley Scott (2019) and Spencer Jones (2019) led the way.

Wesley Scott is a righty from Riverside, California, and took the mound for the first time at a Perfect Game event since the National Showcase two weeks ago. While Scott didn't have all of his best stuff on Saturday, he was able to toss four hitless innings while striking out six USA Showcase batters.

“It’s obviously a lot different weather-wise here compared to California,” said Scott. It is a lot wetter and you sweat a lot, and the ball feels different, but we are really excited about the opportunity to come out here and play in front of all these scouts on these beautiful fields.”

Scott, along with Spencer Jones, is committed to playing his college baseball at Vanderbilt University. According to Perfect Game, Vanderbilt has the best recruiting class for 2019. After watching Scott and Jones play Saturday, this comes as no surprise.

“When they [Vanderbilt] won the College World Series, I was actually in Omaha for a tournament I was playing in. I got to sit right behind home plate and see the go-ahead home run and the dog-pile and everything. From that game on I pretty much fell in love with Vanderbilt,” said Scott. “I love Scott [Brown] and really all the coaches. I felt so comfortable there.”

Jones, who is a 6-foot-7, 205-pound lefty from the San Diego area, has always wanted to see a new part of the country and try something new. Living in Southern California comes with a certain lifestyle, and he wanted to branch out and learn something else.

“I remember watching Vanderbilt when I was in elementary school, and they were always one of the top programs in the country,” said Jones. “A winning tradition is definitely something I want to be a part of. It was an easy choice for me because once I visited I instantly fell in love with the coaches and facilities. It was the best place for me development-wise, and I am going to get to experience life in a way that I never have before.”

While Vanderbilt didn't make a trip back to the College World Series this season, they certainly have an impressive track record of developing pitchers in Nashville. Current pros such as David Price, Walker Buehler and Carson Fulmer all came through college wearing the Vanderbilt black and gold.

Blackhawks National played their second game of the tournament at LakePoint on Saturday, and you will see them here every day until the pool play round is over. By winning the St. Jude Giving Challenge at this year’s 17u WWBA National Championship, they have earned the right to play every pool play game at the complex.

Perfect Game has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Hospital to make this year’s national championship about something more than baseball. All teams were given an opportunity to raise money for St. Jude, with the winner getting an all-LakePoint schedule. Blackhawks National was the winning team of this year’s challenge raising $36,000 for cancer research.

“To know that we are helping other people is fantastic. I mean, you’re down here playing for the scouts and playing for your ranking and your draft stock, but when you look at something like that, it is pretty special,” said Scott. “Other people are benefiting just from our presence at this tournament, and being able to help out people that haven’t been as fortunate as we have is really cool and important.”

Each year at the Perfect Game All-American Classic, the players chosen get the chance to volunteer at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Jones has been to Rady Children’s Hospital before, so the chance to help out with St. Jude was an exciting opportunity.

“Living in San Diego, Rady Children’s Hospital has a big presence and everyone in the community is really involved,” said Jones. “People care a lot about each other, and being able to partner with an organization [Blackhawks] that donates that much money helps raise awareness and gives back. It shows that we are much more than just a baseball organization; we care about the community and reaching out.”

So Scott and Jones are beginning to see success both on and off the field. However, they both say they wouldn't be anywhere without their families.

“I have three older brothers and they used to really pick on me. Then I grew up and got bigger than all of them,” Jones said. “I’m really close to a lot of different family members all across the country. Some are the West Coast, some are on the East Coast, and some are in Florida, but I have a good relationship with all of them. Family has been a big part of it.”

For ballplayers that are constantly traveling and showcasing their skills all around the country, a supportive family can be extremely important. For Scott, his family’s support and closeness has never been in question.

“My family is very close. We all live together back home, and we’re around each other a lot,” said Scott. “We have been through a lot of things, and we are able to get through them together with our strength from God to comfort each other.”

While the stress and excitement of playing in front of countless scouts at LakePoint can be a lot, these two standout players are also trying to soak up their teenage years while they’re here.

“I’m from California so I love going to the beach. I like playing basketball with my friends and I really like playing old baseball video games,” said Jones. “It may not seem like it all the time, but we are just trying to be teenagers for as long as we possibly can. We are out here just to have fun and show off what we can from all the hard work we have put in back home.”

For two California kids with excellent heads on their shoulders, the sky is the limit for what they can accomplish on the field and beyond. If this week has been any indication for what is in store, this isn’t the last time you will read their names, no matter what they’re doing.




Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
Draft | Rankings | 3/20/2026

2026 Draft Board: Top 300

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The 2026 MLB Draft class is shaping up to be one of the better in recent memory and, potentially, the best class in the last decade. It’s led by UCLA superstar shortstop Roch Cholowsky, a true five-tool prospect who’s the early favorite for 1:1. One of the most popular pieces of industry feedback when constructing this list was some variation of “Roch is too low” or “go up on Roch” and he’s the best college prospect since 2019 when Adley Rutschman (Oregon State, Orioles) was the consensus No. 1 prospect. Similarly to 2019, there’s a superstar Texas prep shortstop at No. 2, in 2019 it was Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville Heritage, Royals) and this year it’s Grady Emerson. Both Emerson and Alabama’s Justin Lebron would have been solid 1:1 candidates in years where Roch Cholowsky is not eligible and both have All-Star potential....
Press Release | Press Release | 3/19/2026

PG Teams Up with OZ Ball Tournaments PTY

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 NAMES OZ BALL TOURNAMENTS PTY AS OFFICIAL AREA DIRECTOR IN AUSTRALIA, EXPANDING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, March 19, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that it has entered into a new international partnership with Oz Ball Tournaments Pty, naming the organization as an official Perfect Game Area Director in Australia. The agreement establishes Perfect Game-licensed tournaments and showcases across major Australian markets, including Sydney, Brisbane/Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.     Australian events will operate under the Perfect Game brand, delivering the same...
Press Release | Press Release | 3/18/2026

PG Introduces Individual Player Entry

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 INTRODUCES INDIVIDUAL PLAYER ENTRY, EXPANDING ACCESS TO ELITE NATIONAL EVENTS   Athletes Can Now Compete in Select National Tournaments Through Structured ‘Team PG’ Rosters   Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, March 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the launch of Individual Player Entry, a new initiative designed to provide athletes the opportunity to compete in select national events even if their primary team is not attending.   Through the program, players can now register individually and be placed on a structured “Team PG” roster, allowing them to participate fully in...
Juco | Rankings | 3/18/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 18

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
This week brings a new top team to the rankings as Johnson County (KS), on the strength of 10 consecutive wins and a 26-2 record, claims the overall number 1 spot. The Cavaliers have made 3 consecutive trips to the JUCO World Series and have the talent to make it back there again this spring. Florida Southwestern and Chipola have seemingly separated themselves as the most consistent teams in Florida. Welcome to the top 5 to the Gaston Rhinos who will be one of the first teams to 30 wins this spring. Pearl River stays as the top NJCAA D2 team and Fresno City stays as the top Juco team in California; both are coming off undefeated 2 week stretches. Welcome back to the top 25 to John A. Logan who is now 20-7 overall and have played one of the toughest schedules of anyone. And for the first time in several years welcome to the top 25 to the College of Southern Idaho, the Golden Eagles have...
High School | General | 3/18/2026

Class of 2026: Preseason HS All-Americans

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
College | Rankings | 3/18/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 18

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
In every major sport, the championship is decided in the postseason. You can lose games all year, get hot at the right time, and walk away with the hardware. The regular season is a rehearsal. The playoffs are the show.  The championship belt changes that. Borrowed from professional wrestling, boxing and ultimate fighting, the belt travels the moment the holder loses — no brackets, no seeding, no second chances. A random Tuesday non-conference game in Milledgeville, Georgia  becomes a title fight. A spring trip to Florida becomes a gauntlet. The defending national champion can lose the belt before February is over.  We’re tracking three belts this season — NCAA Division II, NAIA, and NCAA Division III — each starting with the defending national champion. The results have been exactly as chaotic as you’d expect.  Worth noting along the...
High School | Rankings | 3/17/2026

High School Top 50 Update: March 17

Tyler Russo
Article Image
We have another update to the National Top-50 after two weeks of even more games being played in the southern states along with seasons just starting to kick off across the country. We’re quickly approaching another stellar high school event, the NHSI in Cary, and with that will come even more movement in these rankings. St. John Bosco (CA) continues to hold firm at the No. 1 position after a 4-0 start to their season. Venice (FL) has been rolling throughout the early portion of the year and jumps up to No. 2 in the country. One of the biggest movers in this update is The Bennett School (TX) jumping from unranked to No. 8 in the country after beating a handful of top ranked programs to start the year. Some other big movers inside the top-10 are Barbe (LA), who jumps from No. 18 to No. 5 in this update as well as Aledo (TX) who jumps from No. 20 to No. 9. The rest of the top-10...
College | Story | 3/17/2026

College Players of the Week: March 17

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
March 17th Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (17-3) came into the season with the highest external expectations in decades based on the anticipation of their offensive potential. To this point they have not only met those lofty expectations, but twenty games in they may have exceeded them. While there are plenty of high-level prospects up and down the lineup, with all that star power Vahn Lackey has stood out. Sure to be one of the first catchers selected in this year’s MLB Draft with his comprehensive skillset, he projects well as an everyday backstop at the next level. However, his overall athleticism stands out as we saw this week when he had a game where he played every defensive position on the field except pitcher. At the plate over four games including a series victory at Clemson last week, he went 9 for 15, scoring...
College | Rankings | 3/16/2026

College Top 25: March 16

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Collegiate Player Report Database As each week of the college baseball season passes, we continue to be entertained at an incredible level with high level drama at every turn.  Conference play is under way and the national landscape is starting to make a bit more sense.  The development and strength of individual players is on full-display and there continue to be upsets on occasion that sends the message no team can relax for one moment.  For the most part, the Top 10 remains unchanged with some reshuffling as No. 1 UCLA (17-2) holds on to the top spot with yet another perfect (4-0) week after sweeping Michigan.  The No. 2 Texas Longhorns (18-1) did drop their first game of the season in Game 1 of SEC play but won the series against Ole Miss and finished the week with a (3-1) record.  The Georgia Tech Yellowjackets (17-3) passed their first real road test of the...
Draft | Story | 3/13/2026

PG Draft: Under the Radar Preps

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
PG Draft: Under the Radar Preps As the spring season gets underway, the showcase circuit and early high-level tournaments have already provided our scouts with some intriguing first looks at this year’s crop of prospects. At the same time, we’ve been tracking the buzz among team evaluators, listening closely to the names that keep coming up in conversations and the players clubs are making sure they get eyes on this spring. Every year, a handful of prospects quietly slip beneath the radar during the fall and winter months, only to reemerge once the games start counting again. Sometimes it’s the result of a productive offseason in the weight room, a noticeable jump in velocity, or a step forward in skill development. Other times, it’s simply a player finally getting the opportunity and the stage to show what’s been building behind the scenes. The spring has a...
Loading more articles...