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Tournaments  | Story | 1/17/2019

West, East MLKs jump-start '19

Photo: Hayden Travinski (Perfect Game)

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Ball fields stationed on opposite ends of the country will be busy places over the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. memorial weekend, when the annual PG West and East MLK Championships are contested in the Phoenix, Ariz., and Fort Myers, Fla., metropolitan areas Friday through Monday (Jan. 18-21). They are the first major events on PG’s 2019 tournament schedule.

This marks the eighth year the Upperclass, Underclass and Freshman West MLK Championships will be played in Phoenix’s West Valley, with the Camelback Ranch spring training complex in Glendale serving as the host venue; seven high school fields in close proximity to Camelback will also be used.

One top travel team organization really looking to make some noise in the desert this weekend is Little Rock, Ark.-based Sticks Baseball Academy (SBA), with strong entrants in all three tournaments. The Sticks are the Underclass West MLK defending champions.

SBA is one of 34 teams from 14 states and Canada (one each from British Columbia and Saskatchewan) rolling the dice in the Upperclass West MLK. The Las Vegas-based Recruits won the 2018 Upperclass championship and another LVR team is in the field this weekend.

The Sticks come in with a roster anchored by 2019 catchers Hayden Travinski (PG All-American, No. 37-ranked, LSU signee) and Kurtis Byrne (No. 56, TCU). It also includes top 2020 outfielder Nicholas Griffin (No. 34, Arkansas commit), 2020 third baseman Ethan Long (No. 41, Arkansas) and 2021 outfielder Braylon Bishop (No. 10, Arkansas). Griffin and Bishop are also rostered with the Sticks’ entrant in the Underclass West MLK.

2019 outfielder Cole Hinkelman, a Stanford signee ranked No. 45 nationally, is expected to be suited up for the University Place, Wash.-based Pacific Northwest Regional Baseball Upperclass Royal.

Thirty-two teams from nine states and Canada will be in pursuit of the Underclass West MLK crown, and dozens of highly regarded prospects fill their rosters. If Griffin and Bishop play for the Sticks’ underclass team – they could play in both events if the schedule permits – they will be joining 2020 right-hander Markevian Hence (No. 160, Arkansas), 2021 left-hander Hunter Elliott (No. 33, Ole Miss), 2021 righty Samuel Dutton (No. 61, LSU) and 2022 outfielder Josh Pearson (No. 28, LSU).

GBG NW Marucci, also out of University Place, Wash., features four 2020s ranked in the top-434 nationally, including the left-hander Ronan Kopp (No. 198, Arizona State). Menifee, Calif.-based Dykstra Baseball has several highly ranked 2021s and 2022s on its roster with 2021 shortstop Isaac Rodriguez (No. 42, USC) and 2022 outfielder Mason Neville (No. 43) leading the way.

Another 24 teams from nine states and Canada comprised the Freshman West MLK field, and last year’s under-the-radar champion, Elite Squad 15u Texas, is not among them. Keeping with the theme of this year’s West MLKs, Sticks Baseball Academy has two of the highest ranked 2022 prospects with Pearson and shortstop Colton Sims (No. 71, Arkansas) both rostered.

The New Jersey-based Tri-State Arsenal Scout Team carries a roster with four 2022s ranked in the top 100: right-hander Brock Porter (No. 58), righty Drew Lafferty (No. 70, Kentucky), left-hander Dylan Dreiling (No. 73, Tennessee) and catcher Ike Irish (No. 100).

Nearly 80 teams will be competing at the five PG East MLK Championships – the 2nd annual Underclass, 4th annual Freshman, 3rd annual 14u, 4th annual 13u and 3rd annual 12u – with play taking place at the Lee County Player Development 5-Plex, Terry Park, City of Palms Park, the CenturyLink Sports Complex and various high schools.

The Underclass East MLK Championship features 24 teams, 20 of which are based in Florida; the other four are from Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico. The Elite Squad Underclass Prime took home the title a year ago, and the Pembroke Pines, Fla., program returns with another strong club this weekend.

First baseman CJ Kayfus (No. 49, Miami) and outfielder Enrique A. Bradfield Jr. (No. 51, Vanderbilt) are the top 2020s rostered; 2021 right-hander Nick Anello (No. 28, Miami) is also in the Elite Squad fold. 2021 outfielder Bryant Colon (No. 49, Miami) is another high-profile prospect expected to be on-hand, and he’ll be suiting up with the Banditos Prospects 2020.

Hit Factory PRO out of Tampa comes in with seven 2021s that are ranked in the top-499, including catcher Satchell Norman (No. 76, Florida State) and right-hander Austin Grause (No. 114).

Six teams – five from Florida and Turn 2 Baseball out of Fremont, Calif. – are in the PG Freshman East MLK field, and 2022 shortstop Nazier Mule (No. 26) is rostered with the Gamblers Elite (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.).

Eighteen teams are entered in the 14u East MLK, 15 in the 13u and another 14 in the 12u. Fifteen of the 18 14u teams are from Florida (two from Texas, one from Ohio), 14 of the 15 13u squads are Florida-based (one from Pennsylvania) and 11 of the 14 12u squads are playing in their home state (Georgia, Ohio, Puerto Rico are also represented).




Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

Back-to-Back MLK East for Phillies

Hannah Jo Groves
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TBT Phillies Scout run rules for second straight MLK East Championship The 14U TBT Phillies Scout Team overtook A3 Academy Futures 14-6 in the final game to win their second straight 2026 MLK East Championship. Though the skies were blue and the sun was out in Fort Myers, Florida, the air was very chilly. The wind whipped through the palm trees as players, parents and friends piled into the 5-Plex Player Development Complex bundled up in blankets, hoodies and beanies.  The A3 Academy Futures were first up to bat - and the TBT Phillies struggled through the first frame. The first run came across on a balk; the second came soon after off a double from Gabriel Messing. “I was surprised that they scored right away off the jump,” Kingston George said, an outfielder for TBT Phillies Scout and this year’s MVP of the 14U East MLK championship. “We were kind of quiet...
College | Story | 1/23/2026

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Craig Cozart
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L UBA 24 30 8 19 Charlotte 36 22 18 9 East Carolina 35 27 13 14 Florida Atlantic 37 21 15 12 Memphis 22 33 8 19 Rice 17 40 10 17 South Florida 31 25 16 11 UTSA 47 15 23 4 Tulane 33 25 13 14 Wichita State 19 35 11 16 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Andrew Stucky UTSA .324/.514/.467 with 6 HRs, 40 RBI; durable 6-0/192 backstop with elite defensive skills and a wealth of experience, returning 1st team all-conference member 1B Cody...
College | Story | 1/22/2026

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Troy Sutherland
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Illinois 30 24 14 16 Indiana 32 24 16 14 Iowa 33 22 21 9 Maryland 27 29 12 18 Michigan 33 23 16 14 Michigan State 28 27 13 17 Minnesota 24 28 10 20 Nebraska 33 29 15 15 Northwestern 25 27 13 17 Ohio State 13 37 5 25 Oregon 42 16 22 8 Penn State 33 23 15 15 Purdue 31 23 11 19 Rutgers 29 28 15 15 UCLA 48 18 22 8 USC 37 23 18 12 Washington 29 28 17 13 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Mason Eckelman Ohio State Taken steps forward--...
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Ron Wolforth
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Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls- Part 1 You know what I love about the holidays? Good food, time with family, and the unspoken rule that nobody brings up religion or politics at the dinner table.   Why? Because they're powder kegs. Topics that bring out deep-seated beliefs and strong emotions.  Well, I accidentally lit one of those powder kegs recently, except it wasn't at the dinner table. It was on social media.   Our team posted a short clip of me at Boot Camp making what I thought was a pretty straightforward point: simply avoiding the curveball is far from a guarantee of arm health.   I wasn't trying to be provocative. I was just stating what I believed to be obvious after 30 years of doing this work.  But boy, did a few people have problems with it.   It became one of the most discussed posts in Ranch history....
College | Story | 1/21/2026

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Tyler Henninger
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Arizona 44 21 18 12 Arizona State 36 24 18 12 Baylor 33 22 13 17 BYU 28 27 10 20 Cincinnati 33 26 16 14 Houston 30 25 12 17 Kansas 43 17 20 10 Kansas State 32 26 17 13 Oklahoma State 30 25 15 12 TCU 39 20 19 11 Texas Tech 20 33 13 17 UCF 29 26 9 21 Utah 21 29 8 22 West Virginia 44 16 19 9 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Jackson Natili Cincinnati .338/9/53; well-rounded bat with bat to ball skills and strong catch and throw 1B Brady...
Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

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Jim Salisbury
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A New Path to the Next Level: Inside Perfect Game’s College Instructional Series An important new PG event will help aspiring college players grow, get noticed COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The changing environment of college baseball has led to an innovative new event at Perfect Game, one that will connect high school players looking for an opportunity at the next level with the coaches who may be able to provide one. On top of it all, there will be plenty of expert instruction along with the spirited, tournament-style competition that PG is known for. The College Instructional Series will take place at six regionalized venues starting this summer. “This event will serve an important purpose for players and coaches,” said Adam Revelette, PG’s senior director of events. “Everybody we’ve talked to is very intrigued about the platform.” The event is geared...
Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

MLK West Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Steve Fiorindo
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MLK West Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Markus Chandler, RHP, Westside HS Class of 2027 A little on the undersized side as a sub 6 footer, but Chandler can generate some velo and spin.  Spun 3 frames of hitless ball for Spects National with zero walks and 6 strikeouts.  Committed to Kansas State, the righty ran the fastball to 92, living 89-92 pumping the zone with 75 percent strikes.  Looked like two different breaking balls, with the SL 80/81 (spin in 2500’s) and curveball 75/76.  No hard contact, little contact at all off the righty in this dominant outing. To follow up the pitching performance, Chandler swung the bat well on Championship Monday (Trademark Pending) with 5 RBI and three hits on the day, regularly on the barrel.  Trevor Alons, RHP, Centennial HS Class of 2028 Lean framed sophomore with a quick, whippy arm.  Playing up a few classes, you might...
College | Story | 1/20/2026

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Tyler Henninger
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Record W L T Oregon State 48 16 1 Impact Player: Easton Talt, OF Impact Pitcher: Dax Whitney, RHP Impact Freshman: Mason Pike, RHP/MIF 2026 MLB Draft Prospects 1. Ethan Kleinschmit, LHP 2. Eric Segura, RHP 3. Zach Edwards*, RHP 4. Easton Talt, OF 5. Jacob Kreig, 1B 6. Wyatt Queen, RHP 7. AJ Singer, IF 8. Eli Gries-Smith, OF 9. Noah Scott, RHP 10. Paul Vazquez*, IF 11. Nyan Hayes, OF 12. AJ Hutcheson, RHP 13. Tyler Inge*, 3B 14. Bryson Glassco, IF 15. Jacob Galloway, C 2027 MLB Draft Prospects 1. Dax Whitney, RHP 2. Adam...
Tournaments | Story | 1/18/2026

MLK West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Steve Fiorindo
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Cole Migaki (‘29 WA) w/ one of his 5 K’s thru 2-innings. FB 84-86 coupled w/ a firm BB that has 11/5 shape sitting 77-77. Balanced operation w/ a live, loose arm. Athletic frame at 6-ft, 170 that projects #MLKWest @PG_PacificNW pic.twitter.com/iBgAoajNUM — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) January 16, 2026 Cole Migaki (2029 Vancouver, WA) Was lights out in his start on Friday at MLK West, only needing 42 pitches to get thru three-innings and did not allow a hit or run while punching out 8.  Migaki overwhelmed opposing hitters, running his fastball up to 86 and mixing in a firm breaking ball at 75-77 with 11-5 shape and depth.  The athletic 6-foot, 170-pound right-hander is the top ranked third base prospect in the state of Washington for the class of 2029, collecting a couple of hits in his five at-bats and drove in a run.  Excellent start to...
Press Release | Press Release | 1/16/2026

Perfect Game Hires Blakeley As Regional Dir.

Perfect Game Staff
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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME HIRES ERIC BLAKELEY AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR    Sanford, Florida (Friday, January 16, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the hiring of Eric Blakeley as a Regional Director. Blakeley brings more than two decades of experience in elite baseball and softball events, along with an accomplished background as both a collegiate and professional player.    Blakeley joins Perfect Game after building the highly respected Crossroads Baseball Series, where for more than 20 years he developed and operated baseball...
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