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Tournaments  | Story | 8/1/2020

Canes Midwest Wins the Battle for the Midwest

Photo: Canes Midwest (Perfect Game)
MARION, Iowa – The Canes Midwest took home the inaugural PG Battle for the Midwest on Friday, knocking off Team Ohio Pro Select 6-2 in a championship game that needed extra innings to crown a winner.

After seven innings of tightly-contested baseball, the pair of elite teams in the region found themselves locked into one of the better back-and-forth contests of the week. The Canes had jumped out to an early lead before allowing Team Ohio back in it late.



With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the eighth, the Canes were able to scratch across three runs without the ball leaving the infield. Third baseman Kyler McIntosh laid down a beautiful squeeze bunt to score the first runner, while Darien Pugh and Eli Watson were able to cross home plate on a walk and wild pitch respectively.

The fourth run of the inning scored on a Mason David single to left field, and the Canes had created all the separation they needed to head home with a hard-fought win.

“These guys really just have another switch,” said Canes Midwest head coach Jay Hundley. “They are one of those groups that if someone pushes them into a bad situation they just respond. It was fitting for them to end their season and careers with winning this tournament the way they did, because that is what they have always done.”

Before heading into the fireworks in extra innings, the Canes and Team Ohio Pro Select had been locked in quite the pitcher’s duel. Ohio starter and Michigan commit Tyler Fullman dazzled through the first four, running the fastball up to 92 mph and working through some trouble as well.

For the Canes, tournament MV-Pitcher Holden Groher came through with yet another big-time performance on the mound. The uncommitted righthander tossed 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball on Friday, striking out six and allowing just three hits to a very dangerous opposing lineup. Groher’s performance coupled with a couple really good innings at the front-end of the tournament helped earn him the prestigious award.

“We knew that if we ran into those guys [Team Ohio Pro Select] that we were going to have to throw somebody that could keep them off-balance. He spins it really well and commands the strike zone which was big against a group like that.”

On the other side of the ball, the tournament’s MVP was Michigan commit Camden Gasser. Gasser’s impact was felt both at the plate and defensively throughout the tournament, something Hundley says can go unnoticed at times with the athletic shortstop.

“You don’t really see it until you play with him, but he is always high energy and is always ready to go. He puts the ball in play, he puts pressure on teams, and he has certainly been a captain and leader. More than anything it is by his positive energy and the good attitude he always has.

Ranked as a Top 500 player in the 2021 class, Gasser is an MVP today and part of a Michigan recruiting class that has a chance to be really special.

Something that was different at the PG Battle for the Midwest was a format that mimicked a regional in the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Tournament. The 16 teams were separated into four, double-elimination regions, all vying for a spot in Friday’s single-elimination semi’s and championship.

“The format is something we really loved,” said Hundley. “For us, there is no better way to end the season than to play with all these teams from different areas. Having to win right out of  the gate and having to use arms make it really fun.”

Until next year, the Canes Midwest group will hold the title of Battle for the Midwest champions; however, if year one proved anything, this group will have to come back fully-loaded in year two to reclaim their crown.

Tournaments | Story | 9/14/2026

Coastal Fall Battle of the Carolinas Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Deacon Hensley (2028, Zebulon, NC) stands at 6-foot-0, 165 pounds and is a left-handed hitting and throwing right fielder. Lean frame with good athleticism and additional strength likely to come with maturity. Compact swing with quick hands and good feel for the barrel. Relaxed setup with good bat speed through the zone. Good balance in the box with a direct path and solid contact skills. Hensley went 3-for-3, scoring three runs and hitting a double. Great day at the plate. Colt Funderburk (2027, Lancaster, SC) stands at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds with an athletic frame and present strength. Bats and throws left-handed. Physical hitter with a compact swing, good bat speed, and the ability to drive the ball with authority. Good pitch recognition with a disciplined approach. Quiet lower half with a controlled load and good balance. Funderburk went 2-for-4 with one double and two RBI. Cameron...
Press Release | Press Release | 9/14/2026

PG Athletes Raise North of $138,000 in August

Perfect Game Staff
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  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME ATHLETES RAISE OVER $138,000 FOR CHARITABLE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT MONTH OF AUGUST   Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 14, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its August premier events raised a combined $138,422 for children's hospitals and charitable organizations, with 1,112 total supporters contributing across five showcases. Since 2016, Perfect Game athletes have raised over $1.8 million for various charitable causes and organizations. The annual fundraising initiative, which runs in conjunction with several of Perfect Game's marquee events each year, gives players, families and fans the opportunity to support...
College | Recruiting | 9/14/2026

Top 500 Fresh Arrivals on Campus

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It's that time of the year where the freshmen around the country start arriving on campus. Regardless of level, here are the top 500 names to make it to their school for the 2027 season.  Rank Name School High School City ST 1 Archer Horn Stanford St. Ignatius College Prep San Mateo CA 2 Noah Wilson Vanderbilt McCallie School Ooltewah TN 3 Logan Schmidt Louisiana State Ganesha Aliso Viejo CA 4 Blake Bowen Oregon State JSerra Catholic Riverside CA 5 Cole Koeninger Tennessee Keller Keller TX 6 Joseph Contreras Vanderbilt Blessed Trinity Cath Alpharetta GA 7 Bo Holloway Vanderbilt Nolensville Nolensville TN 8 James Clark Duke St. John Bosco Riverside CA 9 Malachi Washington Louisiana State Parkview Stone Mountain GA 10 Brady Harris Florida Trinity Christian Academy St. Augustine FL 11 Grayson Willoughby Kentucky Trinity Louisville KY 12 Jorvorskie Lane Jr. Arkansas Grapevine Fort Worth...
Draft | Story | 9/11/2026

PG Draft: Potential Risers Into Top 50

Michael Albee
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We are in the early stages of the 2027 cycle and there is still plenty of time for players to make significant jumps up the board. While our current Top-100 provides an early look at the class, several players just outside that group have the upside to make a run at becoming Top-50 pick by next July. With that in mind, each member of the draft team each selected one college player and one prep player they believe could make the jump into the Top-50 over the course of the spring. These are the names to keep an eye on as the 2027 draft picture continues to develop. Joey’s Picks:   Jake Cueto (27 FL) goes oppo πŸ’£ on a mid-90s LonL heater. Performing at a very high level, hitting .464 with 5 homers. Excellent hit/run combo and here comes the juice! #PGHS #Miami commit @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/g4gtml81mm — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) April 1, 2026 Prep: OF, Jake...
Tournaments | Story | 9/9/2026

PG Wood Bat Fall Kickoff Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Evan Thompson (‘29, AZ) showcasing the all-fields power with this ground rule double the other way. Immense power upside. Really fun offensive profile #FallKickoff https://t.co/l551KirUOf pic.twitter.com/QW0AIeg59g — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) September 7, 2026 Evan Thompson (2029, Gilbert, Ariz.) put on an offensive clinic throughout the weekend, going 8-for-13 with three extra-base hits. He capped off his MVP performance with a walkoff home run to take home the championship. Thompson is one of the premier players in the 2029 class. A fluid left-handed stroke consistently finds barrels. There is all fields power present that will only continue to develop further. It would not be a surprise if Thimpson ends up the top ranked player in the class when it is all said and done.  Chase Fillman (2028, Goodyear, Ariz.) put together a loud summer circuit and...
Draft | Story | 9/8/2026

What Profiles Are Valued Most at Top of Draft

Tyler Henninger
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The landscape of the MLB Draft continues to evolve each and every year. What teams value at the top of the draft can change based on the strength of a particular class, shifts in player development philosophy, and, perhaps most importantly, the way organizations evaluate risk and upside. Some trends are subtle, while others become impossible to ignore when viewed across multiple years. For this study, I set out to answer one question: What player profiles do teams value at the top of the draft? To answer it, I analyzed the Top-100 picks from each of the last six drafts (2021-2026). That gives us 600 total selections to examine and provides a large enough sample to identify both the profiles that have remained consistently popular and those that have gained or lost significant ground. The data was broken down by position, handedness and level to create individual player profiles. While...
General | General | 9/7/2026

First Look: Class of 2031 Rankings

Perfect Game Staff
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Draft | Story | 9/7/2026

Chubb Jones Jr. Enrolls Early

Tyler Henninger
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Harry Chubb Jones Jr. is getting an early start on the next chapter of his baseball career. The Perfect Game All-American announced Sunday that he will enroll early at the University of Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide an early addition from one of the more intriguing two-way prospects in the 2027 class. See y’all at The Joe! πŸ‘πŸΎπŸ‘πŸΎπŸ‘πŸΎ pic.twitter.com/Kn0T0mJxq7 — 6._.chubbjones (@chubb_hitter) September 6, 2026 Jones, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound SS/RHP from Georgia, was ranked No. 39 in the 2027 class and came in at No. 83 on the initial Top-100 2027 Draft Board. Chubb Jones Jr (‘27 GA) smokes this one the other way for an RBI single & we’re all level in the 6th. Adv bat speed, impacts w/ authority to all fields #PGAAC@PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/FZ46IvYVp1 — Dick’s Sporting Goods All-American Classic (@PGAllAmerican) August 16, 2026 The McEachern...
Draft | Story | 9/7/2026

2027 MLB Draft: PG Content Hub

Tyler Henninger
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No more having to search for articles pertaining to the 2027 MLB Draft as we will keep it all centrally located here, in the PG Content Hub, leading up to the first pick next July. Tyler Henninger, Joey Cohen, Michael Albee and Ryan Miller, along with the rest of the Perfect Game staff, will continue to provide you with the latest info as it pertains to this 2027 crop.  Article Date Initial Follow List July 12 Way Too Early Mock July 13 Realistic Expectations of 1:1 August 11 Preview: Collegiate RHP August 21  Draft Board: Top 100 August 28 Way Too Early 1:1 Predictions September 4 Chubb Jones Jr. Enrolls Early September 7 Preview: Collegiate LHP September 7 What Profiles are Valued Most at Top of Draft September 9 Potential Risers Into The Top 50 September 11
Draft | Rankings | 9/7/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate LHP

Ryan Miller
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2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: Collegiate Right-Handed Pitchers The collegiate left-handed pitching class is always a popular demographic, and this year’s is no different. The group contains a mix of power pitch mixes and polished pitch-ability, with healthy representation from power four schools and a handful of mid-majors. Below we look at this year’s top college left-handers. An extended look at LHP Tomas Valincius (@HailStateBB)... 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K https://t.co/lCHgGnsdbi pic.twitter.com/Vm3nQkAukc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 28, 2026 Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State Valincius followed head coach Brian O’Connor from Virginia to Mississippi State and immediately established himself as their ace last spring. The Illinois native posted a 3.50 ERA over 17 starts in 2026, striking out 33.5% of hitters and walking just five percent....
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