THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 9/27/2019

Cangelosi Splits Day 1 in Florida

Blake Dowson
Photo: CJ Byrdak (Perfect Game)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – There are a lot of teams in Fort Myers, Fla. this weekend for the WWBA Sophomore World Championships that call Florida or Georgia their home.

Cangelosi Sparks 2022 Black is not one of them. The Sparks call Lockport, Ill. home. The team spends most of its time winning a bunch of games and tournaments back home in the Midwest, including the Midwest Freshman Championship a year ago in Iowa.

An early Thursday morning flight and a long day of travel made for an interesting Friday morning game down in Fort Myers, however.

You know that saying that goes something like, “You’re only as good as your next day’s starting pitcher.” It applied here.

A good performance on the mound woke everyone up. CJ Byrdak, Most Valuable Pitcher at this same WWBA Sophomore World Championship a year ago, delivered that performance for the team, and the Sparks won, 8-2.

“It was a little different, coming all the way down here from Illinois,” Byrdak said. “We had a 4:00 am flight [Thursday], got here around noon. So then coming out today and pitching, it was long and tiring, but I felt like I got in a groove.”

Byrdak didn’t give Cangelosi a ton of length – he only pitches 2 2/3 innings due to pitch limit restrictions. But he battled when the team needed him. Two fielding errors caused problems for Byrdak in the top of the second inning, and Cangelosi gave up two runs in the frame – both unearned for Byrdak.

He got a strikeout to end the inning and the damage.

“He didn’t get down,” head coach Tim Byrdak, CJ’s father, said. “We had a couple mishaps there in the second inning, but he was aggressive on the mound and that’s what we like to see out of him.”

Significant damage had been done, however. Not necessarily on the scoreboard; the two-run second inning for Tri State Arsenal only tied the game at 2-2. But the game felt sloppy all of a sudden.

The speed of the game slowed way down. Both teams were playing tight. Opening game at one of the biggest tournaments of the year, with two teams from Illinois and New Jersey. A little tightness is to be expected.

Cangelosi went scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, but Brydak grabbed momentum back when he struck out the first two batters of the third inning, before being lifted to preserve his availability. Noah Schultz, who came in to replace Byrdak, picked up a strikeout to end the inning.

Teams want shutdown innings right after they hang a crooked number on the scoreboard. Tri State Arsenal had one right after they tied the game. Brydak and Schultz’s combined frame, however, in which they struck out the side, felt more important in the moment.

And it turned out to be.

Nate Voss, a Michigan Wolverine commit, started the bottom of the third with a triple over the left fielder’s head that almost cleared the fence. After a hit-by-pitch and walk, Beau Polickey smacked a double down the third base line that scored two and gave the lead back to the Sparks.

Two batters later, Byrdak delivered a two-RBI single to push the lead to 6-2. Cangelosi would add one more in the frame and another in the bottom of the fifth inning to secure the 8-2 win to open up pool play.

Coach Byrdak said he gathered up the guys after the second inning lapse, and felt like the team took what he said to heart.

“We just talked about the pace of the game,” he said. “It looked like after we made a couple errors that we really tried to slow the game down. I just told them they control the pace of the game, and that we could come back and score a couple quick ones. We want to try to control the game as much as we can from the first inning to the last.”

Cangelosi couldn’t get any sort of rally together in Game 2 on Friday. They lost, 3-1, to Team All-American, who is 2-0 in the pool after one day.

It was a matter of not stringing anything together consistently. The Sparks put together quite a few hard-hit baseballs, but seemingly none were back-to-back, and most were right at defenders.

Voss started the seventh inning with a double over the center fielder’s head – his fourth extra-base hit of the day – and came around the score on George Bilecki’s RBI single. But the rally fizzled out after that.

A diving catch in center field robbed Cangelosi of another baserunner and a sliding, over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory at first base ended the game just as Team All American’s starting pitcher, Jake Rupp, hit the pitch max.

Rupp ended up tossing seven innings, giving up six hits and the one earned run, along with four strikeouts.

The six hits were spread out just enough, which is the opposite of what Coach Byrdak got out of his squad in their first game.

“That’s the thing that the kids have to understand,” Brydak said after Game One, regarding his team’s crisp play. “If they play good defense and they get timely hits and that stuff, that helps out with pitching and really helps out in the long run.”
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
Read More
High School | General | 2/5/2026

Georgia Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Georgia All Region Team & Top Tools Rk School Record 1 Etowah 34-4 2 Blessed Trinity 34-9 3 Parkview 26-11 4 Houston County 33-7 5 Lowndes 28-13 6 Walton 34-8 7 Buford 25-9 8 Pope 31-5 9 North Cobb Christian 24-11-1 10 Harrison 23-14 11 Newnan 32-5 12 North Paulding 28-10 13 Marist 30-7 14 Cartersville 32-10 15 Denmark 19-14 16 North Oconee 27-8 17 Loganville 29-8 18 Morgan County 32-10 19 North Gwinnett 35-5 20 Carrollton 23-12 21 Troup County 32-9 22 Hillgrove 21-13 23 River Ridge 25-15 24 Pickens 32-7 25 McEachern 24-8
Read More
High School | General | 2/5/2026

Georgia HS All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
Article Image
Georgia has its usual depth of high-level athletes and Perfect Game All-Americans, although three 2027 players did make the All-Region team.  There are an unusual number of two-way prospects among the All-Region players, a testament to the big arms that the state has right now. Two Georgia high schools are ranked in the top 10 of the PG Pre-Season High School Top 50 rankings and the Georgia high school ranks are annually among the most competitive in the country.  Etowah is the highest ranked team at 5th overall, while Blessed Trinity Catholic checks in at 8th.  Parkview is the only other Georgia team in the top 50, holding down the 34th spot.   OF-RHP Dexter McCleon Jr will be fixture on the Georgia All-Region team for the next two years but the top ranked prospect in the 2028 class will have to take a back seat to his elders this year.  McCleon’s absurd...
Read More
High School | Rankings | 2/4/2026

Florida Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Florida All Region Team & Top Tools   Rk School Record 1 Stoneman Douglas 31-2 2 Tampa Jesuit 25-10 3 Trinity Christian Academy 30-5 4 South Walton 31-4 5 IMG Academy 24-1 6 Venice 29-5 7 Bishop Verot 32-3 8 American Heritage (Plantation) 29-6 9 St. Thomas Aquinas 29-6-1 10 Doral Academy Charter 27-8-1 11 North Broward Prep 23-8 12 Lincoln 24-11 13 Mater Academy 25-9-1 14 The First Academy 30-4 15 Alonso 21-13 16 St. John's Country Day 26-9 17 Bishop Snyder 23-8 18 Spruce Creek 30-4 19 Buchholz 33-3 20 Lake Mary 15-15 21 Miami Springs 28-3 22 Jupiter 25-10 23 Plant City 16-12 24 Berkeley Prep 25-10 25 Winter Park 25-6
Read More
College | Story | 2/4/2026

Conference Preview: Northeast

Jason Phillips
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L CCSU 23 7 31 17 Coppin State 13 17 15 34 Delaware State 6 24 7 34 FDU 16 14 16 37 LeMoyne 17 13 20 28 LIU 24 6 35 23 UMES 6 24 7 41 Mercyhurst 15 15 17 35 New Haven* 12 12 24 20 Norfolk State 4 26 4 38 Stonehill 18 12 20 32 Wagner 23 7 31 22 *Member Northeast-10 DII Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Frankie Ferrentino CCSU .281-13-35, 9 2Bs, (Merrimack), Double digit HR all 3 years at Merrimack 1B Jayden Walker Mercyhurst .314-12-40, 10...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 2/4/2026

Baseball Meets Hollywood For Great Cause

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
BASEBALL MEETS HOLLYWOOD FOR A GREAT CAUSE    There’s no crying in baseball, but there is laughing, and there was lots and lots of it -- for a great cause -- last Saturday night in Hollywood, California. Perfect Game and its Believe in Baseball Foundation assembled a star-studded cast of comics and guests for the inaugural “In the Spirit of the Game” dinner and auction. The event was held at the iconic Laugh Factory, a historic venue that, in baseball terms, would be equivalent to Dodger Stadium or Wrigley Field. Late-night superstar Jay Leno took a turn on stage. So did comedic aces Tiffany Haddish, Nikki Glaser, Dustin Ybarra and Gary Cannon. “It was 4 ½ hours of straight laughter,” said PG commissioner Dennis Gilbert, still beaming a couple of days later. “It was a really nice success.” No one kept score at the event, but...
Read More
College | Story | 2/5/2026

Conference Preview: Western Athletic

Scott Rankin
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Abilene Christian 34 23 15 9 Cal Baptist 30 27 12 12 Sacramento State 32 26 15 9 Tarleton State 24 32 12 12 UT Arlington 21 33 11 13 Utah Tech 24 31  9 15 Utah Valley 29 29 13 11 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Mason Strong Utah Valley 1st team All-WAC in ‘25 hitting .366 and leading the conference in hits.  Also hit 11 Home Runs 1B Grant Watkins Abilene Christian .292 with 14 Home Runs and drove in 48 runs in...
Read More
High School | General | 2/4/2026

West Region High School Sleepers

Joey Cohen
Article Image
Talking and debating sleeper prospects might be my favorite part of scouting. It’s where context, projection, and conviction matter most—whether it’s an underrated performer who keeps producing on the circuit, a raw but explosive athlete you can dream on, or an arm with starter traits that hasn’t quite made the stuff jump yet. These are the players who tend to separate evaluators, reward patience, and make the spring HS season really fascinating. Below are several West Region prospects outside the T100 who fit that mold and deserve serious attention as the spring unfolds. Jet Berry, Queen Creek HS, Arizona There’s a lot to like with Berry. He’s one of the more explosive, twitchy athletes in the country, and it shows consistently in all facets of his game. From a tools perspective his easy plus run and bat-to-ball ability stand out. He’s been a...
Read More
College | Rankings | 2/4/2026

Preseason NAIA Top 25

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
The 2026 NAIA Baseball Rankings arrive with the familiar weight of expectations and a few fresh storylines that make the new season feel electric from top to bottom. At the very front of the pack, perennial power Tennessee Wesleyan stands tall once again, a program that has turned sustained excellence into something bordering on routine. The Bulldogs are not just ranked highly, they set the tone. Year after year, they combine elite talent, veteran leadership, and a culture that refuses to blink under pressure. It says everything about the depth of this year’s field that it was genuinely difficult not to slide LSU Shreveport back into the top spot yet again. After all, how in the world does a team stay that good after losing so many impact players? The answer is simple and timeless. Success breeds success. Programs that live in championship air know how to reload, not reset, and...
Read More
College | Story | 2/6/2026

Conference Preview: Missouri Valley

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* School W L W L Belmont 26 34 13 14 Bradley 16 35 12 15 Evansville 17 37 10 17 Illinois-Chicago 22 33 16 11 Illinois State 28 28 15 12 Indiana State 24 31 12 15 Murray State 44 17 17 8 Southern Illinois 37 20 16 11 Valparaiso 10 40 5 22 Preseason All-Conference Team  Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Ryan Bakes Illinois State Talented transfer to the MVC this season. Standout performer in the Northwoods League over the summer hitting .313 with 4 HR, 8 XBH and 24/18 BB/K. 1B...
Read More
College | Story | 2/3/2026

Conference Preview: Patriot

Anthony Gambardella
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Army West Point 25 25 14 11 Bucknell 18 27 10 15 Holy Cross 31 27 17 8 Lafayette 14 35 9 16 Lehigh 24 26 11 14 Navy 26 25 14 11 Preseason All Conference Team Pos.  Name  School  Stats/Notes  C  Ty Deperno  Navy  Named PL Rookie of the Year & to 2nd Team All-PL in ‘25; batted .307 w/ 33 runs & 32 RBI  IF  Thomas Schreck  Army West Point  Named to 1st Team All-PL in ‘25; batted .335 w/ 40...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.