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Tournaments  | Story | 6/19/2019

NBS prepares for WWBA playoffs

Photo: Jake Gooch (Perfect Game)
MARIETTA, Ga. -- The 2019 WWBA 18u National Championship is quickly winding down, and at the end of Wednesday only six teams will remain. Nelson Baseball School will be one of those teams after winning Pool F this morning with a 4-1 triumph over Signature Park Thrashers.

Along the way, Nelson Baseball School has gone 6-0-1 in pool play, outscoring opponents 47-11. It’s their pitching that has carried them throughout the tournament thus far.

In the seven games, Nelson Baseball School has demonstrated their depth, using 13 pitchers who have combined for a 1.64 earned run average in the tournament. 

“We’ve got some pretty good arms,” head coach Brian Nelson said. “Guys have thrown strikes for the most part… We’ve done a pretty good job of just kind of competing and getting strikeouts when we needed it. They’ve really done a good job.”

In the midst of seven games in five days, Nelson has been forced to manage the workload of his pitchers in the hopes of setting up a championship run on Thursday. That mission has been accomplished so far as his big guns such as Zachary Maxwell, a Georgia Tech commit and 30th round selection by the New York Yankees, and Caswell Smith, a College of Charleston commit, are primed and ready to go.

“That’s what you really have to do is manage this stuff,” Nelson said. “That’s why Caswell and Zach, they threw two innings in their starts so they could come back tomorrow. Tres [Gonzalez] has thrown a couple innings, and Ethan Anderson, he’s going to Tennessee, hasn’t even thrown an inning yet for us. 

“I think we have some arms that if we can score some runs, we can do some damage tomorrow. It’s been good because we have a lot of pitchers. Our guys have really thrown a lot of strikes and it’s helped us kind of manage and do things to set up for tomorrow.”

Leading the charge offensively for Nelson Baseball School has been a pair of Georgia Tech pledges in Tres Gonzalez and Jake Gooch. 

Gonzalez, who was recently drafted in the 37th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, has set the tone atop the lineup with eight runs, nine hits, and nine stolen bases.

“I’m just seeing the pitches well,” Gonzalez said. “I just stick to my approach thinking left-center every time since I’m a lefty up at the box. Just seeing all the pitches well and squaring every ball up and it’s been working out for me.”

If Gonzalez is the spark plug igniting the offense from the lead-off spot, then Gooch has been the engine carrying the team from the middle of the order. Gooch enters bracket play with a whopping 11 hits and eight doubles for three RBIs. His adjustments at the plate have begun to pay dividends.

“I just changed up my approach because I came off Tommy John surgery,” Gooch said. “I’ve just been keeping my approach simple to center field and not trying to get too strong. I’ve just been driving the ball.”

For a team that’s filled with a bevy of talent on the mound, Nelson insists it’s the hitting that need to come alive if the team is going to make a title push tomorrow. With Gonzalez and Gooch leading the charge, Nelson Baseball School has the lineup capable of inflicting damage.

“It’s our bats,” Nelson said. “We’ve been hot and cold this week. We’ve scored some runs, but we haven’t been real consistent all the way through the lineup. I think if we can get some consistency and score some runs, I think we’ll be OK.”

Win or lose, the players for Nelson Baseball School are savoring the last summer together before heading off to college. For many of these players, they’ve been playing with Nelson for the past five or six years, making this final ride a cause for celebration.

“A lot of these guys have been together since they’ve been 12 or 13 years old,” Nelson said. “There’s just such a camaraderie with this group. They care about one another, and it’s just been something we’ve done. They wanted to play their last summer together, even the couple guys that got drafted, they wanted to come back and play this summer.”

So when Nelson Baseball School takes the field on Thursday attempting to win the 2019 WWBA 18u National Championship, whether the strong pitching or timely hitting occurs, it’s really that love for one another that could provide the impetus needed.

“It’s crazy to think because I’ve been on Nelson since 12u,” Gonzalez said. “It’s just the team I’ve only been on and truly loved. I’m going to take this for granted after, but hopefully we can win this thing and end it on a perfect note.”

Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2026

WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 2

Perfect Game Staff
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WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 Rhys Jones (2029, Mc Lean, Va.) was absolutely dominant on the bump to start off day 2 hanging an impressive 10 strikeouts in 5 innings. Running the heater up to 84 with arm side run and the breaking ball got swings and misses. The strike percentage stayed right over 55%, and he carried a no hitter into the 6th. Easy arm action with a high 3/4 slot and controls the move down the rubber.  Jevan McMenamy (2029, Fargo, N.D.) was all around solid today tallying two hits, an rbi, and a walk. In the box he works to the middle of the field in the approach and can elevate to all fields. Coils deep into the back hip and works through contact with strength. Quick feet around the bases and the barrel is fast.  Khian Escalana (2029, Ankeny, Iowa) was a heavy producer in this one collecting three hits, two of those being doubles. Also drove in three RBIs...
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Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 LHP AJ Minderman (IL) works 5 stellar innings to finish what he started. He punched out 7 and was efficient in the zone. FB 75-78 CH 70-71 SL 69-71. Used Offspeed pitches as a weapon and in all counts. #WCFClassic pic.twitter.com/fpeRs3AK7k — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) September 21, 2026 AJ Minderman (2028, Geneva, Ill.) a 6-foot-1, 140-pound left-handed pitcher worked all five innings of his game on Sunday in impressive fashion. He punched out seven opposing hitters and allowed no runs. He showed great composure with runners aboard, stranding anyone who reached. He worked out of the stretch with a big leg kick and did a nice job of working downhill on the mound. The fastball was 75-78 mph and he used it heavily to the glove side. He kept the fastball down early and set hitters down by throwing it at the top of the zone. His changeup (70-71 mph) was used as his...
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WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1

Perfect Game Staff
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'29 CIF Benjamin Mills (FL) absolutely loses this baseball across the street for a loud HR (101 EV/424'). Huge juice w/ ball explodes coming off. #WWBAWorlds @Florida_PG @PSTeams_ pic.twitter.com/0WUgIqyr6t — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) September 25, 2026 Benjamin Mills (2029, Miramar, Fl.) showed off some extremely impressive juice in the 8 PM match. The corner infielder blasted an absolute no-doubter out to left field, exploding off of the barrel and soaring deep into the night sky. The ball came off with a 101 MPH exit velocity and traveled 424 feet, bouncing across the street. Mills is built extra strong and physical, creating easy strength. The impact upside is significant and it should be fun to track how the power continues to develop. '29 SS Todd Dulaney (IL) crushes this ball off the LF fence for a loud 2B (93 EV). Simple parts & the impact comes easy....
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Perfect Game Staff
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Joshua Digulio (2027, Mont Belvieu, Texas) was a breakout performer for Texas Brigade 2027 - Gafford. Went 10-18 with a pair of doubles and a home run, while plating nine runs. Also showed some serious flashes defensively behind the plate. Physical frame with plenty of bat speed. Flatter bat path with a pull-side approach, geared towards backspinning with authority. Athletic backstop with tons of offensive upside. Dylan Buck (2027, Friendswood, Texas) put on a show for Up Top Prospects. Drove in 11 runs while going 5-11 with a pair of triples and a multi home run game on Saturday. Loose actions with a strong lower half. Adjusts well and generates plenty of torque as he works uphill. Serious power upside on display this weekend with more in that physical frame. Clyde Votaw (2027, Texas City, Texas) had a quality outing on the bump for Up Top Prospects. The Angelina College commit threw a...
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2026 PG Softball Twin Cities Elite Scouting Showcase September 19th, 2026 Ashley Mears BLAINE, MN- Rain may have shortened the weekend but it didn’t shorten the competition. The tournament was STACKED with some of the top teams from South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The 16u division came down to Midwest Speed 16U Nat’l Chell taking home the trophy and shutting out a tough MN Sting National-Makela team. The 18U division came down to Midwest Speed 18u Nat’l Koltes loaded team out slugging Mission 18u National. 16U Taitum Kostecka (2028 Princeton, MN) of Midwest Speed 16U Nat’l Chell was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year. Kostecka is a speedy left-handed power hitter who is one of the toughest outs around, as she did not strike out a single time throughout the weekend. Starting in an open stance, she uses a...
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Perfect Game Staff
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William Woody (2031, Charlotte, NC) stands at 5-foot-8, 106 pounds with an athletic build and a lean, developing frame. Shows good quickness and body control with room to add strength and size as he matures. Bats and throws right-handed and plays shortstop. Shows good feel for the barrel and consistently squares up the baseball. Shows good balance and timing throughout the swing. Woody went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs for a solid day at the plate. Wade Alphin (2032, La Grange, NC) stands at 5-foot-7, 140 pounds, with a compact, athletic build. Shows good body control and coordination with a solid frame and room to add strength and size. Bats and throws right-handed and is a versatile utility player. Shows a line-drive approach with a strong base in the box and developing power. Makes consistent contact and stays disciplined at the plate. Alphin went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs, putting together a great...
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Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 68

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Are You Fixated on the Wrong Variable? Why Pitch Count Alone Was Never Going to Prevent Arm Injuries   You know a family this happened to. You might be one. They did everything right. They followed the pitch count. They honored the rest days. They tracked innings. They sat him when the chart said sit. They were the parents who spoke up when a coach wanted one more inning in a bracket game. And he got hurt anyway. I've been working with throwers for a long time, and that conversation is the one I have quite often… A parent sitting across from me genuinely bewildered because they followed the rules and the rules did not work. They usually assume they missed something. Most of the time they didn't. They managed exactly what they were told to manage. The problem is that what they were told to manage is one variable out of four.   The Uncomfortable Part First   Throwing...
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2027 Draft: Prep Demographic Breakdown

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The 2027 MLB Draft cycle is still in its early stages, but the overall makeup of the class is beginning to come into focus. With the first version of our Top-100 board out, we took a closer look at positional demographics from both college and prep players within the class.  Let’s kick things off with a deep dive into the prep class.  Prep Right-Handed Pitchers  Top Ranked Players: George Ferguson, Abilene (TX) | Brogan Witcher, Liberty (CA) | Ethan Gustus, Roseville (CA) | Cullen Scott, Melissa (TX) | Striker Pence, Corona (CA) | Samir Mohammed, Tampa Jesuit (FL) Potential Sleepers: Brennan Neal, Brookstone (GA) | Andrew Carlson, Trinity Classical Academy (CA) | Calum Andersen, Vauxhall Academy of Baseball (CAN) | Gavin Henderson, Boiling Springs (SC)    High speed look at the FF-CH from '27 RHP George Ferguson (TX)... #PGAAC @Texas_PG...
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Northeast Qualifier Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Another day, another Gavin Greene (‘28 GA) barrel as the @AuburnBaseball commit is now hitting well over .500 on the event #NEQ<ahref="https: pg_scouting?ref_src="twsrc%5Etfw'">@PG_Scouting @PG_Georgia https://t.co/Lf6G8AExjB pic.twitter.com/LFMueYHMxB</ahref="https:> — Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic (@PGMidAtlantic) September 14, 2026 Gavin Greene (2028 Alpharetta, GA) played a major factor in AZ Diamondbacks Scout’s Championship run, finishing his weekend with a .528 AVG and 7 RBI. The 5-foot-11, 175 pound Auburn commit was simply a hit machine regardless of who was on the mound, showcasing the ability to handle velo with ease and repeat the stroke at a high level. Starting from a narrow and upright, slightly open base, Greene does a great job of working directly to the point of impact with consistent hard line drive impact to the pull side of the field. He...
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Troy Sutherland
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With the season upon us, let's take a minute to look at 100 of the biggest impact players who played at the JUCO level last year and have since transferred to a D1 program for the upcoming spring.  RK Name JUCO in 2025 DI in 2026 1 Ryan Bradford Johnson County TCU 2 Carson Bailey McLennan Texas Tech 3 Kameron Yearsley John A. Logan  Oklahoma 4 Holden Pantier Walters State Georgia Tech 5 Caden Davidson Gaston Florida 6 Anthony Quigley Northwest Florida Oklahoma 7 Walt Jones Weatherford Kansas 8 Colin Coonradt Johnson County West Virginia 9 Collin Smith Cochise Kansas 10 Ned Frutchey Sac City Arkansas 11 Hayden Blair Walters State Georgia 12 Parker Ishee Co-Lin Oklahoma 13 Coy Clements Pearl River Florida State 14 Griffin Rardin Shelton State Alabama 15 Jordan Martinez Gulf Coast State Florida State 16 Noah Bentley Weatherford Oklahoma 17 Kole Fenton Walters State North Carolina...
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