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| 2,490 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,490 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 8/23/2019

US Elite, A Family Affair

Photo: Christian Helsel (Perfect Game)
US Elite started with an honest conversation between father and son in Altoona, Pa.

Christian Helsel told his dad that he wanted to play SEC baseball. Mark Helsel told his son that honestly, there was going to be a lot of work to be done if he wanted that to happen.

But he was more than happy to help him get there.

“I had to laugh almost because he didn’t look anything like a kid that would one day play in the SEC,” Mark said. “He was a short, chubby, not super-athletic kid. Great kid, but not one you look at and say he’s playing in the SEC. But I’m his dad and I’m not going to squelch his dream, so I said, ‘If that’s your dream, I’ll help you put a plan together.’”

Helsel started recruiting players from around Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to put a team together. He surrounded Christian with a bunch of players that were Division I-bound in hopes that it would raise his son’s level of play.

It worked. Christian ended up at Ole Miss after high school. He was one of 21 players from that original group to get a Division I scholarship.

Helsel continued on with US Elite after Christian graduated. His younger son, Zack Helsel, made his way through the program and earned a scholarship to Liberty and is currently a part of the UCF pitching rotation.

After Zack graduated, Helsel decided he didn’t want to be done. He didn’t have any sons left, but plenty of other kids that had the same goals as his sons were still out there.

“I’ve been self-employed since I was 26, so I’m very comfortable writing a business plan and executing a plan. So when both my sons were through, I said, ‘You know what? I do want to make this my profession,’” Helsel said. “I talked to my wife and said I like what we’re doing. Uncommon standards is our brand. That is the big play here. Personal development of people is the big play, we just get to use baseball…as our conduit. That’s why we get to talk to young kids, because they’re playing sports.”

That brand is something he’s taken from his friend Tim Corbin, the head coach at Vanderbilt University.

In fact, Helsel was just in Nashville meeting with Corbin.

“[Corbin] is a long-time friend of mine,” Helsel said. “We love the Vanderbilt program and what they’ve done. Not just because they win, but how they run their program is an inspiration to how we want to run our program.

“We have a player there, Troy LaNeve. I had an opportunity to walk around the campus with Troy and we just talked. He’s getting his first taste of Corbin, and he said they had a two-and-a-half-hour meeting, and they never mentioned baseball. It was just about life. That’s awesome.”

That’s US Elite’s goal, as well. It’s not about championships, although they have earned plenty of those (27, in fact, in Perfect Game events).

Helsel doesn’t want US Elite to be one of those programs that wins at all costs. Those costs add up. Baseball is fun. The entire experience should be fun, from practice to play to recruiting and beyond.

He wants to learn what each kid’s goal is, and then do what he can do help those kids reach those goals.

“Every kid in our program wants to play at the next level. Whether that’s Division III, Division II, Division I or NAIA,” he said. “So the way we look at is that it’s going to come down to your skillset…We have to identify your skillset and work on that harder than anything else. And specifically, we have to find out what your worst tool is. We call it a ‘Yeah, but.’ So I talk to a kid and say, ‘Hey, the NC State coach really likes you, but he doesn’t think your physical enough to play in the ACC.’ Guess what? We got to go and work on your physicality.”

So far, those plans (Helsel calls them Individual Development Plans, or IDPs) have resulted in 329 college commitments and 25 drafted players who have gone through US Elite.

The IDPs are important, because the teams US Elite puts together are made up of kids from different states. They don’t get together for practices, so the IDPs are the most instruction he gives the players.

What started in central Pennsylvania as a way to get Christian to the SEC has turned into quite the production and is now expanding across the country.

Christian, who recently moved to Atlanta, has been dubbed the State Director for US Elite in Georgia.

With expansion on their mind, it only made sense to set up shop in Georgia, one of the most baseball-rich areas in the country.

And it means Mark and Christian are working together to get scholarships again. It’s just that now it’s for other kids.

“It’s an incredible blessing. We went through this journey all the way from 10u to college ball to pro ball, and I was heavily involved in that journey with him,” Mark said of working with Christian. “I try to tell parents to not make this something bad. This can be something great, and what Christian and I had was great. There wasn’t that dad-son animosity. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be working for me now…We had so much fun and now he’s firmly committed to expanding US Elite.”

And while Zack is still in the middle of his playing career, Mark has hopes to bring his younger son into the family business one day, too.

After all, that’s how this all started.

“Hopefully Zach plays 10 years in the Big Leagues, but when he’s done, he already told me he wants to join me,” Helsel said. “Getting to work with both of my sons would be one of the greatest things of my life.”

Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

Freedom Classic Opens Holiday Weekend

Alyssa Golden
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More than 30 teams from the 14U-18U age divisions will head to Fort Myers, Florida this Fourth of July weekend for the seventh annual Perfect Game Freedom Classic. The tournament, running July 3-6, features several nationally ranked prospects from across the country as teams look to compete for a championship. Headlining the field are twin brothers Derek and Ryan Yormark of Merrick, New York. Right-handed pitcher Derek Yormack is the No. 51-ranked player in the class of 2027, the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 5-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. First baseman Ryan Yormark comes in just behind his twin brother as the No. 3 overall player in New York, the No. 5 first baseman in the nation and the No. 90-ranked player nationally. Both brothers are committed to Vanderbilt. Derek Yormark has established himself as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2027 class. He has run...
High School | General | 7/1/2026

PG High School All-Americans

Tyler Russo
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High School Top 50: Final Update With the High School season all wrapped up, today we take a look at our First, Second and Third Team All-Americans from around the country. Below you'll find three teams with stats that seem otherworldly from players who'll likely hear their names called in the coming week's MLB Draft. Within the "Notable Stats" section you'll see the individual award winners as well. First Team All-American Pos.  Name Class School State Commitment Notable Stats C Cole Prosek 2026 Magnolia Heights MS Ole Miss .595 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI 1B Will Adams 2026 Hoover AL LSU .489, 13 HR, 52 RBI IF James Tronstein 2026 Harvard-Westlake CA Vanderbilt .531, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 21 XBH IF Grady Emerson 2026 Fort Worth Christian TX Texas .508, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 34/35 SB, National POY IF Jacob Lombard 2026 Gulliver Schools FL Miami .477, 10 HR, 52 R, 42 H, 14 SB OF Martin Shelar 2026 Marist GA...
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2  ‘28 AJ Bonnette (TX) with 7 Ks thru 4 IP thus far, living 89-91 w/ heavy traits. Filling up all four quads & attacking hitters early in counts. Mixing a slurvy breaker & turning the CHG over well. @PG_Uncommitted #NatElite @Texas_PG pic.twitter.com/oz2XXoKHvt — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Aj Bonnette (2028, Keller, Texas) showed out on both sides of the ball at the National Elite Championship, but really stood out on the mound Tuesday. He toed the rubber in round two of the playoffs, proceeding to toss six innings with eight punchouts and zero earned runs allowed. The 6-foot southpaw filled up all four quadrants of the strike zone, attacking hitters early and often with his fastball. The heater lived in the 88-91 mph range with heavy traits, often setting up his slurvy breaking ball. Bonnette showed good feel...
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

Performance Baseball Rolls On

Kinley Kitchens
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Championship teams often reveal themselves when the game isn’t going their way. Performance Baseball 2028/Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team did exactly that. Trailing Florida Burn 2028 Scout through four innings, the Brewers refused to panic. Instead, they relied on timely hitting, consistent pitching, and an unselfish approach at the plate, rallying a five-run fifth inning before pulling away for a 9-5 victory to clinch their spot in the semifinals. The comeback was fueled by contributions throughout the lineup. Six different players drove in runs, including two RBIs each from Aiden Capobianco and Cameron Massey, while Matthew Heredia, Parker Weston, Ethan Smith, and Aj Bonnette each added an RBI of their own. On the mound, Derek Wenzel set the tone with 3.2 solid innings before Ethan Smith shut the door in relief, helping preserve the comeback victory. Although the Brewers have had a...
Tournaments | Championship | 7/1/2026

JK Select Hawaii Tackles 14u West WS

Emily Hicks
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JK Select Hawaii capped off an impressive tournament run by defeating GBG Vegas 14u Red14-4 in the championship game on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark, claiming the 14u West World Series title. From the opening pitch, JK Select controlled the pace of the game. The offense jumped out early, scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning after timely hits from MVP Sean Shindo and Kade Manarpaac. The early lead gave the pitching staff confidence as they worked efficiently through the opposing lineup. “I've worked hard to get better at my game for the past few months; it means a lot that I did well and performed in a tournament like this” said Shindo. Starting pitcher Maddox Prones turned in a strong performance, allowing 3 runs while striking out 5 batters over 3 innings. The defense backed the effort with great plays in the middle infield, preventing GBG Vegas from building momentum....
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

"Wow" Swings Catch Eyes at 16u Elite

Kinley Kitchens
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On the second day of the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, one swing turned heads across the ballpark. The next one brought everyone to a stop. With Wow Factor Nation 16U trailing midway through its matchup against Sandlot Scout Team 2028, Micheal O'Connor launched a solo home run to spark the offense. Just one batter later, Aaron Frink stepped into the box and sent another ball over the fence, delivering back-to-back home runs that quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the tournament’s opening days. Parents gathered along the nets, players from previous games stopped to watch, and college scouts turned their attention toward the action as the two towering swings energized the crowd and brought new life to the game. Although Wow Factor Nation ultimately lost 5-3 after a hard-fought performance, the back-to-back home runs served as a reminder of the...
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Stacked Runs the Table at 17u WWBA

Will Dembo
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Following a jam-packed week of entertainment at the 17u WWBA Championships, the top nationally ranked program, USA Prime 17u National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team, faced off against Stacked Baseball 17u (No. 80 nationally) in the highly anticipated championship matchup as both teams looked to earn one of the most prestigious titles in all of travel baseball. Each talented squad entered the finale undefeated, but Stacked Baseball continued their dominance throughout the tournament, defeating the Detroit Tigers Scout Team 10-2 in mercy rule fashion to become national champions behind explosive bats and impressive pitching. Stacked Baseball was the overwhelming top team throughout the week as the WWBA Champions outscored opponents by an absurd 117-12 during their 11-0 run. “We got some talented kids, but we played against a little bit of Goliath over there,” Stacked Head Coach Mike...
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 7

Perfect Game Staff
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4  Day 5 | Day 6 Shea Corona (2027, Brooklyn, N.Y.) showcased some loud stuff out of the bullpen for MLB Breakthrough Series 2027. The New York native and primary shortstop topped out at 93 with the fastball, sitting comfortable in the 90-92 range. Corona paired it with a sharp and tight slider at 81-83, staying on the same plane until late. The pitch plays well already and the delivery is very athletic. The uncommitted right-hander went three scoreless and was in the zone plenty, striking out two while not allowing a walk. '27 SS Moises Gudino (FL) continues to stay red hot, working a long AB & cracking an oppo 2B on the 8th pitch. Really seeing ing well. #WWBA @Florida_PG https://t.co/OjNJ8Bmzao pic.twitter.com/WoDDp35EI1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Moises Gudino (2027, Tampa, Fla.)...
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Texas Twelve Firing On Full Cylinders

Kinley Kitchens
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Every team hopes to start a tournament with momentum, but few make a statement quite like Texas Twelve Maroon 2028. Matched up against defending champion Excel Blue Wave National to kick off their debut in the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, Texas Twelve Maroon delivered a complete team performance, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory and immediately establishing themselves as one of the top teams to watch this week. The win showcased the balance that has made Texas Twelve Maroon a powerful team. Strong pitching, timely hitting, and steady defense all played a role as the team held off one of the tournament’s premier programs. Right-hander Ty Antley turned in an outstanding performance on the mound, throwing a complete game while allowing only five hits and two walks over seven innings. The High Follow prospect worked consistently between 85-89 mph and mixed in a sharp...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/30/2026

Flames Capture 18U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
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Flames Natty used timely hitting and a dominant start from Beau Collier to defeat NLB American 7-3 and capture the 18U BCS National Championship on Monday at Lee Health Sports Complex. Despite being assembled just hours before the tournament began, the Flames quickly developed chemistry throughout the tournament. “This team was put together 12 hours before this tournament, and they went on a crazy run,” head coach Adam Vasquez said. “These kids know each other locally, but they don’t play together. For them to come together last minute like that, it’s crazy. I’m proud of them for that.” The game opened as a pitchers’ duel, with David Acevedo recording the lone hit through the first two innings. NLB American starter Hayden Graham kept the Flames in check early, allowing just one hit while striking out one over 2.0 innings. The right-hander...
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