THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,450 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,450 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
High School  | General | 2/3/2020

Depth defines No. 1 Tampa Jesuit

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Camden Minacci (Tampa Jesuit Athletics)

PG National HS Top 50 | High School Preview Index

Speaking only in general terms, it would not be inaccurate to describe the 2020 Tampa Jesuit High School roster as extremely veteran, extremely deep and, most importantly, extremely talented.

That’s how the Tigers’ roster shakes out when considered in its entirety. If the magnifying glass is zoomed-in on the pitching staff alone, the adverb “extremely” could probably be modified to a degree. Words like “enormously,” “exceptionally” or even “outrageously” would certainly qualify as acceptable alternatives.

The 2020 Tampa Jesuit Tigers have a dozen top seniors on board who played in at least half of their team’s varsity games as juniors in a 2019, and about a half-dozen juniors who did the same thing as sophomores. And, it’s certainly worth noting, it was a season that ended with the Tigers winning the Florida Class 6A state championship.

The victory in the state title game put a bow on an impressive 27-5 campaign and landed Jesuit in the No. 17 spot in the Perfect Game High School 2019 Final Top 50 National Rankings. With so much proven talent back in the fold, the Tigers debuted in the No. 1 position in the PG HS 2020 Preseason Top 50 National Rankings that were released on Friday.

If Jesuit performed somewhat outside of the national spotlight until late in the 2019 campaign, that’s not going to happen this year. The Tigers are sitting squarely in that spotlight’s bright glare as the new season begins and they’re embracing both the attention and the high expectations the lofty ranking brings.

“Obviously, we’re really excited. I’m happy for our guys and they’ve worked really hard,” sixth-year Jesuit head coach Miguel Menendez told PG during a telephone conversation last week. “We’ve got some really talented guys. For me personally, this is probably the most talented group of guys I’ve ever coached, so for them to get recognized for everything they’ve put into this, I’m happy and I’m blessed. It obviously puts a target on our back but we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Five of those top seniors are primary pitchers who combined to throw 165 of the staff’s 207 innings pitched during that championship run. And to top it off, all five of those 2020s have already signed with NCAA Division I schools.

The senior leading the parade is Camden Minacci, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-hander and a Wake Forest signee ranked No. 112 nationally in the 2020 class. Minacci struck out 85 batters in 62 2/3 innings as a junior in 2019 on his way to a 12-1 record and a 1.12 ERA.

Right-hander Justin Clark (West Virginia, t-500) was also an innings eater last season, throwing 38 on his way to 5-0/2.95. The righty Josh Mallitz (Ole Miss, No. 468)  went 2-1 with a 4.41 ERA while working 27 innings, right-hander Turner Thompson (Tulane, t-500)  was 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 20 innings and another righty, Alex Bryant (Holy Cross, t-1000) worked 17 1/3 and finished 3-1/1.62.

The righty Tripp Russo ate up 16 1/3 varsity innings and junior left-hander Dominic Castellanos (UCF, t-500) saw some varsity action last year and will likely play a more prominent role this season.

“I tell people all that time that I’m a much better coach when I can run Minacci, Clark, Mallitz, Thompson and those other guys out on the mound – they make you look pretty smart,” Menendez said. “We’ve got so many guys. We’ve got 11 PO’s on our roster and we feel like all of them are really good.”

The head coach was just warming up: “When you look at the guys that we have, it’s just the depth of our pitching, and it’s program-wide,” he said. “We’ve got some young guys waiting their turn who could probably go to just about any other high school in the area and be 1’s or 2’s. They’re playing on our JV team just because that’s where the innings are.”

Senior position players Bennett Lee (Tulane, t-500), Joseph Casale (t-1000), Henry Politz (Holy Cross, t-500), Jalen Niles (HF) and Jonathan Shoop (Butler, HF), and juniors Billy "BJ" Graham Jr. (No. 316) and Cole Russo (UCF, No. 200) all played in at least 25 games last season.

Lee collected a team-high 38 hits in 2019 – including 12 doubles, seven triples and three home runs – on his way to hitting .442 in 25 games. Graham hit .357 (9 2Bs, 1 3B, 1 HR) in 32 games, Politz was at .355 and drove in 21 runs in 30 games and Cole Russo hit .342 with a couple of home runs and a team-high 27 RBI in 27 games.

Menendez and his staff took those players and several others – there were six seniors on last year’s roster that played a lot – into the 2019 season with the thought that they had a group that could potentially make a deep state championship tournament run. They also felt like winning it all was a more realistic goal for the season now at hand.

Well, the Tigers exceeded those expectations to the nth-degree by winning the school’s second state championship in five years (5th overall) and came into their short 2019 fall practice season eager to get back after it and exceed expectations once again.

“You could see the difference,” Menendez said. “We had a really good fall playing some games here locally and the guys really performed well; you could just see it. As a coach, you always worry about the guys being overconfident or how they’re going to come back after winning the whole thing.

“Are they going to have the same effort and energy level that you need to go through it again? Well, they’ve done that and then some.”

All the D-I college offers his players receive is a source of pride for Menendez. He tells the parents of the  prospects that populate his program that if their sons have the desire and the drive needed to one day play college baseball at any level, he and his staff will do everything they can to help them get there.

Menendez acknowledged that the real high-profile guys may not need as much of his help as others due to the exposure they receive while playing with their summer travel ball teams, but if they need an assist with anything, the Jesuit coaches are there to assist.

“We want them all to have that opportunity if that’s what they want to do,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll find a place that’s a good fit for them both academically and athletically so they can continue to play the game.”

The history of the baseball program at Tampa Jesuit High School is a rich one and it goes beyond the five state championships it captured in 1994, 1997, 2000, 2014 and 2019 (the 2017 Tigers reached the state championship game where they were beaten by nationally top-five ranked Archbishop McCarthy). They’ve won eight straight Florida 6A District titles, including five straight under Menendez.

Hundreds of Jesuit grads have gone on to play college baseball. At least 15 former or current MLB players once walked the halls at the school, including Hall-of-Famer Al Lopez, legendary former player/manager Lou Piniella, and other former players like Brad Radke and Dave Magadan, among many others.

Current big-leaguers who are Jesuit alumni include New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year from the class of 2013, and Houston Astros right-hander and 2011 PG All-American Lance McCullers from the class of 2014.

Menendez was born in Tampa, raised in Key West and then returned to attend the University of Tampa, where he starred on the baseball team. He knows well of the programs’ past successes.

“We talk about it all the time,” Menendez said of the school’s longtime love affair with the game of baseball. “There are five of our coaches on the staff that played here and graduated from Jesuit – guys that have been here and coached for a long time – and we try to make (the current players) aware of the history. We take great pride in our history and we try to make sure these guys really understand it and grasp it.”

Tampa Jesuit will play its first meaningful game since it came from behind to beat Dunedin, 4-3, in last year’s Class 6A state championship game, when it hosts Tampa Blake in the 2020 season-opener on Feb. 18.

Opening day at any level of baseball is always a very special time and Menendez doesn’t doubt for a minute that his guys will come out not only ready to play but, more importantly, excited to be playing once again.

A season can become more challenging when the calendar flips into April and the playoffs haven’t yet begun, but he’s just as certain this group of Jesuit Tigers will maintain both the focus and motivation needed to succeed.

“We talk about what the expectations are,” Menendez said. “They don’t really change from year to year here – it’s pretty much the same – but we just talk about mindset and just trying to make sure we (maintain that) with all this great recognition we’re starting to get. Great responsibility comes with that.

“We have to make sure that we rise to the challenge every day and we know we’re going to get everybody’s best effort,” he concluded. “Now there’s maybe a little bit bigger target on our back, but that’s OK.”
Give us your feedback
High School | General | 5/22/2026

Northeast High School Notebook: May 22
Anthony Gambardella
Article Image
‘26 RHP Hunter Brown (@NHLionsBaseball - NJ) struck out 1️⃣5️⃣ thru 6 IP w/ 0 BB & 2 H allowed. FB lived 90-92, T93 w/ ASR & late life. Froze bats with his 11/5 CB both early/late in counts (2600rpm). Mixed in fading CH & short/tight SL. #WeAre commit. @PG_Draft#PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/NbSSOmCyD0 — Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic (@PGMidAtlantic) April 23, 2026 Hunter Brown - 2026 RHP, North Hunterdon Reg (N.J.) was utterly dominant in his start against Franklin last month, tossing six shutout innings with 15 strikeouts, zero walks and just two hits allowed. The 6-foot-5 215-pound right-hander has pitched to a 0.97 ERA this spring with 78 punchouts over 36 innings of work. Brown has been one of the many northeast arms receiving increasingly more buzz ahead of the MLB Draft this July. Brown’s heater lived in the low-90s throughout the duration of his...
Read More
College | Story | 5/25/2026

Field of 64 Projections

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The 2026 season was one of the most exciting and unpredictable editions of college baseball in recent memory, and as quickly as it flew by, we are ready to start the “Road to Omaha”.  After hours of deliberation, we are ready to release our projected region field and “Field of 64” as we see it.  The UCLA Bruins (51-6) start us off as the anticipated No. 1 National Seed as they put the finishing touches on a historic season, including a 27-game win streak, a Big 10 Regular Season title and Big 10 Tournament championship.  The Big 10 looks like they will have (4) teams in the field, with (3) host sights, representing the West Coast well.  The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (48-9) should secure the No. 2 Nation Seed and lead the charge for (8) teams from the ACC in the field with (3) of them securing host opportunities.  Meanwhile, the Georgia...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘27 IF Braylon Sheffield (FL) with an absolute 🚀 here, launching high off the RCF wall for a 3B. Super polished LH stick; hit over .400 last year on the circuit. #GoHoos commit. #EastMemorial pic.twitter.com/mdehqpR5v5 — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) May 23, 2026 Braylon Sheffield (2027, Fort Myers, Fla.) got the event started with the loudest swing of the night on Friday at Terry Park, rocketing a triple off the wall in the stadium. Sheffield, ranked 121 and committed to Virginia, is a super polished left-handed hitter with left side of the infield projection long term. The swing is tension-free with loose wrists and he generates easy bat speed with already present power to the pull side. This blast came inches away from being a home run and hitting a ball that far at Terry Park stadium is a significant shot. Sheffield also tripled in his second game of the weekend at...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Colton Floyd (‘27,AZ) just misses a HR here. Can really impact the baseball & shows over the fence power potential. Took 3 QAB’s today. He’s the #1 ranked 3B in the state and #4 in the country. #MDWest https://t.co/ReMh7D0v4y pic.twitter.com/w1dzssSy8N — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 23, 2026 Colton Floyd, 3B, Chandler, AZ. Canes West National (2027) Floyd is a high-upside prospect with physical tools and burgeoning power. His combination of size, bat speed, and raw strength makes him one of the top power-hitting third basemen in the country. Currently ranked the #1 third baseman in Arizona and #4 nationally in his class. With continued refinement of his approach and defensive consistency, he has all the ingredients to be a middle-of-the-order bat at Texas A&M and a legitimate MLB Draft prospect JJ Utash (‘27,AZ) with a triple here....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/21/2026

Memorial Day Classics Set to Kick Off

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Southeast Memorial Day East Cobb Baseball will welcome more than 100 teams spanning the 13-17u age groups this weekend as summer baseball gets underway with the highly anticipated PG Southeast Memorial Day Classic, commencing on Thursday, May 21st. This weekend’s annual premier event will feature 11 nationally ranked teams across the five age groups with the No. 9 16u East Cobb Astros headlining the 17u division alongside top prospects such as No. 11 ranked Bryan Johnson Jr. And No. 22 ranked Georgia Tech commit, Malachi Butler. The No. 34 17u ranked 643 DP Cougars will also be a squad to watch as they will look to challenge the Astros for the championship amongst the other 14 17u division teams. While the oldest division will draw lots of attention with highly touted prospects, the 16u field is stacked with 29 total teams including three nationally ranked clubs. Over 30 top 1000...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 5/22/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 65

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
The Insidious Lie That Hurts Pitchers Thep Most How many of you have ever had a terrible outing and afterward couldn’t really explain what went wrong? And how many of you have ever had a great outing and couldn’t explain what you did differently either? That gap between what is happening and your awareness of what is happening may be one of the most important gaps in player development. Closing that gap has a name. It is called metacognition. In simple terms, metacognition means thinking about your thinking. It is the ability to understand how you learn, how you perform, how you respond under pressure, and how you make adjustments when things are not going your way. For a pitcher, that matters because no matter how good your coach is, he cannot stand on the mound with you. Your coach cannot take the ball with the bases loaded, two outs, and the best hitter in the league...
Read More
College | Rankings | 5/20/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: May 20

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
There is a reason the preseason pick to win it all rarely does. College baseball's postseason is a gauntlet — double elimination, best-of-three’s, then a full World Series format — and the team that looks unbeatable in February has to prove it again in May against opponents who have had just as long to get ready. Plenty of programs have entered the tournament as the obvious favorite and gone home early. It happens every year. Nobody should be shocked when it does. Top-ranked teams flaming out in regional weekends happens so many times it has become its own genre of schadenfreude Which makes this particular moment worth noting. The Perfect Game preseason picks to win the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III national titles — Tennessee Wesleyan, UT Tyler, and the University of Lynchburg — are all still alive heading into the final rounds. All three...
Read More
College | Story | 5/21/2026

Coppy's Corner: May 21 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.   Co-Player of the Week: Carson Tinney – University of Texas  As a Notre Dame alumnus, it pained me to see Tinney transfer from the Golden Dome to the University of Texas after an All-American sophomore season for the Irish. He’s picked up in Austin right where he left off in South Bend and is currently hitting .321 AVG, 20 HR, .475 OBP / .695 SLG / 1.170 OPS on the 2026 season. It’s plus right-handed power and a plus arm; with the numbers I have found indicating that Tinney has erased more than half of attempted base stealers over the past two seasons of college baseball. Tinney threw...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/19/2026

Best of the Best Event Preview

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
In simplistic terms, the Best of The Best tournament is an absolute gauntlet as seemingly every game brings a playoff game atmosphere. Coaches must strategically map out their pitching to ensure they can get through Pool Play while also making sure they have arms to make a deep playoff run. Each and every age group is loaded with the best teams, composed of some of the best players that travel baseball has to offer. The 9u & 10u age groups will respectively have 9 out of the Top 10 Teams within the latest PG National Team Rankings participating in the event. At 9U, LTP-Reign will look to hold on to their #1 ranking but will have plenty of competition with the likes of ZT National Prospects and HTX-Wildcatters 9U looking to take over that #1 spot. In the 10u age group, Elevate National will look to fend off plenty of talent with #2 ranked Kaos National, East Cobb Astros and ZT...
Read More
College | Story | 5/19/2026

College Players of the Week: May 19

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
May 19th Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Carson Tinney, C, Texas  The Texas Longhorns just finished off another stellar regular season and are heading to Hoover for the SEC Conference Tournament as the No. 2 Seed this week.  To secure their 2nd place finish, they had to sweep Missouri at home last weekend and did so in large part to the power bat of Carson Tinney.  The 6-4/240 catcher from Castle Pines, CO transferred to Austin after two sensational seasons at Notre Dame and has thrived in his draft year.  In the 3-game set, Tinney collected 7 hits in 13 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, with a double, 3 home runs and he drove in 10 runs all told.  With some of the most prodigious power in the college game this year, Tinney is now slashing .321/.695/.473 with 10 doubles an incredible 20 home runs and 54 RBIs while playing in the most spacious ballpark in the...
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.