THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,596 MLB PLAYERS | 16,395 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,596 MLB PLAYERS | 16,395 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/17/2018

Burn shoots for BCS success

Bryan Cooney
Photo: Pierce Chambers (Perfect Game)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – It shouldn’t come as a surprise to many around the circles of Perfect Game to hear that a team from the successful Florida Burn program has raced to a great start at a national championship event.

At the 16u BCS National Championship, the Florida Burn Platinum 2020’s entered the week coming off of a strong showing at the 16u WWBA Championship at LakePoint in Georgia with an appearance in the second round of bracket play last week. It was the start of a busy stretch for the club, coached by Craig Faulkner, as this week’s event runs directly into their next tournament, which is the 16u PG World Series right back at LakePoint.

Completing their second day of the first batch of pool play contests on Tuesday, the Burn have been one of the most impressive teams in Fort Myers, racking up 27 runs of offense compared to the three runs allowed by their pitching staff. With the pools to be reseeded upon day’s end to line up the winners and runner-ups in the first pools against one another, Faulkner has been happy with how his group has brought their good form south.

“It’s a great opportunity for these players to see what it is like to play every day similar to a professional schedule,” Faulkner said. “I’ve been telling these guys, this is what it’s going to be like, you get tired and you’ve got to figure out how to get the energy and a higher level of focus so that you can perform at a high level every single day.”

The Burn got their tournament kicked off in style on Monday with an 11-0 trouncing of Houston Athletics 16u Black in five innings. Scoring five runs in the first inning and four more in the second, the Burn were paced offensively by Jayden Rivera (2020, Jacksonville, Fla.), who went 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBI.

Tuesday morning brought on a matchup with Team Mizuno Northeast Roadrunners, and it was Trace Burchard (2020, LaBelle, Fla.) starring at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance with two doubles and three RBI. That effort backed a strong start from Sam Drumheller (2020, Tampa, Fla.) who struck out six in four innings to lead the Burn to an 8-3 victory.

Heading into their final pool play game against the also unbeaten Ohio Surge, the Burn took advantage of wildness from the opposition’s pitching staff while getting big hits from TCU commit Pierce Chambers (2020, Treasure Island, Fla.). Chambers had an RBI double and a run-scoring single in the first two innings and a bases-clearing, three-run double from Florida commit Mac Guscette (2020, Nokomis, Fla.) in the second to jump out to a big lead. They finished with an 8-0 win in five innings to run the tables heading into Wednesday’s reseeding of pools.

The philosophy that Faulkner has brought when it comes to the use of his pitching staff has been to go either 45 or 30 pitches with each arm he calls on in order to keep his staff fresh for the duration of the tournament. For the entire pitching staff, getting the chance to have Guscette behind the plate for most of the games is a luxury that most teams do not have. Guscette, the No. 9-ranked catcher in the class of 2020, is adept at pitch framing and controlling the running game with his strong arm.

“Mac is one of the best there is, committed to Florida and he does things so well,” said Faulkner, who also coaches Guscette for the reigning 7A state champion Venice High School. “He hits the ball well, frames outstanding and throws extremely well. He plays the game at a high level and he’s the kind of kid you want on a team because he comes to play every single day. He’s never wants to take a day off, if he’s not catching one day, he can play first, third and he’s also really good on the mound too.”

The catching position is a strength for this Burn team as Chambers and Burchard are also primarily catchers, but have the versatility to play other positions. With three players of the caliber of being Division I level recruits, with two being committed to two of the top college baseball programs in country, Faulkner believes that for his other players on the roster, seeing the work it takes to become a player of that quality has raised the level of the entire unit.

“When you play with guys that play at a high level, it does bring the whole team up because players tend to play at the level among their teammates,” Faulkner said. “This is our highest level team at this age group, and so players who may have not played at this level before all of a sudden start to step up. Everyone’s game begins to pick up and our kids have improved from day one this summer.

“The motto of the Florida Burn is to not just play games, but teach the game while they’re playing so when they leave here, they are better players than when we got them.”

As the tournament moves into the point where the competition stiffens up, the Burn’s pitching plan could prove to be one that can give teams multiple looks in each game to make it difficult to zone in going one time through a batting order. With arms like Patrick Groark (2020, Land O’ Lakes, Fla.), Rivera, Drumheller, Burchard, Nick Romagnola (2020, Bradenton, Fla.), Jacob Faulkner (2020, Venice, Fla.), and Julien Brown (2020, Sarasota, Fla.) having allowed just the three runs over 16 innings, and more arms raring to go, the Burn sit in a good spot to make another long playoff run with its trajectory set on playing for a championship come Sunday.
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Championship | 8/12/2026

Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title
Alyssa Golden
Article Image
Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title A hot afternoon at JetBlue Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida ended in a 9-1 victory for the Original Florida Pokers 2028 National, defeating SBA Bolts Florida 2028 National on Monday to capture the 16U BCS National Championship. A pitchers’ duel kept the game scoreless through four innings before the Pokers broke it open with a five-run fifth inning. The title marked the Pokers’ second 16U BCS Championship, adding to the championship they won in 2022. Despite a slow start to the summer, the Pokers found their stride at the right time. “We struggled a lot early in the summer, but the past few tournaments we really started turning it on,” Pokers head coach Will McCrimon said. “I’m just so proud of these kids.” Max Maynes started the game on the mound for the Pokers. The left-hander allowed three hits and two walks...
Read More
High School | General | 8/17/2026

Scott's Eye Popping Two-Way Earns MVP

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PHILADELPHIA – When the folks at Perfect Game reached out to invite him to pitch in the 2026 PG All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors, Cullen Scott had one request. “You mind if I get a couple of at-bats, too?” Along with his dad, Scott traveled from the family’s home in Texas to Citizens Bank Park. The trip proved to be a huge success as he starred on the mound and at the plate and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Scott, 16, pitched a scoreless first inning and struck out two. In the fourth inning, he belted a grand slam six rows up into the left-field seats to lead the National team’s 6-1 win over the American team. “He showed us why he’s here as a pitcher and a hitter,” said Greg Sabers, PG’s vice president of scouting and showcases. "He’s one of the top pitchers here, but he’s too good a...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 8/16/2026

Romero Slams His Way to Classic MVP

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PHILADELPHIA – Sunday’s DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic was a pitching-dominated affair until the bottom of the eighth inning when the rain started to fall at Citizens Bank Park and Koa Romero stepped to the plate and did his best impression of Kyle Schwarber. Romero wears No. 12, just like Schwarber. He bats left-handed, just like Schwarber. He’s got big power, just like Schwarber. And at 5-10 and a rock-solid 225 pounds, he’s even built like Schwarber. Needless to say, Schwarber is Romero’s favorite player. So, it was all kind of storybook when Romero belted a grand slam to dead center to cap off the scoring in the West team’s 8-3 win over the East club in the 24th annual Classic. “This is a dream come true,” said Romero, who was named MVP of the game. “It’s amazing to be able to put a ball like that out of a...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 8/15/2026

A Philly Dream for Steingall

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PHILADELPHIA – Carson Steingall had been to Citizens Bank Park many times over the years. After all, he hails from Nazareth, Pa., about 90 minutes up the road from the home of the Philadelphia Phillies and he counts himself as a big fan of the team. Zack Wheeler is his favorite. Steingall realized a dream when he pitched from the same mound that Wheeler does in Perfect Game’s fourth annual All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors on Friday. The dream got even better when Steingall, a 16-year-old right-hander, was named Most Valuable Pitcher after striking out the side in the third inning of the National team’s 6-1 victory over the American team. “It’s just an honor to be here,” Steingall said after receiving his trophy. “This event is the best of the best. It’s really cool to win something like this.” Steingall, who’ll...
Read More
Showcase | Story | 8/13/2026

PG Honors Pat Gillick With Philly Showcase

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Perfect Game to honor Pat Gillick in new Philadelphia Showcase  By Maya Heyman Perfect Game is bringing its elite showcase experience to Philadelphia’s FDR Park for the inaugural Philly Stars/Pat Gillick Showcase this weekend, honoring one of the greatest executives in MLB history in the city where he constructed his final of three World Series winners. The event will take place on Sunday, the same day as the DICK’S All-American Classic, taking place just across the street at Citizens Bank Park.  The showcase will allow Philadelphia-area players to gain exposure and will also honor Gillick, who has been a tremendous influence in both professional and amateur baseball.   Jered Goodwin, Vice President of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game, said the idea came naturally.  “Going to Philly made a lot of sense to honor Pat Gillick, who's been a...
Read More
General | General | 8/13/2026

PG All-Star Game Heads to Philly

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
For the fourth time since its inception in 2023, two rosters comprised of the best rising juniors (and a handful of rising sophomores) will step out onto the field Friday afternoon, kicking off the All-American weekend. While the Perfect Game All-American Classic is slated for a 1:35 first pitch at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, 36 future hopefuls of the Classic will go up against one another in an American vs National clash at 11 AM Eastern, Friday morning.  With 36 players from across the country descending on Philadelphia, there will be plenty of familiar names in attendance as 24 of the 36 played in at least one PG Select Festival and all 36 attended either the he Sophomore National, Junior National, or the PG Underclass All-American Games this summer. Leading the charge are a pair of No. 1s in 2028 dynamic talent Dexter McCleon Jr and 2029 Macgraw VanWormer, a do-it-all...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/11/2026

Realistic Expectations of a 1:1 Pick

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Over the 2026 draft cycle, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the projected No. 1 pick throughout the entire cycle. White Sox fans began #RochWatch and were already talking about when he will make it to Chicago. Now that he has been selected, Cholowsky has immediately become a Top-10 prospect in all of baseball. There is no denying the hype, and the pressure, for Chowlosky to get to the big leagues and produce at a high level.  But how realistic is that? Let’s take a look back at past 1:1 selections and see what you can expect from a No. 1 overall selection.  For this exercise, we’ll look at No. 1 overall picks from the bonus pool era, excluding Eli Willits from 2025 since this is his first full year of pro ball. That gives us 13 players selected from 2012 through 2024.  Almost All Become Big Leaguers The first thing that stands out is how successful No. 1 picks...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 8/11/2026

Perfect Game & Goat'd Come Together

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME AND GOAT'D PARTNER TO BRING PREMIUM PROTECTIVE GEAR TO THE NATION'S TOP AMATEUR BASEBALL PLAYERS   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 11, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Goat'd, a premium protective gear brand focused on developing innovative products for athletes. The partnership will bring Goat'd's premium protective equipment to some of the nation's top amateur baseball players and families across Perfect Game's premier national events. The partnership will debut at several of Perfect Game's marquee events, including the 13U Select Fest, 14U Select Fest, Perfect Game All-Star Game and...
Read More
General | General | 8/8/2026

12U Game Time: 8/9/2026 1PM Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Sunday August 9th, 2026 1:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
Read More
General | General | 8/8/2026

11U Game Time: 8/8/2026 Noon Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Saturday August 8th, 2026 12:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
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.