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Tournaments  | Story | 6/27/2021

5 Star Blends Culture and Talent To Win

Photo: Jacob Kendall (Perfect Game)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- To say that 5 Star Baseball is a powerhouse on the national competitive scene is an understatement. Since they began playing in Perfect Game events over a decade ago, the baseball conglomerate has won 149 PG tournaments and had over 1700 players commit to college programs. Names like Buster Posey, Josh Reddick and Austin Martin are just a few of the 113 5 Star alumni that have been drafted in the MLB Draft. The organization started in Warner Robbins, Ga., but now has 298 teams nationwide across 12 age divisions.
 
Of the plenty, 5 Star National 14u RR may field one of the most talented rosters in the 5 Star system. The squad is the 33rd-ranked 14u team in the nation, featuring six players ranked inside the top-150 of their respective classes and some of the best talent the country has to offer. Head coach Daniel Torres said while the team has a plethora of highly-ranked talent, he builds his team based on the quality of his player’s performance in the dugout, not just on the field.
 
“For me, it’s all about character,” Torres said. “It’s all about buying into the culture of 5 Star and wanting to fight for one another. We want guys that will be here for the long haul and are looking to be a part of a family.”
 
On Saturday, Torres and his squad displayed that combination of talent and character in their quest for the 2021 14u BCS National Championship, securing a solid victory at CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers. After playing a close game through four innings, the 5 Star offense broke through for six runs in the fifth inning, leading them to a 10-8 win over Legit Baseball Club.
 
For the prestigious tournament, Torres pulled out all the stops for his roster. Among their top-150 ranked players are Jacob Kendall and Luke Pappano, who rank inside the top-15 in the 2025 class. Jackson Roper, Ethan Clauss and Gabriel Acevedo add to 5 Star’s 2025 top-150 representation, and Xavier Rivera, the 72nd-ranked player in the 2024 class, adds some experience to the young and talented roster. While each player on 5 Star’s roster is individually talented, Torres reminds his team that baseball is a team sport and selflessness is required for success.
 
“They understand that in the game of baseball, there’s more failure than wins,” Torres said. “They understand that being that talented, they make each other better by the way they act no matter how they perform on the field.”
 
Despite the victory, 5 Star faltered at the start of their game against Legit Baseball Club. In the top of the first, Legit’s Jake Merz hit a leadoff triple to begin the game and promptly scored on a wild pitch. Ben Schulman added on for the club in the second, poking an RBI single to give Legit a 2-0 lead. 
 
However, the 5 Star bats woke up in the bottom of the inning, as Randy Ruiz gave the squad their first hit with a leadoff double. While the next two hitters couldn’t do any damage, Rivera stepped up with two outs and lined an RBI single up the middle, scoring 5 Star’s first run. The top-ranked 2024 player in Puerto Rico said he was happy he could produce for his team in a tight spot.
 
“I was able to drive the ball today, and that let me get the runs in,” Rivera said. “I just wanted to play for the team and help us get the win.”
 
5 Star kept the train rolling in the third, as Cole Rambler drove a two-RBI double over the Legit center fielder’s head to give his team the lead. Ruiz then sent a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Rambler and making it a 4-2 ballgame.
 
Legit didn’t back down from the challenge, however, as they answered back with two runs in the fourth on an Ismael Tavarez two-RBI double. The team then retook their lead in the top of the fifth, advancing on a throw to put them back on top, 5-4. Heading into the bottom of the inning, Torres knew his team had to make some adjustments to get over the hump.
 
“We had to have the right approaches at the plate and come through with situational hitting,” Torres said. “We had to be a little bit more aggressive, and that allowed us to be successful.”
 
In the bottom of the inning, 5 Star came through with situational hitting when they needed it most. Kendall and Rambler began with back-to-back singles, setting the table for an Acevedo RBI single to tie the game. Ruiz and Andrew Alvarez then reached on hit-by-pitches, loading the bases, then scoring Acevedo. Mason Mojica then added for 5 Star, shooting an RBI single to left field to make it 6-4. Rivera wasn’t happy with just a two-run lead, as he smoked a three-RBI double to deep left-center to clear the bases. The Florida International commit said his approach was simple as he stepped to the plate in the pivotal spot.
 
“There were no outs, so I just wanted to get a runner in,” Rivera said. “I was looking to drive the ball the other way, and everything worked out.”
 
While the sixth inning would be the matchup’s last due to time constraints, Legit didn’t go down without a fight. The Glen Rock, N.J.-based club put up three runs in the inning, but in the end, Austin Denamen was able to induce a lineout to right to end the game, giving 5 Star a 10-8 victory.
 
Despite believing his team could perform to a higher standard, Torres was proud of how his team came back and hung around in a close game. The head coach credits his team’s ability to do so to their team chemistry and close-knit relationships.
 
“We believe in each other like a family,” Torres said. “Our name is 5 Star National Mafia, so when you are a part of a mafia, you are a part of a family. So, we have to believe in each other like we are one.”

Tournaments | Story | 12/17/2025

15u Tourney All-American Team

Jason Phillips
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Hitter of the Year: Landon Bonner The 2028 class saw many players from across the country take the next step in their development as they entered the High School ranks. There were huge performances from highly ranked players on the PG circuit as well as some under-the-radar guys who burst onto the scene. Landon Bonner came into Sophomore National as a Top 500 ranked player and after an impressive showing, left with all eyes on him as a rankings riser in the class. The left-handed hitting shortstop from The Colony, Texas, had a summer to remember with All-Tournament Team selections in three of his next four events culminating with a historic performance at the 2025 PG 15U WWBA National Championship. The Hebron High School prep went 20-for-24 in nine games for 5 Star Mafia 15U Black with four homeruns and 12 runs batted in. He also scored 17 runs and finished with a mind-boggling 2.500...
Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

AJ Denny
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Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...
College | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15

John McAdams
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Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...
Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino
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There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason.  Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
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Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
College | Story | 12/12/2025

College Notebook: December 12

Craig Cozart
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Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Highlights: The Cornhuskers were a difficult team to figure in ’25 as they finished with 33 wins, played just .500 (15-15) in the Big Ten but had some big wins at various times during the season and got hot at the right time. They knocked off then #16 Vanderbilt in the second game of the year, beat #5 Oregon State 2-out-of-3 at home in late March and then got hot at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to win the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Michigan State in a 10-inning thriller before taking care of #4 Oregon, knocking off Penn State and then shutout #13 UCLA to punch their ticket to the Chapel Hill Regional. Head coach Will Bolt has now led his alma mater to three conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during his six years in Lincoln. No different than when he was a player, Bolt’s teams play with passion and toughness, this was never more...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

Troy Sutherland
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 You like athletes? You like defenders who can impact a game at any given point? Look not further than this class as it's loaded from coast-to-coast with elite defenders all over the diamond.  C: Brogan Witcher, Bakersfield, CA Our scouting staff got several strong looks at Witcher whether that was at the Summer Kickoff, Sophomore National or the Underclass All American Games where he showcased his strong overall skillset and especially his advanced ability behind the plate. His 6-foot-3,180 pound build looks like one that will fill in quite nicely and be that big and physical catcher’s frame. His arm talent is undeniable where he gets it out quick and runs it up to 79 mph on throwdowns to 2nd (1.84 pop). Besides the standout catch/throw ability, we’ve seen him frame/receive strong arms and block it well during...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 12/11/2025

PG Softball "Toys 4 Tots" Fundraiser 18U division

Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - 2025 Perfect Game Softball Toys 4 Tots Fundraiser One Day, December 7, 2025. Kicking off the holiday season, six teams participated in this one day, 3 game guarantee tournament in the 18u Division. We would like to thank those that donated a toy, and know that they will be distributed to area underprivileged children through a local charity organization. Following are some of the top performers from the weekend. Earning Tournament MV-Pitcher was Jolee Strohmeyer (2026 Dubuque, IA), a RHP/UTIL with tournament champion Lady Expos Blue. Strohmeyer shows hitters a consistent and repeatable motion and delivery with good use of the legs in the drive phase, and a quick and aggressive arm whip. Working with a six pitch mix of fastball, change-up, rise, drop, curve and screw, Strohmeyer topped out at 60 mph, and showed good movement  as she worked her rise and curve just out...
Tournaments | Story | 12/11/2025

Scout Stories: Part 4

Tyler Henninger
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Scout Notes: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Best Game I Saw: Hudson Reed (‘26, GA) torches this ball to deep CF for a solo 💣. Generates easy power that plays to the big part of the yard. Middle of the order traits #UBCWest @PG_Georgia @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXqDVFmUBx — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 18, 2025 I was fortunate enough to see a lot of highly competitive games with loads of talent on the field, the game that sticks out to me the most was Alpha Prime 2026 vs. ZT National Prospects at the UBC West. The game was an efficiently played affair with arms dominating on both sides. Graham Schlicht was masterful for Alpha, striking out 12 hitters over 5 dominant innings. PG All-American Julian Cazares came out of the pen blowing smoke, touching 97 mph with the fastball. On the other side, Jake Carbaugh surrendered just one hit and...
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