THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,596 MLB PLAYERS | 16,395 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,596 MLB PLAYERS | 16,395 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
All American Game  | Story | 8/22/2021

East No-Hits West, Wins Classic 9-1

Blake Dowson
Photo: East celebrates winning 2021 Classic (Perfect Game)
SAN DIEGO – Dylan Lesko set the tone right from the first pitch of the game for the East squad during this year’s Perfect Game All-American Classic, as he and nine teammates combined to throw the first no-hitter in Classic history.
 
Lesko started the game throwing fastballs at 95, 96, and 96 for a quick three-pitch punchout, and there was no looking back from there. Behind a number of great at-bats from its lineup, the final scored tilted toward the East, 9-1.

“We had a good performance all around,” Clint Hurdle, manager of the East team, said. “We played good defense, we got good at-bats when we needed them, and that’s a recipe for success. And on the mound we were strong. We had some skilled guys pitching all night long.”



Hurdle himself said he enjoyed the atmosphere at the Classic, witnessing the exuberance for the game you don't always get in the professional ranks.

He was also glad to pass on any insight he could to the next generation of star players.

“The youthful enthusiasm is cool,” Hurdle said when asked about coaching these young prospects. “They don’t know what they don’t know and there’s some things we can help them learn along the way. They’re the next wave eventually and my thought is we’ve got the opportunity to help them build a good foundation to continue to show up and play the game.”
 
Andruw Jones led off the bottom of the first for the East, beating out an infield single. The country’s top 2022 player, Elijah Green, then doubled into the left-center gap to move himself and Jones into scoring position, before Paxton Kling’s sacrifice fly brought Jones around to put East on the board.
 
Jackson Ferris and Tristan Smith, the two top left-handed pitchers in the country, tackled the second and third innings for the East squad with little trouble. Ferris, and IMG Academy product, worked into the mid-90s during the second inning. Smith, a South Carolina native and Clemson commit, struck out one during his inning.
 
The East fireworks really started in the bottom of the third inning, as Jayden Hylton singled right back up the middle, doing a good job of keeping his hands inside a fastball. Luke Heyman immediately followed Hylton at the plate, worked a long at-bat, and on pitch eight unloaded on an inside fastball and delivered it to the left field bleachers at Petco Park for a two-run home run, giving the East team a bit of breathing room at 3-0 at that point.
 


Heyman was named the MVP of the All-American Classic for his efforts.

“I think setting the tone early was something that just put them away,” Heyman said. “We got up early soon and after that our pitching was just dominant.”
 
The ball was handed to Brandon Barriera to tackle the fourth inning for the East squad. Justin Crawford walked to start the inning and proceeded to steal both second and third base in the inning, nothing too surprising considering dad, Carl Crawford, stole 480 of those in his big league career.
 
However, Barriera was able to work around the speedy Crawford on the bases, striking out two and getting a groundout to second base to end the threat.
 
Caden Dana tossed a hitless fifth inning thanks in part to a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out to end the inning, and gave way to two-way standout Nazier Mule for the sixth inning.
 
Mule, who is committed to play at Miami, put himself into the Perfect Game record books on this night, becoming the first pitcher ever to hit triple digits on the radar gun. The righty lived at 99 his entire inning, and on a pitch in which he induced a Kaden Martin ground out, he hit 100.
 


Mikey Romero, the first All-American named in this class as a local San Diego product, had landed on first base earlier in the inning thanks to a fielder’s choice, moved his way around the bases thanks to a balk and wild pitch, and scored on Martin’s ground out, making the score 3-1 in favor of the East and providing the only run of the game for the West.
 
Jurrangelo Cijntje made history right on the heels of Mule, becoming the first both-handed pitcher to appear in the Classic, as he tossed a hitless seventh for the East team. Working at 95 mph from the right side and 88 mph from the left, Cijntje worked a 1-2-3 inning, getting a right-handed punchout to end it.
 


The East squad then stretched its lead in the bottom of the frame thanks to a large number of contributors.
 
Jared Jones singled to start the inning, followed by walks from Cole Young and Ryan Clifford. Roman Anthony knocked a run in with an RBI ground out to make it 4-1, a subsequent wild pitch made it 5-1, and an RBI single from Termarr Johnson, the Classic’s Home Run Derby champion, ballooned the lead to 6-1.
 
Newly-reclassified Brady Neal, another IMG product, smoked a ground-rule double down the left field line for his second hit of the night, moving he and Johnson into scoring position, and RJ Austin connected on a middle-middle fastball right back up the middle to score them both, with the lead standing at 8-1.
 
Hayden Murphy and Jacob Miller combined for the three eight inning outs, Murphy getting two to start, and Miller relieving him.
 
Back out on the mound to start the ninth inning, Miller started Iowan Tommy Specht out with a first-pitch fastball, which Specht poked out into right field, and looked to be headed toward grass for the West squad’s first hit, but Clifford came running in to make a sliding catch to preserve the no-no.
 


Riley Stanford, another two-way standout in the class, locked down the final two outs, and completed the no-hitter for the East team.

Heyman mentioned the unspoken, unwritten rule that appeared to be happening throughout the game. No one in the East dugout really brought up what they were putting together inning by inning, except for one minor slip-up from the MVP.

“Nobody was really talking about it [in the dugout]; they didn’t want to jinx anything,” Heyman said. “I mentioned it without thinking but then I didn’t say another thing about it. There was no real emotion, just normal conversation; nothing about the no-hitter.”
 


The West team had a number of highlights as well, with four pitchers tossing scoreless innings. Noah Schultz, a 6-foot-9 lefty from Illinois, threw a scoreless second inning while striking out two. Jaden Noot threw a nine-pitch scoreless fourth, and Chase Shores followed with a five-pitch fifth, both scoreless, and Ian Ritchie Jr worked around two hits to give his team a clean inning of work as well.

For each and every player involved in the 19th annual Perfect Game All-American Classic, regardless of whether they represented the East or West, will remember this for the rest of their lives. It's an experience not many prep players get, only the best of the best, and they will be able to share the memories they made with each other as they cross paths throughout their careers.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” Heyman said. “Being able to be here with the best players in the country and playing in a beautiful stadium is just something that I’ve dreamed [about] for awhile. I’m blessed and excited that I’ve been able to live this experience; it’s going to be one that I’ll remember forever.”
Give us your feedback
All American Game | Story | 8/16/2026

Romero Slams His Way to Classic MVP
Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PHILADELPHIA – Sunday’s DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic was a pitching-dominated affair until the bottom of the eighth inning when the rain started to fall at Citizens Bank Park and Koa Romero stepped to the plate and did his best impression of Kyle Schwarber. Romero wears No. 12, just like Schwarber. He bats left-handed, just like Schwarber. He’s got big power, just like Schwarber. And at 5-10 and a rock-solid 225 pounds, he’s even built like Schwarber. Needless to say, Schwarber is Romero’s favorite player. So, it was all kind of storybook when Romero belted a grand slam to dead center to cap off the scoring in the West team’s 8-3 win over the East club in the 24th annual Classic. “This is a dream come true,” said Romero, who was named MVP of the game. “It’s amazing to be able to put a ball like that out of a...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 8/15/2026

A Philly Dream for Steingall

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PHILADELPHIA – Carson Steingall had been to Citizens Bank Park many times over the years. After all, he hails from Nazareth, Pa., about 90 minutes up the road from the home of the Philadelphia Phillies and he counts himself as a big fan of the team. Zack Wheeler is his favorite. Steingall realized a dream when he pitched from the same mound that Wheeler does in Perfect Game’s fourth annual All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors on Friday. The dream got even better when Steingall, a 16-year-old right-hander, was named Most Valuable Pitcher after striking out the side in the third inning of the National team’s 6-1 victory over the American team. “It’s just an honor to be here,” Steingall said after receiving his trophy. “This event is the best of the best. It’s really cool to win something like this.” Steingall, who’ll...
Read More
Showcase | Story | 8/13/2026

PG Honors Pat Gillick With Philly Showcase

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Perfect Game to honor Pat Gillick in new Philadelphia Showcase  By Maya Heyman Perfect Game is bringing its elite showcase experience to Philadelphia’s FDR Park for the inaugural Philly Stars/Pat Gillick Showcase this weekend, honoring one of the greatest executives in MLB history in the city where he constructed his final of three World Series winners. The event will take place on Sunday, the same day as the DICK’S All-American Classic, taking place just across the street at Citizens Bank Park.  The showcase will allow Philadelphia-area players to gain exposure and will also honor Gillick, who has been a tremendous influence in both professional and amateur baseball.   Jered Goodwin, Vice President of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game, said the idea came naturally.  “Going to Philly made a lot of sense to honor Pat Gillick, who's been a...
Read More
General | General | 8/13/2026

PG All-Star Game Heads to Philly

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
For the fourth time since its inception in 2023, two rosters comprised of the best rising juniors (and a handful of rising sophomores) will step out onto the field Friday afternoon, kicking off the All-American weekend. While the Perfect Game All-American Classic is slated for a 1:35 first pitch at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, 36 future hopefuls of the Classic will go up against one another in an American vs National clash at 11 AM Eastern, Friday morning.  With 36 players from across the country descending on Philadelphia, there will be plenty of familiar names in attendance as 24 of the 36 played in at least one PG Select Festival and all 36 attended either the he Sophomore National, Junior National, or the PG Underclass All-American Games this summer. Leading the charge are a pair of No. 1s in 2028 dynamic talent Dexter McCleon Jr and 2029 Macgraw VanWormer, a do-it-all...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 8/12/2026

Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title A hot afternoon at JetBlue Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida ended in a 9-1 victory for the Original Florida Pokers 2028 National, defeating SBA Bolts Florida 2028 National on Monday to capture the 16U BCS National Championship. A pitchers’ duel kept the game scoreless through four innings before the Pokers broke it open with a five-run fifth inning. The title marked the Pokers’ second 16U BCS Championship, adding to the championship they won in 2022. Despite a slow start to the summer, the Pokers found their stride at the right time. “We struggled a lot early in the summer, but the past few tournaments we really started turning it on,” Pokers head coach Will McCrimon said. “I’m just so proud of these kids.” Max Maynes started the game on the mound for the Pokers. The left-hander allowed three hits and two walks...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/11/2026

Realistic Expectations of a 1:1 Pick

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Over the 2026 draft cycle, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the projected No. 1 pick throughout the entire cycle. White Sox fans began #RochWatch and were already talking about when he will make it to Chicago. Now that he has been selected, Cholowsky has immediately become a Top-10 prospect in all of baseball. There is no denying the hype, and the pressure, for Chowlosky to get to the big leagues and produce at a high level.  But how realistic is that? Let’s take a look back at past 1:1 selections and see what you can expect from a No. 1 overall selection.  For this exercise, we’ll look at No. 1 overall picks from the bonus pool era, excluding Eli Willits from 2025 since this is his first full year of pro ball. That gives us 13 players selected from 2012 through 2024.  Almost All Become Big Leaguers The first thing that stands out is how successful No. 1 picks...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 8/11/2026

Perfect Game & Goat'd Come Together

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME AND GOAT'D PARTNER TO BRING PREMIUM PROTECTIVE GEAR TO THE NATION'S TOP AMATEUR BASEBALL PLAYERS   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 11, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Goat'd, a premium protective gear brand focused on developing innovative products for athletes. The partnership will bring Goat'd's premium protective equipment to some of the nation's top amateur baseball players and families across Perfect Game's premier national events. The partnership will debut at several of Perfect Game's marquee events, including the 13U Select Fest, 14U Select Fest, Perfect Game All-Star Game and...
Read More
General | General | 8/8/2026

12U Game Time: 8/9/2026 1PM Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Sunday August 9th, 2026 1:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
Read More
General | General | 8/8/2026

11U Game Time: 8/8/2026 Noon Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Saturday August 8th, 2026 12:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/7/2026

2026 MLB Draft Team Reports: NL West

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 MLB Draft Team Report Cards: AL West With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL West Arizona Diamondbacks  Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: C Ryder Helfrick (1st rd) | RHP Blake Bryant (CB-A rd) | SS Carson Kerce (2nd rd) | OF Brayden Dowd (3rd rd)  Ryder Helfrick (@RazorbackBSB ) different AB; same result. He goes dead central for a solo 💣 this time. Threw a runner out earlier; 1.98 pop. #PGCollege @PG_Draft https://t.co/kW7wraqExJ pic.twitter.com/SARYKxd0oE — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 14, 2026 The Diamondbacks started their...
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.