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Tournaments  | Story | 7/4/2018

CBA Cavs move on to playoffs

Nate Schweers
Photo: Mahki Backstrom (Perfect Game)

ROSWELL, Ga. – The CBA Cavs took care of business in Pool AA on Wednesday with a 5-2 win over Tri-State Arsenal 17u Prime. The win concludes the gauntlet this CBA team went through to win Pool AA, and they will play their first playoff game of the 17u WWBA National Championship Wednesday night.

Saivion Mohammed turned in a great start on the mound for the CBA Cavs, tossing four innings and allowing just one unearned run. The righty struck out two Tri-State batters and allowed just three hits. At the plate, Dylan O’Leary and Tyresse Turner each turned in multi-hit games and combined for three runs scored.



For those that don't know, CBA stands for California Baseball Academy. CBA aims to attend the top events in the nation to provide their players with the maximum amount of exposure possible.

The CBA program is no stranger to Perfect Game events, and in fact claimed the title at the 17u WWBA National Championship just three years ago in 2015. Over 350 players in the CBA program have committed to playing college baseball, and two CBA alumni were taken in the first round of this June’s MLB Draft in Nick Madrigal (Oregon State) and Cole Winn. In total, 19 CBA alumni were taken in this year’s draft, making CBA one of the premier programs for development in the country.

Two players that have seen their stock rise throughout their years in the CBA program are Damone Hale and Mahki Backstrom. These two players have been working on their game for a long time, and they really got the chance to burst on to the scene at the Perfect Game National Showcase last month.

“I’m not going to lie I was pretty nervous at first,” said Backstrom, who is a native of Los Angeles, California. “It was a very opening experience. Just being around so many great players, I kept telling myself that I wanted to stand out as the best player there. I wanted to make sure I was at 100 percent all the time.”

Backstrom used an impressive National Showcase to secure himself as one of the top players in the 2019 class. The uncommitted rising senior is currently ranked as the 31st-best player in the country, and the fifth-best player in the state of California. Though he is uncommitted, Backstrom has an idea of where he wants to end next fall.

“For me, I have to have a good business school I can go to. That is definitely going to be the major piece for me. I really like the big school feel because I want the all around experience in college. At the end of the day, it just has to be the right fit for me.”

For Damone Hale, he was a little more familiar to the Perfect Game events than Backstrom was. Hale is currently ranked as the 37th-best player in the class of 2019, and he was very impressive during the National Showcase.

“I’ve been out here a couple of times. I really like this because the competition level is just so high,” said Hale, who is from Inglewood, California. “It’s obviously intense because we have the top guys in the country coming in and playing hard and having fun. Being able to compete is one of the biggest things for me, and it was really fun.”

Similar to Backstrom, Damone Hale just hasn't found the right fit to commit somewhere yet. Hale is definitely a hot commodity, and most wouldn’t expect a player with his talent level to be available for much longer.

“The main thing for me is that I just want to go where I can play. A lot of people are happy going to a big name school, but its not really about that for me. The development and being able to play right away right when you get there is the way to go for me.”

This CBA Cavs team has certainly faced their fair share of solid teams in this tournament. Hale and Backstrom had the opportunity to face the hard throwing Daniel Espino earlier in the tournament, and they along with their teammates haven’t backed down from the challenge.

A large factor to the CBA Cavs’ success has been the familiarity of the team. Hale and Backstrom are two of the four players from Junipero Serra High School on this team, and they believe that chemistry has been huge for their team.

“Because of this team, we have the four guys going to the same high school. We already have that chemistry, along with the other players we have known because of all the travel ball years,” said Hale. “I think the team chemistry is the thing that really separates a lot of teams from others.”

While these tournaments are a great chance to showcase yourself for college and professional scouts, this dynamic duo knows the work that is done in the dark is just as important for their development.

“A lot of people will come out here and think that it’s just all said and done,” said Hale. “It takes a lot of work. My story has been a little bit different. I have had my ups and downs, but I want to come out here and show that I can get better every single time.”

The life of a talented high school prospect can absolutely be demanding. Mahki Backstrom hits 400 balls in the cage with his dad every single day, but he definitely finds time to enjoy his time as a teenager while he can.

“I like to go fishing. I just started last year, and it is something that has really stuck with me. I like long talks and prayers with my mom, and I like to play pickup basketball and dunk on people. Then there is video games and all that stuff too that I enjoy.”

After what has been a long week of baseball at the 17u WWBA National Championship, you can be sure that Hale and Backstrom will continue to make the most out of every opportunity that comes their way. This Southern California duo is looking to continue making strides through hard work and a little bit of fun.
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Tournaments | Story | 5/28/2026

PG SE Elite Championship Preview
Will Dembo
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More than 100 of the Southeast’s top teams across the 13u-18u age groups will travel to East Cobb this weekend with hopes of showcasing their talents and competing for a championship in the PG Southeast Elite Championship. This premier event will get underway on Thursday, April 28th with each division battling through bracket play before eventually crowning a champion on Monday, June 1st. 13u will host 17 teams including two nationally ranked squads in a silver and gold bracket setting for the major draw. Amongst the notable clubs are the East Cobb Astros who enter the weekend ranked No. 8 in the country as well as the West Boca Panthers White (No. 53) who will be traveling from Boca Raton, Florida in hopes of winning their second Perfect Game tournament in a row. The 14u division is loaded with talented rosters as seven of the 28 teams are in the top 100 rankings for their age,...
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High School | General | 5/28/2026

Ohio Valley High School Notebook

Jordan Gates
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Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

Southeast Memorial Day Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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‘27 SS Malachi Butler doesn’t miss a stitch of this one, hitting it out to the PS for a 2-run HR. Profile littered with tools & performs at an elite level. @GTBaseball commit. #SEMemorialDay https://t.co/WOCXkOZmiL pic.twitter.com/lSHadfcfKZ — Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) May 22, 2026 Georgia Tech commit Malachi Butler (2027, Powder Springs, Ga.) hasn’t missed a beat since the summer began, putting up gaudy numbers through the first two tournaments. A week ago, he hit .500 while taking home MVP honors, well he almost replicated those numbers over the weekend, hitting .412 across six games with three doubles and a homer. He showed elite strike zone awareness throughout, finishing with six walks to zero strikeouts and the impact has ticked up in a big way. Butler recently took over the top spot in the state and it’s easy to see why. He checks a ton...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

USA Prime Claims 17U Title in Thriller

Alyssa Golden
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USA Prime Tampa Scout 2027 edged VSA Scout 17U 4-3 Monday afternoon, using strong defense and a walk-off RBI from Bryce Flemming to secure the title. A light breeze helped cool down an otherwise warm afternoon at JetBlue Park during the championship game. USA Prime jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning to apply early pressure on VSA. VSA responded behind relief pitcher Finlee Crowder, who settled the game down after entering in the second inning and helped keep his team within reach as the game turned into a back-and-forth battle. VSA eventually battled back to tie the game at 3-3, but several momentum-shifting defensive plays from USA Prime catcher Marcello Fraccola helped preserve the tie throughout the middle innings. “I feel like a huge motivator on the team,” Fraccola said. “The catcher is a big position on the field. You have to make...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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College | Story | 5/25/2026

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Vincent Cervino
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The 2026 season was one of the most exciting and unpredictable editions of college baseball in recent memory, and as quickly as it flew by, we are ready to start the “Road to Omaha”.  After hours of deliberation, we are ready to release our projected region field and “Field of 64” as we see it.  The UCLA Bruins (51-6) start us off as the anticipated No. 1 National Seed as they put the finishing touches on a historic season, including a 27-game win streak, a Big 10 Regular Season title and Big 10 Tournament championship.  The Big 10 looks like they will have (4) teams in the field, with (3) host sights, representing the West Coast well.  The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (48-9) should secure the No. 2 Nation Seed and lead the charge for (8) teams from the ACC in the field with (3) of them securing host opportunities.  Meanwhile, the Georgia...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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‘27 IF Braylon Sheffield (FL) with an absolute 🚀 here, launching high off the RCF wall for a 3B. Super polished LH stick; hit over .400 last year on the circuit. #GoHoos commit. #EastMemorial pic.twitter.com/mdehqpR5v5 — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) May 23, 2026 Braylon Sheffield (2027, Fort Myers, Fla.) got the event started with the loudest swing of the night on Friday at Terry Park, rocketing a triple off the wall in the stadium. Sheffield, ranked 121 and committed to Virginia, is a super polished left-handed hitter with left side of the infield projection long term. The swing is tension-free with loose wrists and he generates easy bat speed with already present power to the pull side. This blast came inches away from being a home run and hitting a ball that far at Terry Park stadium is a significant shot. Sheffield also tripled in his second game of the weekend at...
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Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Tyler Henninger
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Colton Floyd (‘27,AZ) just misses a HR here. Can really impact the baseball & shows over the fence power potential. Took 3 QAB’s today. He’s the #1 ranked 3B in the state and #4 in the country. #MDWest https://t.co/ReMh7D0v4y pic.twitter.com/w1dzssSy8N — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 23, 2026 Colton Floyd, 3B, Chandler, AZ. Canes West National (2027) Floyd is a high-upside prospect with physical tools and burgeoning power. His combination of size, bat speed, and raw strength makes him one of the top power-hitting third basemen in the country. Currently ranked the #1 third baseman in Arizona and #4 nationally in his class. With continued refinement of his approach and defensive consistency, he has all the ingredients to be a middle-of-the-order bat at Texas A&M and a legitimate MLB Draft prospect JJ Utash (‘27,AZ) with a triple here....
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Tournaments | Story | 5/21/2026

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Perfect Game Staff
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Southeast Memorial Day East Cobb Baseball will welcome more than 100 teams spanning the 13-17u age groups this weekend as summer baseball gets underway with the highly anticipated PG Southeast Memorial Day Classic, commencing on Thursday, May 21st. This weekend’s annual premier event will feature 11 nationally ranked teams across the five age groups with the No. 9 16u East Cobb Astros headlining the 17u division alongside top prospects such as No. 11 ranked Bryan Johnson Jr. And No. 22 ranked Georgia Tech commit, Malachi Butler. The No. 34 17u ranked 643 DP Cougars will also be a squad to watch as they will look to challenge the Astros for the championship amongst the other 14 17u division teams. While the oldest division will draw lots of attention with highly touted prospects, the 16u field is stacked with 29 total teams including three nationally ranked clubs. Over 30 top 1000...
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