Youth Baseball | General | 9/14/2022
2023 PG Invitational Dates, Locations Set
Perfect Game Staff
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. -- Perfect Game Youth has set the dates of the 2023 Perfect Game Invitational National Championships, with the tournaments set to be played at Snowden Grove Park in Southaven, Miss. To qualify for the Perfect Game Invitational National Championships at the 8u-12u age groups, teams must win a Super Regional NIT tournament or finish in the top-15 of last year's Perfect Game travel ball rankings. Week 1, which will feature the 8u, 10u, and 11u age groups, will be played from July 5-11. The 8u kid pitch tournament guarantees five games for your team, while the 9u age group and above all guarantee six games. Week 2 will host the 9u and 12u Perfect Game Invitational National Championships from July 11-17. The 13u event will take place from July 7-11 at Premier Baseball in Tomball, Texas. Semifinals and championship games at each age level will be broadcast live on...
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7/29/2026
"Excel"ling Through the Hoover Classic
Kinley Kitchens
After a long summer of baseball, Excel Blue Wave National had one final opportunity to end it the way every team hopes to. Together, having fun, and as champions. Excel Blue Wave National closed their summer with a 13-9 victory over Excel Blue Wave American – Morrison to capture the 2026 16U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship. In a game that required contributions throughout the lineup and seven innings of competition, the Excel Blue Wave National relied on the same qualities and approach that had carried the group all summer. With talent, perseverance and a chemistry built far beyond the baseball field, they were unstoppable. For head coach Brennan McCullough, there couldn’t have been a much better way for his players to finish their final weekend together . “It’s great,” Coach McCullough said. “We’ve had a long...
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7/29/2026
16u West WS Scout Notes: Days 3-4
Quinton Hall
16u West World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Jason Lizotte (‘28 | NV) Smooth LHH, hunts pitches down in the zone he can rip to the middle & PS w/ a downhill & direct path. Some strength in the hands w/ feel for the barrel #PGWS pic.twitter.com/kbK5Ayvhd7 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 27, 2026 Jason Lizotte (2028 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-9, 145-pound left-handed hitter and outfielder was a spark plug all weekend for MTBA Dawgs 2028, finishing with seven hits, eight runs scored, one double, one triple, four RBI, three stolen bases, and four walks without a strikeout. Lizotte refused to give away an at-bat, consistently working hitter’s counts before spraying line drives all over the field. The left-handed swing stays short and direct with plenty of feel for the barrel, and once he reached base, he immediately put pressure on the defense with...
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7/29/2026
SBA Sox Save Best for Last
Kinley Kitchens
Sometimes the best ending comes after a season of figuring things out. For SBG Sox American, the summer wasn’t always seamless. The team spent their early weeks learning where players fit best, building chemistry and searching for the combination that would allow them to play their best baseball. By the final weekend, they found it. SBG Sox American closed their summer with a 7-5 victory over Dirtbags Midsouth 2027 Black to capture the 2026 17U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship, putting together one final winning performance in the last tournament this group would share this summer. For SBG Sox Coach Cooper Williams, that made taking home the championship trophy even more meaningful. “It’s been great, especially for it being their last summer event,” Coach Williams said. “It’s really cool for them to kind of pull this thing out for...
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7/29/2026
17u World Series Scout Notes: Days -3-5
Perfect Game Staff
17u World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Lukas Waite (‘27, CA) showed LOUD stuff out of the pen. 6-2/205 frame. High-end athlete on the mound. FB sat 92-95 (T96). SL at 80-82 generated uncomfortable whiffs #PGWS @California_PG @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXaVxqA2kv — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 27, 2026 Lukas Waite (2027, San Diego, Calif.) came out of the pen on day four and showcased the loudest stuff out of the entire event. The recently named PG All-American ran the fastball up to 96 mph and sat 92-95 mph throughout the outing. A slider at 80-82 mph was lethal. It tunnels well off the heater and gets uncomfortable whiffs often. Waite features a 6-2, 205-pound frame that moves extremely well. There is supreme athleticism throughout the delivery that stands out. The upside is extremely high and will be sure to draw heavy draft interest during this...
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7/29/2026
Victorino & Girardi Tabbed PGAAC Managers
667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SHANE VICTORINO AND JOE GIRARDI NAMED MANAGERS FOR PERFECT GAME DICK'S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC AT CITIZENS BANK PARK Former Phillies Stars to Lead Nation's Top High School Baseball Players on August 16 in Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Wednesday, July 29, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that former Phillies All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino and former Phillies manager Joe Girardi will serve as managers for Team East and Team West, respectively, at the 2026 Perfect Game DICK'S All-American Classic, taking place on Sunday, August 16, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa. Joining Girardi and...
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7/28/2026
Coppy's Corner: July 28 Summer Edition
John Coppolella
The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role. It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it. Player of the Week: Blake Schaaf – Bourne Braves Schaaf had a big week, going 12-for-22 (.545 AVG) with 3 Doubles, 4 Stolen Bases, and 9 Runs Scored. It’s been the continuation of a terrific summer for the...
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7/28/2026
Co-Champs Crowned at 15u WWBA
Will Dembo
Following a jam-packed week of competition in East Cobb, Georgia, at the 15u WWBA National Championships, East Coast Ghost '29 National and eXposure 15u National were crowned co-champions after inclement weather prevented the championship game from being played. Both clubs completed the tournament undefeated behind dominant pitching and explosive offensive performances on their way to the title. "Couldn’t be more proud of this group," East Coach Head Coach Mike Valerio said. "The amount of work that went into this moment is something no one sees. The countless team and individual practices, workouts, mindset calls and time put in makes this moment even more special. The summer hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to, up to this point, but the boys never let it affect them. We just always said we need to get back to our team standard, which is “make the routine play”....
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7/28/2026
16u West World Series Notes: Days 1-2
Quinton Hall
Auron Blackledge (2028 | Agoura Hills, CA) The 5-foot-11, 165-pound right-handed hitter and middle infielder is off to a great start in the 16U West World Series for TPA National, grabbing seven hits, one double, two triples, three runs scored, three RBI, two stolen bases, and five walks without recording a strikeout. Blackledge consistently controlled his at-bats while finding the barrel, showing advanced bat-to-ball skills and the ability to work gap-to-gap. His disciplined approach and ability to use all fields makes him one of the most consistent offensive performers to start the weekend. Noah Casale (‘28 | AZ) goes a perfect 3 for 3 for Swarm Red Elite National 2028. Athletic frame, negative toe-tap trigger, strength in the hands w/ speed thru the zone + MOF approach #PGWS pic.twitter.com/cWg2hiY2io — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 24, 2026 Noah Casale...
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7/28/2026
17u World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2
Perfect Game Staff
Derek Arold (‘27,AZ) helps himself out squaring one up to the pull side for a knock. Posted a 3-for-3 day at the plate with 3 RBI. He’s the #13 ranked 1B in the state. Have a day young man. #PGWS https://t.co/qcvdwFgLTK pic.twitter.com/7egKe8fVO8 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 23, 2026 Derek Arold, LHP/1B, Chandler, AZ. Stacked Arizona (2027) A physical left-handed two-way presence who stood out. On the mound he delivered a 3-inning complete-game no-hitter, punching out six while walking two. Fastball topped 90 mph with solid pitchability. Mixed a usable curveball/slider combo in the 76-78 mph range that generated swings and misses. Arm works cleanly from the left side with feel for sequencing and the ability to expand the zone. At the plate he was locked in, going 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and driving a ball hard to the pull side. Shows noticeable strength...
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7/28/2026
D1 College Championship Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
‘28 OF Nick Morrow (OH) has now homered in three straight games.. 8-for-14, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs & 1.929 OPS🔥 #D1Champ @Nick_Morrow18 @OhioHeat2028 https://t.co/Swl0eHXRB3 pic.twitter.com/NIMGf1och2 — Jordan Gates (@JGatesPG) July 24, 2026 Nick Morrow (2028, Liberty Township, Ohio) took home MVP honors after a blistering week at the plate. Morrow collected nine hits in the 21 at-bats, driving in 12 runs, and at one point had a three-game home run streak. It was a good way to end the summer to say the least. It’s a short, direct swing path with good feel for the barrel and bat speed. Morrow creates quality separation and gets good rotation around the front side. Keeps hands tight to the body and creates good leverage with the bat path. At 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, he will continue to gain strength as he is a notable two-sport athlete. Each time at the plate, there was a...