THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 2/13/2020

Weekend Preview: 2020 Kickoff

Photo: Reid Detmers (Louisville Athletics)

2020 College Baseball Staff Predictions | 2020 College Baseball Preview Index

As the days get longer and more sunlight returns into our lives we also welcome back college baseball. The 2020 season kicks off on Friday at the Division I level and we hope you have been following along during our expansive preview content. If you haven't, be sure to click the "Preview Index" link above to access everything from top prospect rankings to 31 individual conference previews.

Now we get to focus on what is actually happening on baseball diamonds across the nation instead of just putting our best guesses forward. And a lot of early action will take place in Arizona with the return of the MLB4 Collegiate Baseball Tournament held at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. The defending national champion Vanderbilt Commodores will once again be in attendance looking to defend their title the same place where their championship season begun a year ago.

And they'll get a familiar foe right off the bat in Michigan, a team Vanderbilt beat eight months ago in Omaha. Those two teams, along with UConn and Cal Poly, will make up the four-team field. And just to make things even more interesting, Michigan is stepping aside on Saturday after their game against Cal Poly to take on fifth-ranked Arizona State.

Minnesota, Oregon, Pepperdine and San Diego will be playing in nearby Tempe as part of the Angels College Classic. Grand Canyon hosts No. 19 Oklahoma State in Phoenix to add even more intrigue to the Desert.

There are two more traditional series taking place on Opening Weekend between Top 25-ranked teams. The biggest of those will occur in Oxford, Miss. as No. 18 Ole Miss hosts No. 1 Louisville. This marks the second year in a row that Louisville will be playing in the marquee series to kick off the season, doing so a year ago against UConn at a neutral site in Florida.

Speaking of neutral sites in Florida, No. 16 Oklahoma will face No. 25 Virginia in Pensacola for a showdown between two teams full of promise that did not quality for the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Similar to past seasons all of our scouting reports on players will be shared in the Perfect Game College Player Database. Each week during the season, in tandem with our partners at Rawlings, we will continue to identify a Player and Pitcher of the Week.

And stay tuned for the return of Perfect Game College Baseball on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM channel 84 with co-hosts Daron Sutton and Mike Rooney. The first program will be aired on Wednesday, February 19 from 7-9 p.m. ET. The one-hour Perfect Game College Softball program, with co-hosts Daron Sutton and Amanda Freed, will immediately follow (9-10 p.m. ET).


Top 25 in Action

Rk. Team Opponent Location
1 Louisville at No. 18 Ole Miss Oxford, MS
2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 Michigan, UConn, Cal Poly Scottsdale, AZ
3 Texas Tech home vs. Houston Baptist, Northern Colorado Lubbock, TX
4 Arkansas home vs. Eastern Illinois Fayetteville, AR
5 Arizona State home vs. Villanova, No. 12 Michigan Phoenix, AZ
6 Auburn home vs. Illinois-Chicago Auburn, AL
7 Miami home vs. Rutgers Coral Gables, FL
8 Mississippi State home vs. Wright State Starkville, MS
9 UCLA home vs. UC Riverside Los Angeles, CA
10 Georgia home vs. Richmond Athens, GA
11 Duke home vs. Army Durham, NC
12 Michigan vs. No. 2 Vanderbilt, Cal Poly, at No. 5 Arizona State, UConn Scottsdale, AZ
13 Florida home vs. Marshall Gainesville, FL
14 Florida State home vs. Niagara Tallahassee, FL
15 Stanford home vs. Cal State Fullerton Stanford, CA
16 Oklahoma vs. No. 25 Virginia Pensacola, FL
17 North Carolina home vs. Middle Tennessee Chapel Hill, NC
18 Mississippi home vs. No. 1 Louisville Oxford, MS
19 Oklahoma State at Grand Canyon Phoenix, AZ
20 Louisiana State home vs. Indiana Baton Rouge, LA
21 NC State home vs. James Madison Raleigh, NC
22 Texas A&M home vs. Miami (Ohio) College Station, TX
23 East Carolina home vs. William & Mary Greenville, NC
24 Texas at Rice Houston, TX
25 Virginia vs. No. 16 Oklahoma Pensacola, FL


OU, UVA Square Off

If you’re looking for a series full of intrigue to open the 2020 college baseball season look no further than No. 16 Oklahoma versus No. 25 Virginia, a three-game set to be played on a neutral site in Pensacola, Fla.

Neither team made the postseason a year ago. In fact, Virginia didn’t make it the year before either after making an appearance in 14 straight Regionals since Brian O’Connor took over as the head coach in 2004. That stretch included four College World Series appearances (2009, 2011, 2014, 2015) and one national championship as we enter the five-year anniversary of their first-ever CWS title.

Oklahoma has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 33 times since 1972, missing just 14 times during that stretch spanning 47 years and never twice in a row until they missed three straight years from 2014 to 2016. Missing the postseason last year was especially disappointing considering that they opened the year 22-5 before losing their first weekend series of the year to West Virginia in late March that started a steady slide down the Big 12 standings.

There’s some recent history between the two teams as well, with Oklahoma holding bragging rights in each instance. In 2010, under the guidance of Sunny Golloway, OU took down O’Connor’s Cavaliers in a best-of-three Super Regional series held in Charlottesville. Virginia got off to an early 1-0 series lead with the Sooners claiming the last two games to advance to Omaha, the last time they’ve made a CWS appearance.

In 2012 they faced each other again in the postseason, with Oklahoma once again ending Virginia’s season, in Charlottesville, with a Regional upset.

And despite the fact that neither team made the postseason a year ago, hope springs eternal and each of these teams looks to make a strong answer in 2020 opening the year ranked within the Preseason College Top 25.

Oklahoma has two big things going for them: a potentially dominant pitching staff for coach Skip Johnson to work with and some impressive experience in the everyday lineup. Projected staff ace Cade Cavalli is expected to only pitch this season after serving a two-way role and reports indicate he’s been flirting with triple digits. He has always had a power arm but appears to have taken the next step and could be OU’s best pitcher since Jon Gray and his phenomenal season in 2013 that led to him being the third overall pick in the MLB Draft. Junior lefthander Levi Prater enjoyed a strong 2019 season and sophomore righthander Ben Abram should round out the weekend starting rotation with senior Jason Ruffcorn closing games out.

The word “senior” can be found frequently in the starting lineup, particularly up the middle with catcher Brady Lindsly, shortstop Brandon Zaragoza and second baseman Conor McKenna all returning to their usual posts. Corner infielder Tyler Hardman, a junior, returns the biggest bat for a team that should have no problem scoring runs.

Conversely, Virginia is more about youth as a program rebuilding its way back to previous glory. The heart of the lineup will have two sophomores that enjoyed big freshmen seasons a year ago, second baseman Nic Kent and third baseman Zack Gelof, while freshmen Chris Newell and Max Cotier are expected to play every day at the key positions of center field and shortstop, respectively. Outfielder Brendan Rivoli, catcher Logan Michaels and first baseman Alex Tappen will provide some stability to the lineup and will be joined by two-way talent Devin Ortiz, who continues to look better and better swinging the stick after leading the team in both batting (.421) and ERA (1.78) a year ago.

Youth continues on the pitching staff with sophomore righthander Mike Vasil expected to claim one of the weekend starting roles. He’s expected to follow Griff McGarry and Chesdin Harrington, and the team’s top prospect for the 2020 MLB Draft, lefthander Andrew Abbott, will close games out.

And while it’s far too early to find any strong takeaways for either club simply by who wins/loses the three-game series to open the season, it could help shed some light on what kind of character each team is going to have plowing through the next 4-5 months.

– Patrick Ebert


Next Level Prognostications

College baseball’s 2020 Opening Day is on the horizon. This is the time of year when predictions are en vogue. So let’s take that to another level. Here are some off-the-wall, but hopefully accurate, prognostications for this season. If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.

18.5 – ACC and SEC Teams in the NCAA Tournament
Give us the over. The SEC is the deepest league in college baseball and Alabama is much improved. This is arguably the deepest ACC in the league’s history. These two leagues combined for a record 18 bids in 2019. 20 feels possible in 2020.

Oklahoma will win some version of a Big 12 title in 2020
The Sooners are old up the middle with shortstop Brandon Zaragoza and catcher Brady Lindsly. A rotation led by Cade Cavalli and Levi Prater kicks off what should be a very good bullpen. The Big 12 as a league is very talented but young. We’ve got hardware headed to Norman.

6.5 – SEC arms who will be first round picks
Only two starting pitchers will be named First Team All-SEC but as many as eight could be first round picks this June. No less than nine SEC arms are ranked in the top 30 of PG’s 2020 college draft list: Emerson Hancock, Asa Lacy, Hugh Fisher, Garrett Crochet, Tommy Mace, Tanner Burns, JT Ginn, Cole Wilcox and Carmen Mlodzinski. Give us the over.

Two among these teams go to a Super in 2020: DBU, Campbell, UNCW, San Diego State, Jacksonville State
These programs fit the profile: veteran groups who are used to winning and come to the party with significant Regional experience. For example, DBU has been to the NCAA Tournament in eight of the last nine seasons and the San Diego State roster offers an Omaha-caliber talent level. This group of five is dangerous, and if they are able to advance to the Super Regional round, anything can happen. #OneWeekendForOmaha

West Coast wins it all
This prediction basically comes down to either UCLA or Arizona State. These two clubs are the class of the left coast and both teams are built to go deep. UCLA combines an elite bullpen with a very talented overall roster. The Sun Devils offer a dynamic offense, they play premium defense and Tracy Smith may have just enough pitching.

And when the Pac-12 gets to Omaha, they do damage. In the last decade, the league sent just 11 teams total to the College World Series. Of those 11 teams, five played in the CWS Finals with Arizona (2012), UCLA (2013) and Oregon State (2018) winning it all. #InItToWinIt

30 bombs, times two
Kris Bryant (San Diego) hit a remarkable 31 home runs in 2013. He out-homered 226 entire teams that season. No Division I player has eclipsed the 30-home run mark since then.

This year, multiple players will do it. It’s aggressive but we only need two hitters to rise up. The three best chances are Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State), Aaron Sabato (North Carolina) and Alex Toral (Miami). And let’s add a hitter to be named later from the always explosive Ohio Valley Conference. #30BombsForAllMyMen

– Mike Rooney




College | Recruiting | 9/18/2026

Top DII/DIII/NAIA Incoming Freshmen

Article Image
Top Incoming DII Freshmen Rank Name Pos School HS City ST 1 Isaiah Fernandez C Barry Chaminade Madonna College Prep Fort Lauderdale FL 2 Jaiden Palmer SS Newberry University High School Deland FL 3 Mills Carrillo RHP Saint Leo Wesley Chapel Wesley Chapel FL 4 Reuben Vasquez OF Barry Strawberry Crest Dover FL 5 Andrew Petrock SS West Alabama Pelham Pelham AL 6 Jonathan Duffy OF Bentley Walt Whitman Huntington Station NY 7 Tyson McFarlin SS Texas A&M-Kingsville Elgin Elgin TX 8 Chip Glogorski C Georgia College & State Kings Ridge Christian Cumming GA 9 Tanner Pope 1B Francis Marion Garner Magnet Garner NC 10 Brice Gillis 1B University of North Georgia Wesleyan Johns Creek GA 11 Dillon O'Connor RHP Ferrum College The Miller School of Albemarle Charlottesville VA 12 Cooper Obst C Lander Pine Crest Fort Lauderdale FL 13 Brent Sollars OF Colorado Mesa Sandra Day O'Connor Phoenix AZ 14...
Tournaments | Story | 10/21/2026

Windy City Finale Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘27 RHP Jaxson Weiss (IL) pitched well in his 5 innings and put up some eye popping strikeout numbers. He punched out 10 and allowed only 2ER. FB T86 early and flashed a BB 72-75. #WCFinale https://t.co/M8GtCUgxyS — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) October 17, 2026 Jaxson Weiss (2027, New Lennox, Ill.) a right-handed pitcher put up big strikeout numbers in his start on Saturday. He worked five innings while punching out ten opposing hitters. The fastball topped out at 86 mph and sat in the 82-85 mph range most of the game. His breaking ball was his primary off-speed, living 72-75 mph. Weiss keeps his body under control throughout his delivery, helping him with his good command on the mound. He uses his lower half well with a nice leg drive and gets his hips through, guiding his backside. He pitched with confidence and stayed ahead of hitters most of the game. Hayden...
Tournaments | Story | 10/19/2026

PG Draft: Jupiter Draft Movers

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The WWBA World Championship remains one of the premier events on the draft calendar as all 30 major league organizations descend on Jupiter to evaluate some of the top talent in amateur baseball. The event serves as a pivotal checkpoint in the scouting process, giving established prospects an opportunity to further elevate their stock while lesser-known names have a chance to put themselves on the radar of various organizations. This year was no exception, as several players made strong impressions and positioned themselves for increased attention heading into the spring. With that being said, let’s dive into a few draft risers and sleepers who stood out in Jupiter. Calum Andersen (‘27,CAN) had his A stuff working today running the FB to 96 mph with a devastating horizontal SL at 85 mph that can break bats. Mixed in a late breaking 12/6 curveball at 78 mph that induces weak...
Tournaments | Story | 10/20/2026

Jupiter Recap: Stars Being Stars

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
WWBA World Championship Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 PG Draft: Jupiter Draft Movers With the 2026 WWBA World Championship in the rearview mirror, we're going to begin our breakdowns of 4 different subcategories, beginning today with the Stars Being Stars category. Most of the players below are household names or were teetering on the edge of such recognition, using Jupiter as their launching pad. From Perfect Game All-Americans to some serious helium names for the MLB Draft, the PG crew breaks them all down below.  ‘27 Samir Mohammed (FL) racked up 11 Ks thru 5 IP on 75% strikes. FB lived 98-99, T100 w/ tons of ASR & life thru the zone. Hit 99 mph 10+ times incl his final pitch of the outing. Had his sharp vert CB on a string & faded the CHG effectively vs LHHs (clip). #LSU commit. @PG_Draft #WWBAWorlds @Florida_PG — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting)...
Tournaments | Story | 10/21/2026

Jupiter Recap: Uncommitted...For Now

Kyler Peterson
Article Image
WWBA World Championship Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 PG Draft: Jupiter Draft Movers | Jupiter: Stars Being Stars Gets your reads in now because by the time you reach the end, some of the talent in this article might be giving their commitments to a college somewhere across the country. Every player below did something that caught out scout's eye and should certainly be on the radar for college coaches, if they aren't already.  Braxton Sykes (2028, Brunswick, Ga.) tossed a total of six innings down in Jupiter, collecting six strikeouts while failing to allow either a hit or earned run during his tenure on the mound. The 6-foot-2 right-hander showcased an impressive three-pitch mix with excellent feel to locate in every part of the strike zone. His fastball lived in the mid- to upper-80s mph range with more velocity to project for as Sykes continues to add strength and...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 10/15/2026

Beyond the Board: C/UTL Gavin Kelly

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Beyond the Board: SS Dylan Seward As the 2027 draft cycle moves through the fall and into the offseason, we kick off a new series called Beyond The Board. With each installment, we will provide an in-depth scouting report for some of the top players in the class, breaking down their tools, strengths, question marks, and overall projection. This week we are diving in West Virginia’s Gavin Kelly. The Mountaineer backstop posted a .382/.477/.725 slash line with 19 home runs, 44 extra-base hits, and helped lead WVU to Omaha in ‘26. Let’s dive in.  Player: Gavin Kelly  Position: C/UTL B/T: R/R Height: 6-foot-0 Weight: 175-pounds School: West Virginia Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pen. Physical Description: 6-0/175. Lean, athletic build. Sneaky strength throughout. Frame has room to fill out and get stronger.    Slo-mo look at the HR by Gavin Kelly (@WVUBaseball)....
Tournaments | Story | 10/15/2026

Big Offense Propels TBT/FTB to Title

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
Big Offense Wins TBT/FTB Phillies Scout WWBA Freshman Title Runs scoring in every inning led to the TBT/FTB Phillies Scout Team taking home the 2026 PG WWBA Freshman World Championship - winning over Canes National 15U 10-5. It had been a long week in West Palm Beach for the freshmen coming in from around the country to go up against the best of the best. While they had gotten to play on the backfields during the whole tournament, the players who made it to the championship game got to play it in the CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches Stadium. TBT/FTB showed their defensive strength right away - executing quickly to retire each of the first three batters. With the bats in their hands, they also showed speed to deliver - with Luca Briggs batting Trey Vandergriff in for the first run of the game and Kingston George quickly plating Briggs with a double in the next at-bat. In the first at-bat of...
Tournaments | Story | 10/14/2026

Beast of the East Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘31 Ryan Spann (GA) obliterates this ball for a solo HR 💣. Ball jumps off barrel & shows the juice and & PS impact. 3x @PGSelectFest alum. #BeastOfTheEast @PG_Georgia https://t.co/TgVGPfDRYc — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) October 10, 2026 Ryan Spann (2031, Warner Robins, Ga.) took home MVP honors after a standout weekend and finishing as the number one player on the top performers list. The top player from Georgia and number two player in the country led all performers in home runs (2) and tallied 7 RBIs on his way to a .400 average. The overall profile on Spann is super advanced for the age with electric offensive upside and one of if not the prettiest swing in the class. This will be a fun follow for years to come and I am all in. Carlo Rivero (2031, Apopka, Fla.) checks in as the number one overall player in the class and it’s easy to see why at...
Press Release | Press Release | 10/14/2026

Perfect Game Extends Turtlebox Deal

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH TURTLEBOX AS OFFICIAL BLUETOOTH SPEAKER AND AUDIO PROVIDER   Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, October 14, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that Turtlebox has extended its partnership as the Official Bluetooth Speaker and Audio Provider of Perfect Game. The relationship, which began in 2023, expands to include original content, player recognition and a larger presence at Perfect Game's marquee events. At the center of the extension is "Turtlebox Cage Sessions," a new series produced and distributed by Perfect Game across all its social media platforms. The 12 short-form episodes will feature...
Tournaments | Story | 10/13/2026

East Cobb/Padres Explode Late for Jupiter Win

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
East Cobb/SD Padres ST Explode Late for WWBA Worlds Win A hard-fought, crazy ending resulted in the East Cobb/SD Padres scout team coming back and winning the 2026 PG WWBA World Championship over the SBA/Marlins Scout Team 2028. The score was 8-7 after the championship was won with a walk-off balk. After going against some of the most talented, highly-ranked players in the country for the past couple days, it was finally time for the championship game at Roger Dean Complex Stadium in Jupiter, FL. The WWBA World Championship, or, as it’s more commonly and lovingly referred to as, “Jupiter,” has become a favorite for all who have been part of its iconic, golf-cart infested, electric atmosphere. This championship game was sure to entertain. The first two innings were scoreless for both teams as they got settled. Both defenses were making plays - SBA/Marlins executed a...
Tournaments | Story | 10/12/2026

WWBA Freshman Scout Notes: Day 4

Marcus Thomas
Article Image
WWBA Freshman Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 James Watson (2030, Canton, Ga.) showed the two-way upside to start bracket play for East Cobb Astros 15u. On the mound the right-handed pitcher went three innings and with three strikeouts and spread five hits and two walks for three runs. Watson works from a hybrid windup from the middle-of-the-rubber into a small heel-turn and an around-the-belt leg lift before using drop-and-drive back leg mechanics into a longer, in-line stride down the mound. Showed some feel to get extension down the mound. The hands separate into a moderate arm action before accelerating through from an over-the-top arm angle. The fastball ran up to 86 with arm-side run and life. Paired it with a curveball with 11-5 shape and solid two-plane break. Mixed in a change-up in the upper- 70s with some vertical depth. Competed at the top of the zone well. Athletic...
Loading more articles...