THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,802 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,802 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
High School  | General | 3/4/2021

HS Showdowns showcase very best

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Slate Alford (Perfect Game)

HOOVER, Ala. – For a ninth and eighth year in a row, the Perfect Game High School Showdown and the PG High School Showdown-Academies, respectively, will spread their wings and fly this week as the Hoover Met Complex in this bustling south-Birmingham suburb opens its doors for business.

It’s not necessarily business as usual this year, however, and don’t take that in the negative. A record 65 teams – 27 at the Showdown and 38 at the Showdown-Academies – will be on hand as they scramble to make up for a 2020 season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.



COVID hasn’t gone away, of course, not that any of us need to be reminded of that insidious fact. But what is worth noting is that the two PG HS Showdowns were contested and champions were crowned in 2020, wrapping up only about a week before the virus brought the people of this country to their knees. For some of the teams in attendance a year ago, the Showdown games were the last games they played in the truncated 2020 season.

It was a surreal experience for many of us. Personally, I remember seeing for the first time a handful of people wearing masks on my flights from Birmingham to Chicago and on to Cedar Rapids on March 9 and thinking, this isn’t good. It all hit home with the subtlety of a sledgehammer just days later.

But I digress, even if ever so slightly. Masks and social distancing are still the order of the day but games will be played and a total of four champions across the two events will take home handsome pieces of hardware. And they will have earned it.

The talent put on display this week for all to enjoy is simply breath-taking, and that’s not hyperbole. Many of the top prospects from the prep classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023 (with a smattering of 2024s) will be out on the fields at the Hoover Met, much like you see at elite PG national travel ball tournaments during the summer and fall.

That said, this is different. Players have told me repeatedly over the past decade-plus how special it is for them to slip on their high school team’s uniform and sprint out onto the field where they can perform alongside their buddies who may live next door or sit at the desk next to them during an algebra class, even if, these days, that desk is 6-feet away..

Take that on the word of Dylan Lesko, a junior at Buford (Ga.) High School who also happens to be the best right-handed pitcher in North America from the class of 2022. He cherishes the time he gets to spend with Guerry Baldwin and the East Cobb Astros during the summer and fall, but the time he spends with the Buford Wolves and Head Coach Stuart Chester is even more valuable.

“It’s really just like a big family,” he told PG in December. “It’s a tight-knit community and everyone has each other’s back so being able to play for Buford has really been one of my favorite things. You’re out there representing your city and it’s just great being able to have a community back you up whether you’re at home or away; anywhere you go they’re always behind you.”

So sit back and enjoy what’s about to unfold at the PG HS Showdown Thursday through Saturday and at the PG HS Showdown-Academies Friday through Sunday. You’re in for a real treat.

. . .

THE 27-TEAM PGHS SHOWDOWN FIELD IS DIVIDED INTO THREE NINE-TEAM BRACKETS (Blue, Red, White) with three, three-team pools in each bracket; the three pool winners and one wild card entry will advance to the four-team playoffs.

IMG Academy out of Bradenton, Fla., finished as runner-up to Loganville (Ala.) HS in the Red Bracket finals a year ago and returns this week as a favorite to win the whole shooting match this year. The academy is sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) but operates independently of the state governing body, so it is not eligible to compete for a Florida high school state championship.

PG does recognize the program as a legitimate high school competitor, however, and has the Ascenders sitting regaling in the No. 1 position in the PGHS Preseason Top 50 National Rankings. They are one of four ranked teams in the Showdown field, joined by No. 4 Buford, No. 26 Hoover (Ala.) and No. 40 Bob Jones (Madison, Ala.).

IMG comes into the Showdown fresh off a trip to Arlington, Texas, where it competed at the Globe Life Field High School Baseball Showcase, finishing 3-1 against four of the top prep programs from around the Dallas area; the Ascenders bring a 5-1 record into the Showdown.

“We try to make it competitive every year,” IMG Head Coach Kason Gabbard told me when asked about playing in these high-profile out-of-state tournaments. “A lot of teams reach out to us trying to play and we try to play different teams every year and some of the same good ones that are always competitive against us...We take those tournaments as our playoffs and as something to play for. We just try to grind every game.”

It’s no secret that this Ascenders lineup can grind with the best of them – maybe even some lower-level college teams – armed with a roster that boasts the talents of 2020 PG All-Americans in outfielder James Wood (No. 4-ranked ‘21, Mississippi St. signee), corner infielder Tommy White (No. 17, N.C. State), left-hander Mason Albright (No. 31, Virginia Tech) and outfielder/lefty Drew Gray (No. 38, Arkansas) from a loaded senior class.

As if that’s not enough, Gabbard can also get out his lineup card and pencil-in several of the most highly-regarded juniors in the country including outfielder Elijah Green, a Miami commit ranked the No. 1 overall prospect in all the land from the class of 2022.

Left-hander Jackson Ferris (No. 15, Ole Miss), corner infielder Blaydon Plain (No. 88, Florida) and right-hander Davion Hickson (No. 97, Florida St.) add more spice to the Ascenders’ saucy junior class jambalaya recipe.

What will make this weekend all the more intriguing is knowing that the other two teams that join IMGA in Red Pool A – the Chelsea Hornets and the Florence Falcons from right here in sweet home Alabama – won’t back down when facing the Ascenders; nor will anyone else.

If you doubt that statement for even a moment, ask any one of the 17 players who return for Loganville this year – including senior first baseman/outfielder Jonathan "Daniel" Braswell (t-500, Georgia) and junior left-hander/first baseman Dawson Coe (No. 339, Tennessee) – if they were the least bit intimidated before they went out and blasted IMGA, 13-1, in the Red Bracket championship game a year ago.

Or maybe you can ask Lesko, a Vanderbilt commit and the No. 2-ranked overall national prospect in the class of 2022 (behind Green), or any one of his highly-skilled teammates with the No. 4 Wolves how they feel about backing down to anyone.

Right-hander/utility Treyton Rank (No. 341, Florida St.), left-hander/first baseman Jackson Brockett (t-500, Nebraska) and infielder/right-hander Connor Sampers (t-500, Wofford) will tell you that ain’t happening.

Same goes for Lesko’s junior classmates, with outfielder/right-hander Riley Stanford (No. 17, Georgia Tech), infielder Brant Baughcum (No. 172, Georgia Tech), infielder/catcher Jackson Gaspard (No. 379, Georgia Tech) and outfielder Stan Zagrodnik (t-500, Wofford). Looks like Tech and Wofford have made pretty good inroads recruiting the town of Buford.

“We have a talented high school team and our coach (Chester) doesn’t take that lightly and tries to schedule the hardest games,” Lesko said when asked about the competition the Wolves face throughout the season. “(That) really gets us ready for when we get to the (Georgia state) playoffs and then the playoffs get you ready for the summer.”

The Bob Jones Patriots will do their patriotic duty led by the senior standouts catcher/outfielder Max Soliz (No. 139, Arkansas), corner infielder Slate Alford (No. 208, Mississippi St.) and right-hander/outfielder Thomas Ballard (t-500, UAB).

. . .

TWENTY-SIX OF THE 38 TEAMS THAT COMPRISE THE FIELD at the PGHS Showdown-Academies tournament come from nine states (including northern outposts like Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York) with the other 12 calling Puerto Rico home. The teams will compete in eight four-team pools and one six-team pool, with the pool champion in 1-8 and the top-two in Pool 9 reaching the playoffs, along with three wild cards.

To call this collection an eclectic group might not be doing it justice, as club or academy teams from prominent travel ball organizations like East Cobb Baseball (Georgia), G-Form Artillery (New Jersey), Prairie Gravel Baseball (Indiana) and Team Elite Baseball (Georgia) will all be in attendance as well. And, let it be said right up front, they expect to challenge for the championship.

As an example, Team Elite looked north to build a roster that includes seniors like Massachusetts outfielder/left-hander Jonathan Santucci (No. 42, Duke) and Michigan shortstop/righty Luke Leto (No. 84, LSU).

And they’ll team with prominent juniors in Michigan outfielder Nolan Schubart (No. 7, Michigan), Michigan right-hander David Lally (No. 80, Notre Dame) and Illinois right-hander/first baseman Ethan Patera (No. 235, Louisville).

The G-Form Artillery Upperclass roster is stocked with D-I commits largely from the Midwest and Northeast. They include seniors in New Jersey right-hander Sean Hard (No. 266, Boston College) and Minnesota infielder Alex Ritzer (No. 470, North Carolina), and Iowa neighbors in right-hander Owen Puk (t-500, FIU) and outfielder Coy Sarsfield (t-500, Iowa).

The East Cobb Academy-Lemons roster is led by senior Georgia shortstop Rob Gordon (No. 61,Vanderbilt), junior right-hander Josh Lanum (No. 489, Georgia State), and underclass infielders Jax Phillips (No. 68, Georgia) and Luke Orfi (No. 243, uncommitted). 

Any way you care to slice and dice this, the 2021 versions of the PG High School Showdowns promise to produce satisfactory outcomes at every level. OK, “satisfactory” definitely lacks heft.

Let’s just say there’s going to be more than enough talent on the fields at the Hoover Met to take care of all the heavy lifting while providing plenty of things to love and cherish, even while performing in the throes of a deadly pandemic. Let’s all take a deep breath and appreciate what’s out before us.

And yes, you can bet that at least one veteran (re: old) PG note-taker will be merrily wearing his mask every step of the way now that he knows exactly what this is all about.
Give us your feedback
High School | General | 12/24/2025

2025 Year In Review: High School
Cam McElwaney
Article Image
IMG Academy Takes Home the National Title Every year IMG Academy comes into the spring with top-to-bottom one of the top rosters in the country and every year have the expectation of winning the national championship. Well in 2025 they did just that after finishing the spring 24-1, winning the High School Showdown, and winning 15 straight games to end their season. Their high end offensive ability was on full display throughout the year and they will once again be one of the most talented teams in the country in ’26 as they look to go back-to-back. Two Top-10 Picks in the MLB Draft Headline National Players of the Year It was another loaded crop that took home the National Players of the Year as both Ethan Holliday, the National Player of the Year, and Seth Hernandez, National Pitcher of the Year, heard their names called within the first-10 picks in the MLB Draft. Another first...
Read More
College | Story | 1/22/2026

Conference Preview: Big 10

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Illinois 30 24 14 16 Indiana 32 24 16 14 Iowa 33 22 21 9 Maryland 27 29 12 18 Michigan 33 23 16 14 Michigan State 28 27 13 17 Minnesota 24 28 10 20 Nebraska 33 29 15 15 Northwestern 25 27 13 17 Ohio State 13 37 5 25 Oregon 42 16 22 8 Penn State 33 23 15 15 Purdue 31 23 11 19 Rutgers 29 28 15 15 UCLA 48 18 22 8 USC 37 23 18 12 Washington 29 28 17 13 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Mason Eckelman Ohio State Taken steps forward--...
Read More
General | Blog | 1/21/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 61

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls- Part 1 You know what I love about the holidays? Good food, time with family, and the unspoken rule that nobody brings up religion or politics at the dinner table.   Why? Because they're powder kegs. Topics that bring out deep-seated beliefs and strong emotions.  Well, I accidentally lit one of those powder kegs recently, except it wasn't at the dinner table. It was on social media.   Our team posted a short clip of me at Boot Camp making what I thought was a pretty straightforward point: simply avoiding the curveball is far from a guarantee of arm health.   I wasn't trying to be provocative. I was just stating what I believed to be obvious after 30 years of doing this work.  But boy, did a few people have problems with it.   It became one of the most discussed posts in Ranch history....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

Back-to-Back MLK East for Phillies

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
TBT Phillies Scout run rules for second straight MLK East Championship The 14U TBT Phillies Scout Team overtook A3 Academy Futures 14-6 in the final game to win their second straight 2026 MLK East Championship. Though the skies were blue and the sun was out in Fort Myers, Florida, the air was very chilly. The wind whipped through the palm trees as players, parents and friends piled into the 5-Plex Player Development Complex bundled up in blankets, hoodies and beanies.  The A3 Academy Futures were first up to bat - and the TBT Phillies struggled through the first frame. The first run came across on a balk; the second came soon after off a double from Gabriel Messing. “I was surprised that they scored right away off the jump,” Kingston George said, an outfielder for TBT Phillies Scout and this year’s MVP of the 14U East MLK championship. “We were kind of quiet...
Read More
College | Story | 1/21/2026

Conference Preview: Big 12

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Arizona 44 21 18 12 Arizona State 36 24 18 12 Baylor 33 22 13 17 BYU 28 27 10 20 Cincinnati 33 26 16 14 Houston 30 25 12 17 Kansas 43 17 20 10 Kansas State 32 26 17 13 Oklahoma State 30 25 15 12 TCU 39 20 19 11 Texas Tech 20 33 13 17 UCF 29 26 9 21 Utah 21 29 8 22 West Virginia 44 16 19 9 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Jackson Natili Cincinnati .338/9/53; well-rounded bat with bat to ball skills and strong catch and throw 1B Brady...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

A New Path to the Next Level

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
A New Path to the Next Level: Inside Perfect Game’s College Instructional Series An important new PG event will help aspiring college players grow, get noticed COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The changing environment of college baseball has led to an innovative new event at Perfect Game, one that will connect high school players looking for an opportunity at the next level with the coaches who may be able to provide one. On top of it all, there will be plenty of expert instruction along with the spirited, tournament-style competition that PG is known for. The College Instructional Series will take place at six regionalized venues starting this summer. “This event will serve an important purpose for players and coaches,” said Adam Revelette, PG’s senior director of events. “Everybody we’ve talked to is very intrigued about the platform.” The event is geared...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

MLK West Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
MLK West Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Markus Chandler, RHP, Westside HS Class of 2027 A little on the undersized side as a sub 6 footer, but Chandler can generate some velo and spin.  Spun 3 frames of hitless ball for Spects National with zero walks and 6 strikeouts.  Committed to Kansas State, the righty ran the fastball to 92, living 89-92 pumping the zone with 75 percent strikes.  Looked like two different breaking balls, with the SL 80/81 (spin in 2500’s) and curveball 75/76.  No hard contact, little contact at all off the righty in this dominant outing. To follow up the pitching performance, Chandler swung the bat well on Championship Monday (Trademark Pending) with 5 RBI and three hits on the day, regularly on the barrel.  Trevor Alons, RHP, Centennial HS Class of 2028 Lean framed sophomore with a quick, whippy arm.  Playing up a few classes, you might...
Read More
College | Story | 1/20/2026

Conference Preview: Oregon State

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Record W L T Oregon State 48 16 1 Impact Player: Easton Talt, OF Impact Pitcher: Dax Whitney, RHP Impact Freshman: Mason Pike, RHP/MIF 2026 MLB Draft Prospects 1. Ethan Kleinschmit, LHP 2. Eric Segura, RHP 3. Zach Edwards*, RHP 4. Easton Talt, OF 5. Jacob Kreig, 1B 6. Wyatt Queen, RHP 7. AJ Singer, IF 8. Eli Gries-Smith, OF 9. Noah Scott, RHP 10. Paul Vazquez*, IF 11. Nyan Hayes, OF 12. AJ Hutcheson, RHP 13. Tyler Inge*, 3B 14. Bryson Glassco, IF 15. Jacob Galloway, C 2027 MLB Draft Prospects 1. Dax Whitney, RHP 2. Adam...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/18/2026

MLK West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Cole Migaki (‘29 WA) w/ one of his 5 K’s thru 2-innings. FB 84-86 coupled w/ a firm BB that has 11/5 shape sitting 77-77. Balanced operation w/ a live, loose arm. Athletic frame at 6-ft, 170 that projects #MLKWest @PG_PacificNW pic.twitter.com/iBgAoajNUM — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) January 16, 2026 Cole Migaki (2029 Vancouver, WA) Was lights out in his start on Friday at MLK West, only needing 42 pitches to get thru three-innings and did not allow a hit or run while punching out 8.  Migaki overwhelmed opposing hitters, running his fastball up to 86 and mixing in a firm breaking ball at 75-77 with 11-5 shape and depth.  The athletic 6-foot, 170-pound right-hander is the top ranked third base prospect in the state of Washington for the class of 2029, collecting a couple of hits in his five at-bats and drove in a run.  Excellent start to...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 1/16/2026

Perfect Game Hires Blakeley As Regional Dir.

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 HIRES ERIC BLAKELEY AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR    Sanford, Florida (Friday, January 16, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the hiring of Eric Blakeley as a Regional Director. Blakeley brings more than two decades of experience in elite baseball and softball events, along with an accomplished background as both a collegiate and professional player.    Blakeley joins Perfect Game after building the highly respected Crossroads Baseball Series, where for more than 20 years he developed and operated baseball...
Read More
College | Story | 1/16/2026

Conference Preview: ACC

Kyler Peterson
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  School  W L W L Boston College 28 29 11 19 California 24 31 9 21 Clemson 45 18 18 12 Duke 41 21 17 13 Florida State 42 16 17 10 Georgia Tech 41 19 19 11 Louisville 42 24 15 15 Miami 35 27 15 14 North Carolina 46 15 18 11 NC State 35 21 17 11 Notre Dame 32 21 14 16 Pitt 28 27 10 20 Stanford 27 25 16 15 Virginia 32 18 16 11 Virginia Tech 31 25 12 18 Wake Forest 39 22 16 14 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Vahn Lackey Georgia Tech...
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.