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College  | Story | 5/20/2020

363 Days and Counting...

Photo: Hoover Met (Michael Wade)
2020 College Honor Roll | Letter to College Baseball

I Wish We Had Met: May 13

This time last year, I experienced one of the best College Baseball weeks of my life.  This year, an encore was not possible for obvious reasons.

Please indulge me as I reminisce upon those seven wonderful days in 2019.  It was the best of times. 

On Monday, May 20th, I settled into the SEC Network hotel near Birmingham, Alabama.  Despite a life spent in College Baseball, this would be my first time attending the famed SEC Baseball Tournament in person.  “Hoover”, as it is commonly referred to, was something I had watched on television countless times.

The host city of Hoover, Alabama, and the hotel, were clearly all in on the event.  Upon entering the hotel, the tourney’s logo was illuminated on to the marble floor in the lobby.. very impressive.  Upon entering my room, there was placard on the TV stand that highlighted which channel the SEC Baseball Tournament would be on.  #YouGetMe
The event itself would make any College Baseball fan proud.  The games kick off on Tuesday and there are four per day early in the tournament.  The fanfare around the stadium would remind you of a College Football Saturday. 

Here’s another interesting factoid: no school or organization currently claims Hoover Metropolitan Stadium as its own.  It is in fact, the home of the SEC Baseball Tournament.  To be clear, this tournament has its very own stadium.  #LargeLeague

If you had to summarize Hoover, it really is a Baseball Wonderland.  We saw 12 different teams in two days.  Vandy was on its way to making history.  There were over 13,000 fans in attendance for the Tuesday night LSU-Mississippi State game.  (Note to self: 13,000 fans on a Tuesday night!)  To top it off, I was given a SEC Network logo’d bucket hat for my broadcast duties.  #WinningAtLife

After those memorable few days in Hoover, I then journeyed to Durham, North Carolina for the ACC Tournament Championship.  This very underrated event was being played at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.  This Triple-A ballpark is an absolute jewel and the downtown setting was festive.

The first few days of this tourney involve a much-maligned pod system with a round robin format.  Eventually the four pod winners begin a single-elimination tournament on Saturday.  The electricity ramps up quickly and there is a very old school feel to that part of the format. 

Like Hoover, it is fun to see so many excellent teams in one venue.  The separator here was the ballpark.  It is splendid in every way and made for an outstanding experience. 

From Durham I ventured to Bristol, Connecticut and the mother ship.. ESPN.  The ACC Tournament Championship game begins at 12 noon ET so this Sunday night trip to ESPN has become a ritual for me over the last couple of years. 

Upon arriving in Bristol on Sunday night, the chances of a good night’s sleep were minimal.  And that is because the Monday that lay before me was surreal.  In the morning, I would get to represent the sport of College Baseball on both “Get Up” and “Sports Center”. 

This was a thrill for several reasons.  First of all, the interview on Get Up would be conducted by the great Laura Rutledge.  Laura has been one of our teammates on College Baseball broadcasts and even married a former College Baseball star (Josh Rutledge of Alabama).  Laura is a superstar herself and she truly loves our sport.  It was a blast!

Appearing on Sports Center for the first time in my career struck in me in several ways.  For starters, this is a show I’ve been watching religiously since I was ten years old.  More importantly, I always feel a strong sense of pride when a global program like Sports Center focuses its attention on College Baseball. 

I was somewhat anxious for this “hit” but a sense of purpose helped calmed me.  This was the greatest time of the year in our sport and it was my responsibility to help the American sports fan get ready for the run to Omaha. 

It also helped that I could tell the hosts (Nicole Briscoe and Randy Scott) about Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman.  They loved the story about him tackling Christian McCaffrey on a kickoff return during Rutschman’s freshman year.  (He kicked for the Oregon State football team.)  #PlayBadlyForAdley

From there it was on to the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.  While the show is very much a celebration, I always feel conflicted.  You are elated for teams that achieved something truly great for their program.  And you feel heartbroken for the teams who accomplished so many amazing things during the season, only to fall short of making the NCAA Tournament.  All that said, it is an absolute privilege to help present the Field of 64 to College Baseball fans everywhere. 

My final stop before leaving Bristol has also become an annual tradition for me: after the Selection Show, I head to the radio studio on ESPN’s Bristol campus.  From there, I join Daron Sutton for our Perfect Game College Baseball radio show on SiriusXM Channel 84.  It is a joyous show as we interview coaches who are lifted up by the thrill of their place in the NCAA Tournament.  It is the perfect capper to an incredible week.

 Reflecting on that glorious week serves as a reminder as to why I love College Baseball so much.  Our sport has taken me places I never thought possible.  It has introduced me to people who have changed my life.  In good and bad times, the sport of College Baseball has been a constant for me.    

Sharing my passion for College Baseball in a public setting is an honor and I miss those conversations dearly.  But that’s ok, this too shall pass.  I believe my College Baseball Dream Week will happen again.  Maybe just 363 days from today.  I’ll be ready!

College | Story | 7/10/2026

Cape Cod Notebook No. 1

Perfect Game Staff
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Cape Cod League Scouting Notebook  Maverick Rizy | Ole Miss | RHP | Brewster Whitecaps  The towering 6-foot-9, 250-pound right-hander continues to stand out with one of the more unique looks on the Cape, pairing a massive frame with a low three-quarter slot that creates difficult angles for hitters. While his fastball velocity was down from its typical mid-90s range during this look, working mostly 90-92 mph, it still generated plenty of swing-and-miss. He paired the heater with an 81-83 mph gyro slider featuring tight bullet-spin action and mixed in an 85-mph changeup with quality separation. Rizy battled his command early in the outing I saw, before settling in to strike out five over three innings, showing the ability to adjust as the game progressed. Through 12.2 Cape League innings, he has recorded 18 strikeouts, and his combination of size, deception, and projectability...
Tournaments | Story | 7/12/2026

14u BCS Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Austin Way (2030, Yulee, FL) was 2-3 in game four, driving in a run and scoring once himself. Picked it well defensively at shortstop but really showed out in the box today. Works the barrel path to the middle of the field and whips the barrel through the zone. The RHH creates lift in the turn, and the ball jumps off the bat hot.  Sutton Walling (2029, Ponte Vedra, FL) is an athletic 5’11/160lb infielder who gets it done on both sides of the ball. Dominated at the plate right behind his teammate Way in the batting order going 3-3 with two doubles. He does a really good job with the barrel accuracy and works through contact with heavy hands. Lots of project-ability in the profile and is having a sneaky great week at the plate. Banks Kennedy (2030, Arcadia, FL) received it well behind the dish and was the leading force in this one driving in three rbis. He ended up going 2-3...
Draft | Story | 7/12/2026

2026 MLB Draft: Best Available

Tyler Henninger
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2026 MLB Draft: Best Available for Day Two  A total of 135 players heard their name called on Saturday. As always, signability, bonus pool strategy, and organizational preferences play a major role in how the board unfolds. With that being said, we saw a majority of the top half off the board get selected, but there are a number of players ranked inside our Top 150 that remain available. From high-upside prep talent to polished college performers, these are the top names still available according to our Final Top 500 Draft Board.  Top Prep Bats Available (with Top-500 Board Rankings) 38. Archer Horn, SS/RHP, St. Ignatius College Prep (CA) 58. Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra Catholic (CA) 64. James Tronstein, SS/OF, Harvard-Westlake (CA) 66. Noah Wilson, OF, McCallie School (TN) 71. Cole Koeninger, SS/RHP, Keller (TX) 77. Sean Dunlap, C, Crown Point (IN) 82. Alex Weingartner, OF//RHP,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/11/2026

17U National Elite Heads to Hoover

Kinley Kitchens
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Another week, another big tournament makes its way to Hoover.  This week, 104 of the nation’s top 17U teams will make their way to Hoover for the 2026 Perfect Game 17U National Elite Championship.  Featuring nationally ranked teams, Division I commits, and many of the country’s top 2027 players, the tournament promises another week of elite competition as teams battle for one of the biggest championships of the summer.  With many players already committed to some of the nation’s top college programs, every game in Hoover this week offers a glimpse into the future of college baseball.  Now entering its eighth year, the National Elite Championship continues to bring in the nation’s best. Past champions include Team Elite Scout Team, Canes National, USA Prime National, Scorpions/Giants Scout Team, 5 Star Performance National, Knights Knation Scout...
Draft | Story | 7/12/2026

2026 MLB Draft: Day One Recap

Tyler Henninger
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Storylines Heavy College Run Early We came into the day knowing that there were a lot of talented college players at the top of the board, more specifically college bats. That came to light very early in the day, as we saw just two prep players selected within the first ten picks. The college preference lasted throughout most of the entire first round. Nearly 75% of the first 40 selections were college players. It is clear teams want players at the top of the draft that can quickly get through the system and help the big league club as soon as possible. Underslot Strategy Throughout this cycle, we knew that once you get past the first handful of picks the difference in value you were getting for let say pick ten was not that difference compared to pick 30. Because there was a large collection of players that are relatively close in value, teams were looking to get creative. We saw this...
Draft | Mock Draft | 7/11/2026

Final 2026 MLB Mock Draft

Vincent Cervino
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It's draft day and that means it's time for our final Mock Draft with the 2026 group. 1. Chicago White Sox | Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA It’s between Roch and Grady Emerson at this pick, though there have been heavy rumors of a very late deal potentially with another top 5 pick. This boils down to negotiations and we think that they will get there.  2. Tampa Bay Rays | Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian (Tex.) If Grady isn’t the first pick then he is almost certain to be the second pick. The Rays like to get creative but Emerson is a well worth prospect in his own right.  3.  Minnesota Twins | Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech This is likely the floor for Roch Cholowsky, though the Twins might prefer Lackey to Roch outright. They are thought to be in on the top college players with Emerson a distant third.  4. San Francisco Giants | Jackson Flora, RHP, UC...
Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

Ohio Valley Regional Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 INF Christian Ramirez (OH) WALKS IT OFF for @CincyDBulls2028 to win the chip! Has shown impressive tools throughout the weekend and in this AB showed the ability to adjust to the offspeed and win the game. #OVElite pic.twitter.com/J3MXJXFnbM — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) July 5, 2026 Christian Ramirez (2028, Mason, Ohio) helped his team win the championship batting out of the two-hole. Though he didn’t win tournament MVP, Ramirez was my favorite player to watch take a plate appearance. He has an advanced feel for the zone and sees the ball out of the pitcher’s hand quicker than most. Ramirez led the tournament with eight walks, batting .375 with a .583 on-base percentage. Much more than just the approach, the swing is efficient with little wasted movement, creates quality separation, and puts him in an excellent position at contact. With such an...
Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 4

Perfect Game Staff
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16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ‘28 C Nico Ayars (FL) coming off a monster game yesterday & comes up with the biggest swing of this one. A triple right down the LF line to drive in two. Came into today hitting .833 this week. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/Hvb7UvtkNi — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 8, 2026 Nico Ayars (2028, Fort Myers, Fla.) has just been on the barrel throughout the week so far, collecting six hits across the first four games of the tournament. That didn’t slow down on day three at Mt. Zion High School as he came up with the biggest swing of the day, hitting a triple down the left field line to drive in a pair. It’s been a standout week so far for Ayars and he’ll be a driving force behind the run through the tourney for CBU 2028 Scout Team Lawson. Rylan Jenkins (2028, Tennille, Ga.) put...
Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

14u & 17u West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Tre Hallberg (‘27, AZ) hammers this out to deep LCF for a 2-run 💣. Continues to stand out at the plate. Power will only continue to develop #WWBAWest @PG_Uncommitted https://t.co/NlWlDygpwg pic.twitter.com/RHrgYXLmwm — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 10, 2026 Tre Hallberg (2027, Mesa, Ariz.) was nearly impossible to get out over the first two days of action, going 7-for-9 with a triple and a home run. A balanced right-handed swing stays compact to contact. There is quick hand speed through the zone with feel for the barrel. Hallberg has a strong feel to hit to go with power that continues to develop. The upside is apparent.  William Garcia Falmer (2027, El Dorado Hills, Calif.) collected a pair of mulit-hit games over the course of day one and two, going 5-for-7 with two doubles, a homer, and seven runs driven in. Garcia Falmer features a physical build...
Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 2

Perfect Game Staff
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Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 1 Braedon Paczocha (2028, Palmyra, Wis.), a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame catcher for GRB STiKS 16U Black, displayed a quick bat with the ability to do damage. Showed a good feel for the barrel throughout the weekend, hitting .538 (7-for-13) with 3 doubles, 8 RBI, 2 stolen bases, and a 1.376 OPS. Also received well behind the plate with quick, efficient transfers and displayed good instincts.    ’28 1B Brock Hamilton (IL) displays some present strength, driving this ball deep into the LCF gap to leg out a triple. Creates loud contact off the bat and does damage here. #WCInvite @WhitesoxAce pic.twitter.com/6EK81gG9Wi — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 5, 2026 Brock Hamilton (2028, Flossmoor, Ill.), one of the top first basemen in Illinois, brings a physical 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame with plenty of present strength...
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