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Tournaments  | Story | 7/29/2019

17u PGWS: Day 4 Scout Notes

Gabe Ortiz
Steve Fiorindo
Vincent Cervino
Connor Spencer
Photo: Masyn Winn (Perfect Game)

17u PG World Series Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3



Tensions were high as the playoffs began with the Gold bracket on day four of the 17u PG World Series. TB SoCal Cowboys just edged out CBA Marucci National 3-2 as Cal State Fullerton commit and primary infielder Jacob-Thomas Navyac (2020, Honolulu, Hawaii) proved that the Titans could confidently work him into their bullpen someday. Navyac has a lengthy feel to his medium to large frame and his shorter arm action is whippy up to a three-quarters slot. His fastball sat 87-89 while touching 90 mph and when thrown across body possesses some cutting action. A promising sign regarding his arm durability is the fact that he never really dipped under 87 mph throughout his four innings pitched. Navyac’s breaking ball is a 10-to-4 shaped slider that is a solid pitch when thrown with conviction to the back foot of lefties or down and away from righties, however, he didn’t get any hitters to chase it during his outing. There are some inconsistencies to the pitch as sometimes it feels like a slow cutter, and at some points feels like a true out pitch with a slight hump on its way to the plate before falling off the table. In the second he lost a feel for the strike zone and started playing around with his release point to find again. However, he showed poise in getting out of the jam with minimal damage and continued to give his team a chance to win. Overall, he’s extremely efficient on the mound and just needs some help on developing his secondary pitches to miss more bats.



Oregon commit Jack Haley (2020, Mission Viejo, Calif.) was perfect at the plate for TB SoCal Cowboys going 3-for-3 with an RBI against CBA Marucci National. Going into his senior year at Capo Valley High School, it looks like Haley has simplified his high leg kick trigger and weight shift in the box, and his swing feels more balanced because of it. Haley gets great shoulder rotation as his barrel path works down and gets on plane quickly before coming through the zone. His hands still work great to the baseball, and his approach at the plate continues to mature. Haley shows present athleticism at short, making a stellar, run-saving play by receiving and throwing opposite of his momentum to home plate on a first and third play. Haley continues to improve his game as the summer has gone on and scouts can only assume that trend will keep rolling into his senior season.



What a game and what a finish it was between Canes National 17 and BPA 17u. Canes walked it off in the bottom of the seventh with the after-time limit tie-break rule in place. (Teams begin the inning with the bases loaded and one out). No. 1-ranked 2020 catcher in South Carolina and UNC commit Tomas Frick (2020, Greenville, S.C.) smoked a double into left in his first at-bat and showcased his strong arm behind the plate on multiple occasions. Frick does a nice job of beating the baseball to a spot with his blocking and possesses constant awareness of the game. At the plate he has inverted feet and an upright slightly crouched stance. As he goes into his load, he shifts his weight back onto his instep and virtually pauses with a long toe tap before striding forward into his launch. His hands barely move if at all into his load which keeps things simple and consistent for him. The only problem with all of this is the tendency to start and stop his swing if his timing isn’t perfect. There isn’t a ton of flow from his load into his launch, thus, losing the tension and momentum created from the load itself. This is something that he can work on at the next level though, as he’s a fantastic ballplayer that the Tar Heels must be excited about.



Texas Tech commit Levi Wells (2020, Laporte, Texas) started the game for Canes National 17 going four innings, fanning eight while allowing one earned. Wells has a conventional motion with an over-the-top slot and linear drop-and-drive actions. His fastball has some downward angle when located down in the zone but for the most part is pretty flat to the plate. His fastball sat 90-93 mph and he was blowing it by hitters after setting it up with his curveball. When at its best, the curve has tight 11-to-5 shape and is a plus pitch with excellent depth and late bite. However, early in his outing he struggled to snap it off out in front and was consistently missing with it high and arm side, and at one point threw it over top of two hitters. Nonetheless, Wells continued to throw the pitch and finally found it after his first inning of work. Moreover, he’s not afraid to throw it back-to-back-to-back as it’s as much as a setup pitch for the fastball as it is an out-pitch to sit guys down. If his arm strength continues to mature into the mid- to upper-90s range then he can stick with the two-pitch mix and still have success.

Chase Hampton (2020, Kilgore, Texas) took over in relief for Wells and got Canes National 17 out of some crucial jams. Hampton has a long arm action from a three-quarters arm slot and his fastball has some serious life to it. He sat 91-93 while touching 94 mph through his three innings pitched and was extremely competitive on the mound. His fastball has some arm-side run when locating arm side and his low 11-to-5 slider is a plus pitch with great depth. Hampton was able to generate swings-and-misses when he needed them thanks to the slider. There’s still room for improvement as he sometimes telegraphs his slider with his arm action, but it’s still next-level ready right now.



In the silver playoff bracket, GBG Marucci 2020 Navy got a gem of an outing by interesting uncommitted southpaw Aidan Garza (2020, Ventura, Calif.). Garza is smooth and balanced through his motion with a mid-out wide leg kick that he’ll sometimes hold and kick out to throw off the timing of hitters. He has a longer arm action that does a nice job hiding the ball to righthanded bats, as he reaches back along his body line and he throws from a three-quarters arm slot, making it tough for lefties to get a good look as well because of the tough window. His motion begins slow and controlled and then explodes with hard drop-and-drive actions. His fastball sat 84-87 mph while touching 88 and it possesses a ton of random action. Sometimes it sinks, sometimes it runs and sometimes it cuts. Late in counts he’ll throw up and in to lefties with intent and he shows confidence in doing so. His breaking ball is an 11-to-5 shaped slider that has good late bite as it falls off the table. He throws a lethal combination to lefties with strikes, setting up a low-and-out slider with a high running inside fastball and vice versa. Garza will mix between a slide step and quick hanging leg lift with a runner on first base. He’s around 1.30 seconds to the plate on the slide step and around 1.60 to the plate on the leg lift. Garza went 5 1/3 innings allowing three hits while punching out five.



Uncommitted infielder Pablo Delgado (2020, Windermere, Fla.) has absolutely mashed for Power Baseball 2020 tacking on two more hits and his second home run of the tournament. Both homers have been out to left and he’s consistently generating backspin to his pull side. He has a tall, upright stance and holds the barrel just off his shoulder with a small and twitchy vertical bat wag. As his hands go back, he has a simple stride towards the mound and the first thing to fire is his hips which then lead the hands. His hands work down and through the zone and his shoulders rotate nicely to create a compact and flat plane. He really does a great job of using his lower half throughout and allowing his coil to create power in his swing. When he’s able to get his hands extended and catch the ball out in front, he can seriously hurt you with his power. Through four games he’s batting .500 with a 1.683 OPS.



In the late afternoon gold playoff quarterfinal, Rawlings Arkansas Prospects-Menard continued their magical run knocking off Performance Baseball Texas 17u 7-3. BYU commit Gavin Glasgow (2020, Little Rock, Ark.) is now hitting .417 heading into the semifinals of the PG World Series and has impressed with his quick hands and fluid stroke. Glasglow has a strong base with a pre backloaded stance that he waits to unload at his launch. Since his load is pretty much cocked before he strides, there truthfully is no load, and his simple small stride to the mound initiates his launch. Glasgow does collapse his back-side a bit, causing his plane to be slightly uphill, but he finds good extension through the zone with his hands. He has a really quiet swing that feels crisp and compact, and it will most definitely translate at the next level.

CCB National fell just short to the San Diego Show but leadoff hitter Steven Dong (2020, Redwood City, Calif.) had himself a nice day at the plate and has had himself a quality tournament hitting .357 with three doubles through his five games played. Dong has a wide crouched stance with a slow, methodical and vertical bat wag pre-pitch. As he goes back into his load, he slightly leans back, collapsing his backside and kicking out his front foot towards the mound. Once his front foot lands, however, his backside returns to standing tall and his low hands fire flat through the hitting zone. Dong could stand to improve his pop and the overall flow of his swing by simplifying his lean back load and adding some coil to his hands as well. Nevertheless, he feels handsy in the box and it’s a great foundation for any great hitter to build off of.



In the late afternoon silver playoff quarterfinal, Stanford commit Carter Graham (2020, Calabasas, Calif.) just missed a home run off the top of the left field wall against Playa Vista Orioles. Graham has an upright slightly open stance with very strong hands through the zone. His swing feels similar to Trey Amburgey of the New York Yankees. He really gets his backside through and stays very tall on his backside, even lifting his back foot off the ground at contact. He has a simple load with his hands and coils his upper half generating better tension between his upper and lower half. He’s a very projectable 6-foot-2, 200-pounds and the Cardinal can stick him either at third base or in the outfield. He’s a high ceiling type of player.

US Elite 17u National moved on to the semifinal in the silver playoff bracket largely in part to a big three RBI game by David Castillo (2020, Doral, Fla.). Castillo was 2-for-3 on his day and came up clutch when US Elite needed him. He has a very projectable, pro-ready frame at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, and although he shows athleticism to play multiple positions, he profiles as a first baseman or possible backstop. He has a tall upright stance at the plate with a slight toe-tap sway for rhythm pre-pitch. His high hands go straight back into his load as his barrel explodes down through the zone with force. Castillo swings a heavy stick and simply has to flick his hands at balls to get them to fly. He has plus power when he’s able to get into a ball and he has a pretty solid hit tool to pair with it. Castillo is a definite player to watch this upcoming season.

– Connor Spencer



Playoff day kicked off at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick and BPA outfielder Petey Halpin (2020, San Mateo, Calif.) had a big day at the plate and is one of the more well-known uncommitted prospects at this juncture. The lefthanded hitting outfielder has always been known for his barrel ability and knack for roping baseballs all over the field and he smoked two well-struck baseballs during the game today. Halpin is a good athlete and runner, he ran a 6.70 second 60-yard dash time at PG National and is a high-level defender in the outfield with some centerfield traits to go along with the actions. The bat will determine his ultimate upside on the draft and he keeps it compact and direct to the ball with good bat speed present. His hands start out a bit locked in the back but they’re quick and strong enough to get the barrel out and the swing plane is smooth with some loft and the ability to turn the barrel over and work to the pull side with some consistency. Halpin took an impressive two-strike swing on a sharp breaking ball that he laced to the pull side for a line drive single, this was also after he didn’t get time called and had to adjust to the pitch on the fly. He’ll likely commit to a major school as the summer winds down but he’s also firmly on scouts radar as a big draft prospect out of NorCal.



The San Diego Show opened the Gold Playoffs with a big victory and uncommitted righthander Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2020, Las Vegas, Nev.) was very strong on the bump and helped lead the Show to victory. Pasqualotto certainly looks the part of a high-end pitching prospect with a 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame with room to fill out and add strength moving forward. The delivery and arm action are both good, compact and simple with the ability to replicate his movements on a consistent basis throughout the start. He commanded the fastball to both sides of the plate nicely, there’s good feel for moving the ball around and pitching hitters differently, and the fastball topped out at 92 mph early before settling in the 88-90 mph range for the majority of the start. The pitch showed some cutting action at times but the entire operation projects nicely. Pasqualotto’s primary secondary pitch on the afternoon was his changeup and it worked in the 74-76 mph range with some good action to it; he also flashed a couple of breaking balls in the low-70s as the outing got toward the later innings. This was a good look at Pasqualotto who is firmly on the radar of both college coaches and pro scouts.



In what’s been a great week for the PG All-American Jordan Thompson (2020, Chula Vista, Calif.), who had a big day once again for the Show, collecting two hits which included a big fly and closing the game out with three strikeouts. Thompson is a tremendous athlete and he plays like a sprinting ball of quick twitch out there, really standing out for his defensive chops at shortstop. The footwork is exemplary and he really moves well to either side while showing an above average arm across the diamond too; that arm strength plays on the mound as Thompson closed out the first game of the day with three strikeouts, a fastball up to 91 mph, and feel for a tight breaking curveball. Thompson has a really smooth swing with loose wrists, natural loft to the plane, and bat speed to back it up. The ball jumps off the barrel nicely and he showed off the power in the first game after he launched a two-run shot to the pull side gap. Thompson is an electric presence on the baseball field and the combination of tools with the feel to hit standout and make the PG All-American an intriguing prospect to monitor for draft purposes.



Closing out the first win on the day for TB So Cal was righthander Paul Skenes (2020, Lake Forest, Calif.), and though he’s a secondary arm there’s a lot of potential on the mound that can be realized as he gets more reps and innings under his belt.

Sticks/NEB has two of the top 100 players in the country batting in the top three of their order as both Masyn Winn (2020, Kingwood, Tex.) and Ethan Long (2020, Gilbert, Ariz.) have impressed this week and offer intriguing upside from a draft perspective for next spring.



Winn is a very impressive athlete, listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds with very good quick twitch muscle and some wiry strength throughout. The Arkansas commit is a toolsy prospect with a plus arm across the diamond, he’s been up to 98 mph across the diamond in the past, and very good athletic actions over at shortstop; he showed off the cannon during the second game of the day as on a play at the plate he was clocked at 96 mph on a throw that would have gotten the runner had the catcher held on. He ranges to either side with good feel, the hands work extraordinarily well, and there’s good balance and instincts that all lead to the conclusion of his skill to stick at shortstop at the next level. There’s some excellent speed as well as he ran a 6.51 second 60-yard dash time at PG National and turned a 4.5 second time at first base. The swing is simple and compact throughout with good bat speed and a clean, line drive swing plane. The hands work well throughout Winn’s swing and at present the power is more gap-oriented. The offensive tools have made strides over the past few years and that combined with the excellent peripheral tools make him a fascinating draft prospect.

Long is an uber-physical 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect and he led the stat sheet from an offensive perspective with a 3-for-3 with some loud hits on the game. The primary third baseman has been a bit of a do-it-all type of player for the Sticks/NEB this tournament as he’s played some third, outfield, and even came in to pitch the final game on Sunday. The Arkansas commit has a very strength-based profile, and that’s evident when you see the impact he generates off the barrel of the bat. The bat speed throughout the swing and impact strength results in a lot of well-struck barrels and that was the case during most of the day with the barrel staying in the hitting zone nicely and getting some leverage when he gets his hands out in front. One such example was a scorched triple that sailed over the centerfielder’s head for his final hit of the day. His performance on the mound was also very loud as he sat 91-94 mph for two innings. Some scouts see Long as a potential arm down the line and the raw arm strength is extremely tantalizing. There’s some rawness obviously to the overall mechanical profile but the present velocity coupled with a breaking ball that shows potential make him a very intriguing prospect overall.



Hunter Owen (2020, South Portland, Maine) got the start for Sticks/NEB in their first playoff game of the day and he delivered with an excellent start for the team. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound lefthander is a physically imposing prospect with lots of moldable room for future strength to the profile. The Vanderbilt has a bit of a funky delivery with some herky-jerky to the motion but it allows him to rock into release and maintain momentum through the arm stroke at foot strike. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot that generates a good amount of sink and life on the fastball that worked mostly 86-89 mph, touching 90 mph a couple of times and 91 mph once. The fastball life allows him to generate weak contact for the most part and he attacked exclusively with fastballs through the first two innings. He mixed in a breaking ball that showed some spin and 12/6 shape in the low- to mid 70s. Consistency of his secondary pitches will be key to his development as he eyes the draft next June.

Showing some tools out of the leadoff spot for the Royals Scout Team this week was switch hitter Tavian Josenberger (2020, Kansas City, Mo.) who showed a compact, clean line drive swing from the left side of the dish. The Kansas commit has an athletic build with room left to project on the frame. There’s a level of comfort in the lefthanded batter’s box that allows Josenberger to show a direct path to contact and work line drives to all fields. He did a nice job at setting the table at the top of the lineup this week and he hit .417 over the course of the last week.



Canes starter Riley Eikhoff (2020, Bristow, Va.) turned in a terrific start in the quarterfinals to help the Canes advance to Monday and championship day at the PG World Series. Eikhoff was excellent over the course of a little over five innings with just one run allowed and five strikeouts. The uncommitted righthander is a bit undersized at a listed 5-foot-11, 175-pounds but he uses the most out of the frame, generating good drive and extension toward the target while being on time with the quick arm stroke. The fastball worked 88-90 mph early, settling in around the upper-80s, but the difference maker for Eikhoff was the slider and his ability to use the slider in correct counts. He tunnels the slider nicely to mimic the fastball while the slider shows hard, biting life. The pitch flashed above average on the day with very late bite and enough depth to get some ugly swings to righthanded pitchers and the slider just broke off the outer edge of the plate at the 80-82 mph range. Eikhoff’s slider is a difference maker and is more than enough to warrant a Division I scholarship for the uncommitted arm.

Impressing with his defensive ability behind the plate all week was catcher Cooper Ingle (2020, Asheville, N.C.) and the Clemson commit showed up offensively in a big way during the Canes’ quarterfinal victory. The lefthanded hitting catcher has a fairly compact swing with a flatter bat path and allows him to impact the ball with strength to all fields. Ingle had a couple of hard-hit barrels during the game including a double to the opposite field gap that was very well-struck. The defensive skills and arm strength were extremely impressive, however, as Ingle was an impact defender all week at the position. The arm is a very good tool, recorded up to 81 mph from behind the plate at PG National, and he showed it off early in the week with a backpick on a runner at first in the first game of the event. It’s been a good week for Ingle and there’s some definite draft intrigue as we head into the fall.



Starting for the Sticks/NEB in their second game of the day was Arkansas commit Nate Wohlgemuth (2020, Owasso, Okla.) and though he labored a bit toward the end of his start the early stuff showed why he’s an intriguing draft prospect out of Oklahoma for next spring. Wohglemuth’s pure stuff is very impressive as he’s listed at a strongly built 5-foot-11, 195-pounds and does throw with some effort. That being said, the loudness of his stuff allows him to miss bats and he did so early in the game, sitting 91-93 mph with the fastball through the first couple of frames with the fastball that showed good riding life up and to the arm side. The changeup was his dominant secondary pitch on the afternoon, topping out at 85 mph and flashing above average on a pitch that he recorded a strikeout on in the first inning. He drops his slot on the changeup but gets good sinking action on the pitch; he also showed a couple of soft breaking balls in the low-70s. There’s some room to improve as far as strikes and consistency of stuff goes, but Wohglemuth has good enough stuff to be effective especially during the early portion of games.



Despite only pitching 1 2/3 innings during this week, Marc Kenji Pallares (2020, San Gabriel, Calif.) was able to impress in abbreviated looks on two separate occasions over the course of the World Series and that included the final inning on Sunday. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound righthander is mostly arms and legs with an extremely high waisted frame and projection eminent throughout the build. The delivery is fairly simple, with a compact and clean arm stroke that he uses to get on top of his pitches effectively and create some downward angle upon entry to the strike zone. The fastball sat 90-92 mph over the course of both of his outings and the arm speed and physical projection imply that he’s going to continue to climb in terms of velocity. The fastball showed some life and he mixed in a hard slider that’s presently a fringy pitch but comes in hard in the 78-82 mph range. He’s a two-pitch pitcher right now in two, admittedly brief, looks but the raw stuff and projection are more than enticing enough to monitor going forward for the UCLA commit.

-Vinnie Cervino

Washington commit Carson Blatnick (2020, Roseville, Calif.), at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, possesses a very strong muscular athletic frame with an impressive lower half which will help him withstand the rigors the catching position brings, where he is ranked in the top-100 in the nation. In the box, the future Huskie brings a powerful presence from the left side. He starts with a low leg kick trigger and small hip coil. Blatnick’s barrel is quick to the zone and stays on plane for a while with a tight turn. His ability to be disciplined in zone and power potential makes for a future offensive star.

Built along the same cloth as Blatnick is another physical catcher Tony Castonguay (2020, Aurora, Colo.). At 6-foot, 195 pounds, Castonguay is muscular and compact, yet very nimble in agile on his feet, plus showed some feel and nice arm action in the outfield which makes him a very versatile defender. At the plate, the uncommitted athlete showed some high-level moving patterns. He starts with a low handset in slight crouch. Castonguay uses a leg kick trigger which has him gaining ground, landing toe open to set up a nice front hip leak and lead arm extension. From his picture-perfect launch position, he has good rear hip action and a tight turn to deliver barrel in the zone with some bat speed and whip. He has a two-hand finishes that help keeps him stacked.

If big frames and pull side juice is what you are into, then St Louis Pirates corner infielder Cole Robinson (2020, High Ridge, Mo.) fits the mold. With a solid XL frame complete with a barrel chest, Robinson has the look to do damage to baseballs, as he did on Day 4 hitting a moonshot that cleared the trees behind the Rockies practice field 3. The uncommitted infielder has a wide stance with some bat waggle rhythm. Robinson has a simple low leg stride to get into legs with a 50/50 position, using tight rotation and upper body strength to create his pop. Despite his power approach he does have feel for the zone and won’t venture out to chase.

Sticking with the theme of physicality in the box, Baseball Northwest’s super-utility man Alejandro Corzola (2020, Okotoks, A.B. Canada) fits right in. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete is tightly wound and flashes some twitch. The uncommitted Canadian is spread out in the box and uses a shift to the backside as trigger. Corzola does an excellent job of opening the knee and lead hip as he sways forward to get some linear action in the swing, very similar to Angels stud Shohei Otani. On swing commitment, Corzola does a great job of keeping backside connected. He does keep the palm up for a long time, which helps deliver barrel to the ball for optimal carry and contact and shows very high-level torso decel with a two-hand finish.

Dalton Pearson (2020, Johns Creek, Ga.), the No. 4 ranked outfielder in Georgia, possesses some lightning-quick hand and bat speed. The uncommitted Pearson has an upright open stance and uses a slight bat wiggle for rhythm. He has a small inward knee lift to start the movement, uses hand speed to get the barrel in the zone on a path that will be on plane early and long. The Georgian’s approach is an intangible that makes him a special player. He seems to have a high level of understanding of zone and is able to foil pitches to prolong at-bats. There is an evident two-strike approach he employs and his ability to ride legs on breaking balls allows him to make hard contact deep in counts. He clocked a 4.05 90 on a ground ball to third, which makes a routine play not so routine.

Another twitchy athlete is one of the few 2021 grads competing this weekend, Tennessee commit Kavares Tears (2021, Lewisburg, Tenn.). The No. 1 ranked outfielder in Tennessee has the prototypical athletic build with look that blends a defensive back in football and sprinter in track and field. Tears starts very upright with vertical bat in a very relaxed position. The speedy outfielder has a high leg kick synced with a barrel tip to start his barrel run. He shows good control on the fall that lands him in great launch position that includes a nice lead arm extension with hip leak to cause a good stretch. The future Vol slots very well giving barrel long exposure in the zone with some whip into a one hand finish.

US Elite sent out their lefty ace and TCU commit Christian Williams (2020, Port Haywood, Va.). The broad-shouldered southpaw was as efficient and effective as usual. Attacking hitters with mainly a fastball/changeup, Williams had no problem filling up the zone with both. Williams showed a short tight arm action, with a little deception that makes his fastball play up a tick from where it sits in the 87-88 range. He showed feel and command for his changeup that sat in the low-80s. Williams repeats his delivery well, as he rides his back hip long and keeps his front shoulder closed until rotation. Pace of play enthusiasts would love his blistering pace and tempo on the mound by his ability to command the strike zone and working anywhere from 13-15 seconds between pitches.

Ole Miss commit Jacob Gonzalez (2020, Glendora, Calif.) swung a hot bat on Day 4. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound shortstop has a simple approach with a slightly wide stance, using a 70/30 weight distribution favoring his backside. Gonzalez does a good job loading the back side, allowing for good hip action into swing. He has a slight knob lead but hits against a firm front side. The future Rebel has a high-level bat to ball skill with plenty of looseness in his swing.

Mountain West’s uncommitted outfielder Parker Thomas (2020, Grantsville, Utah) has a slim muscular frame with thick forearms. The 6-foot, 195-pound Thomas has a slight open stance with slight barrel tip to get his movement going. The Utah native has a short fluid line drive-type stroke that is direct and efficient to the zone. He relies on hand speed in strength to create pop off the bat.

Team Ohio Pro select shortstop Will Carpenter (2020, Aurora, Ohio) flashed some skill on both sides of the ball on Day 4. The Penn State commit has a slim, athletic build with a frame that can withstand some bulk with maturity. Offensively, Will starts with a tall stance and high back elbow. He sinks into his back hip on load, but he does get linear where he does a nice job hitting against a firm front side. He has quick back hip action that allows him to create barrel speed in zone. With the glove the arm action is simple yet clean that produces carry across the diamond. He showed some savvy by holding a tag on a runner to record an out at second and made a great reaction play off a hot groundball that ricocheted off the third baseman’s glove.

-Gabe Ortiz
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Cam McElwaney
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We’re only about 24 hours away from the 14th PG High School Showdown and as we get closer to one of the premier events on the high school schedule, we look ahead to what we’ll see in Hoover. The teams and players are what make this event special along with the environment with scouts packing the stands for this event. As with every year we’ve run this event, there are sure to be names called in the upcoming MLB Draft along with big time contributors at the college level. This year’s field is loaded with five teams ranked inside the Preseason High School Top-50, headlined by a trio of top-10 teams in No. 8 South Walton (FL), No. 9 Blessed Trinity (GA), and No. 10 IMG Academy (FL). Rounding out the list of top-50 teams are No. 34 Parkview (GA) and No. 43 Hoover (AL), along with plenty of other teams that will challenge for state championships in their respective...
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College | Story | 2/24/2026

College Players of the Week: Feb. 24

Vincent Cervino
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February 24 Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA After playing 117 games, launching 27 doubles and 25 home runs in Austin, TX for the University of Texas, Will Gasparino decided it was time to head back to his hometown of Los Angeles, CA. Based on his performance in the first two weeks of the season for the Bruins, he looks very comfortable and ready to push his name up the Draft Board. UCLA (6-1) enters 2026 with incredibly high expectations, jumped to No. 3 in our Top 25 poll with their 3-game sweep of previously ranked TCU and Gasparino provided much of the offensive firepower. For the week, the 6-6/220 outfielder went 7 for 13 good for a .538 BA, with a double, 5 home runs and 13 RBI. That brings his slash line through 7-games to .391/1.304/.548 with a double, a triple, 6 home runs and he has driven in a total of 15 runs. The scary thing is that Gasparino is just...
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High School | General | 2/23/2026

Northwest Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Northwest All Region & Top Tools Rk Pacific NW (+ Hawaii) 2025 Record 1 Puyallup (WA) 28-1 2 Kamehameha Kapalama (HI) 19-5 3 South Salem (OR) 30-2 4 Lake Washington (WA) 21-11 5 Bainbridge (WA) 24-4 6 St. Louis (HI) 15-6 7 Iolani (HI) 11-11-1. 8 Eastlake (WA) 23-9 9 Summit (OR) 24-6 10 Sumner (WA) 18-8 11 Sunset (OR) 23-9 12 Punahou (HI) 7-10-1. 13 Mount Vernon (WA) 28-4 14 Jesuit (OR) 26-8 15 Tahoma Senior (WA) 13-9-1 16 Blanchet Catholic (OR) 31-2 17 West Linn (OR) 22-8 18 Woodinville (WA) 13-12 19 Eagle (ID) 15-13 20 Central Catholic (OR) 23-6-1 21 Service (AK) 20-6 22 Meadowdale (WA) 10-4 23 Waiakea (HI) 10-4-1. 24 Liberty Christian (WA) 24-3 25 Madison Senior (ID) 19-11
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Press Release | Press Release | 2/23/2026

PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar

Jim Salisbury
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PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar A few weeks ago, Perfect Game and its Believe in Baseball foundation held a fundraising event in Los Angeles. The “In the Spirit of the Game” dinner and auction brought in thousands of dollars, all of which will go toward providing deserving youngsters an opportunity to play and grow in the game. Chet Brewer was not at the event – the former Negro Leagues star died at age 83 in 1990 – but his spirit was. Big time. “That night was all about Chet,” PG commissioner Dennis Gilbert said. “He was all about giving kids chances to play the game, especially kids from underprivileged backgrounds. “When you’re 15, 16, 17 years old – those years are the basis of your life. Chet helped put a lot of kids on the right path through the game of baseball.” Brewer’s impactful life has...
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College | Rankings | 2/23/2026

College Top 25: February 23

Vincent Cervino
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College Player Report Database In Week 1, the Top 15 teams in the poll remained unchanged but the college baseball landscape had a different narrative in mind for Week 2. With plenty of upsets and teams at the top establishing their dominance, there was quite a bit of upheaval across the country. While there were some special performances on the mound, runs continue to be scored in bunches and high drama extra-inning games seem to be the norm. There is no time to relax or take the foot off the gas in the college game today; we are in for another wild season it appears. The LSU Tigers (8-0) made the trip across the panhandle to Jacksonville, FL, swept through the Live Like Lou Jax Classic by outscoring their opponents 33-11 and remain No. 1 this week. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-0) secure their spot at No. 2 and are off to a program record breaking run scoring spree, averaging...
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General | Blog | 2/20/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 63

Ron Wolforth
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Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 62, Part 1 | Part 2 Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls - Part 3  We've made it to Part 3…the final installment of our series on baseball's most misunderstood and debated topics.   In Part 1, we tackled the curveball. The takeaway: the pitch itself isn't what’s dangerous. Decades of awful and ineffective coaching cues, ”snap your wrist," "turn the doorknob”…exacerbated and even in many causes caused some of the problems. Teach it correctly, when the athlete is ready, and it's no riskier than a fastball.  In Part 2, we examined pitch counts. The takeaway: they're a useful tool, but a limited one. Treating a single number as a universal measure of safety ignores everything...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/20/2026

18U PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor

Dave Durbala
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SPRINGFIELD, IL - 2026 Perfect Game Softball Winter Elite Showcase, February 6 - 8, 2026.  Twenty teams rolled into Springfield to showcase their talents in this 18u, four-game guarantee, pool-into-bracket play,  at the newly opened 170,000-square-foot domed facility at Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe. In the Silver Bracket, it was the 09 Midwest Sluggers taking home the championship over the CR Blue Devils 18u National. In the Gold Bracket, a championship game that featured the tournament's top two pitchers, it was the Iowa Dynamite 18u with the win over GTS 15u Elite-Herrick, by a score of  2-1. The tournament, with a mix of committed players, and those young ladies striving for the next level,  was loaded with talent.  Below are some of the players that excelled on the field and made their way onto the tournament’s Top Performers list. Earning...
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