THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,630 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,630 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 7/16/2018

Elite Squad marches on

Photo: Irving Carter (Perfect Game)

EMERSON, Ga. – Elite Squad 15U National improved to 4-1 at the 15U WWBA National Championship on Monday with a 10-0 win over Hunter Pence Baseball 15U. This pivotal victory puts Elite Squad in a great position to come out alive from Pool F.

Pitching and defense has been dominant so far in this week’s event, and Elite Squad starting pitcher Juhlien Gonzalez (2021) picked up right where his teammates left off with a strong performance in Monday’s win. Gonzalez tossed all five innings, striking out five, and allowing just three hits.

At the plate, Elite Squad was lead by an outstanding day from Rene Lastres (2021). Lastres was 2-for-2 with a triple and home run in the game, collecting four RBI in the process. A native of Hialeah Gardens, Florida, Lastres is ranked as the sixth best primary catcher in the state.

“I was just trying to stay back, stay up the middle, and hit a line drive today,” said Lastres, who believes taking no opponent lightly is Elite Squad’s key to success. “We need to dominate, stay strong, and stay together as a team.”

While players like Lastres have the ability to change a game with one swing of the bat, Elite Squad head coach Scott Morrison believes every guy on his team knows their role and how to excel in it.

“Offensively, we put together really good team at-bats. Our key is not trying to do too many things and not trying to get too big,” said Morrison. “We stress knowing your role, doing your job, and moving guys over when we need to, and then fortunately we’ve got some guys that can leave the yard and they’ve done that as well.”

Elite Squad has outscored opponents 30-3 in this week’s tournament, and has been able to dominate in all facets of the game. With this much success, there is bound to be talented players that make a difference. Elite Squad has two players – Irving Carter and Justin Quintana – that have impressed on the Perfect Game circuit for quite some time.

Carter, who is a native of Boynton Beach, Florida, first burst on to the scene with an impressive display at the 14U Perfect Game Select Baseball Festival in Fort Myers, Florida. The event allows the best players in the class to come and compete on national television at Jet Blue Park, the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox.

“It was such a blast,” said Carter, who is ranked as the eighth best player in the 2021 class. “To get the top exposure like that and play with the best kids, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Carter has also made the decision to play his college baseball at Miami when his time at Calvary Christian Academy is over. Carter is a member of a Miami recruiting class that already has 12 commits, and eight of the players are Perfect Game top 100 players in the class.

“It [Miami] is my dream school. Ever since I got there on my first visit it just felt like home.”

Justin Quintana is a primary outfielder from Miramar, Florida, and he was also able to compete in the 14U Perfect Game Select Festival. Quintana, who is ranked as the 20th best player in the 2021 class, believes the opportunity is once in a lifetime.

“It was awesome to get the chance to play with the top 40 players in the country and to learn from what other kids do,” said Quintana. “To see the best arms in the class and keep getting better was a great opportunity.”

Like Carter, Quintana has already made his college decision. Quintana is committed to Florida International University. With FIU being so close to his hometown, this decision was an easy one for the fourth best player in the state.

“It is home there. My parents get to come to the practices and the games, and it is in my backyard.”

Quintana and Carter are just two of the many college commitments that come out of the Elite Squad program. In total, this Elite Squad 15U National team has eight players that have made their college decision. A long-time Perfect Game event participant, Elite Squad has become one of the powerhouse teams on the travel ball circuit.

“The more important thing to us is our development and college placing’s,” said coach Morrison. “Our college commitments are our trophies. We are not going to win every event because realistically there are a lot of things that need to go right to win an event that has 300 teams. So, as an organization, it is about placing guys in schools where they are not only going to get there but they’re also going to succeed.”

With a talented roster and a history of exceling on the WWBA stage, Elite Squad 15U National is just two wins away from moving on to bracket play, and just maybe winning the whole thing.




Tournaments | Championship | 9/28/2026

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Hannah Jo Groves
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ZT National Prospects Hold Out to Win 2026 WWBA Sophomore Championship In a game that kept everyone guessing until the very end, the ZT National Prospects won the 2026 WWBA Sophomore Championship over Wow Factor/Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team 8-7. Over the past few days of the tournament, the usually cruel southwest Florida weather had been unusually kind - but the warmth of the sun had still taken energy out of both championship teams. They had finished hard-fought semifinal matches before walking from the backfields of JetBlue Park to the big-league stadium. Enzi-Yaw Otieku threw the first pitch for ZT National at 11:43 a.m. - and this highly anticipated championship match-up was underway. The first three outs came quickly for the ZT National Prospects with their defensive chemistry and strength on display right away. ZT’s head coach, Carlos Avila, expressed his happiness with his...
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Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game Staff
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Joshua Digulio (2027, Mont Belvieu, Texas) was a breakout performer for Texas Brigade 2027 - Gafford. Went 10-18 with a pair of doubles and a home run, while plating nine runs. Also showed some serious flashes defensively behind the plate. Physical frame with plenty of bat speed. Flatter bat path with a pull-side approach, geared towards backspinning with authority. Athletic backstop with tons of offensive upside. Dylan Buck (2027, Friendswood, Texas) put on a show for Up Top Prospects. Drove in 11 runs while going 5-11 with a pair of triples and a multi home run game on Saturday. Loose actions with a strong lower half. Adjusts well and generates plenty of torque as he works uphill. Serious power upside on display this weekend with more in that physical frame. Clyde Votaw (2027, Texas City, Texas) had a quality outing on the bump for Up Top Prospects. The Angelina College commit threw a...
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Ashley Mears
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2026 PG Softball Twin Cities Elite Scouting Showcase September 19th, 2026 Ashley Mears BLAINE, MN- Rain may have shortened the weekend but it didn’t shorten the competition. The tournament was STACKED with some of the top teams from South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The 16u division came down to Midwest Speed 16U Nat’l Chell taking home the trophy and shutting out a tough MN Sting National-Makela team. The 18U division came down to Midwest Speed 18u Nat’l Koltes loaded team out slugging Mission 18u National. 16U Taitum Kostecka (2028 Princeton, MN) of Midwest Speed 16U Nat’l Chell was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year. Kostecka is a speedy left-handed power hitter who is one of the toughest outs around, as she did not strike out a single time throughout the weekend. Starting in an open stance, she uses a...
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Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game Staff
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