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Tournaments  | Story | 10/9/2020

WWBA World Championship Scout Notes: Day 1

David Rawnsley
Perfect Game Staff
Brian Sakowski
Vincent Cervino
Jerry Miller
Drew Wesolowski
Colton Olinger
Jered Goodwin
Cade Schares
Photo: Brady House (Perfect Game)

The Louisiana Knights got off to a 1-0 start in the WWBA World Championship on Thursday morning, taking down the Mets Scout Team/Georgia Bombers by a score of 4-2. Peter Heubeck (2021, Baltimore, Md.) got the ball for the Knights in front of a crowd of scouts and was quite good, striking out 8 over 4 frames while allowing just 1 run on a hit and a pair of walks. Heubeck is a lean, projectable right-hander committed to Wake Forest; and he jumped onto the national radar this summer with a combination of present stuff, projection, arm speed, and metrics, and he had a good performance here. He ran his fastball up to 93 mph, settling in the low-90s with good plane, getting his arm vertical at release and really backspinning the ball when he works up as well, showing the same flashes of a potentially plus curveball long term as well, thrown with 12/6 shape and hammer depth when spun correctly.

The Knights got good relief appearances from Chase Allsup (2021, Dothan, Ala.) and Timothy Williams (2021, Shenandoah, Va.) to close out the victory, with the pair combining for 3 shutout frames. Allsup is a big, physical right-hander with a max effort delivery that is all about blowing velocity right by hitters, sitting in the 90-95 mph range over his 2 innings with good life to the arm side, flashing a slider as well but predominantly pitching off the heater. Williams, a lefthander who we haven’t seen in a year, looked very good in a short appearance, throwing only fastballs en route to a pair of strikeouts to earn the save, working 91-93 mph from the left side with good angle. Both of these relievers will be good to see throw again, if the Knights advance to Sunday.




Riley Stanford (2022, Gainesville, Ga.) got the start for Mets Scout, and while the flamethrowing righty just did not have it in terms of fastball command on this day, it’s hard to be upset about 97 mph from an underclassman. Stanford is old for the grade and will be 19 years old at the time of the draft in 2022, and is committed to Georgia Tech as a two-way player. He worked in the mid-90s with his fastball in his abbreviated outing, touching 97 mph and struggling to command the ball, but showing explosive arm strength and flashes of a good breaker as well in the 77-80 mph with two-plane bite.

The Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team took down Team Georgia National/.9ers Baseball Club to move to 1-0 in a pitcher’s duel, one that ended 2-1. Luke Holman (2021, Sinking Spring, Pa.) got the start for the Brewers and pitched quite well, punching out 8 over 4 frames. Holman, an Alabama commit, kept opposing hitters off of his fastball with relative ease and shows pretty advanced feel to spin the ball. He’s 90-93 mph with his fastball and holds it throughout, creating steep plane when down, and spinning both a curveball and slider to great effect. The curveball is a very long breaking pitch presently, thrown in the lower-70s with 11/5 shape and projecting extremely well as he throws it harder, while the slider is firmer in the upper-70s with better bite and deception out of the hand. Holman is definitely a major follow for scouts pertaining to the draft next July as we enter the offseason.

Charlie Saum (2021, Thousand Oaks, Calif.) did a really nice job catching Holman, showing the athleticism and overall defensive toolset that we’ve come to appreciate from him behind the plate, moving well and blocking well, receiving the variations in spin that Holman features with no problem, and looking like a potentially really quality defensive backstop at Stanford. He’s also an accomplished bat and smoked a single the opposite way today, continuing to display his easy stroke with loose wrists, covering the plate well with good present contact skills and some power projection there as well.


Holman and Shane Panzini (2021, Spring Lake, N.J.) locked into quite the duel, with Panzini striking out 7 over 4 1/3 shutout innings of his own. Panzini, a Perfect Game All-American, has some serious draft stock heading towards the offseason and did nothing to dissuade those opinions on Thursday afternoon. A physical righty with good strength and size, Panzini sat at 94-95 mph for the first inning and settled in at 90-94 mph throughout his outing, having some lapses in command but mostly being around the plate and showing the kind of simple operation that may portend to good command long term. The breaking balls blended together a bit, as Panzini shows a curveball in the upper-70s and a firmer slider around 82-83 mph, though the best ones got close to plus with excellent bite. He also turned over a couple solid changeups in the mid-upper 80s with fade and sink, giving him a full mix to go along with physicality and strikes.


Canes National got off to a 1-0 start in pool play with a win over VBA/Excel Blue Wave by a score of 4-1, getting an extremely strong start from Roman Kimball (2021, New Hartford, N.Y.), who struck out 8 over 3 innings. Kimball has been written about quite a bit this summer, having enjoyed an excellent circuit, and he’s continued that into this fall. He ran his fastball up to 94 mph a bunch of times early, settling into the 90-93 mph range, missing a ton of bats up in the zone. He spins both a curveball and slider with sharpness and bite, with both pitches having the upside of dichotomously above-average pitches.

Gage Jump (2021, Aliso, Calif.) was dominant out of the bullpen for the Canes, punching out all 6 hitters he faced. Jump has excellent fastball traits given the spin characteristics, working 90-93 mph with the pitch and wholly dominating with it. His curveball continues to make strides, now into the mid-70s with it with 1/7 shape and good finish, and he flashed a changeup that cuts at 85 mph. He’ll assuredly pitch again this week once the Canes presumably get through to the playoffs.


We’ve liked watching Drew Beam (2021, Murfreesboro, Tenn.) all summer, from an excellent WWBA 17U to East Coast Pro and now here at WWBA World, and he turned in a great start here. An athletic right-hander who is also a talented football player, Beam ran his fastball up to 91 mph and pounded the zone, keeping the Canes off balance and showing good East-West command with some angle and life. His curveball was solid in this one, thrown with 11/5 shape and good depth, and flashed a slider with firm bite as well. Beam is an intriguing follow out of the Tennessee region, and scouts will certainly check in on him in the spring.


The Ohio Warhawks lambasted the San Diego Padres Scout Team 12-1 on Thursday afternoon, getting a strong start from Calvin Ziegler (2021, Heidelberg, Ont.) in the process. Ziegler reclassified from the 2020 class down to 2021 given the way the draft was shortened by COVID ramifications, and he’s definitely a big name for the ’21 draft now. A strongly-built right-hander, Ziegler ran his fastball up to 95.6 mph per Trackman, sitting in the 92-94 mph range for most of his 3 innings, leveraging the ball down in the zone well and showing good sink to the pitch as well. The slider command isn’t quite there yet, but the quality of the pitch is strong, thrown in the low-80
s with sharp bite. He’s a big time follow out of Canada moving into the spring.

Cameron Cauley (2021, Mont Belvieu, Texas) had the only Padres extra base hit, getting an elevated fastball from Ziegler and whistling it off the right field wall for a double. Cauley had a good summer and has lots of fans within the Perfect Game scouting department, with a quality overall package of athleticism and tools with projection remaining on the body and a knack for the barrel. He’s committed to Texas Tech, and looks to be the next in a long line of Red Raider high-profile infielders.

FTB/SF Giants Scout Team 2021 got a win on Thursday night, and Rafe Schlesinger (2021, Holbrook, N.Y.) was a big reason why, giving FTB 3 huge innings of relief and shutting down Citius en route to the win. A long, leanly-built Miami commit, Schlesinger creates a ton of angle from a low, extended ¾ slot that is a tough look for any hitter. He ran his fastball up 89 mph with good life, creating excellent angle and moving the ball from side to side, mixing in a breaking ball that took the form of a sharp, darting slider in under the hands of right-handed hitters as well as a bigger breaking horizontal breaker sweeping across the zone to lefties.

-Brian Sakowski


Getting the start for Team Louisiana over at the Jet Blue complex was hard-throwing righthander Grant Fontenot (2021, Lafayette, La.) and the stuff was certainly impressive for the physically imposing right-hander as he showed three quality pitches as well as the ceiling to throw extremely hard one day. At 6-foot-3, 187 pounds along with long arms there’s tons of room to fill out the frame and add some impressive physicality. The length to the arm stroke causes some timing concerns, however it’s an easy plus arm speed which posits a very high ceiling. The fastball sat right around 90 mph for the duration of the start, working in the low-90s early with explosive life and topping out at 94 mph for the outing. The quality of the fastball was solid as he missed bats with it early and often and he showed two potential average-or-better offspeed pitches in a straight changeup in the low-80s with similar arm speed and a slider with biting action and sharp horizontal action in the upper-70s. It’s a fairly complete profile from a stuff perspective and if Fontenot can improve the strikes there’s massive upside.

Another arm that posits some significant upside is southpaw Caden Vire (2021, Vancouver, Wash.) as the Baseball Northwest arm just turned seventeen and stands at a high-waisted and extra long 6-foot-5 and 175 pounds. There’s immense physical projection with long legs, an arm that works, and a frame that’s ripe to add strength to. The delivery is simple as the Arizona State commit throws exclusively from the stretch and the arm is compact, loose, and he hides it in the back extremely well. The 85-88 mph fastball plays up given Vire’s ability to generate very good extension down the bump and the quality of the fastball for a pitch in the upper-80s plays like a pitch in the low-90s. The slider is a quality pitch for Vire, with two-plane shape, lack of a hump at release, and shows the potential to be a real weapon considering his low slot and ability to land the slider over the inner half. There’s a good combination of youth, projection, and substantial ability and if he starts to be able to touch 90 mph on a consistent basis then his stock is almost certain to rise.


Not many bombs hit over at Jet Blue Park on Thursday but one of the no-doubt variety came off the barrel of Justin Colon (2021, Clermont, Fla.) who launched one deep to the pull side and he knew it was gone as soon as it left the bat. The recent Missouri commit got ahead in the count and battled the pitcher to 3-2 before he got an elevated fastball and deposited it well beyond the wall in left field. There’s a lot to like about the package overall considering the athleticism, projectable 6-foot-2 and 175 pound frame, and the peripheral tools, all of which are fairly substantial. He’s a terrific defender over on the left side with loose, easy actions and advanced footwork to go along with a plus arm. Colon projects to stick over at shortstop for the long term and shouldn’t have much trouble doing so given his comfort for the position. The bat has been inconsistent over his career, but the swing is easy with quality bat speed and if he can get out in front and impact the ball on a consistent basis, allowing his power to play more regularly, then you’ll have an extremely toolsy and well-rounded prospect.

Colon’s teammate and uncommitted catcher Easton LaPlaca (2021, Naples, Fla.) had a solid day, showcasing a bit of everything as he shows that he’ll be an asset at the college level. LaPlace has a great build for a catcher with a physical 5-foot-10, 170 pound frame and the requisite combination of strength and athleticism to stick at the next level. He’s a strong kid with a solid left-handed swing that offers some versatility for the catcher position. LaPlace has good balance and controls the front side well while the path is more flat and stays in the hitting zone a long time. He notched a single on an aggressive first swing and the defense also showed up for LaPlace as he was solid behind the dish and nailed a runner early in the game with a 2.15 caught stealing. LaPlaca should find a home soon as an uncommitted, left-handed hitting catcher and he certainly boasts a strong profile.

In one of the best pitched games of the afternoon, on both sides, Tommy Brandenburg (2021, Kalama, Wash.) was strong for Baseball Northwest as he pounded the zone and finished with three and two-thirds innings of scoreless baseball with six punch outs. He’s not very physically imposing at a listed 5-foot-11, 185 pounds but he’s well-built, and maintained his stuff deep into the outing. The operation is fairly athletic with a short arm stroke that’s on time at foot strike along with a higher slot to really sink the ball when low. The fastball topped out at 89 mph and sat in the mid-to upper 80s for the majority of the start, operating mostly with a fastball/curveball mix that paid dividends for him. The curveball is of the hammer variety with very good power and bite in the 75-78 mph range along with consistent 12/6 action and drop. The curveball was the Oregon commit’s biggest weapon on the outing, dropping the pitch in for strikes and burying it low to generate a lot of empty swings. It’s a strong two-pitch mix to go along with a competitive fire and the curveball makes the profile intriguing in the long term.


eXposure/Knights Baseball shortstop Daniel Corona (2021, Brooklyn, N.Y.) had a good day, showing off his polish and fluidity over at shortstop while also turning in a well-struck single to the pull side. The Wake Forest commit looks great from a physical standpoint as he looks to have added weight without sacrificing the athleticism or long, projectable frame. This bodes well for Corona’s ability to stick at shortstop and he made a number of plays that would lead to comfort in his odds that he sticks there long term. Corona is fluid and easy at short and made a really impressive athletic play early as he leapt up high off the ground to grab a well-struck liner and had the wherewithal to fire a strike to first to double up the runner. He keeps the swing simple with a quiet hand load, maintaining balance at foot strike, and showing a tight turn to get the barrel head out and allow his natural bat speed to take hold. The swing looks good and he’s been solid this summer in terms of bat to ball skills. The single he knocked through came off the barrel at 101 mph in terms of exit velocity and his ability to both turn the barrel over and do so with intent bode well in projection the offensive upside.


Colson Montgomery (2021, Holland, Ind.) had a big day at the dish with three crushed barrels in three at-bats totaling two doubles and a single. Everything came off the barrel hard in this one and given the size and athleticism Montgomery has some high ceiling offensive upside. The Indiana commit’s 6-foot-4, 190 pound frame has a lot of room to add strength but he doesn’t sacrifice his athleticism for physicality as he moves well in the dirt. The size might push him off shortstop down the line but there’s solid footwork, balance, and feel along with a good internal clock over at the position. The calling card of Montgomery’s profile is the power and the stance is very balanced as he has a fluid stroke, quiet hands, and plenty of bat speed to get the head through the zone. He controls his long levers well to create a functional, athletic stroke that he maintained really well throughout the day. Montgomery’s batted ball profile is impressive as he had an exit velocity over 100 and everything was well struck; it was a good start for Montgomery who will no doubt be followed closely.

Two impressive arms hopped on the bump for Team Indiana as Luke Hayden (2021, Bloomington, Ind.) and Khal Stephen (2021, Williamsport, Ind.) both showed low-90s fastballs to go along with legitimate sliders.

It was somewhat of a typical start for Hayden as the 6-foot-1, 205 pound Indiana commit showed two strong pitches in a low-90s heater coupled with a tight slider that he commanded very well. The arm is fast through the arm circle with a more compact and tighter slot that allows him to get on top of the pitch at release and generate some sink down in the strike zone. The fastball command hindered him a bit in this one as he walked three in three innings as he had better feel for landing the slider for strikes, particularly front-dooring right-handed hitters with the pitch. Hayden’s slider works in the 80-81 mph range with short, biting action and it worked well as a landing strike pitch for him and has shown plus potential in the past.

Stephen showed some intriguing stuff out of the bullpen with a long, projectable build at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and a lot of raw components that posit some upside. The fastball worked right around 89-90 mph and grabbed 92 mph early on in this one with a very long arm stroke through the back with some whip to the stroke overall. The length of the arm action led to missing up with the fastball and when that happened the opposition capitalized and hit some balls hard leading to three earned runs on the ledger. There’s room to improve the fastball quality but the slider itself is a banger of a pitch for the Purdue commit. The pitch worked in the 80-83 mph range with plus potential as it falls off the table and darts down and to the arm side. There’s some kinks to be worked out for sure but the feel to spin is substantial and that coupled with the projection make Stephen fascinating.


Getting the start for Padres Scout Team/ECB was Texan right-hander Joshua Stewart (2021, Georgetown, Tex.) who posits some serious upside given the components to the profile. He’s an athletic right-hander at a listed 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with a still-projectable frame and plus arm speed, all of which combine for an athletic delivery. The lower half works well through release with a relatively clean arm action and he worked up to 95 mph with the fastball and sat mostly in the 90-93 mph range throughout. He showed potential for both a slider and a curveball, with the slider coming in at the 83-85 mph range and the curveball being landed at 78 mph. There’s obvious upside as he refines his secondary pitches to be more consistent while the fastball itself is lively. As he retains the stuff deeper into games he’ll be able to be more consistent, however he still looks the part of a Texan flamethrower to monitor heading into next spring.


One of the top players in the class is Team Elite/Atlanta Braves Scout Team shortstop Brady House (2021, Winder, Ga.) had a monster day at the plate between their exhibition and first pool play game. House notched four hits on the day including three doubles, two of which came in the late slot at 104 mph and 100 mph off the bat, respectively. The Tennessee commit looks great physically with his 6-foot-3, 210 pound frame still offering massive projection while maintaining athleticism and the ability to run. He looks to have simplified the swing a bit as he looks comfortable in the box, with his quick trigger and plus bat speed allowing for some crazy batted ball numbers when it’s all going right. House got a lot of chances at short and made a number of tough plays though a tough backhand play in the hole did eat him up a bit. He’s still a quality shortstop with a very strong arm and a massive power ceiling. When House gets hot there’s almost no one in the country who’s better or more locked in that he is and if this is how House is going to start his last travel ball tournament than we’re going to be excited to see how he finishes it.


Team Elite/Atlanta Braves Scout Team trotted out two of the top pitchers in their respective classes as PG All-American Carter Holton (2021, Guyton, Ga.) got the start while top 50 junior Hayden Murphy (2022, Chula, Ga.) was the first out of the pen in relief.

Holton has been one of the more consistent performers on the summer circuit, turning in dominant outing after dominant outing and continuing to improve with each start. He’s an undersized left-hander with massive deception in his delivery that features a simple turn and an elongated, tricky front side that starts out very high to hide the ball effectively. The ball doesn’t get revealed to the hitter until the last possible minute and this adds to an already potent fastball. The Vanderbilt commit peaked at 95 mph a couple of times and held 92-94 mph throughout the duration of the start, showing good life to the fastball and missing some bats with it. Holton was around the zone well, wavering at times with the fastball, but he didn’t walk anyone though that shorter stride down the mound led to some fastballs up. Holton showed two offspeed pitches with a firm, biting gyro slider that he manipulates extremely well and shows sharp action, projecting as a plus pitch for Holton down the line. The changeup also showed solid-average or better potential at 83-84 mph with sinking life that he cuts naturally due to his arm angle. Holton has really had a terrific summer, pitching well in big games not only with competitiveness but with stuff as he’s a surefire bulldog on the mound.

Murphy is a primary shortstop but has big upside on the mound with a projectable frame, whippy arm stroke, and a real slider already. The Auburn commit stands at a very athletic 6-foot-3, 180 pounds while the arm speed stands out as Murphy is going to throw very hard when it’s all said and done. He worked in the 88-92 mph range with good life while he topped out at 93 mph in the first inning of this one. The delivery has gotten more online over the last couple of years while the entire operation is very easy in terms of effort. The fastball command came and went for Murphy who spun a couple of banger sliders at 80-81 mph with real bite and every bit of plus potential when projecting out for an underclassmen. Murphy will be watched closely over the next year as he has all the makings of a frontline arm as he continues to develop.

-Vinnie Cervino


Martin Gair (2021 Concord, N.C.) entered out of the bullpen today for his South Charlotte Panthers ball club and was dominant. The UNC Wilmington commit has generated some draft buzz as he stands at a physical 6-foot-6 and is athletic, even for his big size. The right-hander does a good job of loading up on the backside before getting extended down the mound as he generates easy velocity with a whippy arm action. He pounded the zone with the fastball in the low-90 s and topped out at 94 mph. He also proved to have feel to spin the breaking ball in the mid-70s. The curveball isn’t quite as well-rounded as the fastball, but he did a good job of landing it for strikes while keeping guys off-balance. The fastball was more than overpowering today as he ended up striking out two guys without giving up a hit. Keep an eye on Gair for next year’s draft as he is a very interesting Coastal region arm that shows big time upside.

Stephen F. Austin commit, Rylan Byrd (2021 Forney, Texas) was on the bump today as he started for his Dallas Patriots squad. He did a great job of pounding the lower half of the strike zone as he got ahead early in counts and mixed pitches with confidence. He utilized simple drop & drive mechanics before releasing with full intent. The arm action works well with the operation and he shows some more velocity in the tank down the road. He ran the fastball up to 91 mph early and then settled down into the upper-80s as he sank it with arm side run. The breaking ball proved to be slurvy as he did a good job of tunneling it off the fastball in the mid-70s. He ended up going 3.2 IP and struck out six with no walks. Look for him to be an immediate insert into the rotation at the next level.


We got a solid look at Cameron Day (2021 Layton, Utah) today as he got the start for his LVR 2021 team with a bevy of scouts on site to watch. The Utah commit was called on today to face one of the most impressive line-ups in the entire event and although he ran into some trouble early, he settled down nicely and has some electric stuff. Day flashed a lean frame with a high waist, showing some room to fill out down the road and could still have another velo jump before the end of his prep career. He worked with a three-pitch mix and was very confident in the fastball/curveball combo. The fastball jumps out of hand as he was up to 94 mph and filled up the zone in the low-90s. The breaking ball flashed depth with 12-to-6 movement that is not necessarily a swing and miss pitch yet, but it kept guys off-balance. He also mixed in a changeup that still seems to be work in progress, but he kept it down in the zone and it has potential. Day has huge upside and is a name to follow very closely for next year’s upcoming draft. His outing today legitimized what has been murmured about and it was a proving point for his draft stock. He ended up going 2.1 IP while fanning three and giving up three hits.

Walker Jenkins (2023 Oak Island, N.C.) is one of the youngest prospects in the event this week but don’t be so quick to judge, he is more than capable of holding his own in the box. The UNC commit has had an outstanding summer this year as he has hit at all the PG events he has attended. The left-handed bat is calm and collective in the box as he sees spin early out of hand and has some of the best bat on ball skills in the entire class. He knows how to leverage the baseball and projects big time power down the road with some of it already present. During the action today, he found multiple barrels and although the stats didn’t show it, he had a solid day at the dish. Jenkins squared up an outer half pitch and doubled down the opposite field line as he later went on to score. The hit tool is far advanced and is a big reason why he is one of the top ranked bats in the class. Keep an eye on this South Charlotte Panther for the rest of the week and he will be someone to follow for the rest of his prep career.

Vanderbilt commit, Tommy Finnegan (2022 Ocean City, N.J.) is one of the most premier arms in the class of ’22 and he was on full display today as he was on the hill for Team Northeast. Finnegan sports an ultra-projectable 6-foot-7 frame and proves to have an unlimited ceiling. The arm action stood out first and foremost as he generated upper-80s fastballs with ease. He bumped a couple of 90’s as he went on to work both sides of the dish. He mixed in a slider that was in the mid to upper-70s that still has some progressing to do, but he landed it for strikes and had hitters guessing. His day concluded with three strikeouts, one hit, & one walk as he was pulled after 4.0 IP. The projectablility here is something to dream on and he will be someone to monitor closely the last couple of years of his prep career.

Ben Barrett (2022 Orlando, Fla.) was on the bump today for Power Baseball and the Florida State commit added to his long track record of solid outings at PG events. The right-hander finally made the next step into the 90 mph club today as he filled up the zone with his usual two-pitch mix. The fastball showed plus command and proved to have some late life. His breaking ball was sharp with 11-to-5 break and he landed it for strikes. He proved he could get guys to chase it out of the zone as well. Don’t be surprised to see Barrett make a big velo jump before he leaves high school as the arm action is smooth and he still has some growing to do. He ended up going 4.0 IP while fanning two and gave up just three hits.


Eddie Rivera (2021 Vega Alta, P.R.) started today for Team Mizuno Puerto Rico and impressed in a big way. He visibly stands out on the hill as he is 6-foot-7 and shows some physically mature strength. Rivera turned heads as the lefty pounded the mitt and had scouts scurrying over from other fields to see what the noise was about. He was up to 94 mph and sat in the low-90s early in his outing as the fastball jumped out of the hand. The breaking ball was slurvy and was good when he kept it down in the zone. He struggled a bit with command, as he walked five in 2.2 innings of work, but the upside is tremendous here. He’s draft eligible this upcoming year and is a name to keep an eye on when the draft comes around. Don’t be surprised if you hear his name being thrown around as he implemented himself into a ton of notebooks today.

St. John’s commit, Dylan Johnson (2021 Selden, N.Y.) was one of the most fun watches of the day as the right-handed pitcher was on the hill for eXposure/Knights Baseball. Everything he threw moved and he missed barrels for the duration of his 7.0 inning complete game shutout. He released from a lower three-quarter slot and it proved to be very difficult for hitters to see spin early. He was very athletic in his operation and he proved he could repeat it all day long. The fastball was up to 90 mph early and then he sat in the upper-80s as he worked both sides of the dish. He was able to sink it with authority as it was a very heavy fastball. The slider was nasty too as it swept across the zone in the upper-70s. He gave up just five hits and fanned six while picking up the win for his ball club. Look for him to step on campus next year and quickly become an impact arm at St. John’s.

Former PG Select Festival attendee, Karson Bowen (2022 Anaheim Hills, Cali.) had himself a day at the plate today as the TCU commit has made the most of his cross-country trip. Bowen utilizes a stocky type build and projects as a power hitting catcher. Behind the dish, he is more than serviceable as he is fundamentally sound and has a strong arm to go with it. The bat also stood out in a big way today as he went big fly in his first at-bat of the day. He got the bat head out front and crushed it well over the left field wall to knock in a couple runs. Later in the day, he took a good low and inside pitch to drive a single back up the middle. Bowen is young for the competition this week, but he came ready to play. He’s a solid West Coast bat to keep an eye on this weekend and going forward.

-Drew Wesolowski

Austin Bode (2021 Columbus, IN) had a huge day to open pool play for the Canes Midwest Scout Team. The strongly built 6-foot, 190  pound catcher went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple. A left-handed hitter, he has a long track record of hitting high-level arms and impact the ball to all fields. Bode is a Louisville commit but with his profile he should continue to garner a lot of pro attention throughout the next year.

North East Baseball National third baseman Casey Saucke (2021 Rochester, NY) had a perfect day at the plate going 2-for-2 with a walk. He hit a hard groundball single to the pull side in his first at bat and then went to the opposite field for a liner single in his second at bat. Saucke was gaining steam after a standout performance at the Perfect Game All American Classic where he showed enormous raw juice during the Homerun Derby. Saucke was playing third base where the raw power and his big arm play, but he has plenty of athleticism to potentially play short stop at the next level.

There were a couple standout arms for 5 Star National–Gold on Thursday. Jake Lankie (2023 Alpharetta, GA) has a great 6-foot-1, 170  pound frame with long limbs and lots of room to fill out his wiry frame. He has a quick and whippy arm and releases from a high 3/4 slot. The righty sat in the mid-80s and peaked at 89 mph. The arm side movement and glove side control stand out for the young hurler. He has a three pitch mix with a slider and changeup that have the ingredients to be swing and miss offerings. The former Perfect Game Select Festival participant threw four innings while striking out four and did not surrender a hit. Blaydon Plain (2022 Greenville, FL) is known for his left-handed power bat but has two-way potential. He was up to 90 mph with his heater and spun a mid-70s curveball. The body and quick shoulder give him plenty to dream on as he logs innings and develops.


After solidifying himself as one of the better athletes in the 2021 class, Malakhi Knight (2021 Marysville, WA) has performed well over the course of the summer circuit. That led to a three-hit day to open up his first WWBA World Championship experience. It was the Canes National/Mets Scout Team double header as Knight shined in both time slots. The biggest pass with the bat was a lofted ground-rule double down the leftfield. The Perfect Game All-American did not even get all of the pitch but showed plenty of backspin and carry that will play huge as he fills out the tall and projectable frame. He is a plus runner and uses it well to cover a ton of green in centerfield.

Cooper Dossett (2022 Fayetteville, AR) had a loud three inning outing for Rawlings National ST/Sticks Baseball, firing fastballs in the 89-93 mph range. The pitch gets sinking action and Dossett worked both sides of the plate with it. The arm stroke is short and quick, helping the Arkansas commit spin a tight mid-70s curveball. Dossett faced a loaded lineup and did not back down on his way to a scoreless outing striking out six batters. An Arkansas commit, he has huge range in centerfield when he is not pitching, to go along with solid offensive skills.


San Diego Show came out impressive with prospects in both the 2022 and 2021 classes. David Horn (2022 Mission Viejo, CA) has a polished online delivery with a simple and clean arm stroke. It equated to effortless velocity in the 89-92 mph range. He gets some run/ride action on the pitch and shows signs of command to the glove side. The release on the off-speed matches pretty well as the low-80s slider has good depth. He pounds the zone and produced a lot of soft contact. Kaden Moeller (2021 Riverside, CA) was up to 90 mph with his fastball in his one inning outing. All nine pitches were fastballs for a quick 1-2-3 frame. He is worth noting as the operation is clean and the left-hander pounded the strike zone with angle. He will be fun to see in a longer stint later in the tournament. There has been a lot written about Marcelo Mayer (2021 Chula Vista, CA), and rightfully so. The slick fielding shortstop showed his usual sure-hands and fluid actions on Thursday. Mayer ranged past the bag to his glove side on a play, transferring and throwing from a low slot to record an out. It’s the type of range/arm/accuracy you are looking for in a long term shortstop. The West Coast darling also scorched a double down the rightfield line during his last at bat. Turning tight around his back side and extending through contact with a 104 mph exit velocity off the barrel. It was a great start to the WWBA for the Show.

Jose Valadez-Acuna (2021 Corpus Christi, TX) and Richard Sales (2021 Pinehurst, NC) both impressed in the later slots at Terry Park Stadium on Thursday.

Sales is a twitchy right-handed pitcher with a very quick arm. He sat in the 87-92 mph range with the heater and used more North/South sequencing with the pitch. His mid-70s curveball played off the low-90s fastball at the top of the zone as Sales struck out a batter per inning during his three frames. Sales arm speed stands out most and his athletic traits should allow him to make good jumps in both stuff and command as he fills out.


Valadez-Acuna has legit swing and miss stuff. The lefty ran his fastball up to 93 mph in the outing from a high 3/4 slot that got some arm side action to the pitch. The real weapon, as he struck out all six outs recorded over his two innings was the curveball. It is a big-breaking, hard-spinning hammer that was not handled when he threw it in the zone. It recorded some 2900 spin rates, which make it an elite pitch at the high levels of the sport. The young southpaw will have to repeat his delivery and be consistent with his pitch quality, but the swing and miss arsenal that he possesses is rare.

-Jered Goodwin

Grant Cherry (2021 Vestavia Hills, Ala.) worked one clean inning in relief for Team Elite National early on Thursday morning and sat a crisp 90-92 mph while topping out at 93 mph. The Tennessee commit punched out three with a fastball/curveball combination that left hitters guessing a bit in the box. He used the fastball both up and down in the zone with effectiveness and showed the ability to land the curveball as a put-away pitch late in counts with swing and miss type actions on it. Look for Cherry to get more of an extended appearance later in the event as he only threw 20 pitches and is eligible to throw again as early as Friday.

Nicolas Perez (2022 Isabela, P.R.) got his tournament started with a bag as he worked a full count battling off tough pitches before hammering a fastball out to left for a three-run home run. The Florida State commit has widely been known for his speed and athleticism on the diamond but showed some of what might be to come down the round. His 6-foot 165 pound frame shows plenty of room to fill as he will certainly start to add more of a power component to his game with more physical maturity.

Trenton Lape (2023 Bossier City, La.) worked two shutdown innings for Five Star National Gold on Thursday morning, recording three punch outs while allowing no runs on nohits. The Louisiana State commit sat 87-92 mph with his fastball while topping out at 92 mph. He worked the fastball to all four corners of the zone effectively and was dominant when the arm was on time. He was especially effective up in the zone later in counts where he would go to get hitterd to chase as they swung well under the fastball.


Henry Cone (2021 Brenham, Texas) was maybe the most impressive early morning uncommitted arm as he came in to work two scoreless relief innings for the East Coast Sox 2021 Founders Club. The right-hander sat 87-90 mph with his fastball and has notably been up to 93 mph at previous events. He also mixed in a curveball in the mid 70s with 11-5 depth and a straight changeup in the low-80s that he is able to maintain arm speed with creating some deception out of the hand. His arm works long and free through the backstroke as the ball comes out easy with little effort to the delivery. Look for Cone to fill a need for a school at the next level in need of a guy who can come in and pound the zone with a three-pitch mix.


If Cone was the standout uncommitted arm of the morning then Michael Splaine (2021 Los Gatos, Cali.) was the standout in the afternoon slots. The left-hander sat 87-89 mph throughout his outing while topping out at 90 mph. He came in to get the last four outs of Trosky National’s 3-2 win in pool play as they got past a very tough Sandlot group. Splaine gets some natural arm side run on the fastball and it plays both up and down in the zone as he has the ability to miss barrels. He used three straight fastballs at 88 mph to get a big-time strikeout with the bases loaded and two out to end the game. I would not expect this arm to stay on the market much longer as he has the ability to get quality hitters out with his fastball and show a projectable frame with a quick arm.


Alex Mooney (2021 Rochester Hills, Mich.) is coming off his last Perfect Game event where he earned MVP at the Perfect Game All-American Classic. The Duke commit did not slow down on Thursday as he went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple to go along with a pair of walks. He continues to be a staple in a Canes lineup that produces runs in bunches as he is making it clear he is one of the top high school bats in the upcoming 2021 MLB draft. His at-bats are must see as he uses the whole field with good barrel control and has the bat speed to produce pop to all fields.

The only bat you may argue has been hotter than Mooney’s in the Canes line up would be Cody Schrier (2021 San Clemente, Cali.). The UCLA commit enjoyed his share of success over the summer and seems to not have missed a beat this fall. He got his tournament started off with a 2-for-4 day as he racked up a single, a double and four RBI in two Canes wins. In his first two at-bats he jumped all over high fastballs matching plane well with the pitch and allowing his quick hands to get out front and create extension through contact. His ability to get the bat head out front allowed him to display his pull-side power with a hard, line drive to left field and a double that split the left center field gap. Look for more of the same out of Schrier the rest of the tournament as he will be a name talked about on draft boards in the months to come.

Dennis Colleran (2021 North Attleboro, Mass.) was very impressive with his fastball/ slider combination as he went two and two-thirds innings allowing no runs on two hits. Of the eight outs he recorded, all of them came via the strikeout. The righthander sat 88-91 mph with his fastball and ran it up as high as 93 mph from a loose and whippy three-quarters arm slot. He showed a changeup as well in the mid-80s but the difference maker was his slider. Tunneling the slider well out of his three-quarters arm slot he got late sweeping bite as it came through the hitting zone leaving right-handed hitters flailing awkwardly at times. The current fastball/slider combo is intriguing as the fastball gets some arm side run and the slider plays nicely off it. Look for the Northeastern commit to continue to baffle hitters as he has shown good feel for the movement on both pitches.

Camden Hayslip (2021 Lebanon, Tenn.) brings a presence to the box like few high school hitters can. At 6-foot-3 and a very solid 205 pounds the Alabama commit shows present strength throughout his build. He showed off some of that strength on Thursday with a long home run to right center field that came off the bat with ease. His left-handed swing creates leverage at the point of contact as he looks to elevate and use his swing path to create back spin and carry on the ball. Keep a close eye on Hayslip the rest of the week as he looks to climb to the top of the power hitting chart in the 2021 prep class.

Finnegan Wall (2021 Hesperia, Cali.) battled five innings for his Premier Baseball Scout Team allowing just one run on two hits with four strikeouts. The UC Irvine commit sat 87-90 mph with his fastball and topped out at 91 mph. Throughout his outing, he showed great feel for a cutter/slider in the 80-83 mph range that has short horizontal bite late. He was able to use the pitch effectively early to get ahead of hitters as well as throw it out of the zone late to create chases. His feel for the cutter/slider allowed him to keep the hitters off balance and keep his club in the game.


Mitchell Bratt (2021 Newmarket, Ont.) sat 86-89 mph with his fastball while reaching back for 90 mph on a couple of occasions. The FSU commit worked two innings with three strikeouts as he started to get into a groove at the end of the first inning. When he was in the zone consistently with the fastball, he was working with a good tempo and the arm was staying synced up with the delivery allowing him to repeat his delivery consistently. When the arm is on time, the fastball has some life at the bottom of the zone with downward plane from his high three-quarter arm slot. In the second he showed better feel for a curveball with 1-7 shape as it landed with depth through the hitting zone for strikes in the mid-70s.

-Colt Olinger



Brewers Langley Blaze beat the St. Louis Pirates 2021 5-1 in their first game of pool play behind some timely hitting and a strong start from Henry Hersum (2021, Saunderstown, RI). Hersum went three innings, giving up one hit and one run, and striking out five opposing batters. The 6-foot-6 righty has a frame that projects and sat 89-92 mph with late life on the fastball. He features an effortless delivery and the ball jumps out of his hand with easy velo. The Old Dominion commit wasn’t afraid to challenge with the fastball and he generated plenty of swings and misses with it. He throws a tight slider at 82 mph as well.


Leading the offensive attack for the Blaze was Devin Taylor (2022, Cincinnati, OH), who was 2-for-3 in the contest. The Indiana commit got things started in the first inning, smacking a line drive to right field to score the first run of the game. He is ranked 78th overall nationally and utilizes a simple stroke with great bat tilt during the load to get the barrel through the zone quickly.


The Scorpions Marucci Franchise Team smashed their way to a win over the 643 DP Cougars 18U, collecting nine hits and scoring eight runs. Alden Segui (2021, Tampa, FL) started on the bump for the Scorpions, throwing two impressive innings with four strikeouts and no hits. He sat 90-94 mph with a short arm action and sharp slider at 86 mph that he would mix in during two-strike counts. The UNC commit worked strictly from the stretch and is everything you want out of a closer-high velo, high energy, and high intent. He lived at the knees during his outing and he certainly exudes confidence on the mound.

Sean Sparling (2021, Palm Coast FL) led the way for the Scorpions today, going 3-for-6 with two homeruns and six RBIs in his two games played. He showed off some big-time power potential in his second game, smashing a no-doubt bomb to right center field that was still traveling well after it cleared the fence. The Daytona State commit has 6-foot-4, 215 pound frame and takes healthy hacks from the left side.


Charlie Condon (2021, Marietta, GA) was 2-for-2 in this one for the 643 DP Cougars 18U. The 6-foot-5 righty had a loud summer and a great showing at the WWBA Workout Showcase. The first/third baseman throws it 88 mph across the diamond and shows power potential to his pull side. The uncommitted senior has a smooth stroke and a highly projectable, athletic frame.

Joe Husak (2021, Cambridge, IA) put together a dominant performance for the MidSouth Prospects –Platinum and secured a 5-0 victory over MVP United For Change. Husak went six hitless and scoreless innings, striking out an impressive 12 opposing batters. He sat 86-89 mph with a 79 mph curveball and held in his velo the whole game. His curveball was his most impressive pitch, throwing it early and often and generating double-digit swings and misses. Eight of the South Dakota State commit’s strikeouts came via the curveball, with seven of them being on the swing.

Stix Baseball 2021 beat Tri-State Arsenal Scout Team 6-5 in a tightly contested matchup that featured some great arms. Cameron O’Banan (2021, Dripping Springs, TX) got the start for the Stix, and went strong three innings, giving up one run, one hit, and striking out four opposing hitters. The Texas commit was extremely efficient in this one, throwing just 38 pitches and 71 percent of them for a strike. He sat 89-91 mph with a quality four pitch mix and good command of each. The slider was 81 mph with sharp cut and the curveball was at 77 mph. The change of velocity kept hitters guessing and off-balance. O’Banan showed great athleticism on the mound and off the mound when fielding his position.

Korbin Griffin (2021, Richland, MI) started for Tri-State and sat 87-89 mph, topping 91 mph with five strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work. He struggled with command at times in this one, but the projection and the movement are there. Griffin is a 6-foot-3, 210 pound left-hander with a mature build and present strength with more to come. The Auburn commit has a big breaker at 75 mph with 12-6 shape and generated a lot of swings and misses when he elevated the fastball.


Royals Scout Team 2021 earned the victory over the Scorpions Victus Brigade Team in tight 2-1 battle. Carson Liggett (2021, Overland Park, KS) entered the game in the fourth inning and would go on to throw four hitless innings with three strikeouts to secure the win for the Royals. The Louisville commit sat 87-90 mph and ran it up to 93 mph during his outing. He has a big, 6-foot-1 frame that projects and throws a quality four pitch mix with an 81 mph slider and a 75 mph curveball that compliment each other. Liggett liked to throw his 80 mph changeup that flashed some fade and tunneled well with the fastball.


Kendall Diggs (2021, Olathe, KS) led the Royals’ offense today, going 4-for-7 with two RBIs in two games played. Diggs poked one through the right side for a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning to put the Royals in the lead against the Scorpions. He went opposite field twice in his first game of the day, smoking a double and barreling a single to left field. The Arkansas commit has an extremely quick bat and a top-notch speed tool.

The East Coast Sox 2021 Founders Club scored the lone run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning to sneak by the SBA Scout Team. Carson Starnes (2021, Monroe, NC) was on the bump for SBA and threw five quality innings against a talented Sox lineup, giving up one run and four hits, and striking out nine opposing hitters. The UNC commit sat 84-86 mph, topping 88 mph with a sweeping 76 mph slider and a 77 mph changeup. He moved the ball all around the zone and made tough pitches when he had to. Mason Nichols (2021, Jackson, MS) looked stellar for the Sox in his one inning of work. The Ole Miss commit was 88-91 mph with good life and has a 6-foot-5 frame that projects.

Stars Baseball 2021 handily defeated the Reds Midwest Scout Team 10-0 in a game that featured some high-quality pitching prospects. Rocco Bernadina (2021, New Castle, PA) had an impressive outing for the Stars, going 3.1 innings, giving up two hits and no runs, and striking out three opposing batters. Bernadina has a 6-foot-5, 235 pound frame with present strength and a clean arm action. The Kent State commit sat 89-91 mph with a tight 81 mph slider that generated swings and misses. He had good life to the fastball and held his velo well after a couple of long breaks between innings.


George Eisenhardt (2021, Portland, OR) had a good showing for the Reds in his quick outing, going 1.1 innings and striking out three opposing batters. He sat 87-90 mph with late arm side run to the fastball, a 76 mph slider, and an 82 mph changeup with fade and good tunnel. The last time PG saw him was last July, when he was up to 86 mph. He touched 93 mph in this one, showing huge velo jumps in a short amount of time. The Xavier commit has a 6-foot-4 frame that projects with room to fill. Vincent Trapani (Eau Claire, WI) started for the Reds and was 92-94 mph, touching 95 mph. Trapani struggled with command in this one and got hit around a bit, although most of it was soft contact. The Arkansas commit gets great back hip drive to power down the mound and the curveball was 78 mph with good tilt and vertical movement.

The game between the PG Navy Select and the Canes American/Dodgers Scout Team ended in a 1-1 tie on Thursday afternoon. Jack Beauchesne (2021, Chelmsford, MA) put together a gutsy performance for PG Navy, throwing seven innings, giving up one run and one walk, and striking out seven opposing batters. Beauchesne got himself out of multiple jams throughout the game to keep the shutout alive and would have gotten out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth inning if it wasn’t for a throwing error. The Northeastern commit sat 86-90 mph, holding his velo well into the last inning. His 76 mph curveball dropped off the table with late break and generated multiple swings and misses. He has a simple and repeatable operation and switched up the timing of his delivery out of the windup. He moved the ball all around the zone, threw his off-speed pitches for strikes, and attacked hitters all game.

-Cade Schares

If the pre-tournament exhibition contests are any indication, the 2020 version of the WWBA World Series is going to be chock full of highlight reel plays made by elite players, clutch knocks from advanced hitters, and plus velocity from strong armed pitchers.

Two quality clubs matched up in early morning play at City of Palms on Thursday morning. The Stars Baseball 2021 squad out of Manassas, VA, and the Peachtree City, GA-based Home Plate Chili Dogs brought clubs loaded with future NCAA Division I talent to Ft. Myers.

Although the entire Stars line-up showed advanced ability at the dish, three hitters paced the Virginia team in their early tune-up. Yogie Hartigan (2021, Winchester, VA) is a line drive machine. The lefty swinger, who is headed to George Mason to play his college ball, has a firm grasp of the strike zone and is in attack mode walking out of the on-deck circle. He is smooth and easy to load and trigger and uses a flatter bat path to spray the ball from foul line to foul line. He is a plus runner who can and will take the extra base. The 5-foot-10, 180 pound outfielder shows a gritty and hard-nosed playing style that is emblematic of the mindset of the entire Stars squad.

North Carolina commit, James Triantos (2021, McLean VA) is an elite switch hitter who has the ability to drive the ball to the gaps with regularity and then show his plus speed on the bases. The 6-foot, 185 pound future Tar Heel is a solidly built, athletic player who has feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate and shows outstanding plate discipline. He is a gifted and sure handed middle infielder who has a plus arm that is highly accurate.

Lefthanded hitting, Trey Lipsey (2021, Southfield, MI) is the Stars leadoff hitter and center fielder. The Ohio State commit is a prototypical lead off man. He see a lot of pitches. He works counts. He never expands the zone and when he commits his swing he does so with a purpose. The left handed hitter shows a flat, compact swing path that is short and quick to contact. He shows a great feel for the barrel. He has noticeably elite speed and his aggressive style is a great spark at the top of the order for the hard charging Stars club. In addition to his offensive prowess, Lipsey is also an elite defender who has the ability to cover from gap to gap with an advanced ability. His arm is sound and routinely accurate.

Georgia Southern commit, Garrett Carter (2021, McDonough, GA) showed many in attendance why he is a top-flight D-I prospect. The 6-foot, 160 pound, Home Plate Chili Dog three-hole hitter, utilizes a consistent approach at the dish. His calm demeanor and outstanding pitch recognition ability allow him to work counts and trigger his swing quickly and confidently. His flatter bat path and noticeable feel for the barrel lets him strike the ball with forceful, routine effort. The ball jumps from his stick. In addition to his ability to hit the ball with authority, Carter is also an aggressive and heady runner who can and will take the extra base.

The Fairborn, OH-based, Ohio Warhawks is a quality program that plays with an edge. This strong squad out of southwest Ohio is loaded with gifted players that play with a noticeable toughness and collectively, at least at first glance, put team before self. The depth of talent on this roster is impressive.

Headlining the club on this day were three elite players. RHP, Victor Quinn (2021, O’Fallon, MO), an Oregon State commit, had scouts scrambling when he lit the radar gun up during his one inning tune-up. The 6-foot, 200 pound power righty, pitched almost exclusively off his 91-95 mph fastball and his tight spinning 76 mph curveball. What had many people buzzing, however, was his last fastball of the day that he obviously put a little extra on. His last pitch, a 97 mph heater, that got a swinging strike three, was an attention grabber, without question.

Two offensive standouts for the Warhawks showed that they are ready for a big weekend at the plate. Left-handed swinging Carlos Pena (2021, Bayside, NY) displayed noticeable pull-side pop in with his swing operation. The University of Missouri-bound third baseman, is a middle of the order RBI threat. His pure swing path and ability to get his barrel to and through contact with force makes him a certain prospect who should impact the SEC for the next few years. He is also a rock solid corner infielder who shows smooth hands, quick feet, and a plus arm that is highly accurate.

University of Tennessee commit, Kruise Newman (2021, Richmond, KY) is the Warhawks sure-handed second sacker who plays with a calm efficiency and appears to be the glue that holds the Ohio team’s infield defense together. He can also swing the stick. The lefthanded swinger shows advanced pull side whip in his barrel and never gets cheated. He incorporates a sound lower half in every pass and gets his barrel on path and through contact with noticeable force.

The Cincinnati Reds Midwest Scout Team roster is stacked with talent. They have hitters up and down the line-up and they can run a staff, full of plus arms, out to the mound almost every inning. Although they had a number of quality performances this morning in their tune-up contest, two players truly stood out. A gifted two-way player, Wake Forest commit, Isaiah Lowe (2022, Shelby, NC) looks primed to have a big weekend in Ft. Myers. The 6-foot-1, 215 pound, solidly built athlete, started on the bump for the Reds and pounded the zone for two strong innings, with an active 88-91 mph fastball that showed riding life up and heavy, sinking life down. He complimented his impressive heater, that played up in velocity, with a sharp breaking, 73 mph curve. In addition to his dominance on the bump, Lowe can also swing the bat with authority. The noticeably strong right- handed hitter, incorporates his solid lower half in every swing and shows an advanced ability to drive the ball especially well, with commendable power, to the pull side.

Missouri commit, Shea McGahan (2021, St. Louis, MO) had a day at the dish, 2-for-2, with three RBI, for the Reds that he would certainly want to repeat a few times before the tournament ends. The 6-foot, 180 pound pure swinger, uses a classic gap-to-gap hitter’s approach. He is short to and long through contact and seemingly always gets his barrel to the ball. He utilizes a sound rhythm from a balanced approach. His quick trigger allows him to impact the baseball with force. His big, line drive knock in the bottom of the 7th plated both the tying and winning runs and sent the Reds into pool play with a sure confidence.

-Jerry Miller


Right hander Jay Woolfolk (2021, Midlothian, Va.) is a highly acclaimed dual threat quarterback on the football field and hadn’t thrown at a PG event since July, 2019 when he took the mound in a save situation for Baseball U Thursday morning. It was a good news/bad news outing for the multi-talented Virginia commit, who worked in the 92-95 mph range with a lightning quick and clean arm action to go with fastball spin rates that approached 2,600 rpm. When Woolfolk was down in the zone it was electric raw stuff but he missed up in the zone frequently and got in trouble with his command. He also threw almost entirely fastballs, mixing in only three 78 mph slurve-type breaking balls in his 41-pitch appearance.


The big damage against Woolfolk came off the bat of 5-Star Academy Select catcher Creed Willems (2021, Aledo, Texas). A plus strong 6-foot-1, 225 pound left-handed hitter, Willems took a 93 mph mid-plate fastball over the right field fence for a three-run home run. A TCU commit who is ranked 104th in the 2021 class, Willems is a confident and intimidating hitter who combines strength and bat speed with barrel skills. Despite his build, Willems is also an agile defender behind the plate with a strong throwing arm, which he used to hose a Baseball U runner at second base earlier in the game with a sub-2.00 pop time.

Baseball U. shortstop Carson Demartini (Virginia Beach, Va.) had an outstanding game at the plate, banging out a single, double and triple, with the triple easily clearing the centerfielder’s head and the double hitting the top of the fence in right field. A Virginia Tech sign, Demartini is listed at a strong 6-foot, 188 pounds and has long arms for his size, giving him a fluid and well extended left-handed swing that produces plenty of bat speed and power, power that should just keep growing as he continues to physically mature.


Trosky National right hander Greysen Carter (2021, Louisville, Colo.) is another hard thrower who PG hasn’t seen in a long time; for Carter, dating back to the 2019 All-American Underclass Games in San Diego. At that point, Carter looked like a potential 2021 All-American but the pandemic kept him grounded in Colorado all summer, although he did commit to Vanderbilt during that time. Making a Thursday afternoon start against Sandlot Baseball, Carter was outstanding for three innings, allowing no hits and striking out five hitters. A physical athlete at a well proportioned 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, Carter works downhill from a smooth, low effort delivery with a compact arm action that hides the ball very well. He worked in the 92-96 mph range, with most of those high-octane heaters finding the bottom of the strike zone with heavy life. While Carter topped out at 93 mph at the 2019 All-American Underclass Games, it was obvious that he was going to mature into at least a mid-90s arm. What was the big surprise in his development was Carter showed a potential plus curveball at 79-80 mph with big downer depth and power and spin rates close to 2,700 rpm. 14 months ago, what few breaking balls that Carter threw were clearly still in the development stage.

Following Carter on the mound for Trosky National, who ended up winning a tight 3-2 ball game, was Washington right-hander Jackson Cox (2022, Toutle, Wash.), the 30th ranked player in the 2022 class. Cox is pretty much the opposite of Carter physically, with a young face and an even younger 6-foot-1, 170 pound build. Also like Carter, Cox made is big prospect splash at the 2020 version of the Underclass All-American Games and has been very busy on the prospect circuit ever since. That showed a bit, as Cox looked tired on the mound, still reaching 92 mph with a loose and electric arm stroke but working mostly in the upper-80s with a slightly lower release point than he showed two months ago. His 80 mph slider still showed outstanding spin and bite at times, reaching 2,980 rpm’s once, which is near elite level. The young right hander will go into next summer as one of the top pitching prospects in the country if he can continue to get stronger over the off-season. Cox is an Oregon commit.

-David Rawnsley


Caleb Clark (2022, Orillia, ON) had an impressive showing for Brewers Langley Blaze on Thursday. The 6-foot-1, 185 pound southpaw went two scoreless, no-hit innings. He lived in the high-80s and touched 89 mph in his first inning of work before settling comfortably in the mid-80s during his second inning. Clark spun a curveball in the low-70s with 12-6 shape and some tightness. He showed confidence in the breaking ball, throwing it frequently and for strikes. The Ontario native throws from a quick tempo, clean, low effort delivery with a free and loose arm. The arrow is ticking up for Clark.

Brayden Jones (2021, Madison, MS) was one of the main proponents to the slim 1-0 victory for East Coast Sox 2021 Founders Club. The Ole Miss commit went five strong, scoreless innings. Over the five frames, Jones punched out five and surrendered only three hits. He pounded the zone with his fastball that sat 88-91 mph and scraped 93 mph. The curveball operated in the mid-70s with 11-5 shape and flashed some depth. The Mississippi native throws from a simple delivery with knee-to-waist leg kick and a clean, shorter arm action. Jones’ overall did a great job sequencing and keeping hitters off balance the whole game.

-Kyler Peterson
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Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap
Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
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Press Release | Press Release | 3/19/2026

PG Teams Up with OZ Ball Tournaments PTY

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 NAMES OZ BALL TOURNAMENTS PTY AS OFFICIAL AREA DIRECTOR IN AUSTRALIA, EXPANDING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, March 19, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that it has entered into a new international partnership with Oz Ball Tournaments Pty, naming the organization as an official Perfect Game Area Director in Australia. The agreement establishes Perfect Game-licensed tournaments and showcases across major Australian markets, including Sydney, Brisbane/Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.     Australian events will operate under the Perfect Game brand, delivering the same...
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Press Release | Press Release | 3/18/2026

PG Introduces Individual Player Entry

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 INTRODUCES INDIVIDUAL PLAYER ENTRY, EXPANDING ACCESS TO ELITE NATIONAL EVENTS   Athletes Can Now Compete in Select National Tournaments Through Structured ‘Team PG’ Rosters   Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, March 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the launch of Individual Player Entry, a new initiative designed to provide athletes the opportunity to compete in select national events even if their primary team is not attending.   Through the program, players can now register individually and be placed on a structured “Team PG” roster, allowing them to participate fully in...
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Juco | Rankings | 3/18/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 18

Blaine Peterson
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This week brings a new top team to the rankings as Johnson County (KS), on the strength of 10 consecutive wins and a 26-2 record, claims the overall number 1 spot. The Cavaliers have made 3 consecutive trips to the JUCO World Series and have the talent to make it back there again this spring. Florida Southwestern and Chipola have seemingly separated themselves as the most consistent teams in Florida. Welcome to the top 5 to the Gaston Rhinos who will be one of the first teams to 30 wins this spring. Pearl River stays as the top NJCAA D2 team and Fresno City stays as the top Juco team in California; both are coming off undefeated 2 week stretches. Welcome back to the top 25 to John A. Logan who is now 20-7 overall and have played one of the toughest schedules of anyone. And for the first time in several years welcome to the top 25 to the College of Southern Idaho, the Golden Eagles have...
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High School | General | 3/18/2026

Class of 2026: Preseason HS All-Americans

Perfect Game Staff
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College | Rankings | 3/18/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 18

Nick Herfordt
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In every major sport, the championship is decided in the postseason. You can lose games all year, get hot at the right time, and walk away with the hardware. The regular season is a rehearsal. The playoffs are the show.  The championship belt changes that. Borrowed from professional wrestling, boxing and ultimate fighting, the belt travels the moment the holder loses — no brackets, no seeding, no second chances. A random Tuesday non-conference game in Milledgeville, Georgia  becomes a title fight. A spring trip to Florida becomes a gauntlet. The defending national champion can lose the belt before February is over.  We’re tracking three belts this season — NCAA Division II, NAIA, and NCAA Division III — each starting with the defending national champion. The results have been exactly as chaotic as you’d expect.  Worth noting along the...
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High School | Rankings | 3/17/2026

High School Top 50 Update: March 17

Tyler Russo
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We have another update to the National Top-50 after two weeks of even more games being played in the southern states along with seasons just starting to kick off across the country. We’re quickly approaching another stellar high school event, the NHSI in Cary, and with that will come even more movement in these rankings. St. John Bosco (CA) continues to hold firm at the No. 1 position after a 4-0 start to their season. Venice (FL) has been rolling throughout the early portion of the year and jumps up to No. 2 in the country. One of the biggest movers in this update is The Bennett School (TX) jumping from unranked to No. 8 in the country after beating a handful of top ranked programs to start the year. Some other big movers inside the top-10 are Barbe (LA), who jumps from No. 18 to No. 5 in this update as well as Aledo (TX) who jumps from No. 20 to No. 9. The rest of the top-10...
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College | Story | 3/17/2026

College Players of the Week: March 17

Vincent Cervino
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March 17th Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (17-3) came into the season with the highest external expectations in decades based on the anticipation of their offensive potential. To this point they have not only met those lofty expectations, but twenty games in they may have exceeded them. While there are plenty of high-level prospects up and down the lineup, with all that star power Vahn Lackey has stood out. Sure to be one of the first catchers selected in this year’s MLB Draft with his comprehensive skillset, he projects well as an everyday backstop at the next level. However, his overall athleticism stands out as we saw this week when he had a game where he played every defensive position on the field except pitcher. At the plate over four games including a series victory at Clemson last week, he went 9 for 15, scoring...
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College | Rankings | 3/16/2026

College Top 25: March 16

Vincent Cervino
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Collegiate Player Report Database As each week of the college baseball season passes, we continue to be entertained at an incredible level with high level drama at every turn.  Conference play is under way and the national landscape is starting to make a bit more sense.  The development and strength of individual players is on full-display and there continue to be upsets on occasion that sends the message no team can relax for one moment.  For the most part, the Top 10 remains unchanged with some reshuffling as No. 1 UCLA (17-2) holds on to the top spot with yet another perfect (4-0) week after sweeping Michigan.  The No. 2 Texas Longhorns (18-1) did drop their first game of the season in Game 1 of SEC play but won the series against Ole Miss and finished the week with a (3-1) record.  The Georgia Tech Yellowjackets (17-3) passed their first real road test of the...
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Draft | Story | 3/13/2026

PG Draft: Under the Radar Preps

Tyler Henninger
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PG Draft: Under the Radar Preps As the spring season gets underway, the showcase circuit and early high-level tournaments have already provided our scouts with some intriguing first looks at this year’s crop of prospects. At the same time, we’ve been tracking the buzz among team evaluators, listening closely to the names that keep coming up in conversations and the players clubs are making sure they get eyes on this spring. Every year, a handful of prospects quietly slip beneath the radar during the fall and winter months, only to reemerge once the games start counting again. Sometimes it’s the result of a productive offseason in the weight room, a noticeable jump in velocity, or a step forward in skill development. Other times, it’s simply a player finally getting the opportunity and the stage to show what’s been building behind the scenes. The spring has a...
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College | Rankings | 3/11/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 11

Nick Herfordt
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Allendale Doesn't Rhyme With Knoxville or Danville. The Baseball Does. Meet the Three Coaches Turning Small College Programs Into National Contenders. There's something happening in small college baseball right now that doesn't get nearly enough attention. Three programs — separated by hundreds of miles and spread across three different governing bodies — are in the middle of the kind of rebuilds that make you wonder why anyone ever counted them out in the first place. One is in a Michigan lakeside college town. Two are in places that end in 'ville. All three have coaches who looked at a program and saw something nobody else did. The Perfect Game small school rankings noticed. You should too. See where Grand Valley State, Johnson U, Centre and the rest of the schools are positioned in the latest Perfect Game Top 25 Small School Rankings. NCAA DII For a generation of DII...
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