THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,452 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,452 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story | 1/19/2021

CSN Tops JUCO Ranks to Start Year

Brian Sakowski
Blake Dowson
Photo: Johnny Cuevas (CSN Athletics)
2021 Perfect Game Preseason JUCO Top 25 
 
Rk. School City State
1 College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas NV
2 Wabash Valley Mount Carmel IL
3 Central Arizona Coolidge AZ
4 McLennan Waco TX
5 Crowder Neosho MO
6 Grayson Denison TX
7 LSU-Eunice Eunice LA
8 Northwest Florida State Niceville FL
9 Walters State Morristown TN
10 Chipola Marianna FL
11 Eastern Oklahoma State Wilburton OK
12 College of Central Florida Ocala FL
13 John A. Logan Carterville IL
15 San Jacinto Houston TX
15 Johnson County Overland Park KS
16 Pearl River Poplarville MS
17 Iowa Western Council Bluffs IA
18 Cowley Arkansas City KS
19 Florida SouthWestern Fort Myers FL
20 State College of Florida Brandenton FL
21 Chattahoochee Valley Phenix City AL
22 Jefferson College Hillsboro MO
23 Parkland Champaign IL
24 Yavapai Prescott AZ
25 Kirkwood Cedar Rapids IA


LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Don’t feel bad if you mistake the College of Southern Nevada’s baseball team as something other than a junior college roster. It doesn’t look much like one.



The amount of experience Head Coach Nick Garritano has hoarded on his roster for the upcoming spring season makes his squad look more like a veteran four-year team, rather than the usually-green rosters JUCOs typically possess.

It’s a big reason the Coyotes are the No. 1 team in Perfect Game’s Preseason JUCO Top-25.

“This is a very experienced, veteran club. We’re very old,” Garritano said in a recent interview with Perfect Game. “Our catcher is a COVID-sophomore, he was at UNLV two years ago starting as a true freshman. Justin Olson is a transfer from Kentucky, he’s a two-year guy, he’s 20, 21 years old…Dax Fellows will play either third or short for us, it’s his third year here. He’s committed to Oregon, he’s a 20, 21-year-old. Damiano Palmegiani, our third baseman, is a third-year bounce back guy out of Cal State Northridge…There’s a lot of older, experienced guys that we’re going to depend on to carry the load.”

There are unique circumstances that led to CSN being so veteran-laden, of course. With the 2020 season taken away from schools because of COVID, every collegiate player was awarded an extra year of eligibility. That’s why some of Garritano’s horses are back in the lineup this year.

The draft being shortened to just five rounds in 2020 also injected the JUCO ranks with even more talent than in typical years, with a number of high school players who would have likely signed pro contracts last year instead choosing the JUCO route to stay draft-eligible in 2021.

That’s how Josh Swales found his way to CSN, a talented right-handed freshman arm who is currently sitting 94-96 but who Garritano thinks will be flirting with triple digits by the time the spring season is in full swing.

Swales, an alumnus of the 2019 PG National Showcase, originally committed to play for Arizona. When the draft was shortened, he flipped to CSN.

The Porter Ranch, Calif. native now becomes a member of what’s likely the deepest and most talented pitching staff in the country. Swales, the No. 7 overall JUCO prospect for this year’s draft according to PG, is joined by right-handers Kris Bow (No. 5 overall JUCO prospect) and Johnny Cuevas (No. 20 overall JUCO prospect). Izzy Gutierrez, another third-year arm, will be the primary backend guy.

“Josh Swales is a guy who if the draft is longer than five rounds there’s no doubt in my mind he goes on the second day,” Garritano said. “Without it going out to 10 rounds or anything, we end up with a 94-96 mph arm that’s got great pitchability and physical makeup. Johnny Cuevas, a kid we had here last year, if they have a normal draft, there’s not a chance Johnny Cuevas is back here with us.”

The lineup tells the same story. Joey Walls, Fellows, and Cole Schaefer have all been on campus for three years now. Austin Plante and Kyle Turner contributed last year before the stoppage. Palmegiani and Olson transferred in with a boatload of college ball under their belts.

Schaefer led the club with a .377 average through 23 games last season. Walls was right behind with a .354 average. Palmegiani (No. 24 overall JUCO prospect), Fellows (No. 40 prospect), and Plante (No. 55 prospect) are all very highly thought-of in the scouting community and just as productive on the field.

Trey Frahm, a first-year player out of Elkhorn, Neb., is another guy Garritano doesn’t believe would be wearing a CSN jersey this year if not for the shortened draft. Frahm, the No. 112 prospect in the 2020 class, was up to 96 mph on the mound in Jupiter in 2019. He’ll be a big contributor.

There’s no shying away from what’s in front of the Coyotes.

“We talk to the players about playing with a sense of urgency each and every year and each and every game,” Garritano said. “To be honest with you, we practice with a sense of urgency. But at the same time, this is a very talented club. I think there are a lot of very talented clubs around the country. Everyone’s ultimate goal is to wind up in Grand Junction, Colorado and hoist a trophy at the end of the year.

“With that being said, we feel like this is as talented a pitching staff as we’ve had since we’ve been here. It’s as athletic in the lineup as we’ve been, it’s as potent on offense as we’ve been since 2011, and we’re just hoping that everything falls into place.”

‘Everything’, as Garritano mentioned, of course, includes the ongoing COVID pandemic. Different schools in different states have different restrictions, and piecing together a schedule has been made more difficult than any previous season. As of now though, CSN has a full 56-game schedule lined up.

There might be stops and starts, Garritano acknowledged, and the team has prepped for that. A full routine of mobility exercises, band work, and heavy ball have been instituted to keep arms well-maintained if there were to be a stoppage in play.

“We’re going to do everything possible to keep the arms in game shape, but in the same breath, it is worrisome to us,” Garritano said. “When you have a guy who’s rounding into form in mid-March, in game shape, and then you pull games away for a week or two weeks, now you have to be a little bit careful coming back on pitch count.”

It’s another reason Garritano is happy to have a veteran club this year.

Those second- and third-year players are traversing a global pandemic for the first time just like everyone else, sure, but it’s one less thing to worry about when you have guys who can lean on past routines and experiences.

“Knowing that when we get a chance to get on the field and play for real, that we have a lot of older guys with lots of experience, is a very, very good feeling,” Garritano said. “You’ve got guys who have been between the lines in big-time situations…Having that experience helps you sleep at night, knowing that in those tight games at the end, we’ve got guys who have been through it.”

The hope, he said, is that states and stadiums start to open up by the end of February or the beginning of March. That way they can start to get people back in the stands, including scouting looks for his players.

For now, they’ll just roll with the punches. There’s no use trying to control what you can’t. Like he said, Garritano can sleep easy knowing his team stacks up extremely well against any other in the country.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun. We feel like this is going to be a year that we can take advantage of a very legitimate roster.”
Give us your feedback
College | Story | 5/25/2026

Field of 64 Projections
Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The 2026 season was one of the most exciting and unpredictable editions of college baseball in recent memory, and as quickly as it flew by, we are ready to start the “Road to Omaha”.  After hours of deliberation, we are ready to release our projected region field and “Field of 64” as we see it.  The UCLA Bruins (51-6) start us off as the anticipated No. 1 National Seed as they put the finishing touches on a historic season, including a 27-game win streak, a Big 10 Regular Season title and Big 10 Tournament championship.  The Big 10 looks like they will have (4) teams in the field, with (3) host sights, representing the West Coast well.  The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (48-9) should secure the No. 2 Nation Seed and lead the charge for (8) teams from the ACC in the field with (3) of them securing host opportunities.  Meanwhile, the Georgia...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Trigg Listerman (28, Tampa, FL) had a great showing on the mound Sunday, throwing 4 inning while allowing only 2 hits and no earned runs. Listerman is a quick, athletic righty arm with a fastball that ran up to 90 with some run to it and a sharp breaking ball with sharp, late break to it. Kept hitters guessing at the plate all game and struck out 7 batters. Brody Root (28, Saint James City, FL) had a good start on the mound in the first round of the playoffs, throwing 5 innings allowing only 3 runs and sitting 6 batters down on strikes. pounded the zone with the fastball that ran up to 86 and complimented it nicely with a late breaking slider with tight spin to it. Drives hard down the mound and has an explosive, quick arm. Hayden Pelegrin (27, Miami, FL) had a great day at the plate today going 2-2 with 2 doubles and bringing in 2 RBIs. Smooth...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

Southeast Memorial Day Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘27 SS Malachi Butler doesn’t miss a stitch of this one, hitting it out to the PS for a 2-run HR. Profile littered with tools & performs at an elite level. @GTBaseball commit. #SEMemorialDay https://t.co/WOCXkOZmiL pic.twitter.com/lSHadfcfKZ — Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) May 22, 2026 Georgia Tech commit Malachi Butler (2027, Powder Springs, Ga.) hasn’t missed a beat since the summer began, putting up gaudy numbers through the first two tournaments. A week ago, he hit .500 while taking home MVP honors, well he almost replicated those numbers over the weekend, hitting .412 across six games with three doubles and a homer. He showed elite strike zone awareness throughout, finishing with six walks to zero strikeouts and the impact has ticked up in a big way. Butler recently took over the top spot in the state and it’s easy to see why. He checks a ton...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

USA Prime Claims 17U Title in Thriller

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
USA Prime Tampa Scout 2027 edged VSA Scout 17U 4-3 Monday afternoon, using strong defense and a walk-off RBI from Bryce Flemming to secure the title. A light breeze helped cool down an otherwise warm afternoon at JetBlue Park during the championship game. USA Prime jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning to apply early pressure on VSA. VSA responded behind relief pitcher Finlee Crowder, who settled the game down after entering in the second inning and helped keep his team within reach as the game turned into a back-and-forth battle. VSA eventually battled back to tie the game at 3-3, but several momentum-shifting defensive plays from USA Prime catcher Marcello Fraccola helped preserve the tie throughout the middle innings. “I feel like a huge motivator on the team,” Fraccola said. “The catcher is a big position on the field. You have to make...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/27/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Hawk Licari (‘27,AZ) lambastes this one to the LCF gap for a triple. Finished the day 1-for-3 with an RBI. This kid can swing it. He’s a legit @PG_Uncommitted 2WP and the #1 ranked LHP in the state. Get in to see this one. #MDWest pic.twitter.com/9gKjZdkcLq — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 23, 2026 Hawk Licari, LHP/1B, Scottsdale, AZ. Canes West National (2027) Licari is a high-upside uncommitted 2027 who can really swing it from the left side. The combination of hit tool, athleticism, and left-handed pitching projection makes him a priority follow for college programs. Continued strength gains and refinement on the mound will only elevate his stock. Colin Murphy (‘27,CA) Stands 6’1/190 and shows athletic actions and promising offensive traits. Stays inside this one and shoots it to the back side for a...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘27 IF Braylon Sheffield (FL) with an absolute 🚀 here, launching high off the RCF wall for a 3B. Super polished LH stick; hit over .400 last year on the circuit. #GoHoos commit. #EastMemorial pic.twitter.com/mdehqpR5v5 — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) May 23, 2026 Braylon Sheffield (2027, Fort Myers, Fla.) got the event started with the loudest swing of the night on Friday at Terry Park, rocketing a triple off the wall in the stadium. Sheffield, ranked 121 and committed to Virginia, is a super polished left-handed hitter with left side of the infield projection long term. The swing is tension-free with loose wrists and he generates easy bat speed with already present power to the pull side. This blast came inches away from being a home run and hitting a ball that far at Terry Park stadium is a significant shot. Sheffield also tripled in his second game of the weekend at...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Colton Floyd (‘27,AZ) just misses a HR here. Can really impact the baseball & shows over the fence power potential. Took 3 QAB’s today. He’s the #1 ranked 3B in the state and #4 in the country. #MDWest https://t.co/ReMh7D0v4y pic.twitter.com/w1dzssSy8N — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 23, 2026 Colton Floyd, 3B, Chandler, AZ. Canes West National (2027) Floyd is a high-upside prospect with physical tools and burgeoning power. His combination of size, bat speed, and raw strength makes him one of the top power-hitting third basemen in the country. Currently ranked the #1 third baseman in Arizona and #4 nationally in his class. With continued refinement of his approach and defensive consistency, he has all the ingredients to be a middle-of-the-order bat at Texas A&M and a legitimate MLB Draft prospect JJ Utash (‘27,AZ) with a triple here....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/21/2026

Memorial Day Classics Set to Kick Off

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Southeast Memorial Day East Cobb Baseball will welcome more than 100 teams spanning the 13-17u age groups this weekend as summer baseball gets underway with the highly anticipated PG Southeast Memorial Day Classic, commencing on Thursday, May 21st. This weekend’s annual premier event will feature 11 nationally ranked teams across the five age groups with the No. 9 16u East Cobb Astros headlining the 17u division alongside top prospects such as No. 11 ranked Bryan Johnson Jr. And No. 22 ranked Georgia Tech commit, Malachi Butler. The No. 34 17u ranked 643 DP Cougars will also be a squad to watch as they will look to challenge the Astros for the championship amongst the other 14 17u division teams. While the oldest division will draw lots of attention with highly touted prospects, the 16u field is stacked with 29 total teams including three nationally ranked clubs. Over 30 top 1000...
Read More
High School | General | 5/22/2026

Northeast High School Notebook: May 22

Anthony Gambardella
Article Image
‘26 RHP Hunter Brown (@NHLionsBaseball - NJ) struck out 1️⃣5️⃣ thru 6 IP w/ 0 BB & 2 H allowed. FB lived 90-92, T93 w/ ASR & late life. Froze bats with his 11/5 CB both early/late in counts (2600rpm). Mixed in fading CH & short/tight SL. #WeAre commit. @PG_Draft#PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/NbSSOmCyD0 — Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic (@PGMidAtlantic) April 23, 2026 Hunter Brown - 2026 RHP, North Hunterdon Reg (N.J.) was utterly dominant in his start against Franklin last month, tossing six shutout innings with 15 strikeouts, zero walks and just two hits allowed. The 6-foot-5 215-pound right-hander has pitched to a 0.97 ERA this spring with 78 punchouts over 36 innings of work. Brown has been one of the many northeast arms receiving increasingly more buzz ahead of the MLB Draft this July. Brown’s heater lived in the low-90s throughout the duration of his...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 5/22/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 65

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
The Insidious Lie That Hurts Pitchers Thep Most How many of you have ever had a terrible outing and afterward couldn’t really explain what went wrong? And how many of you have ever had a great outing and couldn’t explain what you did differently either? That gap between what is happening and your awareness of what is happening may be one of the most important gaps in player development. Closing that gap has a name. It is called metacognition. In simple terms, metacognition means thinking about your thinking. It is the ability to understand how you learn, how you perform, how you respond under pressure, and how you make adjustments when things are not going your way. For a pitcher, that matters because no matter how good your coach is, he cannot stand on the mound with you. Your coach cannot take the ball with the bases loaded, two outs, and the best hitter in the league...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.