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Tournaments  | Story | 6/6/2021

Monarchs Aim At BCS Qualifier Title

Sam Warren
Photo: Jackson Geiger (Perfect Game)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Since the Gulf Coast Monarchs 14U team began to cultivate their roster, they have always had one goal in mind: to win. As their players have grown up, they have been proficient at achieving that goal.
 
The Monarchs have assembled a 19-6-2 record overall through 2021 on their way to becoming the 12th-ranked 14U team nationally and the third-ranked team in the Florida and Puerto Rico region. 
 
While the team has piled up wins, they’ve also piled up talent. The Monarch roster features four players who rank in the top-200 of their classes and five others who carry Perfect Game ranked designations. While the Monarchs continue to look to feature the best talent Florida has to offer, coach Rob Rardin says the Monarchs have remained tight-knit since the team was established.
 
“We have set up a core group of guys that have been together since they were eight years old,” Rardin said. “There’s always people asking to play with us, so we try to pick up some talent here and there, but ultimately we love our guys and confidently go into tournaments with them.”
 
Among that talent are three top-150 ranked players in 2025; Braden Rosenthal, Jackson Geiger, and RJ Machado. 2024 standout Johnny King also suits up for the Monarchs and ranks just outside the top-150 in his class.
 
Rardin says that as the Fort Myers-based club has gained recognition, they’ve searched to face the best competition in the region and nationally to rise further up the rankings and grow their players.
 
“We’ve got a tough schedule going forward,” Rardin said. “We always try to play in the toughest tournaments, but we feel confident that we can beat anybody out there.”
 
To kick off their competitive schedule, the Monarchs went undefeated in their first two contests of the 2021 PG 14U BCS National Championship Qualifier. In their first matchup, pitchers Grayson Carpenter and Owen Rardin dominated GTZ Baseball, tossing a combined seven shutout innings. Owen shined in his appearance, allowing no baserunners through three innings of relief and fanning five GTZ bats. 
 
While Carpenter and Rardin needed little run support, Matthew Blanesa opened the scoring for the Monarchs in the bottom of the second, getting home on a wild pitch. The Monarchs then burst out for three more runs in the third behind a Geiger triple, King RBI single, and a two-RBI single by Cole Ingle, allowing Carpenter and Rardin to coast to a 4-0 victory. While Rob would have liked to see more offensive production, he was satisfied with his team’s performance on the mound.
 
“Grayson grinded it out,” Rardin said. “He went out there, gave up no runs and did his job. Then Owen went out there, threw strikes and we made plays. I’m proud of them as usual.”
 
In their second bout, the Monarch bats caught up to their prolific arms. After a King sacrifice fly scored one run against the PR Legends 14U Black in the top of the first Friday night, play was postponed to Saturday afternoon due to thunderstorms. Nevertheless, the Monarchs picked up where they left off, exploding for six runs in the bottom of the second behind a series of extra-base hits by Rosenthal, King and Machado, along with a two-RBI single from Geiger.
 
The bats stayed hot in the third as the Monarchs put up three more runs behind an RBI single from Konnor Vanhagen and a two-RBI single from Rosenthal. The Monarchs proceeded to tack on three more in the fourth, as Vanhagen added a two-RBI single to his day, completing the scoring for the Monarchs and giving them a 14-0 lead. 
 
Despite the offensive outburst, pitcher Matthew Delaney didn’t need much help. The right-hander from Albuquerque, N.M. tossed three perfect innings for the Monarchs, striking out four in the process. After Geiger allowed just one walk in a closing effort, the duo combined for a four-inning no-hitter, finishing off the Legends in a 14-0 mercy rule. After a slow start to the day, Rardin was pleased with how his offense performed in their second contest.
 
“Our lineup is stacked from top to bottom,” Rardin said. “If the top of the lineup is not hitting, the bottom of the lineup is going to clean it up. We have confidence in all our guys to get it done.”
 
Heading into bracket play with a +18 run differential, the Monarchs plan to stay undefeated in the BCS National Championship Qualifier. Despite their overall success, the Monarchs look to do something they haven’t yet accomplished in Perfect Game events this season: a tournament win. After finishing second in both the 2020 PG 14U Fall World Series and 2020 PG 14U Christmas Bash, Rardin said they’re determined to finish the job this time around.
 
“Our goal every tournament is to win it,” Rardin said. “We always plan on playing the maximum number of games, whatever they may be, and set up our roster that way. So tomorrow, we feel set up to win it.”
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Tournaments | Story | 10/8/2026

Midwest Fall Championship Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 10/8/2026

2026 WWBA World Championship Preview

Hannah Jo Groves
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2026 WWBA World Championship Preview It’s that much-anticipated time of year again for some of the country’s most promising players to gather in Jupiter, FL for the tournament that everyone will be talking about until next year when we do it all again. This year, 120 teams from 23 different states, Canada and Puerto Rico have been divided into 30 pools. The action gets rolling at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 7 at the Roger Dean Complex - the spring training home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. The top-ranked player coming into the event in the 2027 class is All-American classic player Kinon Bastian. No. 7 in his class, the Florida commit boasts a .417 batting average in the calendar year. Our scouts have referred to him as the “highest level athlete with both speed and strength, big juice in the bat.” Bastian will be playing with FTB Phillies 2027....
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Press Release | Press Release | 10/8/2026

Perfect Game Launches "PG Moms"

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General | General | 10/8/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 67

Ron Wolforth
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Rethinking Baseball Warm-Ups: A Call for Innovation  Let’s kick the old warm-up tradition to the curb, shall we? Baseball has a reputation for being a sport rooted deeply in its customs, and while some traditions are worthy of preservation, one that needs a refreshing overhaul is the standard warm-up routine. Picture this: an hour before the game, players jog a lap, gather to stretch in a circle, and then stand around playing catch. Does that really prepare anyone adequately for the mental and physical demands of pitching? In my view, it falls woefully short, and I’ll explain why. The typical warm-up approach - running a lap, static stretching, and simply tossing a ball back and forth - doesn’t even scratch the surface of what’s necessary for optimal performance. This process often leaves pitchers feeling only 75% prepared, and that’s just not good...
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Press Release | Press Release | 10/7/2026

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Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 10/6/2026

Best of the West Scout Notes

Jheremy Brown
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Joshua Churchill (‘31 TX) just demolishes this ball to deep right for a 2-run double. Easy low tension juice from smooth well connected lefty swing. #BestOfTheWest @Texas_PG https://t.co/MnT0lIaGRd — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) September 27, 2026 Joshua Churchill (2031, Kingwood, Texas) had a real strong showing on both sides of the ball throughout the weekend and helped lead his team to a big championship win. Churchill finished the weekend going 5-10 with a pair of extra base hits and came up clutch in big run scoring moments. It’s a pretty physical frame for the age and showed a smooth lefty swing that works gap to gap well. He can impact the baseball well and power certainly projects in this profile. Off the bump, Churchill hurled 6.1 dominant frames and ran the fastball up to 80 while landing the breaker at will. Strong 2-way ability really showed and Churchill...
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Tournaments | Story | 10/6/2026

PG Draft: Jupiter Preview

Ryan Miller
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Jupiter has long been one of the best opportunities for draft eligible players to make an impression and this year’s field should be no different. With an elite collection of prospects all competing on the same fields, the event provides a valuable opportunity for players to establish themselves against some of the best competition in the class. This week’s WWBA World Championship could be a pivotal week for several prospects looking to make an impression and elevate their draft stock. Ahead of the event, the draft team each highlighted a sleeper prospect (someone who is currently not ranked in our board) to watch, as well as a current member of our Top-100 who could make a significant move up the rankings. Keep an eye on these names throughout the week as they look to make an impact and force their way up the board on our next update.  Top-100 Risers Jake Ivey...
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Tournaments | Story | 10/6/2026

15u & 18u Best of the West Scout Notes

Tyler Henninger
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Derek Graham (‘27. CO) was absolutely DOMINANT. 10 K over 4 hitless innings, 10 K. FB sat 86-89 (T90) with life. SL at 70-73 paired well. Kept hitters guessing. #WreckEm commit #BestOfTheWest https://t.co/eoo6k9VoG8 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) October 3, 2026 Derek Graham (2027, Colorado Springs. Colo.) took the hill on day one and was masterful. The left-hander did not allow a hit over four innings, while striking out 10 total hitters. The Texas Tech commit showcased an overpowering fastball. The offering worked up to 90 mph with life at the top of the zone. A slider at 70-73 mph paired well off of it. Graham kept hitters guessing throughout, allowing him to quickly get outs and avoid barrels.  Brixton Barraza (2030, Murrieta, Calif.) took home MVP honors after a ridiculous showing at the plate. The young infielder posted five multi-hit games, going...
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Tournaments | Story | 10/8/2026

Jupiter Staff Champ Prediction

Perfect Game Staff
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WWBA World Championship Pool Preview & Release Bragging rights are on the line here at Perfect Game as the staff takes a shot at predicting who they think will be the one hoisting the cup at the end of the event.  USA Prime National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team The Tigers Scout Team brings an outstanding roster to Jupiter on both sides of the ball. The lineup has high profile names from top to bottom, including Deuce Jenkins and Graham Keen. On the mound, the staff is anchored by LSU commit Samir Mohammed, with a large group of quality options to fill the remaining innings. -Ryan Miller Franklin Scout Team/BTD- 2027 I chose Franklin Scout Team/BTD- 2027 to go all the way because of the elite talent and depth that this team possesses. With 29 Top-500 players, multiple PG All-Americans, and 17 arms that have reached 90+ mph, they have the firepower on both sides of the ball to get...
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WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Day 4

Perfect Game Staff
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WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Days 1-2 | Day 3 Hudson Covington (2028 Aliso Viejo, CA) has had himself a weekend at the dish, hitting an even .500 going into Championship Monday including a perfect 3-3 performance in the 2nd round of playoffs for TB SoCal. In just his 5th PG event, the uncommitted prospect is certainly making a name for himself with plenty of offensive tools to like. From the left side, Covington keeps the path direct and repeatable with a pull side & middle of the field approach displayed. He flashes high contact tool and does a great job of putting something in play with two strikes, limiting the swing/miss in the stroke with evident control of the barrel. Levi Anthony x2‼️ this one longgg gone for a 3-run shot💣 showing off big time power today #WWBAWorlds @PGMidwestBB https://t.co/0Jr8QY0KFC — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 3, 2026 Creighton...
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