THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,576 MLB PLAYERS | 16,376 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,576 MLB PLAYERS | 16,376 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Leagues  | Story | 4/27/2021

ISL a Pure Prairie League for Iowa duo

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Caden Stoffer (Perfect Game)

MARION, Iowa – There were all kinds of interesting vibes emanating from the rosters of the dozens of teams that competed at this year’s Perfect Game Iowa Spring League, which on Sunday wrapped up its 26th season of play.

Of all the teams in this year’s PGISL lineup, the Iowa Select squad coached by long-time Eastern Iowa baseball fixture Tim Evans tended to draw a lot of attention from the large gatherings of scouts that convened over the course of the five-week campaign.



That interest was due largely to the presence of top 2021 PG All-American catcher Ian Moller (No. 12-ranked, LSU commit) and top 2022 outfielder Tommy Specht (No. 51, Kentucky), both out of Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque. But there was no shortage of other tempting menu items to consider when it came to studying the Select Evans roster.

Take, for example, a couple of intriguing 2021 top-500 D-I pitchers, one who throws from the left side, the other from the right. Both came equipped with similar builds and projections and both can call themselves high school classmates and teammates at Iowa high school baseball stalwart Cedar Rapids Prairie.

The similarities between Jackson Nove, a 6-foot-5, 198-pound left-hander who has signed with Kentucky and Caden Stoffer, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound righty who has done the same with hometown Iowa, border on uncanny. They’re not only Prairie HS classmates and teammates on the Hawks’ baseball team but they both call the small town of Fairfax – which sits just outside of Cedar Rapids’ far western city limits – their home.

What more could be asked for? In essence, and with apologies to the great easy-listening country band of yesteryear, the PGISL became a Pure Prairie League for these two talented prep pitchers.

Nove and Stoffer have been close friends since their elementary school years. That’s not uncommon as students who enter the College Community School District early in their academic careers and stay through high school graduation co-exist on the same sprawling campus and learn early how to commit themselves to the Prairie Hawk Orange and Black.

“I’ve known him since third or fourth grade,” Stoffer told PG from the Prospect Meadows Complex over the weekend when asked about Nove. “He played on my basketball team – that’s when I first met him – and I’ve known him since then. We played baseball and basketball together and we’ve been best friends ever since.”

The talented prep pitchers each made the most of their PGISL opportunities over the last five weekends but for completely different reasons brought about by completely different circumstances. Nove was certainly the most polished performer of the two during this cold month of April but only because Stoffer was throwing for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last June.

Nove, by contrast, had pitched in an ultra-competitive setting as recently as early March, when he threw 2 2/3 innings of no-hit, six-strikeout ball pitching for the G-Form Artillery Upperclass at the PG High School Showdown-Academies tournament in Hoover, Ala.

These numbers are very unofficial due to some DiamondKast issues, but the record will show he threw another 8 1/3 shutout innings over four PGISL appearances this month, allowing just one hit while striking out 17 and walking none.

“This has been a really nice experience for me – coming out here and being able to play with friends, that’s something you don’t always get to do,” Nove told PG during a separate weekend conversation. “I know a lot of kids in the area, which is nice, and you get to play with the Marion (HS) kids, the Linn-Mar (HS) kids and even some Dubuque kids.

“This PG (Select) team has a lot of good talent, a lot of good prospects, so it’s nice to be around a lot of good competition in the Spring League, for sure.”

Needless to say, Evans exercised the utmost caution in bringing Stoffer back onto the field of play. He retired the only batter he faced during his first appearance on April 17 and came back to throw a complete inning on April 24 when he allowed three hits but also struck-out two without issuing a walk.

When he talked with PG just before that second outing, Stoffer spoke enthusiastically about being back on the field with a lot of other Cedar Rapids Metro area prospects he’s been around for several years now. That includes his Select Evans teammate Coy Sarsfield, a 2021 t-500 outfielder/middle infielder at Linn-Mar HS who also happens to be an Iowa signee.

But make no mistake, he is also very cognizant of the long road he’s been on and continues to traverse. Returning to action has taken a lot of patience and he’s told himself repeatedly that he just needs to trust the process.

You’ll be back sooner or later and better than ever, the voice in his head tells him repeatedly. You’ve just got to take it slow and make sure everything is good; make sure you’re healthy. Time is on your side, so there’s no need to rush anything and put yourself at unnecessary risk for further injury.

“I’ve felt good; I definitely feel like there’s probably a little more in there,” Stoffer said with a satisfied smile crossing his face. “I feel good and I feel like I’m on a good track to be back to 100 percent soon...I’m just trying to get back and I feel like these last two outings have been really good for me. I feel like they’re getting me ready, especially against this good competition we’ve been playing against; I’m excited.”

Nove watched Stoffer’s rehab first from afar but more recently has been able to become much more up-close-and-personal. And so, too, have a lot of Nove’s and Stoffer’s high school teammates: 18 other Prairie Hawks participated in the PGISL season that just concluded.

“We’ve been friends for a long time and it’s definitely something that’s been hard on him, not being able to pitch for over a year now,” Nove noted. “It’s nice now. We get to work out every day after school getting some toss in at Prairie. It’s a crappy thing that happened but it will make him better and he just gets to grow from it.”

During Prairie High School’s early years in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the city slickers at the high schools in Cedar Rapids and Marion were known to refer to Prairie as “Cowpie High” because of its rural location. That smart-aleck moniker – although locals of a certain age can claim it was uttered with absolutely no ill-will – certainly no longer applies.

PG’s Tim Evans, a former college and minor league player and a longtime college coach and instructor, graduated from Prairie in the late 1970s. One of his coaching stops included Kirkwood Community College, a JUCO where the main campus sits just a long fly ball from the Prairie campus.

More recent prominent Prairie grads include Scott Schebler (class of ’09) who was a 26th round draft pick of the Dodgers in 2010 and has played all or part of seven big league seasons, this year with the Angels. Levi Usher (class of '18) played in the 2017 PG All-American Classic and was drafted by the Angels out of high school but didn’t sign; he is now the starting center fielder for the No. 4-ranked Louisville Cardinals.

One of the few upsides that come along with the state of Iowa playing its prep season during the summer is that graduated seniors are still eligible to compete for their respective high schools. That can certainly be advantageous for players who are no longer age-eligible to play in early summer PG events.

With guys like Nove and Stoffer leading the way – along with Brandon Vlcko and Cal Sullivan, t-500 catchers from the classes of ’22 and ’23, respectively – Prairie is looking to be very competitive during the 2021 season; the Hawks won a Class 4A (big school) state championship as recently as 2016.

As he spoke with PG here in late April, Nove said it’s his intent to play with the Prairie Hawks this season, with the caveat that the coaches at Kentucky might want him to be involved with various summer programs in Lexington.

“As of right now the plan is to hopefully get some of the (high school) season in,” Nove said. “If not, enroll in some summer classes (at Kentucky) and get some of that stuff in.”

With the help and encouragement of a couple of his youth coaches, Nove was able to attend a camp at Kentucky and fell in love with the head coach Nick Mingione’s Wildcat program; he has already built a solid relationship with pitching coach Dan Roszel. Everything about the environment in Lexington seemed to scream “perfect fit” and he was eager to jump on board.

As for the 2021 MLB Draft, Nove is very non-committal: “I think it’s always in the back of your mind,” he said. “You never know what kind of situation will pop-up or what teams might want to reach out and test the water. I think I’ll always keep the door open; the more opportunities the better.”

Stoffer’s summer plans are pretty set in stone, at least as he continues his rehab. He’ll take the field for the Prairie Hawks as often as he’s able while enjoying the camaraderie that only a final high school season can provide.

“I’m just looking to pitch for them and hopefully see what we can do,” he said. “That’ll be interesting; it’ll be fun.”

Stoffer will also be more than willing to listen to any suggestions provided by Hawkeyes head coach Rick Heller and his staff in nearby Iowa City. He committed to Iowa because it’s a very competitive program in the nationally-acclaimed Big Ten Conference that’s close to home that provides a very familiar, very comfortable setting at which to continue his academic and athletic pursuits.

“They were very welcoming and made it clear they wanted me to play there,” Stoffer said. “I saw that and I recognized it and it was already comfortable; I was like, yeah, this is where I want to be...They’ve been very supportive of me.”

With their PG Iowa Spring League experiences behind them, this pair of Prairie Hawks have deemed themselves more than ready and able to take the next step in their baseball careers. At least 57 players rostered in this year’s PGISL were already committed to D-I programs, and Nove and Stoffer can count their names among that total; it’s something to be proud of.

For his part, even with a final high school season still a possibility, Nove feels like braving the chilly temperatures and cold wind that seemed to be a part of the PGISL for nearly each one of its five weekends was well worth the rewards the effort reaped.

“It’s almost like getting you ready for the summer season but the spring season is just as important as the summer season; there’s always a chance to learn,” he said. “You’re facing different hitters almost every week...and there’s a lot of good pitchers out here. Just a lot of great opportunity to learn, a lot of great opportunity to get better.”
Give us your feedback
Leagues | Story | 4/28/2026

Iowa Spring League Notebook: Week 5
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Dawson Weller (2027, Ottumwa, IA) showcased his two-way potential with a strong performance this weekend. On the mound, worked two clean innings while striking out 3 consistently living in the zone and getting ahead with first-pitch strikes. Showed the ability to control tempo and attack hitters throughout the outing. At the plate made a big impact in the same game, collecting two doubles and a home run. Displays quick hands through the zone with the ability to connect on an uphill path and generate carry off the barrel. A well-rounded showing that highlighted impact on both sides of the ball. Will Frederiksen (2026, Bettendorf, IA) had a loud weekend at the plate, launching 2 home runs and showing real impact with the bat. Generates plenty of juice in the swing with a simple, controlled load that allows him to stay on time. The swing works clean through the zone and produces strong...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/22/2026

15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 Noah Rumley (‘29 NC) has been up to 90 so far in this start w/ 8 Ks in 4 innings of work. Really jumps out of the hand at foot strike w/ some ride to it; has also mixed in a SL w/ horizontal action. #WWBA @PG_Coastal pic.twitter.com/OcU57a3Syl — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 21, 2026 Noah Rumley (2029, Summerfield, N.C.) got the ball for GBC Lopez 2029 15u in their final game of pool play and dominated, going up against a tough lineup in the East Cobb Astros. The 6-foot-2 left-handed pitcher ended up going five innings, allowing only one hit and one run, while striking out nine. It’s premium stuff at the 15u level as he worked easily in the upper-80s, topping at 90 mph in the first. The breaking ball showed two-plane shape in the upper-70s as well. There’s a ton of things to like already and even...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/22/2026

Champions Named at Southwest Select

Emily Hicks
Article Image
Another week of Perfect Game baseball concluded as champions were crowned in the 15U, 16U, and 18U divisions of the Southwest Select Championship. After several days of pool play and championship bracket action, three teams rose above the competition to capture tournament titles following a week of high-level baseball. Throughout the tournament, teams from across the Southwest and beyond competed in closely contested matchups, producing standout pitching performances, timely offense, and memorable defensive plays. As the bracket narrowed, each division featured championship-caliber baseball before the final trophies were awarded. 15U Championship The 15U division title was claimed by AZ Prodigy, who defeated Nomadic 14U Premier by a score of 2-1 in the championship game. After putting together a strong tournament run, AZ Prodigy continued its momentum in the title game with contributions...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 7/22/2026

PGAAC Roster Reveal

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES TEAM ROSTERS FOR 2026 DICK'S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC AT CITIZENS BANK PARK   The rosters span 20 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada, with California leading the way Jersey City's Finnian O'Loughlin gives the host region a player in the spotlight Field includes sons of Hall of Famer Frank Thomas & MLB All-Star Brad Hawpe   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Wednesday, July 22, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the Team East and Team West rosters for the 2026 DICK'S All-American Classic, set for Sunday, August 16 at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The 60-player field represents the top...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/22/2026

Florida Burn Cruise to 17U BCS Crown

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
Ranked fifth nationally entering the tournament, Florida Burn 2027 Scout left no doubt who the best team was at the 17U BCS National Championship. Burn finished a perfect 9-0 tournament, earning an 11-1 semifinal victory before defeating No. 86-ranked Original Florida Pokers 2027 National, 9-1, Tuesday afternoon at JetBlue Park. Burn seized control early and never looked back in a game that ended after the fifth inning per Perfect Game’s mercy rule. Burn carried its explosive offense into the championship game as Braedon Mackay launched a two-run home run in the first inning, giving his team an early 2-0 lead. Mackay’s home run sparked a five-run opening inning, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon. The Florida commit later earned tournament MVP honors after helping lead Burn to an unbeaten championship run. “I was just trying to get something started,”...
Read More
PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 7/21/2026

13u Select Festival Roster Reveal

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
With the completion of the 2026 13u National Showcase, an event that featured some of the best talent the age group has to offer, 42 players came out with the label of "Festivaler" as they received a phone call shortly after the event concluded. Moving back to the University of Tennessee after a two year stay at the University of Virginia, Ole Rocky Top will see a mixed bag of returners; three-timers, new faces and a couple who bridged the gap from the 11u game into the 13u iteration.  Of the 42 players, 9 players call Florida their home base which is the most of any state while Texas (8), California (7) and Georgia (5) are all close behind nearly three-quarters of the players selected. In total 17 different states are represented, from Hawaii to Arkansas, Washington to Maryland and everywhere in between.  Quick roster breakdown: Three-time Select Festival: 13 players ...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/21/2026

UBC Midwest X Atlantic Notes: Part 1

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Jack Postma (2028, Barrington, IL) made an impression in Chicago this week. A 6-foot-5 right hander with a starter pitch mix. Topped out at 93 in his outing at UBC Midwest and pitched at 88-93 for 2 innings on the mound. Slider showed late horizontal bite at its best when finished out front. Change up is a usable third pitch with fading action and ability to miss bats. Clean overall operation in the delivery. Upside with added stability in the arm action. Chance to be one of the top prospects in Illinois and potentially the country with necessary adjustments moving forward.  Connor Basinski (2028, Columbia, IL) an athletic player with 2-way potential. Physicality stands out for a player in the 2028 class. Swung the bat impressively well in Chicago. Hits from a wide stance and stays balanced using strength and leverage to drive the baseball to all fields. Launched a long pull side...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/21/2026

15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 4

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 Mason Conner (2029, Palestine, Texas) was a force in the middle-of-the-order for Gold Culture. The right-handed hitter starts from a medium stance with in-line feet and a low handset with a low back elbow, utilizes a negative leg lift stride. Strides through and uncoils the lower half well and creates separation in the back shoulder. Solid hand speed with a flat bat plane and feel to leverage and lift. Impacts the ball well with feel to impact and drive. The shortstop showed the power upside belting a two-run homer over the fence in left field and added a two-RBI knock later in the game. Medium 6-foot, 175-pound frame that was consistently on the barrel and showed a good approach at the plate working two walks. Lennon Dunn (2029, Mansfield, Texas) competed and showed the upside on the mound for Stix 2029 Scout. The right-handed pitcher...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/21/2026

16U BCS Rolls into Fort Myers

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
The 21st annual 16U BCS National Championship returns to Fort Myers, Florida from July 23-27, bringing together many of the nation’s top 2028 graduates. The tournament features 44 teams, including six nationally ranked clubs, competing for a national title across five days of high-level competition. Year after year, the event has served as a proving ground for elite talent. Defending champion Showtime Select National 16U returns after capturing last year’s championship, while a talented field from across the country will look to add its name to the event’s prestigious history. One of the premier prospects in the field, shortstop Gabriel Coupet enters as the highest-ranked player in attendance, checking in at No. 49 overall in the Class of 2028 and No. 8 player in Florida. The Boynton Beach, Fla., native has established himself as one of the country’s most talented...
Read More
College | Story | 7/21/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 21 Summer Edition

John Coppolella
Article Image
The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Coen Niclai – Wareham Gatemen  The Internet tells me that 12 MLB players have come from Alaska, 10 of whom were from Anchorage, and the best of which is Curt Schilling. Niclai, who is also...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/20/2026

FTB National Completes Elite Run

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
Championships are never won in a single game. For FTB National 2027, this one has been in the making for years. An 8-0 victory over Team Elite 17U Scout capped off an unforgettable week at the 2026 Perfect Game 17U National Elite Championship, but according to those inside the dugout, the championship was a product of friendships formed long before the tournament ever began. FTB took their first national elite win in team history, giving one of the nation’s top 2027 teams an elite ending to their 17U summer. “This is a homegrown group,” head coach Will Haynie said. “This team has been together for the last four or five years, and I think a lot of them have been together since the Little League World Series when they were 12. It’s been fun, and a nice little cap off to their 17U summer, especially after winning a big event like this.” That chemistry...
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.