THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 8/1/2021

Giants clip Birds in all-So Cal 17u final

Jeff Dahn
Photo: So Cal Giants (Perfect Game)

SURPRISE, Ariz. – On this day, in this setting and on Perfect Game’s most prominent West Coast tournament stage, the Giants proved to be just a play or two better than the Birds. Rewind and replay this one over 10 more times and the final tally just could be a 5-5 split.

But again, on this day it was the So Cal team with the Giants nickname that prevailed over the So Cal team that goes by the Birds.



Ah yes, nothing like a nice little Southern California regional brawl – without any of the accompanying animosity generally associated with that word – to close out another extremely competitive chapter in the always intriguing story that has become the PG 17u World Series.

The SoCal Giants scored a single run in the bottom of the second inning and added two more in the third, leaned heavily on their calling cards of pitching and defense and topped the So Cal Birds, 3-0, in the 17u PGWS championship game played Saturday on the Rangers’ side of the Surprise Spring Training Complex.

An overnight monsoon-season cloudburst created havoc with the playing fields and delayed the start of play by four hours Saturday morning. Because of the delay and after playing seven-inning semifinal games, Giants head coach Christian Fick and Birds head coach Mike Cosgrove agreed to shorten the championship game to five innings so the teams could get a head start on their road trips back home.

“It was great to have So Cal representing both sides; it’s good for our community,” Fick said of the shared respect between the two programs.

The Giants are based in the town of Newbury Park in Ventura County west of Los Angeles and the Birds in the city of Corona in Riverside County east of LA so it’s not like they’re next-door neighbors. But they share a common appreciation and an almost parental concern for the young people they’re serving and decisions will be made with their welfare in mind.

“We’re never going to run a guy out there too long,” Fick continued, talking about the pitchers. “We were in agreement that, hey, we’re both kind of running out of pitching – it’s been a long week – so let’s not get anybody hurt. Let’s play a solid few innings and see what we can do; I think it was good for both sides.”

The title game between the No. 1-seeded So Cal Giants (6-0-0) and the No. 2 So Cal Birds (4-1-1) was a good thing and a pitcher’s duel from the start; those are also the kind of games the Giants make a habit of winning.

After a scoreless first, the Giants scratched a run across in the bottom of the second when Boston Baro reached on a one-out infield single, stole second and moved to third on a one-out ground ball single from Frankie Carney; Baro then crossed on a long sac fly to center off the bat of Jason Hall.

The Giants scored what proved to be the game’s final two runs in the third on the strength of a leadoff walk to Finley Buckner, a double to left-center from Cody Nitowitz to put runners on second and third and back-to-back sac flies from Easton Rulli and Owen Martin.

“I just do whatever I can,” said Martin, a 2023 outfielder who on Saturday hit in the cleanup spot in the order. “The whole squad is just amazing. We all bond, we all connect really well with each other on and off the field; it’s unexplainable to be honest.”

The Giants totaled five hits: the double from Nitowitz and the singles from Buckner, Baro, Carney and Trent Liolios.

Meanwhile, out on the mound, 2022 right-hander Leo Uelmen was keeping the Birds at bay. He worked three two-hit, two-strikeout shutout innings before giving way to Baro, a ’23 right-hander, who pitched the last two, two-hit scoreless frames.

The Birds were limited to four singles over the five innings, including two from George Huerta and Zach L'Heureux that both came in the top of the third; they were left stranded.

Austin Kiernan singled with one out in the top of the fourth but was doubled-off when the Giants second baseman Frankie Carney made a terrific pick of a hard-hit line drive and delivered a throw that beat Kiernan back to the bag at first; Cohen Gomez also singled for the Birds.

“Pitching and defense wins baseball games,” Fick said. “We gave up seven runs in seven games and just the grit that my boys showed throughout this whole week – it was a long week for everybody. Once we ran through the other teams we kind of knew, they could smell it. It got closer and it got closer and you know what? It was all about the pitching and the defense and it picked us up.”

Leo Uelmen, a top-500 uncommitted 2022 out of Las Vegas, was making his third appearance of the tournament when he started the championship game and was effective all week. He finished with six scoreless innings overall, allowing four hits and striking out six with one walk; he was named the MV Pitcher.

“I just came in and made no moment the same,” he told PG. “I was only expected to pitch one day and then I [threw] like 10 pitches and then I’d come out and pitch again. Then I’d pitch a little bit more and I’d come and pitch again and I ended-up pitching six shutout innings. It was a good experience; I got some great exposure and it was a great time.”

Ethan Hedges, a 2022 infielder and the Birds’ leadoff hitter out of Fountain Valley, Calif., earned MVP honors after a week of stellar play in the desert. He finished 12-for-22 (.545) with a home run, two doubles, six RBI and eight runs scored; he also threw two shutout innings in two appearances, allowing two hits, striking out three and walking one.

“We’ve just been kind of playing as a team,” Hedges told PG on Friday, deflecting to his teammates. “We’ve kind of stayed humble, stayed together and fought through some of the tough times. We’ve really gone out and showed everyone what we’ve got.”

The 17u World Series, one of the most significant events on PG’s tournament calendar, was the first PG championship in program history for the So Cal Giants and the achievement is one all of these guys will long remember.

That goes for everyone on the roster, including “glue guys” like Owen Martin and catcher Brady Francisco who Fick singled-out in front of his teammates during the post-game celebration. Francisco is, after all, the guy who handles this talented pitching staff. This is a team’s team in the truest form if that makes any sense.

Here’s what Martin had to say: “It’s a brotherhood out here with us and I couldn’t ask for anything better...I can’t even explain my happiness right now. I’m speechless right now; it’s amazing.”

And Uelman: “These guys are just so much fun to be around; everyone has a great time. All the coaches are amazing and they all want to see us to succeed.”

And finally, Coach Fick: “We didn’t come this far to go home with nothing. We know the type of ball players that we’ve got and we know the crew that we have and we were excited to get on the field. I didn’t even sleep last night, so I was ready to go.”

Both the Giants and the Birds received outstanding pitching performances in their semifinal victories early Saturday afternoon.

The Giants topped No. 4 CBA Marucci National, 1-0, behind five sparkling innings of relief from Ryan Featherston. The No. 470-ranked 2023 right-hander, an Oregon commit, worked five shutout innings out of the 'pen and allowed just one hit while striking out eight and walking two.

The Birds rolled past the No. 6 Banditos 17u Scout Team, 8-0 in six innings, with 2022 righty Sean McCance working five, one-hit shutout frames, with four strikeouts and no walks.
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 11/2/2026

2028: Under-the-Radar Names to Know
Joey Cohen
Article Image
2028 Post-Circuit Dive: Under-the-Radar Names to Know One of my favorite parts of the calendar comes after the summer and fall circuits have wrapped, when I can finally sit down, dig through our tournament performance data and uncover some names that may have slipped through the cracks. With hundreds of events on the schedule and thousands of players coming through them, there's inevitably going to be talent that I or even our collective staff haven't given enough attention to. For this exercise, I wanted to isolate a particular offensive profile. I looked for 2028 bats who produced at a high level while keeping their swing-and-miss numbers in check across a sample of at least 50 plate appearances. On the pitching side, the approach was equally straightforward in terms of identifying arms who consistently filled the strike zone while missing bats at a strong clip. Of course, not all...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 11/2/2026

PG Partners Up with Minority Prospects

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES MEDIA RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP WITH MINORITY PROSPECTS   Sanford, Florida (Monday, November 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a media rights partnership with Minority Prospects, the Atlanta-based organization that has become the largest platform in the world for minority baseball and softball prospects. The partnership kicked off last month at the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., Perfect Game's premier fall event, where Minority Prospects produced content featuring some of the nation's top amateur players in front of college coaches, professional scouts and MLB legends. Under the agreement, Minority...
Read More
Draft | Story | 10/30/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Prep Middle Infielders

Ryan Miller
Article Image
2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: Collegiate Right-Handed Pitchers | Collegiate Left-Handed Pitchers The premium profile in each class often are prep middle infielders, a sought-after group with the athletic ability to stick on the dirt or land throughout the diamond long term. This demographic has produced the superstars of today’s game and therefore are selected in prime spots while demanding high-end signing bonuses. This group features a mix of loud tools, high level projection, and impact defenders. Below we break down at the top prep middle infielder in the 2027 cycle.  ‘27 SS Dylan Seward (CA)- liftoff from the No. 1 player in the class. A solo blast to RCF to extend the lead for @TheCanesBB #WWBA @California_PG @Vol_Baseball commit https://t.co/lJjNg6T7PS — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 27, 2026 SS Dylan Seward, Norco (CA)  The Southern...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 10/29/2026

WWBA Underclass Prospect Recap

Kyler Peterson
Article Image
WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Days 1-2 | Day 3 | Day 4 Stars Being Stars These are some of the more well-known names on the national landscape, playing across several big events in which they performed at the highest of levels. Their showings in Fort Myers were simply a continuation of what we've almost come to expect at this point from them!  Kasen Langerhans (2028, Round Rock, Texas) batted leadoff and stuck at the hot corner for Texas Twelve Red Sox 2028 in Fort Myers. The Texas native has the looks a young left-handed power bat and the swing is built for it. Langerhans produces easy bat speed, delivering a fast and leveraged barrel through the zone. He creates backspin and uses the ground well, really getting into the legs. The infielder has excellent power projection and took comfortable, intentful cuts in the box. Langerhans got the job done at the top of the order...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 10/28/2026

WWBA Sophomore Prospect Recap

Kyler Peterson
Article Image
WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 Stars Being Stars These are some of the more well-known names on the national landscape, playing across several big events in which they performed at the highest of levels. Their showings in Fort Myers were simply a continuation of what we've almost come to expect at this point from them!  2029 MIF Easton Housewright (Knoxville, Tenn.) currently stands at 6-foot,175 pounds with strength in the lower half, present above-average athleticism. Continued to shine at the top of the lineup as the left-handed hitter is your prototypical leadoff hitter, consistently finding a way on and scoring. Takes quality at-bats with an above average awareness of the strike zone. Loose hands with easy bat speed that find the barrel often for hard line drives into the gaps that frequently turn into XBHs. Confident and balanced approach. Also...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 10/27/2026

Beyond the Board: SS Malachi Butler

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
As the 2027 draft cycle moves through the fall and into the offseason, we kick off a new series called Beyond The Board. With each installment, we will provide an in-depth scouting report for some of the top players in the class, breaking down their tools, strengths, question marks, and overall projection. This week we take a look at Georgia prep shortstop Malachi Butler. The Georgia Tech put together an outstanding showing on the circuit this summer and has been a significant riser early in the 2027 cycle.  Player: Malachi Butler Position: SS B/T: L/R Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 190-pounds School: McEachern HS Hometown: Powder Springs, Ga.  Physical Description: 6-2/190. Strong, athletic build. Well-proportioned body. Has strength with room to continue to add more.    High speed BP swing from '27 SS Malachi Butler (GA)... #PGNational @PG_Georgia https://t.co/M9OWUX9rPw...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 10/27/2026

South Fall World Series Scout Notes

Jay Vossler
Article Image
Kason Mead (2029, Spring, Texas) had a great weekend for Premier Baseball Donato 2029. Went 5-9 with a pair of doubles and a home run, driving in five without striking out. Physical frame with a lot more strength on the way. Impressive bat speed that attacks the top of the zone well. Works to all fields consistently and the profile indicates that he’ll be able to build off that with more impact. Lot to like, should be a riser as he goes into his sophomore season. Sterling McCormack (2029, Magnolia, Texas) performed well for Premier Baseball Donato 2029. Reached four times, including a double. Gains ground well on the stride, using his physicality to his advantage as he stays on an uphill plane, geared for slug. Plenty of strength at the point of impact. Landon Hardy (2029, Spring, Texas) had a strong showing for Scorpions Team Easton 2029. Went 4-11 with a double and homer, driving...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 10/27/2026

WWBA Freshman Prospect Recap

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Stars Being Stars These are some of the more well-known names on the national landscape, playing across several big events in which they performed at the highest of levels. Their showings in West Palm were simply a continuation of what we've almost come to expect at this point from them!  Kolt Hampton (2030, Chandler, AZ) is a left-handed hitting infielder with present barrel speed and twitch in the turn. Turned around an upper 80s heater that plated two runs in the first inning of the quarterfinals and never looked back. Also got it done on the rubber punching out three and topping out at 86. The number one player in Arizona produced all week and took care of business defensively.  Landen Davis (2030, Beaufort, SC) showed up at the dish this event hitting .500 with four doubles and five RBIs. Stays tight in the turn with present strength and the approach plays to all fields....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 10/24/2026

SBA Takes 14u Title Behind Offense

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
To say there were standouts all over the field for the 14u WWBA World Championship would be an understatement as the matchup of Team Elite 14u Scout and SBA Bolts National 14u saw two of the more loaded rosters going head-to-head with a title on the line. And after weather threw a giant wrench into pool play, both Sunday and Monday were nothing but sunshine and high intensity baseball leading into the final game of the event.  While the game ultimately ended via run rule after five in favor of SBA upon a 9 run inning, it was a tight contest up until that point with Team Elite carrying a 3-2 lead thru four innings.  Team Elite drew first blood as a Ross Logan walk quickly turned into the first run of the game following a well struck single by Cooper Ooten into left field who eventually came around to score following a double steal, scoring before the third out of the inning was...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 10/22/2026

PG Softball Chesterfield Fall Showcase High School Division

Erica Beach
Article Image
PG Softball Chesterfield Fall Showcase HS Division Oct 17-18, 2026 Chesterfield First Community Athletic Complex CHESTERFIELD, MO — It was a perfect weekend for softball, with 16 teams converging on the Chesterfield First Community Athletic Complex to compete in the High School Division. Teams from Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa were there to battle it out, and there was only one undefeated team in the tournament: the Southeast Iowa All-Stars 16U Gold Flowerbach, who went a stellar 5-0 on the weekend. We were treated to some stellar performances all weekend and below we highlight some of the standout athletes who caught our eyes.  Lucy Turner (2027, Marion, IA) of the Cedar Rapids Reds was a truly dynamic two-way player this past weekend. Offensively, she batted .444 with 5 RBIs and an impressive 6 stolen bases, which led the tournament. She also scored 6 runs for her team and...
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.