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General  | General | 4/21/2020

Best of 7 Series: Southwest

Drew Wesolowski
Photo: Austin Wells (Arizona Athletics)

Each segment of the Best of 7, 10-part series has been assembled by one of PG’s scouts. The idea of this exercise is to put together a team with the best amateur players from 10 different regions from across the country in an attempt to win a seven-game series. The players are not necessarily the top prospects in each state/region, but those that have consistently proven they have what it takes to win consistently at a high level. Which region would win such a series? Stay tuned to Perfect Game and join us @PerfectGameUSA to chime in.

Best of 7 Series: Florida | Pacific | Southeast | Texahoma

Southwest Region: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah



 Carson Tucker
Tucker is a legit middle infielder who has proven to have some pop in the barrel as well. With an ultra-projectable, long and lean frame, Tucker had a great showing at the 2019 National Showcase as he consistently squared up some of the best pitching in his prep class. The Texas commit has been on the Perfect Game radar for years now and he looks to be someone who will make an even bigger name for himself going forward. Tucker is someone anyone would want on their roster as he shows twitch in all aspects of his game and is a proven winner.

Alika Williams
Williams has proved himself as one of the top middle infield guys in the country. He was drafted by the Yankees in 2017 out of high school and decided to take his talents to Arizona State, stepping onto campus in 2017 and making an impact ever since. He was a standout in his prep days as he earned All-Tournament Team honors at the 2016 WWBA World Championship in Jupiter. A legit middle infielder who is a career .300 hitter in college, Williams is someone you can throw in any lineup and expect stellar defense with a barrel-finding swing.



Spencer Torkelson
One of the most premier prospects in the country as Arizona State continues to pump out dudes, Torkelson was raking to start his junior season as he was batting .340 with six home runs in just 50 at-bats before the season was cut short. A career .330-plus hitter at ASU and someone who finds the barrel often, Torkelson is a legit power threat with a combined 53 homers during his college career. He’s someone you can insert into the three-hole in any lineup and watch him flourish. During his prep career he showed well as a well-rounded player at the 2017 Perfect Game National Showcase and is now one of the top prospects in the upcoming draft and could be the favorite to go first overall.

Nick Gonzales
New Mexico States Gonzales was on fire to start the 2020 season as the righthanded hitter was batting .448 in 58 at-bats. He tallied a staggering 12 home runs and knocked in 36 RBI before baseball came to a halt. With a slugging percentage over 1.155, he more than proved his power abilities in the box. Gonzales is someone you can throw in the cleanup spot and watch him rack up runs. In high school he was named to a handful of All-Tournament Teams at Perfect Game events, and now heading towards June, look for Gonzales to make a big splash in the draft.

Austin Wells
Wells already introduced himself to the professional world as the catcher was drafted out of high school by the Yankees. The smooth-swinging lefty was batting .375 in just 56 plate appearances this year and was on pace to be one of the top bats in the Pac-12. He’s someone who has cemented himself as one of the top catchers in the country and was named to the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic during his high school career as a long-time, well-known talent.



Jacob Berry
Berry is an Arizona commit who has done nothing but shown upside in his prep days. A corner guy who has a solid track record in past Perfect Game events, Berry was named to 2019 WWBA 17u West National Championship All-Tournament Team. He’s someone you want in the middle of your lineup as the bat plays and he is solid on the corners.

Matthew Dyer
One of the top hitting utility guys in the country, Dyer has been closely monitored from a young age. He swung the bat well and was up to 90 mph at the 2016 Perfect Game West MLK Championship as he’s a legit athlete who has always found a spot on the field and his bat plays at any position. At Arizona, he has cemented himself as one of the top hitters in the Pac-12 as he is a career .348 hitter that tallied seven home runs proving to have a little juice in the barrel when he finds one. Dyer is someone you want on your roster as he plays multiple positions and always brings his bat with him.

Drew Swift
A high-motor player and one of the best barrel finder-type swings you will find in today’s game, Swift is completely comfortable hitting in the middle of the order as he has done with success at Arizona State. He stood out in his prep days as received All-Tournament Team honors in Jupiter at the 2016 WWBA World Championship. Swift was off to a hot start in 2020, hitting .365 in 63 at-bats with 16 RBI, and provides a bat anyone would love to insert in the lineup, not to mention his glove up the middle on defense.

Cole Schaefer
Schaefer has become a standout since taking the field for Southern Nevada. In 77 at-bats this year he was hitting a staggering .377 with 16 RBI. He proved himself as one of the top JUCO prospects for this year’s draft as he made tremendous strides in his last two seasons. A true competitor, Schaefer who would be an easy fit in any lineup.

Ethan Long
Someone who gets it done in all aspects of the game, Long has been up to 97 mph on the mound and also shows huge pop in the barrel at the dish. Long has had a noted track record of a future power arm and he sat at 93-97 mph in Jupiter last fall as he closed out a couple of games. He has a career .383 batting average and 1.103 OPS at Perfect Game events in almost 150 plate appearances. A true two-way guy who competes at all times, Long is someone you can insert into any lineup with confidence.



RJ Dabovich
One of the biggest arms in the country, Dabovich made huge a jump in college when he got to Arizona State. The righthanded pitcher was up to 99 mph this year and did not drop below 95 mph in his outings and only gave up three hits in 11 2/3 innings pitched. Dabovich is a true gamer as he enters out of the ‘pen and goes right after batters and has great mound presence as well. He was drafted by the Royals in his prep days and was named to All-Tournament Team at the 2016 WWBA World Championship in Jupiter. A top power arm in the country, Dabovich would give any coach confidence as he jogs out of the bullpen late in a game.

Mat Olsen
Olsen is a big righthanded arm who had somewhat of an average prep career but then burst onto the scene at Central Arizona. After attending a handful of Perfect Game events, including the Perfect Game West MLK Championship, he has started to make a name for himself, particularly in the velocity department as he’s recently been up to 94 mph. At Central Arizona, he threw 36 1/3 innings while striking out 61 batters and giving up just 11 runs. Now committed to Arizona, the big righty would fit well into any pitching rotation as a potential top 10 round draft pick.

Chase Silseth
A physically strong righthanded pitcher who has been a fast arm since his prep days, Silseth was dominant at past Perfect Game events. He was named to multiple All-Tournament Teams, including the 2017 WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, where he was up to 93 mph. At Southern Nevada this season he struck out 55 batters in just 30 1/3 innings pitched. Give him the rock and let him do his thing as he’s someone who has created some draft buzz as well.

Ross Dunn
Dunn is a big, physical lefthanded pitcher who has done nothing but get better year in and year out. A Florida State commit who has been dominant in his prep years, Dunn was up to 93 mph at the Perfect Game National Showcase last summer. With a career ERA of 0.00 at past Perfect Game events, he came in and dealed at the 2019 17u WWBA as he sat in the low-90s and carved hitters up. He has ultimate control in his fastball with his curveball starting to come around as he’s someone you want on your pitching staff as he goes right after hitters and gets outs.



Paulshawn Pasqualotto
A long and lean righthanded arm with huge upside showing, Pasqualotto uses his low-90s fastball with a plus slider and changeup to get batters out as he really knows how to pitch and has proved so at numerous Perfect Game events. He was especially dominant on the mound at the 2019 WWBA World Championship in Jupiter this past year as he threw a gem, striking out 12 batters in five innings while picking up the win. He’s someone you have complete confidence in when you give him the ball.

Boyd Vander Kooi
A big-framed righthanded pitcher that works in a competitive manor, Vander Kooi has low- to mid-90s heat with a plus, tight-spinning breaking ball. The Arizona State righty has been entrusted over his career with the ball as he has thrown 156 2/3 innings while striking out 140 batters. In his prep days, he was named to the 2016 WWBA World Championship All-Tournament Team. After that, he was drafted by the Diamondbacks out of high school and he has been nothing but dominant and is someone anyone would trust letting him take the mound.

DJ Carpenter
Carpenter stood out in a big way in his prep days as he was drafted by the Phillies but decided to attend Central Arizona instead. He had attended multiple Perfect Game events while in high school, including the 2017 California Uncommitted Showcase, where he topped out at 88 mph and earned Top Prospect Team honors. At Central Arizona, he tallied 30 2/3 innings while striking out 47 batters, giving up just 22 hits. He is now committed to Hawaii and looks to make a name for himself in the upcoming draft.



Joseph Dixon
There’s true pitchability here as Dixon knows how to miss barrels as a low-90s guy with nothing but a high ceiling going forward. He was lights out at the National Showcase as he ran it up to 93 mph with ease. There’s some true funk showing as he carved up opposing hitters and mixed in a nasty curveball to get some knees to buckle. A Stanford commit, Dixon is someone that will throw very hard one day and already knows how to win.

Erik Tolman
A lefty with huge upside, Tolman is someone who will make a tremendous jump with some command fixes. There’s legit swing-and-miss stuff as he sits in the low-90s and has a knack for missing barrels. The Arizona State standout was legit before his college days as he was up to 90 mph in high school at the 2017 17u Perfect Game World Series and in his 66 innings pitched in college he has struck out 79 batters. Tolman is someone you can put trust into to not give up the big innings when he gets the command under control.

Johnny Cuevas
A righthanded pitcher who has made nothing but positive strides in the past few years, Cuevas was an upper-80s prep arm back in the day as he made a few appearances at Perfect Game events, including the 2017 17u Perfect Game World Series. Now at Southern Nevada, he has been filling it up, sitting in the low-90s with a plus curveball. In 28 2/3 innings pitched this season he tallied 32 strikeouts and only gave up 16 hits. A true gamer, Cuevas is someone that will help keep a pitching staff deep.



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General | Blog | 4/10/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

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Perfect Game Staff
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Beast of the East Scout Notes: Day 2

Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 6/3/2026

Beast of the East Heads to Georgia

Will Dembo
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Tournaments | Story | 6/5/2026

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Kinley Kitchens
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Tournaments | Story | 6/5/2026

Reed Continues to Prove He Belongs

Kinley Kitchens
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Tournaments | Story | 6/5/2026

Beast of the East Scout Notes: Day 1

Perfect Game Staff
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Joey Cohen
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Showcase | Story | 6/4/2026

Soph. & Junior National Arrive in Georgia

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