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High School  | General | 12/26/2018

Year in Review: High School

Vincent Cervino
Photo: Argyle High School (Argyle HS Athletics)

Year in Review: PG Events | MLB Draft | College

2018 High School Players of the Year | Final 2018 National High School Top 50

As part of Perfect Game's annual Year in Review seires we look back at some of the more intriguing high school-related storylines from 2018.


Jupiter upset

The Canes arrive in Jupiter year-after-year as one of the perennial favorites in the event, but in 2018 they were toppled by the upstart Florida Burn Platinum. The Burn benefitted from the culmination of shutdown pitching and timely hitting to defeat the Canes in the championship round by a score of 2-0.

Co-MVP of the WWBA World Championship was Josh Rivera of the Burn as he enjoyed a big boost not only to his team but also to his overall draft stock. The Burn have long been one of the top programs both in the state of Florida and nationally and their ability to run through bracket play in Jupiter was truly a sight to behold.


Montverde, Blessed Trinity secure PG HS Showdown titles

The Perfect Game High School Showdown was split into two categories in 2018 and the two champions that emerged were familiar faces as Montverde Academy (Fla.) ran through the Blue Bracket and Blessed Trinity (Ga.) got revenge on Providence (Fla.) to secure the title in the Red Bracket.

Montverde was led by superstar PG All-American Nander De Sedas, flamethrower Kerry Wright and star underclassmen such as Jake Holland. De Sedas and Wright could both be very high picks out of Florida State and Louisville, respectively, as both were on the 2021 Top 50 Draft List. Blessed Trinity spent a long time in the National High School Top 50 and were led by star 2019 shortstop CJ Abrams, a PG All-American who is a projected first round pick next June that has signed with Alabama.

There were a number of elite draft prospects present during the HS Showdown, securing the event’s role as one of the big checkpoints for pro scouts. Anthony Seigler, a catcher from Cartersville (Ga.) who was as eventual first round pick of the Yankees, attended the event while Xavier Edwards from North Broward Prep (Fla.) was selected in the comp round by the Padres. Some other notable draft selections were Parker Meadows of Grayson (Ga.) to the Tigers with the first pick of the second round, Will Banfield of Brookwood (Ga.) to the Marlins in the second round, Taj Bradley of Redan (Ga.) to the Rays in the fifth round, Lawrence Butler of Westlake (Ga.) to the Athletics in the sixth and Cabera Weaver of South Gwinnett (Ga.) to the White Sox in the seventh.


JSerra captures Boras Classic

The Boras Classic continues to make waves as one of the premier West Coast events in terms of professional scouts attending to evaluate prospects. JSerra (Calif.) captured the championship of the South Division and the event itself was loaded with prospects. Cole Winn and Brice Turang, of Orange Lutheran (Calif.) and Santiago (Calif.) respectively, were the two first rounders of the event.

There was numerous underclassmen on hand as well led by PG All-American Darius Perry of La Mirada (Calif.) while Michael Curialle led the way with a huge tournament weekend for the eventual champion JSerra squad. The trio of talent for the 2020 class looks special from California as Jared Jones, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Drew Bowser appear to be bona fide stars heading into the 2019 season.

Besides JSerra capturing the title in the South Division, Bellarmine Prep (Calif.) claimed the North Division and eventually the entire state as they downed JSerra. Basic Academy (Nev.) is coming off back-to-back state titles and was the champion of the Arizona Boras Classic.


Orange Lutheran repeats at NHSI

The National High School Invitational (NHSI) is another high-profile high school tournament that is ran by USA Baseball and takes place at their facility in Cary, N.C. Orange Lutheran was the sixth-ranked team in Perfect Game Preseason National High School Top 50 and captured back-to-back titles at the event.

Orange Lutheran was (and continues to be) loaded with talent and leading the way was the the 10th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, Cole Winn. Besides Winn, Jasiah Dixon should garner draft attention for the Lancers this season and their 2020 class has a chance to be special with the trio of Christian Rodriguez, Max Rajcic and Chad Born.

The NHSI featured a number of teams that were ranked in the HS Top 50 throughout the season including Orange Lutheran, Calvary Christian Academy (Fla.), American Heritage (Fla.), Florence (Ala.), George Jenkins (Fla.) and Hattiesburg (Miss.).


High school POYs put up video game numbers

The three honorees of the Perfect Game High School Players of the Year – Player of the Year Jeremiah Jackson, Pitcher of the Year Matthew Liberatore and Two-Way Player of the Year Ryan Weathers – put up some pretty eye-opening numbers en route to their eventual draft selections. Jackson of St. Luke’s (Ala.) hit a robust .644 with 15 home runs and even had to endure being intentionally walked 11 times in 13 at-bats in the semifinal round. Jackson was eventually selected in the second round by the Angels and his athleticism and tools jump off the board.

Liberatore, who was selected 16th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays, was a must-watch in nearly every start for Mountain Ridge (Ariz.) over the course of the season. He finished with a final record of 8-1 with a sub-1.00 ERA to go along with an absurd 104 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings. Weathers got a late start on the baseball season thanks to his state championship efforts on the basketball court, but he quickly made up for lost time. Weathers, who was eventually selected seventh overall by the Padres, had an ERA you needed a microscope to look at with a mark of 0.11. Weathers also hit near .500 on the season.


Adams’ coming out party

Green Hope (N.C.) center fielder, and eventual first round selection by the Angels, Jordyn Adams, had a sensational performance at the NHSI and the event served as his de facto coming out party on the national scene. Adams made waves throughout the spring as he was thought to be unsignable initially as a 4-star football recruit who was set to play at North Carolina under his father. However, he elevated his stock to that of a first-round talent and is now one of the premier prospects of the Angels system.

Along with Cole Winn, Brice Turang and Adams, the presence of Matthew Liberatore of Mountain Ridge (Ariz.), Nolan Gorman of O’Connor (Ariz.) and Triston Casas of American Heritage (Fla.) gave the NHSI six eventual first round picks.


Perfect Argyle

Argyle (Texas) ascended into the PG rankings following the first update of the high school season and continually ascended up the rankings before settling in the No. 2 slot for the majority of the season behind Calvary Christian (Fla.) of Clearwater. Argyle put on a terrific run to finish the season as the sole undefeated program in the rankings while also capturing the state title and earning the No. 1 ranking on the Final National High School Top 50.

Argyle follows in the footsteps of Calvary Christian (who finished sixth in the nation) and Shawnee (Okla.) from 2017 as undefeated teams to finish at the top of the end-of-season rankings. Argyle retains a lot of talent from their state championship squad and should be firmly near the top of the list heading into the 2019 spring season.


Battle of the Calvary’s

After each starting in the top 20 of the rankings, Calvary Christian of Clearwater and Calvary Christian Academy battled all season long for the top slot in Florida’s 4A class. The Clearwater Calvary team was coming off an undefeated 2017 season that culminated in a state championship and the No. 2 slot in PG’s final 2017 HS Top 50 before coming into 2018 as the No. 3 team in the country. Calvary Christian Academy started at No. 20 before notching some very impressive wins including one against top-ranked (at the time) American Heritage.

Following the victory over Heritage in mid-March, Calvary Christian Academy leap-frogged Calvary Christian of Clearwater for the No. 1 slot in the rankings. Academy eventually dropped significantly due to some forfeit losses, but the two teams matched up in the state finals with the state championship and a Top 5 ranking on the line. Academy ended up victorious with a 5-1 victory and settled that in 2018 Calvary Christian Academy was the better of the two Calvary’s.


Preseason Top 10, in hindsight

The PG Preseason Top 10 featured its fair share of hits and misses, as preseason rankings normally do, as each team took a unique route to their finish on the 2018 season. American Heritage started out as the preseason No. 1 team with a loaded roster but unfortunately finished just short of a state championship. They fell to Merritt Island (Fla.) following the return of their ace, and eventual Nationals first-round pick, Mason Denaburg. As a result, American Heritage finished the season ranked 22nd overall nationally.

Parkview (Ga.) continued to show that they are the class of the Peach State as they started at No. 2, finished at No. 2 and notched another state title along the way. Calvary Christian of Clearwater’s season was detailed above with their No. 3 start, while Bishop Gorman (Nev.) and Cypress Ranch (Texas) both had very hot starts to the season while eventually cooling off towards the end; they were the preseason Nos. 4 and 5 teams, respectively.

Orange Lutheran finished at No. 11 after starting the season at No. 6 following their state semifinal loss while Reagan (Texas) in San Antonio dropped to No. 29 after losing in the state championship; Reagan opened the year ranked seventh overall in the national preseason rankings. Hattiesburg (Miss.) started at No. 8 and made some waves throughout the season despite some losses while Barbe (La.) had another typically strong season in Louisiana with a 30-9 overall record and a loss in the state semifinals.

Mater Dei (Calif.) started at No. 10 and had significant talent on their roster. An uncharacteristically down season with a overall 10-19 record led to them missing the state playoffs.
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High School | General | 6/10/2026

Ohio Valley High School Notebook
Jordan Gates
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‘26 RHP Jack Ryan (@StXBall) w/ an absolute masterclass in the region semis. CG/Shutout, 4 BB & 9 Ks & a No Hitter ‼️ FB worked 89-92, flashed a 93 1x. Velo held in the later innings 88-90. SL was plus @ 81-82 (2400+)/tight, while CH flipped in the low 80s, bottom of the zone.… pic.twitter.com/pdYaEqHmx5 — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) June 3, 2026 Jack Ryan, 2026, RHP, St. Xavier (OH) JR is finishing his senior campaign off in high fashion. Ryan threw a no-hitter in the Region Semifinals and now the bombers find themselves in the D1 State Final Four. The Boston College commit has taken home numerous awards this season, including conference & city player of the year in Cincinnati, OH. One last award left and that is to will the bombers to a state championship. Ryan has impressed all year and with one week to go, he is leaving it all on the field...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/15/2026

Braves Scout Team Keep Winning In Hoover

Kinley Kitchens
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Through big wins and making their way into the championship bracket, the Atlanta Braves Scout Team has done exactly what every team hopes to do at a major Perfect Game event: keep winning.  Now undefeated and preparing for the semifinals, the Braves have established themselves as one of the top teams remaining in the 15U division. Dominant pitching performances, timely hitting, and a lineup full of contributors have powered the team through a strong weekend in Hoover.  The Braves opened the tournament with a statement performance behind right-hander Daylen Woods, who tossed a five-inning no-hitter while striking out six. Woods also helped his own cause offensively with three hits and two runs scored as the Atlanta Braves Scout Team rolled to victory. The momentum continued with a 10-3 win over Wow Factor Nation 15U, as Sam Ridley allowed just one hit across four innings while...
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Tournaments | Championship | 6/15/2026

WC Ghost Claims Arizona All-State Title

Emily Hicks
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In a championship game that featured strong pitching and sharp defense from both sides, West Coast Ghost AZ 16U pulled away late to defeat Overfly 2028, 5-3, and claim the Arizona All-State Games title. “We had discipline at the plate, on the mound, out in the field; everyone just did their thing. It was good,” said Cash Carmichael The two teams traded runs throughout the 1st and 2nd innings, making it 3-2. Followed by a single run scored at the top of the 4th by Overfly 2028, it remained tied 3-3 for most of the game. Both defenses made key plays to limit scoring opportunities, turning potential rallies into outs and keeping the pressure high in every inning. With the game deadlocked heading into the bottom of the sixth, West Coast Ghost AZ finally broke through. Bottom of the 6th, J. Haizen Reidhead recorded a single, Oren Tucker walked, and Josiah Shim was hit by pitch....
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Tournaments | Story | 6/15/2026

Coastal Region Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Wyatt Smitherman (2028, Durham NC) had a solid day at the plate for USA Prime Triangle 16u Stars in their matchup against the Charlotte Colts. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound shortstop has a tall athletic frame. The left handed batter displayed a mature approach at the plate. Attacks fastballs and drives them with authority. He has quick hands and gets the barrel through the zone. Uses his lower half to his advantage creating enough torque to generate his power he shown. Smitherman finished the day going 1-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI. Zachary Days (2028, Charlotte NC) had a impressive day at the plate for the Charlotte Colts against USA Prime Coastal. The 6-foot-3, 170 pound center fielder has a tall athletic frame. Days bats from the left side with a short but powerful swing. Very disciplined during his AB’s and applies pressure on the defense. He shifts his weight to his lower half...
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Tournaments | Championship | 6/15/2026

Weather Can't Delay Top Tier Victory

Alyssa Golden
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A seven-run first inning gave Top Tier Roos American Red 2027 all the momentum they needed Sunday morning, but the road to a Florida World Series championship was far from straightforward.  After jumping out to an early lead against WBC 17u, Top Tier endured a 3 ½-hour rain delay before returning to finish off a 9-1 victory at Lee Health Sports Complex.  The championship game, which began at 8 a.m. and did not conclude until nearly 1 p.m., ended in the bottom of the fifth inning under Perfect Game’s mercy-rule format. Top Tier’s dominant performance was powered by a complete-game effort from Christian Davis and an offense that erupted for seven runs in the first inning.  Not even hours of uncertainty and lightning delays could keep Top Tier from finishing what they started.  Davis started on the mound for Top Tier and remained the entire five...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/14/2026

PG Softball Super Regionals

Erica Beach
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PG Super Regionals Dripping Springs, Texas June 6-7, 2026     DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX- The weather was nice, the Longhorns JUST won a national championship, and Perfect Game brought it’s first softball event to Dripping Springs. It was a weekend packed with college coaches, quality softball, and a great softball atmosphere. Over the course of the six-game guarantee event, our scout saw some amazing athletes. Below she highlights some of the athletes who caught her eye.   Destiny Sidiropoulos (2028, Houston, TX) of the Impact Gold HTX 16U was an incredible spark plug at the top of their lineup all weekend. She is a true triple threat who has great speed on the basepaths. She can soft and power slap, drop a sneaky bunt, and hit away with pop. Her barrel control is next level, and she is fun to watch pick apart defenses. On defense, she is versatile and athletic. She gets...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

West Coast Summer Breakout Hopefuls

Joey Cohen
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With summer ball ramping up, the priority follow lists from our scouting staff start to take shape and every year a handful of intriguing names outside the national spotlight begin to separate. Digging deeper into the West region, there’s a group of prospects currently buried outside the Top 200 who carry real breakout and helium potential over the next few months. All 10 players featured here are coming off strong high school seasons and bring traits that evaluators tend to bet on whether it’s projectable/athletic bodies, strong secondary stuff, or flashes of impact tools. They may not be household names just yet, but the ingredients are there for significant jumps by the end of the summer circuit. Don’t be surprised if several of these names are firmly in the mix and climbing up early boards in a hurry before the fall rolls around. Two innings of work here from Jonah...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/14/2026

UBC West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Steve Fiorindo
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Nash McCarthy (2030, Camas, WA) was outstanding in his start on day two of the UBC West for NW Baum Bat, working six-innings allowing four-hits, no walks and struck out seven.  Standing at 6-foot, 170-pounds with athleticism and room to add.  Effortless mover down the bump with a low effort, up-tempo operation that produced a fastball that was up to 84.  He showed feel for the secondary offerings mixing in a firm breaking ball at 71-74 with 11-5 shape with depth.  Controlled the zone and the tempo throughout the outing, moving the ball around to all four-quadrants.  Projectable arm speed with advanced feel for the spin and strike zone.  Dylan D'Oyen (2030, Cerritos, CA) got the start for 5 Star 2030 in their opening game of the tournament and impressed over six innings of work.  Athletic mover down the mound with balance and repeats the delivery. ...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

UBC South Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Quintin Blackwell (2030, Hercules, California) has, literally, been unstoppable this weekend for Premier Banditos Deleon. In six plate appearances, he has a walk and five hits. Doing it all with a double and two triples, while stealing three bags. Plenty of coil on the front side. Hands work through zone and the barrel stays on plane for a long time. High upside bat that makes an already deep Banditos lineup even deeper. Kenson Buth (2027, Trophy Club, Texas) has been an absolute weapon on both ends for Stix 2027 Scout. At the plate, he’s 6-9 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. Linear approach with a ton of bat speed. Plenty of impact at the bottom of the zone and showing some ability to do serious damage in the middle of the field. On the mound, he went four quality innings, punching out three. The fastball lived 86-90 with carry. Good feel for the slider in the mid 70s....
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Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

WWBA East Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Sawyer Pettit (‘27 MS) Has shown extremely well to start the summer of 2026. Its a physical left-handed hitting corner profile with big muscle mass. Will pass the eye test off the bus at the next level. The swing is clean with controlled violence and big in-air power that has shown up frequently. Good mover for the size and plays the game hard. Candidate for a big frosh season at LSU-Eunice in 2028. Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) Pair of barrels tied together here. Innate feel to hit with fast hands. Line drive approach that gets to pull side power in the air. Excellent athlete that will stick at a premium spot. #LaTech commit.#WWBAEast pic.twitter.com/xeintVTMil — PG Deep South (@PG_DeepSouth) June 12, 2026 Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) The Louisiana Tech commit just does not stop hitting. Left the yard to the pull side yesterday and followed it up with a 3-4 day with a...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

AZ All-State Ready to Take Place

Emily Hicks
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This weekend, eight teams will head to Goodyear Ballpark for the 2026 PG Arizona All-State tournament, setting the stage for what should be an exciting few days of baseball. With teams traveling from across the city, the field will be packed with talent and plenty of championship contenders. Among the teams competing in 16U are AZ Select, Marucci Athletics 2028 Grannis, Overfly 2028, Phoenix Phillies, Team Dinger 2028, T-Rex East Valley, USA Scout Team AZ 16U, and West Coast Ghost AZ 16U. Each team enters the weekend with its own strengths and goals, creating several intriguing storylines to follow throughout pool play and bracket action. One of the biggest teams to watch this weekend will be 10-10, T-Rex East Valley. Whether it's dominant pitching, high-powered offenses, or strong defensive play, T-Rex East Valley has already shown they can compete at a high level this season. A few...
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