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All American Game  | Story | 8/17/2021

Neal Makes The Leap To The Classic

Blake Dowson
Photo: Brady Neal (Perfect Game)
Brady Neal made the five-hour move from Tallahassee to Bradenton, Fla. before his sophomore year of high school to attend IMG Academy and play for the Crusader baseball team.
 
Much has been written and said about IMG and the immense amount of talent on that roster year-in and year-out. This year alone, IMG has three Perfect Game All-Americans – No. 1 overall 2022 prospect Elijah Green, No. 6 Jackson Ferris, and Neal, who slots in at No. 52.
 
Neal didn’t exactly expect to be headed to San Diego for the All-American Classic this weekend back when he jumped in the car in Tallahassee and headed to IMG last year. Not because he didn’t think he was talented enough, because he certainly was. It was because at that point, he was a top catcher in the 2023 class, still a year away from eligibility in the All-American.
 
However, after hitting .371 over 62 plate appearances with 22 RBI and nine extra-base hits all while proving to be one of the best backstops in the country regardless of age, Neal made the decision to re-classify into the 2022 class.
 
“I had a good sophomore year at school,” he said. “And it basically gave me the confidence and it proved to people that I can play with those older guys and succeed against those older guys. It really helps my situation the younger I am in the class, so that was a big part of the decision. I really wanted to get to college or go pro, get to my next step, as soon as I could.”
 
Neal said he received help from a host of people when it came time to make that decision – his advisor, his parents, Director of Baseball Dan Simonds at IMG, and the guidance counselors all played a part in making sure he was ready to make the jump, both physically and in the classroom.
 
He also made a call to the LSU coaching staff, wanting to make sure they would have a place for him a year earlier than expected. He was basically told the earlier he could get to campus, the better.
 
At the time, that was Paul Mainieri’s staff. That’s no longer the case, with Jay Johnson replacing Mainieri after his retirement at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
 
The coaching change in Baton Rouge made Neal pause for maybe all of a few seconds, but ultimately doesn’t change a thing about how excited he is to put on the purple and gold.
 
“I took a step back and realized that it was meant to be,” Neal said. “Whatever is meant to be is going to happen. It’s meant to be for me to go and play there. You just have to sit back and let things happen and figure out what you want to do. LSU is where I want to go. I’ve always loved it. I like watching them, I like the tradition, the fans.”
 
It’s easy to see he checks all the necessary boxes to move on to the next level. At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Neal moves as athletically as anyone you’ll find behind the plate, and his left-handed stroke at the plate is a smooth one. He has the pedigree of catching some of the more talented staffs around at IMG, as well as his 5 Star teammates.

He's been rostered in 46 PG events now, notably stringing together consecutive all-tournament team performances this summer at the National Elite Championship, Ultimate Baseball Championship, Southeast Elite Championship, Southeast Memorial Day Classic, and the PG High School Showdown, where his IMG squad took home a title. 
 
With that package in tow, Neal now finds himself thrust into the travel schedule of the elite baseball prospect heading into his final year as a prep – PG National, then the Prospect Development Pipeline league, East Coast Pro after that, and finishing up with the All-American Classic in late August.
 
He will be the youngest player in attendance at the Classic, not yet 17 years old when he takes the field at Petco Park in San Diego on August 22.
 
Getting selected to play in the event is an honor, Neal said, and a validation of sorts on his decision to jump into the 2022 class. This is something he has had his mind on since 2015, when North Florida Christian alum and future first rounder Cole Ragans was selected to play in the All-American Classic. North Florida Christian, in Tallahassee, is the school district Neal was in at the time of Ragans’ selection.
 
“Since I re-classed, it really meant a lot [to be selected],” he said. “I worked really hard to get there…It’s definitely been a goal of mine. A kid at my old school [Ragans] was selected when I was in seventh grade, so it’s been a dream of mine since then.”
 
That dream has become a reality, and a year earlier than originally dreamt.
 
Neal will head to San Diego with certain goals for the game – these guys are playing with and against the best prep prospects in the country on national television, they all want to play well – but more than anything, he wants to soak it all in.
 
“There are obviously goals you set for yourself,” he said. “Catch well, get a base hit or two, maybe a double. But really I just want to have fun. There aren’t many opportunities to get to do things like this. So you just relax and do what you know how to do.”
 
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All American Game | Story | 9/15/2025

PG Athletes Raise Money For Charity
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 ATHLETES RAISE MORE THAN $130,000   FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITIES THROUGHOUT AUGUST    Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 15, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its athletes raised a combined $130,195 for children’s charities during its August 2025 showcase events throughout the country.    The fundraising efforts took place at Perfect Game’s Select Festivals and the DICK’S All-American Classic, with each age group rallying behind a cause that supports children in need. The 11U and 12U Select Fests each benefited Elite Development Academy out...
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Juco | Rankings | 3/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 25

Blaine Peterson
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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...
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College | Rankings | 3/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 25

Nick Herfordt
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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...
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College | Story | 3/24/2026

College Players of the Week: March 24

Vincent Cervino
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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...
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College | Recruiting | 3/23/2026

Recruiting Notebook: March 23

Ryan Miller
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High speed look at the FF-SL from '27 SS/RHP Harry Chubb Jones Jr. (GA)... #BeastoftheEast @PG_Uncommitted @PG_Georgia https://t.co/zXWgDJjU0y pic.twitter.com/GUIUN4tWmw — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 25, 2025 Harry Chubb Jones Jr., RHP/SS, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Jones recently flipped his commitment from Clemson to Alabama, landing Rob Vaughn and staff a high-end two-way talent in the ’27 class. The Georgia native possesses tremendous upside on the mound, working from a long and lean right-handed frame that displays projection and athleticism. Jones starts over the face before working to the belt and into a higher pronounced leg lift. He fires down the mound via a standard-length arm action and high three-quarters slot. Chubb’s fastball/slider combination and feel for the zone, with the heater showcasing run/ride traits and power into the high-90s....
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College | Rankings | 3/22/2026

College Top 25: March 23

Vincent Cervino
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Time flies when you are having fun and the fact that we are almost to the halfway point of the 2026 season, proves just how entertaining things have been to this point. In what was an ultra-impactful week on the national landscape, there are some clubs fading out of the limelight while others are emerging from the shadows and showing they are a force to be reconned with. Conference play always makes the big picture come into view and we are now getting a feel for who the true contenders may be as the grind begins. The UCLA Bruins (21-2) keep their stranglehold on the top spot in the land as they remain unchallenged since the start of Big Ten play and finished the week with a (4-0) record. The Texas Longhorns (20-3) did lose back-to-back games this week but showed their resilience by winning an intense road series against now No. 7 Auburn (19-4). Georgia Tech (19-5) also had a (2-2) week...
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Draft | Rankings | 3/20/2026

2026 Draft Board: Top 300

Vincent Cervino
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The 2026 MLB Draft class is shaping up to be one of the better in recent memory and, potentially, the best class in the last decade. It’s led by UCLA superstar shortstop Roch Cholowsky, a true five-tool prospect who’s the early favorite for 1:1. One of the most popular pieces of industry feedback when constructing this list was some variation of “Roch is too low” or “go up on Roch” and he’s the best college prospect since 2019 when Adley Rutschman (Oregon State, Orioles) was the consensus No. 1 prospect. Similarly to 2019, there’s a superstar Texas prep shortstop at No. 2, in 2019 it was Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville Heritage, Royals) and this year it’s Grady Emerson. Both Emerson and Alabama’s Justin Lebron would have been solid 1:1 candidates in years where Roch Cholowsky is not eligible and both have All-Star potential....
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High School | General | 3/23/2026

High School Notebook: March 23

Perfect Game Staff
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Talon Brown (‘29 CA) showing some intriguing stuff over 2.1 IP running the FB up to 89, living 86-88 while mixing in a BB at 77. FB heavy on the day w/ a limited pitch count. 6-4, 205-lb w/ an athletic operation working down the bump #PGHS pic.twitter.com/HkLmJHrB1W — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) March 14, 2026 Talon Brown 2029 RHP, Christian Brown features an advanced 6-foot-4, 205-pound, athletic, projectable frame.  The freshman has made two appearances on the young season working four-innings without allowing a hit or run and has struck out seven opposing hitters.  It’s an easy, downhill operation and the ball jumps out of the hand, using the four-seam often that has ride through the zone, sitting 85-88 and topping out at 89.  The breaking ball showed 11-5 shape with depth spinning it at 1900 RPM+.  Brown features an athletic...
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Press Release | Press Release | 3/19/2026

PG Teams Up with OZ Ball Tournaments PTY

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 NAMES OZ BALL TOURNAMENTS PTY AS OFFICIAL AREA DIRECTOR IN AUSTRALIA, EXPANDING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, March 19, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that it has entered into a new international partnership with Oz Ball Tournaments Pty, naming the organization as an official Perfect Game Area Director in Australia. The agreement establishes Perfect Game-licensed tournaments and showcases across major Australian markets, including Sydney, Brisbane/Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.     Australian events will operate under the Perfect Game brand, delivering the same...
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Press Release | Press Release | 3/18/2026

PG Introduces Individual Player Entry

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 INTRODUCES INDIVIDUAL PLAYER ENTRY, EXPANDING ACCESS TO ELITE NATIONAL EVENTS   Athletes Can Now Compete in Select National Tournaments Through Structured ‘Team PG’ Rosters   Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, March 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the launch of Individual Player Entry, a new initiative designed to provide athletes the opportunity to compete in select national events even if their primary team is not attending.   Through the program, players can now register individually and be placed on a structured “Team PG” roster, allowing them to participate fully in...
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Juco | Rankings | 3/18/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 18

Blaine Peterson
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This week brings a new top team to the rankings as Johnson County (KS), on the strength of 10 consecutive wins and a 26-2 record, claims the overall number 1 spot. The Cavaliers have made 3 consecutive trips to the JUCO World Series and have the talent to make it back there again this spring. Florida Southwestern and Chipola have seemingly separated themselves as the most consistent teams in Florida. Welcome to the top 5 to the Gaston Rhinos who will be one of the first teams to 30 wins this spring. Pearl River stays as the top NJCAA D2 team and Fresno City stays as the top Juco team in California; both are coming off undefeated 2 week stretches. Welcome back to the top 25 to John A. Logan who is now 20-7 overall and have played one of the toughest schedules of anyone. And for the first time in several years welcome to the top 25 to the College of Southern Idaho, the Golden Eagles have...
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