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Softball  | Softball Tournament | 5/17/2021

Talent Outshines Rain at HItfest

Jerry Miller
Photo: Perfect Game
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Mother Nature can be fickle. After dodging a potential rainout on Saturday and witnessing some outstanding action by a number of individuals and teams during the first two days of the 2021 PG Hawaiian Hitfest, an overnight and early morning deluge forced the Sunday cancelation of the tournament, ending what looked to be an epic conclusion to the tournament.

There were no easy wins in the 16U-A division. Every team had the potential to beat any other team in the draw. There was strength in the circle, as each club had at least one solid hurler, most having two. Some clubs, who would have undoubtedly been considered favorites to contend for the championship trophy, had three and four quality arms they could run out to the middle of the diamond.



There were also a number of fine plays made on defense, where many teams excelled. One position that really had outstanding, projectable talent on display was behind the plate. The catchers at the 16U-A level, at least for two days in metro KC, were noticeably talented.

As good as the pitching was, there were still moments of offense. Each team had a couple of burners at the top of their lineups. Girls who understood their roles in the batting order and worked counts, seeing pitches, and putting balls in play. They forced the action and constantly put pressure on the opponent’s defense. The middle of just about every batting order had true hitters; girls who knew how to get the barrel to the ball each and every time at the plate.

To say there were some really talented and projectable, college-ready players participating at Mid-America West Sports Complex would be a true understatement. Most of the young women who took to the field, if they so desire, have the opportunity to play at the next level. There is still some work to be done to hone their skills, but many are well on their way to an extended future in the game.

One club that made a very noticeable impression was the team that was seeded No. 1 as we headed into Sunday bracket play. Select Fastpitch Elite 13U was undefeated in pool play. That is not a typo either, as this was a 13U club playing up a couple of levels. A casual observer would not know the difference, however, as their collective talent far exceeded their age or grade level. They were unscored on as their four-headed pitching staff dominated from the circle.

Right-handed pitcher Peyton Hardenburger (2025, Wamgo, Kan.) is a long, lean athlete who has sneaky speed and can work the edges like a college veteran. Her ability to mix pitches and throw to all quadrants make her a sure-fire collegiate prospect. Another right0hander, Malia Cabuyaban (2025, Kansas City, Mo.), is a flame thrower who relies on sheer power and an aggressive style that can be intimidating. She attacks the strike zone with fearlessness. She works fast and challenges hitters early and often. On top of her ability in the circle, Malia can also swing the bat and shows a plus ability to drive the softball with authority. Another right-handed pitcher, Jaleigh White (2025, Spring Hill, Kan.), is a dart thrower. Her arm works. Her quick arm circle and noticeably sound lower half allows for the ball to come out of her hand with force and get on hitters in hurry. She works both “rivers” like a veteran and challenges hitters consistently. Jenna Edwards (2025, Carrollton, Mo.) is a great complement to the aforementioned Select pitchers. She is crafty and understands her ability. She pitches off a well-commanded drop ball and will mix in enough fastballs, rise balls, and especially changeups, to keep hitters off balance and constantly guessing. Jenna is a true pitcher who understands her role, pitches to contact, and gets her team off the field and back to the plate. All in all, this staff could rival any Gold level Elite pitching staff in the country. They should dominate their age group and would hold their own against any club, at any level.

To single out one position player for Select would be completely unfair. They have a deep, gifted, and talented roster. A few Select players, however, deserve recognition. In reality, one could undoubtedly recognize the entire roster as most contributed to the 3-0 record that Select posted.

Bailey Amezcua (2024, Greenwood, Mo.) can flat out swing that bat. The talented right-handed hitter has a mature understanding of the strike zone and rarely expands unnecessarily. She hits in the middle of this impressive batting order and seemingly always gets the big knock to bust a game open or extend a lead.

Select’s athletic shortstop is Alyssa McCoy (2025, Olathe, Kan.). She has big-time range at the all-important position. Alyssa can make any play going in either direction and seemingly always wants the ball hit in her direction. She rarely fails to make the play. Her arm strength is generally reserved for players much her senior. At the plate, she is an aggressive swinger who has a feel for the barrel and can drive the ball to the gaps with authority.

Mackenzie Rooney (2025, Louisburg, Kan.) is the Select leadoff hitter, and she is a gem. She works counts like a veteran and sets the tone for her team’s impressive offense. A walk or a base hit turns into a double, and in many cases a triple, because of Mackenzie’s advanced speed and base running ability. On top of her quite-noticeable ability on offense, Mackenzie is also a gifted outfielder who goes and gets everything hit in her direction.

Finally, Morgan Shields (2024, Kansas City, Mo.) and Olivia Slaughter (2026, Grain Valley, Mo.) handle the vaunted Select pitching staff. These two fine backstops show soft hands and an even keel behind the dish and can handle the wide array of styles and pitches that come their way. They are outstanding field generals who keep their defensive unit alert and ready. Lastly, they both have a quick throwing action that helps keep any opponent’s running games in check.

Another club that would have challenged for the championship was the Omaha-based Fury Gold-Jarzobski. This very talented and well-coached team was led in the circle by Jerzie Schindler (2024, Central City, Neb.). The tall, strong, and athletic left-hander showed a very projectable four-pitch mix that overwhelmed hitters. Her plus rise ball had late and pronounced jump at the dish and was almost unhittable. Her changeup is next-level ready and she shows promise in both a sound curveball and drop ball. Her command and control, especially for a power pitcher, is advanced.

The Originals-Broughton, another 14U club playing up in competition, showed many in the 16U-A draw that they could compete with anyone by posting a 2-0-1 pool play record on Saturday. They, like many solid programs, have three outstanding pitchers who could play at any level of travel ball. Lilee Keller (2025, Holden, Mo.) is a 5-foot-10 southpaw who can spin the ball with the best. She works both edges and all four quadrants with a plan and purpose. Her long and smooth arm circle is highly deceptive, and her pitches seemingly get on hitters before they are ready to swing. For a younger pitcher, her ability to locate is advanced. Marysa Rogers (2025, Blue Springs, Mo.) is pure power, whether she is pitching, playing the infield, or swinging the bat. In the circle, Marysa comes right at hitters. She works fast. She shows an aggressive nature, and she repeats her almost flawless arm action consistently. On the dirt, Marysa goes and gets anything hit in her direction and her plus throwing arm is highly accurate. At the plate, Marysa is anything but passive. She attacks the ball early and often and has a great feel for the barrel. She is a developing power hitter who will slug with the very best as she matures.

Lastly, Originals-Broughton’s Addie Lang (2024, Lake Lotawana, Mo.) is a gifted two-way player who is also a part of the tradition-rich Lee’s Summit North HS program that finished as Missouri’s 6A runners-up last fall. The sweet-swinging lefty can power the softball and rarely expands the zone. She can play shortstop or outfield with the best and has a throwing arm that is advanced and highly accurate. Where her future may lie, eventually, however, is in the circle. The same confident and controlled approach she uses to excel at the plate and in the field, she also brings to the pitcher’s plate. She can spin the ball. She can overpower hitters with her fastball. She can get chases with a rise ball that will only get better as she matures, gains experience, and gets stronger.

Allie Braly (2023, Kansas City, Mo.) is a power-throwing right-handed pitcher for Texas Glory KC 16U. Allie can let it fly. Her ability to challenge hitters with plus stuff in any part of the strike zone is very impressive. She really took a back seat to no pitcher in the tournament and has a bright future in the circle. Her stuff plays and she will certainly draw the eye of more than one college program over the course of the next few years.

Julia Chartier (2024, Overland Park, Kan.) and Katie Crawford (2024, Gower, Mo.) willed their Intensity KC 16U club into the No. 4 seed as Intensity posted a 2-0-1 pool play record. The dual pitching threat for the 2021 Intensity club works in similar fashion. They both throw strikes, rarely getting behind hitters. They change speeds well, pitch to spots, and force contact. Their team plays sound defense behind them and they get off the field. When either Chartier or Crawford are faced with difficulty at any time, their demeanors never change. They are both calm and cool and they stick with their plan, which obviously works for this talented club.
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/18/2026

PG Softball Winter One Day Tournament
Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game Softball Winter One Day Tournament, February 15, 2026. Twelve teams, split between the 16u and 18u divisions, participated in this event.  With two pool games, and then a move into single elimination bracket play,  some players used this tournament as  their last warm-up before kicking off their high school seasons, while others were tuning up for the busy Spring and Summer travel season. In the 16u division, it was the Iowa Aries 16u Ce Fire Red taking the championship, with Southeast Iowa Allstars 18u Gold Miller earning the crown in the 18u division. Below are write-ups from observations made during the day, as due to a software glitch, there were no stats available to complete a Top Performers list. 16U Division  Earning the MV-Pitcher Award, as selected by her coaches, was Aurora Widlund (2029 Altoona, IA) of tournament champion Iowa...
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High School | General | 2/18/2026

High School Notebook: Feb. 18

Cam McElwaney
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Grady Emerson (‘26 TX) laces this ball to right for a walk off single. Clean lefty stroke. Looks the part both sides of the ball. Checks all the boxes. Will be scouted heavily this Spring. #PGHS #HookEm commit. #PGDraft pic.twitter.com/wXvdHdgqME — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) February 6, 2026 Grady Emerson (2026, Argyle, Texas) had a strong showing throughout the opening week of high school baseball out here in Texas. Works good at-bats and is always a tough out in general. Makes all the plays at short and just has the look of a future big leaguer. He does all the little things right. Bat to ball will play at a high level and there is still a lot more power to project on here. There is a reason why Emerson is one of, if not the most highly coveted high school prospect in the 2026 class and it’s easy to see why. Currently committed to Texas, but has the potential to...
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High School | Rankings | 2/18/2026

Midwest Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Midwest All Region & Top Tools Rk Midwest 2025 Record 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (KS) 27-4 2 Edmond Memorial (OK) 30-8 3 Muskego (WI) 27-10 4 Lawrence Free State (KS) 28-2 5 Mill Valley (KS) 22-6 6 Valley View (AR) 29-5 7 Platte County (MO) 29-8 8 Liberty North (MO) 19-14 9 Millard North (NE) 23-13 10 St. John Vianney (MO) 38-2 11 Owasso (OK) 40-3 12 Olathe East (KS) 22-6 13 Staley (MO) 38-4 14 Shawnee Mission South (KS) 10-11-4 15 Blue Springs South (MO) 27-7 16 Blue Valley (KS) 21-10 17 Edmond Santa Fe (OK) 37-7 18 Skutt Catholic (NE) 24-7 19 Howell (MO) 35-4 20 Olathe West (KS) 25-3 21 Creighton Prep (NE) 16-15 22 Rogers (AR) 26-4 23 Fayetteville (AR) 26-7 24 Blue Valley West (KS) 17-10 25 Cretin Derham Hall (MN) 19-5-1
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College | Rankings | 2/18/2026

DIII Rankings: February 18

Nick Herfordt
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Every spring, Division III baseball begins as a wide-open map. Cold mornings turn into long bus rides, non-conference gauntlets test resolve, and by the time the dust settles, only a few teams are still standing with a clear line to the NCAA Division III baseball tournament. The 2026 Perfect Game Division III Baseball Rankings capture that moment before the stretch run, highlighting the programs that have separated themselves through depth, durability, and an ability to win in a variety of ways. These eight teams are not simply piling up wins; they are shaping identities built to survive the grind and thrive when the margins narrow.  The destination is familiar, even if the journey never is. Once again, the final chapter will be written at Classic Park, where timing, composure, and roster balance matter as much as raw talent. The teams ranked here enter 2026 with more than ambition....
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Juco | Rankings | 2/18/2026

JUCO Rankings Update: February 18

Blaine Peterson
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Just a couple of weeks into the 2026 season, several teams have already hit the ground running, namely Walters State, Florida Southwestern, Chipola, Johnson County, Florence-Darlington, and Pearl River. A little further down the rankings, we’ve seen some significant movement. The College of Southern Nevada surged up several spots after a strong 12-2 start, while Gaston has turned heads with an unblemished 14-0 record. We also welcome a few new additions in the 20s: Fresno City and Panola. Neither program debuted inside our top 50, but both have certainly earned their place in this week’s rankings. We’re looking forward to another exciting week of early spring baseball, as teams across the country continue to find their rhythm before conference play begins. Rk. School Record 1 Walters State (TN) 11-2 2 Florida Southwestern (FL) 11-3 3 McLennan (TX) 5-1 4 Chipola (FL)...
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Showcase | Story | 2/18/2026

PG National Heading to Miami

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 NATIONAL SHOWCASE TO MAKE HISTORIC  DEBUT AT LOANDEPOT PARK, HOME OF THE MIAMI MARLINS    Prestigious event brings nation’s top amateur talent to a Major League venue July 1–5    Miami, Florida (Wednesday, February 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that the annual Perfect Game National Showcase will be held for the first time at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, from July 1-5.    This milestone event marks Perfect Game’s...
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High School | Rankings | 2/17/2026

Ohio Valley Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Ohio Valley All Region & Top Tools Rk Ohio Valley 2025 Record 1 Trinity (KY) 38-3 2 Archbishop Moeller (OH) 25-4-1 3 St. Laurence (IL) 37-5 4 Center Grove (IN) 27-5 5 Brother Rice (IL) 36-5 6 Chicago Mount Carmel (IL) 23-14 7 Crown Point (IN) 27-5 8 Libertyville (IL) 37-4 9 Brother Rice (MI) 23-12-1 10 Orchard Lake St. Mary's (MI) 26-13 11 Normal Community (IL) 37-6 12 Detroit Catholic Central (MI) 20-10 13 Nazareth Academy (IL) 31-7 14 Lyons Township (IL) 22-11-1 15 Zionsville (IN) 19-9 16 St. Xavier (KY) 30-7 17 Noblesville (IN) 16-11 18 Jackson (OH) 27-4 19 Mason (OH) 22-7 20 Fishers (IN) 25-6 21 McHenry (IL) 34-5-1 22 McCracken County (KY) 24-7 23 Westfield (IN) 22-10 24 Olentangy Liberty (OH) 27-7 25 McCutcheon (IN) 16-12
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High School | General | 2/17/2026

Ohio Valley All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
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OHIO VALLEY REGION (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH) The Ohio Valley Region has a healthy amount of top-level talent, as it features five Perfect Game All-Americans in shortstop Ethan Bass, third baseman TJ McQuillan, two-way stand out Matt Ponatoski and right-handed pitchers Shawn Sullivan and Grayson Willoughby.  The 2027 class looks very strong as well, especially in Illinois. A couple of things are missing from the Ohio Valley All-Region team, though.  The first is the two best outfielders in the region, as 2027 Illinois outfielder Sebastian Wilson is attending IMG Academy in Florida and fellow 2027 outfielder Noah Goettke from Ohio is attending P27 Academy in South Carolina.  Also missing are any players from Michigan, which enjoyed a dominant run of top prospects in recent years largely behind the Lake Orchard St. Mary’s HS program.  2027 catcher Broder Katke (Brother...
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Press Release | Press Release | 2/17/2026

PG & 100% Sunglasses Team Up

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 ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH 100% SUNGLASSES   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, February 17, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with 100% Sunglasses, naming the premium performance eyewear brand an official sunglass partner of Perfect Game and the Presenting Partner of Perfect Game’s MLB Draft coverage.   As part of the partnership, Perfect Game and 100% will collaborate on co-branded sunglasses, bringing together two brands synonymous with elite performance and authenticity in the game of baseball.   In addition, 100% will provide custom sunglasses to players selected to participate in...
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College | Story | 2/17/2026

College Players of the Week: Feb. 17

Vincent Cervino
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Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Tyce Armstrong, IF, Baylor Opening Day always has a special feel with the sights, sounds and smells bringing back memories of days gone by. But no one that made their way to Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark could have imagined what they would witness in the Baylor Bears first game against New Mexico State. Enter 6-4/228, redshirt senior 1B Tyce Armstrong with his power stroke and flare for the dramatic. Transferring in after a successful career at UT Arlington, the Magnolia, TX native would etch his name in the record books with an incredible day at the plate. Armstrong would hit three grand slams in the game, becoming just the second player in NCAA history to accomplish this feat in a single game. His three home runs tied a program record, and his 12 RBIs set a new standard for the Bears. Beyond that, Armstrong matched the 50-year-old record previously...
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