THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/5/2021

Top Tier Is Tops at 16u National Elite

Perfect Game Staff
Photo: Top Tier Roos American (Perfect Game)
HOOVER, Ala. -- The 2021 16U PG National Elite Championship brought some of the best 2023 graduate players in the country to the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, where 80 teams would compete for the right to be crowned champions.
 
The first semifinal game featuring Top Tier Roos American and Scorpion 2023 Marucci, and would start off as a defensive battle, highlighted by exceptional fielding performances by both teams. On the mound, Cristofer Walley of Top Tier Roos and Olin Johnson of Scorpion both started hot, refusing to buckle and keeping the opposing offenses in check, but that would change in the top of the fifth, when Steven Milam hit a line drive to right field to bring in Walley for the first score of the game to put Top Tier Roos up 1-0. Despite an attempted comeback from Scorpion Marucci, the Top Tier Roos refused to buckle and completed yet another scoreless inning. From there, the Roos secured the momentum and would add another two runs from Cade Kurland and Landen Maroudis to go up 3-0.
 
The final nail in the coffin, however, would come in the top of the seventh, when the Roos put on an offensive barrage. After an error brought in Milam and Aidan Miller, Top Tier would find themselves with a 5-0 lead. Later in the inning Wesley Mendez would hit a line drive to bring in Kurland. A few pitches later, Colton Wombles would send a ball deep to right, bringing in Maroudis to pad the lead. When it was all said and done, Top Tier Roos held a commanding 7-0 lead with one inning to go. Despite a valiant comeback attempt by Scorpions Marucci, including a three-run bomb to right field by Brady Appeal, Top Tier Roos secured the 7-4 victory.
 
In the next game slot, Cincinnati Spikes 16U would face East Coast Astros Texas Orange for the opportunity to take on Top Tier Roos in the final game. East Coast Astros wasted no time, loading the bases on the first three batters and bringing in Chandler Pollard and Isaiah Drake to take a 2-0 lead early, and the Astros rode the hot hand from starting pitcher Tate McKee. Similar to the first game, both defenses were phenomenal and kept the opposing offenses in check for the most of the game. The top of the fifth, however, was when the East Coast Astros began to break away.
 
Just like they had in the first inning, the Astros wasted no time loading the bases. Ethan Stutton would come home on a walk and Pollard would follow thanks to a base hit by Luke Orfi. Finally, John Cooper Williams would step up to the plate and hit a scorching line drive to right field, bringing home both Luke Dotson and Jackson Mckenzie. The Astros would take a 6-0 lead and it was up to the Cincinnati Spikes to try and mount a difficult comeback. Jacob Brown would bring in Nathan Manley on a sac fly to put the Cincinnati Spikes on the board. The Spikes defense held its ground and kept the Astros in check, thanks in part to strong pitching performances from Noah Miller and Nolen Vertz. The offense, however, could not overcome the 6-1 deficit as The East Coast Astros would secure the 6-1 victory over the Cincinnati Spikes.
 
The final match was set. The road for both teams was long and challenging, but there was no longer any doubt as to who the two best teams in the tournament were. Finally, the Top Tier Roos American and East Coast Astros Texas Orange would face off in the championship match to crown the kings of the 16U National Elite tournament.
 
As expected, both teams would hold their ground in a steady balance of offense and defense. The Top Tier Roos struck first when Colton Wombles scored off an error. Later, Aidan Miller would bring in Cristofer Walley off a sac fly to right field, putting Top Tier up 2-0. Their lead would be short-lived, and the Astros would respond quickly when Jackson McKenzie hit a ball deep to center for a two-RBI double to tie the game 2-2. That, too, was short-lived, however, and the Top Tiers Roos snapped right back in the bottom of the third with two more runs driven in from a deep shot to left field by Troy Reader. This time, the Astros were unable to respond in the top of the fourth, with starting pitcher Aiden Miller having a phenomenal day on the mound. 
 
From that point on, Miller and the Top Tier Roos seemed to play in perfect sync, quickly shutting down any attempts from the Astros offense to mount a comeback. The Roos offense was not finished either, and would add another run on a sac fly from Kodi Deskins in the bottom of the sixth. The Astros would have one final chance to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh, but once again the Aidan Miller-led defense proved to be too strong. The Top Tier Roos defeated the East Cobb Astros by a final score of 6-3, cementing their title as the 2021 16U PG National Elite Tournament Champions.
 
For his production at the plate and impressive outing on the mound, Aidan Miller was rightfully declared the MVP. Though his team fell short in the final game, East Cobb Astros pitcher Luke Dotson received the MV-Pitcher for another excellent performance in helping his team get to the championship game.




Maxwell Gault
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Roman Keister (2030, Dade City, FL) Could not miss the barrel this weekend tallying 6 hits including 2 triples and 4 RBI. Starts the load early and controls his body well, the up the middle approach really plays in game. Also worked from off the mound for an inning and picked up a punch out.  Colton Russo (2030, Coral Springs, FL) Showed off the power burning outfielders all weekend. 5 hits including two triples that carried over the CF and RF heads. Has a good understanding about using the lower half in the swing and the bat to ball skills really impressed.  Karson Blakney (2030, St. Augustine, FL) Made his impact in a big way this week, collecting the win in the quarterfinals. In his outing he went 5 shutout innings and struck out 5 while only allowing 2 hits. Worked in the mid 70s with the FB and topped out at 78. Also produced on offense driving in 5 RBI on 4 hits. ...
Read More
High School | Rankings | 3/31/2026

High School Top 50: March 31

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Another pair of weeks has gone by this high school season and with that we have another High School Top-50 Update. Southern states are within a few weeks of the end of the season while some northern states are just getting started this week. Through the end of the spring, we will be bringing you updates to the Top-50 along with state rankings updates coming soon. For the first time in 2026, we have a new #1 in the country as Orange Lutheran (CA) takes over the top spot after winning the NHSI. Venice (FL) came in second place at the NHSI after a thrilling game against Orange Lutheran and comes in at #2. Previous #1 team in the country St. John Bosco (CA) rounds out the top-3 and will have a big showdown against Orange Lutheran starting tonight. Barbe (LA) boasts a 26-1 record and comes in at #4 while Corona (CA) continues to string together wins and holds down the #5 spot in this update....
Read More
College | Story | 3/31/2026

PG Collegiate Midseason Awards

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Midseason Awards  Perfect Game Midseason Player of the Year:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The season sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston is putting together is generational, even amongst the Hall of Fame talent Arizona State has fielded over the years.  Hairston, the 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ has his club on track for another postseason appearance and they will make plenty of noise in the Big 12 regular season.  To put things in perspective on Hairston’s season, he is currently 5th in the nation in batting average, 3rd in hits, 8th in hits per game, tied for 2nd in home runs, tied for 5th in runs scored and is 4th in runs batted in so far.  He holds a batting average of .469 while slugging 1.027 and reaching base over half the time with an OBP of .551.  Hairston walks more than he strikes out and has 12 doubles, 17...
Read More
College | Story | 3/31/2026

College Players of the Week: March 31

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
March 31st Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The Arizona State Sun Devils (20-8) went (3-2) last week and now sit at No. 18 in our latest Top 25 poll.  They are proving that they are legitimate Big 12 contenders and Landon Hairston is making a strong case for National Player of the Year at the halfway point in the season.  The 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ is putting up such loud numbers that they are almost hard to fathom.  In five games last week, the lefthanded hitter collected 12-hits in 19 Abs, scoring 13 runs on 6 walks, a double, 5 home runs and he drove in 11 runs on his own.  For the season, he has put together a slash line of .468/.991/.553 with 12 doubles, 15 round trippers, 45 RBIs, a 12:18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and he has swiped 8 bags so far.  It has been a special year for the...
Read More
College | Rankings | 3/30/2026

College Top 25: March 30

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Well college baseball fans, we are officially at the half-way point of the 2026 season and what an incredible ride it has already been.  While there is some separation at the top as we start to look at programs that could be potential NCAA tournament hosts, things continue to change as clubs revitalize their seasons by winning massive series in league play.  The Top 25 seems to be getting more volatile as we reach the midway point, and the second half is setting up to be something special.  The one thing that will remain the same as it has for a month now, is that the UCLA (25-2) will still be the No. 1 team in the nation.  The Bruins are winners of 19-consecutive games and have started off Big Ten league play by sweeping 4-straight series.  The Texas Longhorns (23-4) hold tight at No. 2 this week after sweeping previous No. 11 Oklahoma (19-8) and sit atop the...
Read More
High School | General | 3/27/2026

High School Notebook: March 27

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Hudson December (2027, Woodland Hills, Calif.) showed flashes of his upside despite a somewhat uneven three-inning outing. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-hander struck out three while working through a couple of tough jams, though his command was inconsistent at times. He ran his fastball up to 87 mph on a pair of occasions and generally sat in the 83–85 range. He mixed in an upper-70s slider with varying shape and execution where it was most effective when thrown with proper intent, showing shorter, tighter depth. He also flashed a changeup against a few left-handed hitters. Mechanically, there’s a blend of positives and areas for development. He incorporates his lower half fairly well and moves down the mound with some pace and intent. The arm is quick, though it can be late getting up at times, and his taller finish limits full torso extension through release. With...
Read More
Draft | Mock Draft | 3/27/2026

2026 MLB Mock Draft: V 2.0

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The spring season is well underway and the board is starting to take shape. Last week, the draft team put together the Top-300 and this week we take a stab at our first mid-season mock draft. While there still is plenty of time for things to shake out differently, here is how we see things shaping up at this point in the draft cycle.  Pick Team Selection Position School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Justin Lebron SS Alabama 3 Minnesota Twins Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 4 San Francisco Giants Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Ace Reese 3B Mississippi State 8 Athletics Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 9 Atlanta Braves Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 10 Colorado Rockies AJ Gracia OF Virginia 11 Washington Nationals Gio Rojas LHP...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 3/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 25

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another strong week of Juco baseball for teams in our Top 25, and as you may see, our field is the same from a week prior with each and every team handling business in their weekend sets to hold fast to their spots on the board. Some notable movement though inside the Top 5 with Gaston jumping up to number 2 after a 33-2 start to the 2026 season as well Cloud County cracking the Top 15 for the first time all year. Looking forward to watching conference play around the country as we approach the final stretch of the regular season. Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 30-2 2 Gaston (NC) 33-2 3 Florida Southwestern (FL) 26-7 4 Walters State (TN) 26-6 5 Chipola (FL) 29-5 6 Florence-Darlington (SC) 29-6 7 Blinn (TX) 22-8 8 McLennan (TX) 20-7 9 Cochise (AZ) 28-6 10 Pearl River (MS) 25-7 11 Georgia Highlands (GA) 30-8 12 Southern Nevada (NV) 24-6 13 Northwest Florida (FL) 21-12 14 Cloud...
Read More
College | Rankings | 3/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 25

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
Every preseason, analysts and voters pour enormous effort into ranking the small college baseball landscape — poring over returning rosters, transfer additions, coaching changes, and historical trends to assemble the most accurate picture they can of who will be contending when the postseason arrives. And most years, they get it largely right. But the nature of college baseball, with its massive rosters, unpredictable development arcs, and ever-churning transfer portal, guarantees that a handful of genuinely elite programs will slip through the cracks every spring. A team loses too many seniors. A key transfer hasn’t yet suited up. A new coaching staff hasn’t had the chance to prove itself. The voters see the question marks and leave the blank space, and then the season begins and the blank space starts filling itself in — loudly. As the 2026 season heads into its...
Read More
College | Story | 3/24/2026

College Players of the Week: March 24

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
March 24th Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Quinton Coats, IF, Cincinnati The Cincinnati Bearcats (19-7) are on the cusp of the Top 25 and are playing their best ball of the season. The offense has been the driving force behind their success, and it has been incredibly consistent having averaged 8.5-runs per game. In the middle of it all, Quinton Coats, is on pace for a historic season both within the program and on a national level. The 6-3/225 infielder from Olathe, KS has been launching home runs at a record pace and opponents seem to be powerless to stop his onslaught. With incredible strength in his hands, Coats creates easy loft and in 5 road games last week he collected 9 hits in 20 at-bats, with 4 home runs, 9 runs scored, and he drove in a total of 9 runs as well. As for his pursuit of history, the modern day BBCOR bat standard single season home run record is 34, set back in...
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.