THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story | 6/10/2019

Super Regional Spotlight: Day 3

Photo: Drew Mendoza (Larry Novey)

Day 1 Spotlight | Day 2 Spotlight2019 Super Regional Preview | College Player Database

Moving On
Congratulations to Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Michigan and Mississippi State on advancing past the Super Regional round on Sunday, joining Louisville to have the opportunity to play for a national championship in Omaha. There are two spot remaining for the winners of Monday's deciding games between North Carolina and Auburn from the Chapel Hill Super Regional and Arkansas and Ole Miss from the Fayetteville Super Regional.



Drew Mendoza, Florida State
After enjoying a strong Regional round helping to propel Florida State past host Georgia in Athens, it seemed fitting that it would be Drew Mendoza to deliver the Super Regional clinching win against another SEC host, LSU, on Sunday. In doing so he gives legendary head coach Mike Martin one last opportunity to capture a national championship, something that seemed unlikely just two short weeks ago when the Seminoles were selected as one of the last teams to make it in among the final Field of 64.

Mendoza was profiled a week ago for his hitting exploits, a lefthanded slugger with a smooth swing that is tailor-made for driving balls over the right field fence. His game-winning, walk-off hit in this one was a clean single to right, enough to score Mike Salvatore from second base giving FSU their second win in as many games in Baton Rouge with the 5-4 victory.

Read more about Mendoza, who was ranked 62nd overall heading into this year’s draft and was taken in the third round, 94th overall, by the Washington Nationals, as part of our Day 1 Regional Recap here.


Tommy Henry, Michigan
What a gritty series win for Michigan, who once again flexed their pitching muscle in the form of their three weekend starters, Karl Kauffmann, Jeff Criswell and Tommy Henry. After profiling Kauffmann on Friday, who took a shutout into the ninth inning as part of a 3-2 Michigan win, it was Henry’s turn on Friday, giving up two earned runs on seven hits without giving up a walk while striking out six in seven strong innings as part of a 4-2 Omaha-clinching win. It is their first CWS appearance since 1984, their fifth appearance in a seven-year stretch.

Henry has been dealing with the flu this week and it was his changeup on this day that stood out among his three-pitch repertoire. The pitch sat in the low-80s and he pulled the string perfectly on the offering time after time to silence the UCLA bats.

Read our report from Henry last weekend during the Regional round, who on the very next day was selected 74th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks on the first day of the 2019 MLB Draft.

 
Tommy Henry Regional Report

 


Grae Kessinger, Ole Miss
The Ole Miss offense has been somewhat of a murderer’s row of sluggers, with big bat after big bat and that certainly was on display on Sunday as they beat SEC West foe Arkansas 13-5 to even the Fayetteville Super Regional at one game apiece. Third baseman Tyler Keenan, first baseman Cole Zabowski, catcher Cooper Johnson and shortstop Grae Kessinger all hit home runs in this game, and it was Kessinger that was the highest ranked of this group for the 2019 MLB Draft (Keenan isn’t eligible until next year).

Kessinger has long been known as a talented player, ranked 74th in the high school class of 2016 and a member of Ole Miss’ talented recruiting class that year. He got better and better each year for the Rebels and entered this year’s draft as the 133rd-ranked overall prospect. Here’s his pre-draft report:

College shortstops with histories of performance always tick up as we get closer to the draft and Kessinger is no exception to this trend. The big bodied, athletic shortstop is a rangy infielder with some wiry present strength and enough actions and instincts to pass up the middle at the next level. Kessinger’s performed very well in the SEC the last two seasons with an average well over .300, more walks than strikeouts and some sneaky power too.

Kessinger ended up going in the second round, 68th overall, to the Astros thanks to his talents both offensively and defensively. Read our more detailed report on Kessinger from our look in late April in our College Player Database here.



Josh Jung, Texas Tech
We covered Jung in Texas Tech’s Game 1 win over Oklahoma State in the Lubbock Super Regional, and he was at it again on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in an 8-6 win over Oklahoma State that helped to propel the Red Raiders to Omaha for the fourth time in six years. Be sure to read that feature, with links to other scouting reports from the season leading up to this year’s draft, here.


Austin Martin, Pat DeMarco, Vanderbilt
A pair of sophomores in the dangerous Vanderbilt lineup, Martin and DeMarco each had a pair of hits with three RBI, accounting for three of the team’s five home runs (Martin had two) in their Super Regional-clinching 13-2 win over Duke on Sunday. DeMarco was actually selected in this year’s draft as an age-eligible sophomore, but as a 17th-round pick (Yankees) everyone believes he’ll be back patrolling center field for the Commodores next season.

Martin was ranked 92nd in the high school class of 2017 and was drafted by the Indians in the 37th round that summer. He was named a Freshman All-American a season ago after slashing .338/.452/.414 with 22 stolen bases and added power to his game this year. He was the 47th-ranked sophomore prospect heading into this season and was ranked 75th overall for the 2020 draft last December, a placement that is sure to rise with our next 2020 draft update.

Read our detailed first-hand report on Martin here.


DeMarco was ranked 130th in the high school class of 2017, earning numerous accolades on the circuit largely thanks to his talents in the batter’s box. He was ranked 359th overall heading into this year’s draft and garnered this report as part of our preview content:

DeMarco is an age-eligible sophomore for the Commodores and has been an immediate contributor from the moment he set foot on campus in Nashville. What always stood out about DeMarco, going back to his prep days in Georgia, is his bat speed and feel for the barrel. The power is more strength driven and comes more due to the fact that he hits the ball extremely hard as opposed to hitting majestic shots. He fits nicely into a right field profile thanks to his arm strength and above average athleticism.

With the win Vanderbilt returns to the College World Series for the first time since they finished as the runner-up in 2015.





College | Rankings | 3/2/2026

College Top 25: March 2

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Three weeks in and we are beginning to see some separation across the country.  The quality and depth, or lack thereof, are becoming evident and the conference segment for several conferences starts up this weekend.  Midweek games continue to be a tossup and only the teams that are strong on both sides of the ball have been able to maintain momentum.  We have a new No. 1 in this week’s poll as UCLA (9-2) has already accumulated 5-wins against teams that are currently or were previously ranked in the Top 25.  With last weekend’s sweep of No. 17 Tennessee (8-3), Texas A&M (10-1) and No. 4 Mississippi State (11-1) at the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series, the Bruins leap now No. 2 LSU (11-1) and No. 3 Georgia Tech (11-1) to take over the top spot.  The Texas Longhorns (11-0) are up to No. 5 as one of only 3-remaining undefeated teams in the nation,...
High School | General | 3/2/2026

HS Showdown Scout Notes: Days 2-3

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
High School Showdown Event Page | High School Showdown Preview High School Showdown Scout Notes: Day 1 An extended look at ‘26 3B/RHP Coleman Borthwick (FL)… 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 8 K, 0 BB #PGShowdown @SWseahawks @Florida_PG @PG_Draft https://t.co/IHJFWFbn4T pic.twitter.com/I2izGcEdyA — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 28, 2026 Coleman Borthwick (2026, Freeport, Fla.) was excellent over the weekend, securing MVP honors and delivering one of the best starts of the event on the mound. At 6-foot-6, 255-pounds, Borthwick is an ultra-physical prospect and one of the top two-way prospects in the draft. The Auburn signee drew the biggest crowd of MLB scouts in attendance as there were around 50 or 60 so lined up behind home plate on Friday morning. Borthwick was nothing short of dominant, striking out eight hitters and...
High School | General | 2/27/2026

HS Showdown Scout Notes: Day 1

Tyler Russo
Article Image
High School Showdown Event Page | High School Showdown Preview ‘27 1B Frank Thomas (FL) goes liftoff once again for 2nd HR, again in the L on L. Leveraging w/ such easy juice. #PGShowdown @IMGABaseball @Florida_PG https://t.co/BgWiDyMiMo pic.twitter.com/IC6sdAkhmT — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 26, 2026 Frank Thomas III (2027, Sarasota, Fl.) was all over a breaking ball in the first inning of an IMG Academy offensive explosion, making it back-to-back-to-back homers to start the game. He did not turn back from there, homering on two more occasions. The ball explodes off the barrel with low effort strength and he showed the ability to manipulate the barrel to lift with authority. Thomas III is built strong and physical and he is just beginning to tap into that huge power upside. He showed no issues handling left on left matchups, with his first two homers coming...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 2/26/2026

PG Draft: Early Season Underclass Performers

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 RHP Dax Whitney, Oregon State (‘27 elig.) Whitney may not just be the best arm in next year’s class, he may be the best arm in the entire country right now. The right-handed sits 98 mph with the heater and has been up to 100 mph. Both the slider and curveball are plus offerings that he spins extremely well. Whitney will mix in a quality Gavin changeup that sits in the upper-80’s and has also introduced a new cutter. All the pitches come from the exact same release point and jump out of the hand. He...
High School | General | 2/26/2026

PGHS Showdown: Academies Scout Notes

AJ Denny
Article Image
Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) going WAY out to right. Rhythmic approach and smooth swing get into big time power. #Mountaineers commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/qyDaIPxIol — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) First live look at the left-handed hitting West Virgina commit. The power is real, launched two long homers in game action this weekend. Easy mover with very clean path with sky high offensive ceiling if he continues to show like this. Swing is built for power and lofted pull side impacts.    CJ Alfano (‘26 NY) long PS bomb this morning. Just leaning on everything that’s thrown over the heart. #WVU commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/4lGnhOEyrl — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Cj Alfano (‘26 NY)Just an impossible out throughout the weekend....
High School | General | 2/27/2026

SoCal High School Notebook: Feb. 27

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
5 K's over 4 hitless innings of work for Jared Grindlinger (2026), making first start as member of the 2026 class. 92-94 t95 w/ the FB, SL 80-83, CH 81-83, CB 77/78. Efficient outing, 50 pitches, 39 strikes. #PGHS @PG_scouting @PG_Draft @HBHS_basebll @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/y7jwX1oPyB — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) February 25, 2026 Jared Grindlinger, LHP, Huntington Beach High School (2026) Gringlinger’s first start as a member of the 2026 class was a good one… 4 innings of no hit ball with 5 strikeouts.  Ran the fastball to 95, lived 92-94, throwing a ton of strikes.  50 pitches on the day, 39 strikes, pretty much landing all four pitches in the zone.  Went to the slider early and often, quadrupling up on the slide piece to the first hitter of the game. The slider shows late lateral action with some vert, living 80-83.  Used...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/25/2026

Perfect Game Softball 16U Winter Elite Showcase

Dave Durbala
Article Image
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball 16u Winter Elite Showcase, February 20-22, 2026. Twenty-Four teams arrived in Springfield for the opportunity to showcase some of the best talent in the midwest. After 3 pool play games,  the field was split and seeded into either the Platinum or Gold Division to begin bracket play.  With several highly sought after young arms on display, it was Indiana Magic Gold 16U Carroll and Indiana Magic Gold 14U National making it into the Platinum Division Championship, and through a mutual agreement, they decided to end the tournament as Co-Champions. In the Gold Division, it was Gts 16u Elite-Gonzalez with a 7-2 win over Cedar Rapids Blue Devils 14u, to earn the championship. Below are some of the players that played their way onto the top performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from both the Platinum and Gold Divisions. Earning the...
College | Recruiting | 2/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: Feb. 25

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
A few weeks into the season and the shape of the national picture is starting to emerge (slightly, let’s get too silly about early results). Some preseason favorites are humming exactly as advertised, a few dark horses are pawing at the gate, and a handful of early contenders are discovering that February optimism and March reality are not always the same thing. Across DII, DIII and the NAIA, pitching staffs are setting the tone, offenses are either detonating or recalibrating, and the Top 25 is already beginning to feel less theoretical and more earned.   DII UT Tyler is performing as predicted with a 12-2 start that includes a series win at Angelo State. The Patriots’ offense has not exactly been knocking the cover off the ball, but the pitching staff has been stingy, holding opponents to a .228 batting average.  They have not faced a ranked opponent yet, but...
Juco | Rankings | 2/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: February 25

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another strong week for many of the top teams in junior college baseball. Walters State put together another undefeated weak and sticks in the top spot for the 3rd consecutive ranking. Chipola on the strength of a 20-1 start has established themselves early as one of top teams in the country. Johnson County put together a 2nd consecutive undefeated week and moves into the top 5 with a 15-1 overall record. They will play 4 games against #22 Iowa Western this week who is also coming off an undefeated week. Fresno City (15-0) and Midland (13-0) are two undefeated programs to begin 2026. They have gone from not in the preseason top 25 to the top 15 in our rankings in less than a month. And welcome to the PG Juco Top 25 Cloud County (KS) who debuts at #23 and is coming off a huge 3 game sweep on the road in Texas of a previous top 10 program in our rankings. Plenty of good matchups ahead this...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/24/2026

Perfect Game Softball February Frenzy

Dave Durbala
Article Image
BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game February Frenzy, February 20-22, 2026.  Twenty-two teams, representing five states, rolled into town for the opportunity to compete in this pool play, then into bracket play, with four games guaranteed,  in both a 14u and 18u division. Taking home top honors in the 14u division was Midwest Sluggers 11, who held off a late charge by the Black Dragons , winning 7-5. In the 18u division, it was Nebraska Gold 319 Berning topping Iowa Gold Prospects 4-0, avenging a pool play opening, 1-0 loss. Below are some of the players that played their way onto our Top Performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from the championship bracket in each age division. 14U Division Earning the 14u division MVP award was Presley Perkins (2030 Taylor Ridge, IL) who although is listed as a switch hitting OF, was only observed hitting from the left side for tournament...
Loading more articles...