THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story | 1/19/2021

CSN Tops JUCO Ranks to Start Year

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.”

College | Rankings | 3/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 25

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
Every preseason, analysts and voters pour enormous effort into ranking the small college baseball landscape — poring over returning rosters, transfer additions, coaching changes, and historical trends to assemble the most accurate picture they can of who will be contending when the postseason arrives. And most years, they get it largely right. But the nature of college baseball, with its massive rosters, unpredictable development arcs, and ever-churning transfer portal, guarantees that a handful of genuinely elite programs will slip through the cracks every spring. A team loses too many seniors. A key transfer hasn’t yet suited up. A new coaching staff hasn’t had the chance to prove itself. The voters see the question marks and leave the blank space, and then the season begins and the blank space starts filling itself in — loudly. As the 2026 season heads into its...
High School | General | 3/27/2026

High School Notebook: March 27

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Hudson December (2027, Woodland Hills, Calif.) showed flashes of his upside despite a somewhat uneven three-inning outing. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-hander struck out three while working through a couple of tough jams, though his command was inconsistent at times. He ran his fastball up to 87 mph on a pair of occasions and generally sat in the 83–85 range. He mixed in an upper-70s slider with varying shape and execution where it was most effective when thrown with proper intent, showing shorter, tighter depth. He also flashed a changeup against a few left-handed hitters. Mechanically, there’s a blend of positives and areas for development. He incorporates his lower half fairly well and moves down the mound with some pace and intent. The arm is quick, though it can be late getting up at times, and his taller finish limits full torso extension through release. With...
Draft | Mock Draft | 3/27/2026

2026 MLB Mock Draft: V 2.0

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The spring season is well underway and the board is starting to take shape. Last week, the draft team put together the Top-300 and this week we take a stab at our first mid-season mock draft. While there still is plenty of time for things to shake out differently, here is how we see things shaping up at this point in the draft cycle.  Pick Team Selection Position School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Justin Lebron SS Alabama 3 Minnesota Twins Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 4 San Francisco Giants Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Ace Reese 3B Mississippi State 8 Athletics Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 9 Atlanta Braves Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 10 Colorado Rockies AJ Gracia OF Virginia 11 Washington Nationals Gio Rojas LHP...
Juco | Rankings | 3/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 25

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another strong week of Juco baseball for teams in our Top 25, and as you may see, our field is the same from a week prior with each and every team handling business in their weekend sets to hold fast to their spots on the board. Some notable movement though inside the Top 5 with Gaston jumping up to number 2 after a 33-2 start to the 2026 season as well Cloud County cracking the Top 15 for the first time all year. Looking forward to watching conference play around the country as we approach the final stretch of the regular season. Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 30-2 2 Gaston (NC) 33-2 3 Florida Southwestern (FL) 26-7 4 Walters State (TN) 26-6 5 Chipola (FL) 29-5 6 Florence-Darlington (SC) 29-6 7 Blinn (TX) 22-8 8 McLennan (TX) 20-7 9 Cochise (AZ) 28-6 10 Pearl River (MS) 25-7 11 Georgia Highlands (GA) 30-8 12 Southern Nevada (NV) 24-6 13 Northwest Florida (FL) 21-12 14 Cloud...
College | Story | 3/24/2026

College Players of the Week: March 24

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
March 24th Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Quinton Coats, IF, Cincinnati The Cincinnati Bearcats (19-7) are on the cusp of the Top 25 and are playing their best ball of the season. The offense has been the driving force behind their success, and it has been incredibly consistent having averaged 8.5-runs per game. In the middle of it all, Quinton Coats, is on pace for a historic season both within the program and on a national level. The 6-3/225 infielder from Olathe, KS has been launching home runs at a record pace and opponents seem to be powerless to stop his onslaught. With incredible strength in his hands, Coats creates easy loft and in 5 road games last week he collected 9 hits in 20 at-bats, with 4 home runs, 9 runs scored, and he drove in a total of 9 runs as well. As for his pursuit of history, the modern day BBCOR bat standard single season home run record is 34, set back in...
College | Recruiting | 3/23/2026

Recruiting Notebook: March 23

Ryan Miller
Article Image
High speed look at the FF-SL from '27 SS/RHP Harry Chubb Jones Jr. (GA)... #BeastoftheEast @PG_Uncommitted @PG_Georgia https://t.co/zXWgDJjU0y pic.twitter.com/GUIUN4tWmw — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 25, 2025 Harry Chubb Jones Jr., RHP/SS, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Jones recently flipped his commitment from Clemson to Alabama, landing Rob Vaughn and staff a high-end two-way talent in the ’27 class. The Georgia native possesses tremendous upside on the mound, working from a long and lean right-handed frame that displays projection and athleticism. Jones starts over the face before working to the belt and into a higher pronounced leg lift. He fires down the mound via a standard-length arm action and high three-quarters slot. Chubb’s fastball/slider combination and feel for the zone, with the heater showcasing run/ride traits and power into the high-90s....
College | Rankings | 3/22/2026

College Top 25: March 23

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Time flies when you are having fun and the fact that we are almost to the halfway point of the 2026 season, proves just how entertaining things have been to this point. In what was an ultra-impactful week on the national landscape, there are some clubs fading out of the limelight while others are emerging from the shadows and showing they are a force to be reconned with. Conference play always makes the big picture come into view and we are now getting a feel for who the true contenders may be as the grind begins. The UCLA Bruins (21-2) keep their stranglehold on the top spot in the land as they remain unchallenged since the start of Big Ten play and finished the week with a (4-0) record. The Texas Longhorns (20-3) did lose back-to-back games this week but showed their resilience by winning an intense road series against now No. 7 Auburn (19-4). Georgia Tech (19-5) also had a (2-2) week...
Draft | Rankings | 3/20/2026

2026 Draft Board: Top 300

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The 2026 MLB Draft class is shaping up to be one of the better in recent memory and, potentially, the best class in the last decade. It’s led by UCLA superstar shortstop Roch Cholowsky, a true five-tool prospect who’s the early favorite for 1:1. One of the most popular pieces of industry feedback when constructing this list was some variation of “Roch is too low” or “go up on Roch” and he’s the best college prospect since 2019 when Adley Rutschman (Oregon State, Orioles) was the consensus No. 1 prospect. Similarly to 2019, there’s a superstar Texas prep shortstop at No. 2, in 2019 it was Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville Heritage, Royals) and this year it’s Grady Emerson. Both Emerson and Alabama’s Justin Lebron would have been solid 1:1 candidates in years where Roch Cholowsky is not eligible and both have All-Star potential....
High School | General | 3/23/2026

High School Notebook: March 23

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Talon Brown (‘29 CA) showing some intriguing stuff over 2.1 IP running the FB up to 89, living 86-88 while mixing in a BB at 77. FB heavy on the day w/ a limited pitch count. 6-4, 205-lb w/ an athletic operation working down the bump #PGHS pic.twitter.com/HkLmJHrB1W — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) March 14, 2026 Talon Brown 2029 RHP, Christian Brown features an advanced 6-foot-4, 205-pound, athletic, projectable frame.  The freshman has made two appearances on the young season working four-innings without allowing a hit or run and has struck out seven opposing hitters.  It’s an easy, downhill operation and the ball jumps out of the hand, using the four-seam often that has ride through the zone, sitting 85-88 and topping out at 89.  The breaking ball showed 11-5 shape with depth spinning it at 1900 RPM+.  Brown features an athletic...
Press Release | Press Release | 3/19/2026

PG Teams Up with OZ Ball Tournaments PTY

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
  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...
Loading more articles...