THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,405 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,405 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 5/31/2019

From the Midwest to the Southeast

Cory Van Dyke
Photo: Kendall Diggs (Perfect Game)

MARIETTA, Ga. – There are a multitude of teams from the southeast in the field at the 2019 Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational this weekend. However, one team made the 800 mile trek from Overland Park, Kansas to the Marietta, Georgia area. 

It’s the Royals Scout Team 16u squad. Led by head coach Shon Plack, the Royals are associated with the Kansas City Royals major league team where the best players from the midwest in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are put together for a training opportunity.

“We’re trying to prepare these kids with more than just the exposure, but also with the development piece to baseball,” Plack said. “We have a 15 and a 17-year-old team as well. Our 17-year-old team will be down here, and it’s more geared towards our draft class. This team is really a developmental, committed, high-end players in our region to be able to get them to that 17-year-old age group.”

The team is put together using midwest area scouts and word of mouth from players. One glance at the current roster for the Royals Scout Team 16u team, and it quickly becomes apparent that it’s littered with the top ranked players of the 2021 class in those four aforementioned states.

For Plack, though, that talent on the field is just one part of the equation. The other part is the off the field requirements that come with the travel from crossing multiple states.

“We believe that the player development has a lot to do with player management,” Plack said. “When we can get out of town and have these kids manage themselves, instead of being an individual, they’re more of a team when they can get out of town. They have to be on time for meals. They have to be on time for game times. They do their laundry, so there’s a lot of player management that goes on, and we can get out of town and get on the road and be a team. 

“There’s a lot of upside to more than just developing the game. These young men have to take care of some stuff on their own and know how to do that before they get to pro ball or to college.”

The glue that holds the team together both on and off the field is third baseman, Kendall Diggs. Diggs is the No. 1 ranked player in the 2021 class in Kansas. He’s now in his third year of playing with the 16u squad for the Royals Scout Team. 

So far through two games in the tournament, Diggs is 4-for-6 with two singles, a double, a triple and four RBIs out of the two-hole. He’s uses a smooth lefthanded swing to spray line drives to all parts of the park.

“I’m just trying to stay patient and stay up the middle,” Diggs said. “I usually get in trouble when I’m trying to pull, pull, pull.

“The competition down here is a lot better than it is up in KC. It’s really fun coming down here with all of our friends playing.”

For Diggs, his presence extends far beyond than just the ability that he presents at the dish and at the hot corner. Over the past three years with the Royals Scout Team, he’s aware of everything that entails the program.

“He was doing this as a 14 year old,” Plack said. “He’s kind of a vet in all of this, and he’s very well put together not just on the field, but he takes care of himself off of the field as well with nutrition and sleep and just how he manages his daily routine. He brings that experience to the other guys that this may be new for.”

On the mound for Friday afternoon’s 10-2 triumph over BigStix Gamers 2022 was Zachary McKinnis. The 6-foot-2, 182-pound righthanded hurler tossed all five innings, surrendering three hits, two runs, and one walk while striking out four batters.

McKinnis, a Missouri commit, is the No. 5 overall player from the Show Me State.

“I felt pretty good,” McKinnis said. “It was first outing of the year. My curveball was really working for me early, and kind of later my fastball. 

“It’s a great experience. Our whole team is like brothers, kind of like family… It’s just a blast to come down and play the best competition we can.”

Plack noted that it wasn’t the low- to mid-80s fastball or the sweeping curveball that impresses him the most about McKinnis, but his cerebral approach when he takes the bump.

“Zach McKinnis is academic and he’s a competitive guy,” Plack said. “That’s a great mixture and the stuff that we’re looking for for our kids. He picks up and learns quickly.”

And so the two month grind for the Royals has officially begun with a 2-0 start in pool play. It’s a model that not only takes a large chunk of commitment from the players to participate in the long travel distances, but also the parents who allow their sons to embark on the experience for the summer while traveling at times with them along the way.

“We have good buy in all the way up and down,” Plack said. “The parent piece of this is just let us have your kids for two months, and they turn their kids over to us. That’s the commitment that’s probably the biggest is trusting us with their son. It doesn’t go overlooked.”

It’s the team-aspect of baseball that the Royals emphasize throughout the entire process. Each player on the roster is one of the best 16-year-olds from their respective states, but it takes a cohesive unit to come together and compete at a high level in the Perfect Game tournaments like the Royals have been able to do in the past.

“We have to make sure we’re having these kids be better all-around baseball players instead of just the showcase tools that we can show off at any showcase,” Plack said. “We need to be the competitive team that the skills present.”

The Royals Scout Team really are a travel organization unlike many others. It’s a wild ride for these players in another summer they’ll never forget.

“It’s an honor,” Diggs said. “It’s a blast. I love it every summer.”
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 4/9/2026

Don't Boot the Loot Scout Notes
Cam McElwaney
Article Image
‘30 UTL Chase Jelks (GA) lifts this one deep into the gap & rolls around the bags for a triple. Loose LH swing w/ feel to lift. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/leF4GMTawJ — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 4, 2026 Chase Jelks (2030, Atlanta, Ga.) put together a great weekend for The Dream 14u Black in their run to a championship game appearance, hitting .444 with two triples and a double along with three RBI. He controlled the zone throughout the event in the box and finished with a 6:1 BB:K ratio because of it while also swiping five bags as well. It was a strong showing for Jelks, something that’s becoming common this spring in PG events.    ‘30 MIF Cohen Carter (TN) hits this one on the screws into the gap for a triple. Functional & compact swing. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Tennessee pic.twitter.com/YVUfxbHBxx — Perfect Game...
Read More
Draft | Story | 4/10/2026

PG Draft: Favorite Position Group

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Every draft class has its strengths. Some years its a loaded group of prep infielders, some years its a deep collection of college arms. In this year’s class, certain position groups stand out above the rest to us. This week, the draft team dives into their favorite position groups. Groups that we believe are loaded with depth, upside, and big league potential. College Infielders It’s hard not to get excited about the crop of college infielders in this year’s class because of who is at the top. Roch Cholowsky alone makes the group exciting. He’s got gold glove potential at the next level and an offensive profile that should make him one of the Top 15 to 20 prospects in all of baseball the second he gets drafted. Justin Lebron is another player with as much upside in the class. He is a premium athlete that can really pick it at short and has big upside with the...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 4/10/2026

Perfect Game and vivenu Partner Up

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME PARTNERS WITH VIVENU TO POWER DIGITAL COMMERCE ACROSS YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL    Sanford, Florida / New York, New York (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, has selected vivenu as its ticketing and commerce partner to unify revenue operations across its tournament ecosystem.    With 1.6 million tickets sold annually, 9,800 events in 40+ states and an immense social footprint, Perfect Game has built the most influential pipeline in amateur baseball. The organization has produced over 2,200 MLB alumni, and...
Read More
General | Blog | 4/10/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
What Do Barry Zito, Justin Verlander, Trevor Bauer, and Dallas Keuchel All Have in Common? By Ron Wolforth | Texas Baseball Ranch® | PG Arm Care Take a second and think about the question posed in the title before you read on. Four Cy Young Award winners. Four of the most decorated pitchers of their generation. What's the common thread? The first answer is obvious… they all won the most prestigious individual award in pitching. Most of you probably got there immediately. The second answer is less obvious… they all trained at the Texas Baseball Ranch® at some point in their development. Interesting, maybe, but not the point of this article. The third answer is the one I really want you to sit with, because it has direct relevance to your career right now: they all move completely differently. And they all attack hitters completely differently. Don't rush past that....
Read More
College | Story | 4/9/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 6 POY Deep Dive

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
I’m beyond thrilled to be a contributor to Perfect Game, widely recognized as the premier organization for amateur baseball. Working in baseball operations for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves for nearly 20 years, the importance of amateur baseball cannot be understated. Nobody does it better and I am honored to be working with great baseball people like Jered Goodwin, Vinnie Cervino, Craig Cozart, and many others.  Each week I huddle with Vinnie and Craig to discuss Top 25 rankings and Players of the Week. In "Coppy’s Corner", I will dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level. My hope is that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.  Player of the Week: Andrew Williamson – University of Central Florida (UCF)  Williamson can flat-out hit. While...
Read More
High School | General | 4/10/2026

High School Notebook: April 10

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
You like 6-foot-9 lefties up to 100 mph? 2026 Brody Bumila (MA) was electric in season opener, super easy upper-90s, multiple 100s. Easy operation w/ simple delivery despite size. Punched out 9 over 3, double digit whiffs. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/BChMhKIIhO — Perfect Game New England (@PG_NewEngland) April 2, 2026 Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan (MA), Class of 2026 He's 6-foot-9, 18 years old, left-handed and was up to 100 mph (upwards of 3 times on some guns) in his first start of the year in low-30 degree temperatures. That's really all you need to know. Oh, and the opposing team arrived 40 minutes late. Coming off a state-championship run in basketball, Texas signee Brody Bumila made his first start of the spring on April 2nd and didn't disappoint in front of at least 40 scouts packed tightly together behind the backstop.  Knowing it was going to be a quicker look given...
Read More
Juco | Story | 4/8/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 8

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
Another week of conference play down and Johnson County continues there tear through the spring of 2026, they retain the top spot with Gaston nipping their heels at number 2 for the third consecutive week. McLennan jumps up to number 3 with a big series sweep over rival Texas powerhouse, Weatherford. Out west, Cochise just keeps rolling in the desert and California looks to be hotly contested all the way down the final stretch. A couple of debut appearances down the board with Harford, CCF, and Linn Benton all earning their spot on our top 25 for the first time in the first week of April. So many great records out there it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out with so many teams vying for seeding and conference championships on this final stretch run. Rank Team Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 38-2 2 Gaston (NC) 38-3 3 McLennan (TX) 29-7 4 Chipola (FL) 34-7 5 Walters State (TN)...
Read More
College | Rankings | 4/8/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 8

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
We are past the midpoint of the college baseball season and the stakes are rising by the week. Conference races are tightening, schedules are getting harder, and the résumés that will matter in the selection room are being written right now — one series at a time. This week's most significant development came in Division II, where North Greenville swept Young Harris in three consecutive one-run games to claim the top spot for the first time this season, knocking Tampa from a perch they've held most of the year. It's a genuine changing of the guard at the top, and it's exactly the kind of shakeup that makes this stretch of the season worth paying close attention to. Across all three divisions the picture is coming into focus. In Division I NAIA, Georgia Gwinnett remains the standard while Taylor and Cumberlands continue to make their cases from behind. In Division III,...
Read More
High School | General | 4/7/2026

Iowa Spring League Notes: Week 1

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Brooks Mitchell-Birdsell (2027, Atkins, Iowa) was solid on both sides of the ball this weekend. He was able to show a clean move working into it, with the feel to impact it out in front and drive hard through contact. He had good barrel accuracy with feel to drive the ball well, especially working pull-side. He was 4-for-8 on the weekend with a double to his credit, driving in 7 runs as well. Mitchell-Birdsell also put together a good outing on the mound, delivering 2 innings of scoreless work with 3 punchouts. He worked the low 80s with some run, flashing a mid-70s curveball with good 11-5 shape and depth.  Maddux Mueller (2026, Amana, Iowa) LH bat with plenty to like in the batter’s box, and he put together a solid showing this weekend. He finished 2-for-3 with a double, demonstrating both contact ability and the capacity to drive the baseball for extra bases. Mueller...
Read More
College | Story | 4/7/2026

College Players of the Week: April 7

Craig Cozart
Article Image
April 7th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Andrew Williamson, OF, UCF  The UCF Knights (20-9) are coming off one of their biggest series victories in years when they went to Morgantown and took down the Mountaineers to take control of the Big 12 regular season standings.  The offense put on quite the performance and Andrew Williamson set the tone by leaving the yard in his first at-bat of the weekend launching a towering home run over the centerfield wall.  The 6-0/195 lefty from St. Petersburg, FL has one of the sweetest strokes in the college game today and when he goes, so do the Knights.  In the 3-game series, the junior collected 6 hits in his 10 at-bats, scoring 6 runs, on 5 walks, a double and he launched 3 home runs all told.  While he had a stretch earlier in the season where he was searching for his stroke a bit, he is getting locked in at the...
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.