THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,410 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,410 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Championship | 9/30/2019

5 Star Claims Awaited Title

Photo: 5 Star National 2022 Burress (Perfect Game)
Semifinal Game 1 Recap: 5 Star National 2022 Burress/South Charlotte Panthers | Semifinal Game 2 Recap: Tri State Arsenal Scout Team 2022/FTB Tucci 2022

Championship Game Recap: 5 Star National 2022 Burress/FTB Tucci 2022

FORT MYERS, Fla. - In a rematch of last year’s WWBA Freshman World Championship matchup, 5 Star National 2022 Burress and the South Charlotte Panthers were again in opposite dugouts for the semifinal game of the 2019 WWBA Sophomore World Championship.

Last year, South Charlotte got the best of 5 Star. This year, Sal Stewart had different plans. His 5 Star team came away with a win to push them into the championship game, 2-0.

Stewart just seems to be in the middle of everything. He was in the middle of the one half inning of scoring in the semifinals, starting the top of the second inning off with a single, one of his tournament-leading 12 hits.

He came around to score on a Tag Williams groundout, which proved to be enough run support for Garrett Mackowiak, who threw a complete game shutout on three hits.

5 Star head coach Andy Burress said he knew they would meet up with South Charlotte at some point during this tournament.

“We lost [last year at the Freshman World Championship] to the South Charlotte team, we lost in the World Series to the South Charlotte team,” he said. “This year, this group had a little something to prove. Garrett Mackowiak stepped up and had a heck of a game against them. We talked about making the most out of your opportunities. He made the most of it.”

Mackowiak was great for 5 Star, which was the only team in the semifinals that had to play three games the day before. With pitching at a premium, Mackowiak going the distance saved Burress from going to his next option.

Lane Essary was first in relief for the semifinal matchup, but didn’t need to be used. He got the ball to start the championship game, and nearly gave his team a no-hitter. His final line of five innings, one hit and no runs helped earn him Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament.

Behind his arm, 5 Star beat FTB Tucci 2022 in five innings, 8-0.

If it weren’t for Essary, 5 Star might not have made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Essary entered 5 Star’s first round playoff game inheriting a 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth inning against Richmond Braves 16u National. He also inherited a bases-loaded, no-outs situation. All he did was strike out the first two hitters he faced and got the third to ground out. No runs allowed.

“I’ve been in that situation before, in my first tournament with 5 Star,” Essary said. “I just felt really comfortable with my catcher, Jaxson [West], and I was really confident in my team. I just had to put it in the zone and know that if they hit it, our defense would back me up.”

It was a lot more smooth sailing in the championship game.

Essary had a lead before he even threw a pitch, thanks to RBIs from Blaydon Plain and Stewart in the top of the first inning. It was Stewart’s 11th RBI of the tournament, which paced the field. He scored his tournament-leading 10th run in the third inning.

Stewart was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament for his efforts, although he said it’s mostly due to his teammates.

“I can’t even put it into words,” he said. “It’s all about my teammates, honestly. They are the ones helping me out, getting in scoring position and allowing me to get RBIs. I can’t put it on myself. I put it on my teammates because they give me everything.”

Stewart did the majority of his damage to the right side of the field, a really mature approach for a kid his age.

He was more than happy to lace ball after ball to right field and rack up RBIs to help his team win.

He said he knew that’s probably what would happen to him when the tournament started.

“Coming into the tournament, I figured hitting fourth on a great team like this, I needed to do my job,” Stewart said. “Every time I came up to hit there was a runner on second, so I just tried to move them over to help us win. I was just looking middle-away to move them over.”

He added a double down the right field line in the fourth inning, but by that point the game was well in hand.

After the two-run first inning, Carlos Elian Martinez singled and scored to start the second inning, while Parker McDonald walked and scored later in the inning on a Nicolas Perez RBI groundout.

Plain, Stewart, and Jaxson West all walked and scored in the third inning to push the lead to the final of 8-0.

While FTB moved through four pitchers in the game, it became more and more apparent just how valuable it was for 5 Star to get complete-game performances from both of its starters on championship Monday.

“When you come to these tournaments, you’ve got to throw strikes…This game is so funny, but you’ve just got to go out and play every day,” Burress said. “The biggest thing is that, we start this early when they are 13 and 14, they knew they need to throw strikes. When you throw strikes, you can win these tournaments.”


2019 WWBA Sophomore World Championship runner-up: FTB Tucci 2022



2019 WWBA Sophomore World Championship MVP: Sal Stewart



2019 WWBA Sophomore World Championship MV-Pitcher: Lane Essary






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...
College | Rankings | 4/20/2026

College Top 25: April 20

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
As the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end” and that was the case last Tuesday when UCLA (36-3) saw their 27-game win streak come to an end in a shutout loss to UCSB.  However, the No. 1 team in the land still has their 21-game winning streak in Big Ten to protect, as they have started off league play without a single blemish.  The Bruins will remain atop our poll this week and their historical start to the season roll on.  The UNC Tarheels (33-7-1) move up to No. 2 this week after they made their biggest statement of the year by taking the weekend series from now No. 4 Georgia Tech (32-7).  No. 3 Texas (30-8) and No. 5 Georgia (32-9) both went (3-1) on the week and won their SEC series to stay in contention for the regular season title.  Florida State (28-11) had a nice bounce back (4-0) week and re-enter the Top 10 at No. 8 this...
College | Story | 4/16/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 16 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
Article Image
Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart  to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Player of the Week: Jaquae Stewart – Texas State University  If you squint a little bit, you can see some Josh Naylor or Dominic Smith in Jaquae Stewart, with a stout build like a more powerful version of the teacup from the children’s song. Lately, the Sun Belt Conference has been child’s play for Stewart as he has been on fire showing an improved hit approach and power that tracks more with his 2024 performance at Northwest Florida State College than with his 2025 experience at the University of Texas. It’s tough for any player to jump from a JUCO in Florida to the big stage...
High School | General | 4/16/2026

High School Notebook: April 16

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Alain Gomez-Gudiño (‘26 AZ) with a pair of backside barrels, including a double. Physical 6-0/215 frame. Switch-hitter with power. Adv. defender with strong C&T behind the dish. @PGAllAmerican alum. #Gamecocks commit #PGHS @PG_Draft @SaguaroBaseball pic.twitter.com/2Vhuu5gYX9 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) April 11, 2026 C Alain Gomez-Gudino, Saguaro (Ariz.) Since I first saw him as a sophomore, Gomez-Gudiño has long been one of my favorite prospects in the state. The backstop features a super physical frame at 6-foot-0, 215-pounds with a thick lower half and strong forearms. Defensively, Gomez-Gudiño has always stood out. He moves well for his size behind the plate and receives with confident hands. The catch-and-throw ability stands out. Gomez-Gudiño looks to be aggressive and will back pick runners often. The glove alone makes...
Juco | Rankings | 4/15/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 15

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another week of undefeated weeks for our top 4 ranked teams. Joining them in the top 5, coming off an undefeated week of their own, is Florence-Darlington, a team we have consistently had as a top 10 team all season long. Cloud County and Midland College continue to put together strong weeks and climb the rankings each week it seems. Jumping into the rankings this week on the strength of a 15-game winning streak is Seminole State (OK). And Linn Benton makes the top 25 for a 2nd consecutive week and looks like the top team in the NWAC this spring. Plenty of high-level matchups at the JUCO level for some of the top teams in the county this next week.  Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 42-2 2 Gaston (NC) 43-3 3 McLennan (TX) 34-7 4 Chipola (FL) 37-7 5 Florence-Darlington (SC) 40-8 6 Walters State (TN) 37-10 7 Blinn (TX) 31-11 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 30-12 9 Southern Nevada...
College | Rankings | 4/15/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 15

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
Welcome to this week's small school baseball rankings, covering NCAA Division II, the NAIA, and NCAA Division III. As the calendar turns toward the final weeks of the regular season, the urgency is real across all three levels — teams are running out of weekends to build their cases, and the extended postseason invitations that every program is chasing don't go to programs that peak in March. The next few weeks of results will carry more weight than anything that happened before spring break, and the postseason committees in all three divisions are watching closely. Every series dropped to a team you should beat, every road sweep you let get away — it all matters now in a way it simply didn't two months ago. What you'll also notice as you read through the breakdowns below is that the numbers are doing more of the heavy lifting in how these rankings are constructed. Run...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/15/2026

Perfect Game & Youth Prospects Team Up

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND YOUTH PROSPECTS ANNOUNCE   BROADCAST RIGHTS AND CONTENT PARTNERSHIP    Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, April 15, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with content platform Youth Prospects centered around broadcast rights, content collaboration and expanded visibility for elite youth baseball events.    As part of the agreement, Perfect Game will grant Youth Prospects broadcast rights to select games across its premiere events, including marquee matchups at the WWBA World...
College | Story | 4/14/2026

College Players of the Week: April 14

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
April 14th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Jaquae Stewart, INF/OF, Texas State  The Texas State Bobcats (24-12) are sitting in second place in the ultra-competitive Sun Belt Conference, and they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country.  They average right at 8-runs per game and can slug with the best of them, averaging almost 2-home runs per game as well.  Sitting in the middle of the order, Jaquae Stewart, is putting together a career year and is becoming the focus of opposing teams.  The 5-10/234 junior from Sinton, Tx is your classic lefthanded power hitter and is thriving in his move from Austin to San Marcos.  While it wasn’t the best week for his club, Stewart was sensational, collecting 8 hits in his 19 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, launching 5 home runs and driving in an insane 17 runs.  For the season, he is now slashing...
Showcase | Story | 4/14/2026

PG Announces Prospect Gateway Schedule

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
PG has announced the dates for Prospect Gateway events across the country - unique opportunities for young players to receive professional feedback and prepare for the next level. The Prospect Gateways are for players ages 13U-14U and serve as a qualifier for the National Showcase. Kevin Schuver, the senior director of showcases at Perfect Game, said these events are chances for players to step out of their comfort zone and show what they’re really made of. “Perfect Game Prospect Gateways aren’t just events. They’re doorways into something bigger. For young athletes, they serve as the first real step beyond their local fields, where raw ability begins to meet visibility and purpose.” At the event, each player is assigned a PG advisor who will watch and advise them individually. There will also be other scouts giving tips on how to enhance and develop a...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/13/2026

PG & MLB Clubs Offer Discount Tickets

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 THREE MLB CLUBS TO OFFER EXCLUSIVE TICKET DISCOUNTS FOR YOUTH TEAMS    Sanford, Florida (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new fan engagement initiative in partnership with three Major League Baseball clubs — the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals — to provide exclusive discounted ticket opportunities for teams participating in Perfect Game events.    Through the collaboration, youth baseball and softball teams competing in...
College | Rankings | 4/13/2026

College Top 25: April 13

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
In a season where remaining in the Top 25 has become a war of attrition, the No. 1 UCLA Bruins (33-2) are making the game look much easier than it is in all reality.  Winners of 27-games in a row, this club continues to win games by any means necessary as they continue their historic run.  Beyond the incredible win streak, the Bruins have started off Big Ten play (18-0) by sweeping their first six conference weekend.  Adding to their resume, in Game 1 of their series at Rutgers, they won a 14-inning thriller by a score of 4-1where their pitching staff registered an eye-popping 30-strikeouts while only surrendering 1 walk and 4 hits throughout.  In most any other season, the No. 2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (30-5) would be sitting atop the poll as they are putting together a historic season of their own.  They swept Florida State (24-11) who was previously ranked...
Loading more articles...