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Tournaments  | Story | 9/16/2021

19th WWBA Kernels ready to deliver

Jeff Dahn
Photo: David Lally (Perfect Game)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – From the very beginning of what has now become a remarkable 19-year run, the Perfect Game WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship has served as a launching pad for competitive programs primarily from a core of four centrally located states.

The landing zone was on Jupiter (OK, in Jupiter, Fla.) at the PG WWBA World Championship, where teams and programs are given the opportunity to elevate their profile and their prominence at the premier amateur baseball scouting event in the world.



The PG WWBA Kernels Championship serves as a qualifying event for the prestigious PG WWBA World Championship held annually in Jupiter, Fla., during early October. The team that wins the Kernels championship receives a paid invitation to the blockbuster Jupiter event, scheduled this year for Oct. 7-11 at the Roger Dean Complex, the MLB Spring Training home of the Cardinals and Marlins.

Twelve organizations laid claim to the first 18 Kernels championship trophies with the Wisconsin-based Reds Midwest Scout Team winning three in 2009, ’11 and ’14, and Wisconsin’s Hitters Baseball capturing a pair in 2009 and 2015.

But as good as those programs continue to be, their accomplishments at the WWBA Kernels are no match to the recent success enjoyed by the Illinois-based Cangelosi Sparks organization, whose teams have taken home titles each of the last four years (2017-20). And, not surprisingly, they’re back looking for that fifth ring this weekend.

The 19th annual PG WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship begins its four-day run on Friday, when 82 teams will be competing for the crown. The majority of the games will be played at the Prospect Meadows Sports Complex in Marion, Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium and Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids; Independence (Iowa) High School will also host games.

The 82 entrants will gather in Eastern Iowa having arrived from nine states, most from the core-four of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota will have highly competitive representatives in attendance, and any one of them could rise up and become a serious player in the championship chase which concludes on Monday.

And there is another intriguing addition to this year’s field of teams, one that promises to inject a Pacific Island flavor to the otherwise all-Midwestern menu. What looks to be a very talented Hawaii Elite 2G squad out of Honolulu will bring its style of play to the Iowa cornfields for all to see, in an effort to earn that coveted Jupiter bid.

There are several highly respected organizations with multiple teams in the field, including the home-state Iowa Select program with eight entrants. The Cangelosi Sparks have six teams in tow, and Canes Illinois and the GRB Rays (Wisconsin) have four each.

The real center of power looks to sit with what is now called the Reds Scout Team, based in Cincinnati. Andy Stack and Greg Reinhard have assembled a roster on which nearly every player is ranked as at least a top-500 with 18 committed to NCAA D-I schools.

Headliners on that roster from the 2022 class include PG All-American outfielder Tommy Specht (also rostered with Iowa Select 2022 Obermueller), a Kentucky commit ranked No. 41 overall; right-hander David Lally (No. 82, Notre Dame); right-hander Brayden Risedorph (No. 152, Parkland College); corner-infielder Luke Adams (No. 161, Michigan State) and left-hander Noah Samol (No. 195, Georgia Tech).

The Reds Scout Team boasts some pretty elite talent from the class of 2023, as well, including right-hander Zander Mueth (No. 9, Ole Miss), catcher Ryan Bakes (No. 69, South Carolina) and right-hander Cole Selvig (No. 86, Texas); Mueth is also rostered with the GBA Upperclass team.

The Cangelosi Sparks 2022 Black appear, on paper anyway, to be the most likely of the six Cangelosi entrants to extend the program’s WWBA Kernels championship winning streak to five years.

Armed with a roster of mostly top 500-level 2022s (2021 RHP Caden Leonard, t-500 Kent State is also rostered) the Sparks 2022 Black are built to contend. PG All-American Noah Schultz (No. 9, Vanderbilt) is the real attention-grabber, along with outfielder/right-hander Jack Lausch (No. 96, Notre Dame) and right-hander/infielder Julius Sanchez (No. 102, Illinois).

There are literally dozens of other teams at the PG WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship that will look to make some hay during what is forecast to be pretty darn hot with high temps approaching 90 over the four days spanning the final weekend in the summer of 2021. They all have rosters built around top-500 and top-1,000 prospects, and they shouldn’t be discounted at any time.

One of those teams is the aforementioned Hawaii Elite 2G, which brings seven prospects with D-I commitments: infielder Aiva Arquette (No. 464, Cal Poly); right-hander/outfielder Parker Grant (t-500, Cal State Northridge); middle-infielder Elijah Ickes (t-500, Hawaii); left-hander Kaena Kiakona (t-500, Rice); outfielder/left-hander Keoni Painter (t-1000, BYU); catcher/first baseman Beau Sylvester (t-500, Washington) and right-hander Zacary Tenn (t-500, Washington).

And there you go. It really does promise to be a special weekend, with so many talented players dotting all 82 rosters. For instance, you don't dare overlook the Iowa Select 2022 Obermueller squad with top 500-level 2022 Iowa commits Gable Mitchell, Reese Moore, Cade Obermueller, Drew Proskovec, Aaron Savary and Kellen Strohmeyer along for the ride.

Pick a card, any card, the dealer might say, and settle-in as the hands continue to be dealt over the next four days. One of these 82 teams will be headed to Jupiter in early October with its entry fee both paid and well-earned, and that’s always an exciting development. Doesn't really matter if you’re from Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota or Wisconsin. Or, for that matter, from Hawaii.
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Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
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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. ...
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College | Story | 4/7/2026

College Players of the Week: April 7

Craig Cozart
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April 7th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Andrew Williamson, OF, UCF  The UCF Knights (20-9) are coming off one of their biggest series victories in years when they went to Morgantown and took down the Mountaineers to take control of the Big 12 regular season standings.  The offense put on quite the performance and Andrew Williamson set the tone by leaving the yard in his first at-bat of the weekend launching a towering home run over the centerfield wall.  The 6-0/195 lefty from St. Petersburg, FL has one of the sweetest strokes in the college game today and when he goes, so do the Knights.  In the 3-game series, the junior collected 6 hits in his 10 at-bats, scoring 6 runs, on 5 walks, a double and he launched 3 home runs all told.  While he had a stretch earlier in the season where he was searching for his stroke a bit, he is getting locked in at the...
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College | Rankings | 4/6/2026

College Top 25: April 6

Vincent Cervino
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With another week in the books, some teams at the top continue to prove they are elite, and others continue to fall by the wayside.  Meanwhile, there were several teams that had been lingering outside the Top 25 that had huge weekends to put themselves in the thick of things as every weekend has significant consequences for good or for bad.  The No. 1 UCLA Bruins (29-2) have now pushed their win streak to an incredible 23-games as they swept USC (27-6) who was previously ranked No. 7 in the poll.  The Bruins are off to a perfect (15-0) start in Big Ten play and are without a doubt the most complete team in the country right now.  The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (26-5) move up to No. 2 this week after they dismantled now No. 12 Auburn (22-9) in the midweek and then swept Cal on the West Coast last weekend.  Texas (26-5) moves down one spot to No. 3 this week after...
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Draft | Mock Draft | 4/3/2026

PG Staff Mock Draft

Jheremy Brown
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Welcome to another Perfect Game Mock Draft. This is not your typical mock draft as it features 15 different GMs drafting the first two rounds of the draft. Each member of the mock draft was assigned two teams and as such will be drafting all of the picks in the first two rounds for each responsible team. The actual draft order will be presented below and we will dive into how teams made their selections and how they feel about the players drafted. It is important to note that this is not how we think the draft will play out in almost any capacity. This is simply an exercise 4 months ahead of time with a large portion of the scouting staff and some picks fall under personal favorites, best available, and a multitude of other factors. Chicago White Sox 1:1 Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA | 1:41 Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame The White Sox don’t overthink here and select Roch Cholowsky, who has...
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High School | General | 4/2/2026

High School Notebook: April 2

Steve Fiorindo
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Lennex Minor (‘28 CA) absolutely destroys this offering to the PS for a 2-run shot. 2-4 on the day w/ 4 driven in. Athletic in the box w/ a quick stroke and strength throughout the frame. Also closed out the game running the FB up to 88 in a St. Bernard win #PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/KF7BsKGcm7 — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) March 29, 2026 Lennex Minor, MIF/P, St. Bernard (2028) Minor had a massive day in my look this past Saturday in a game being played at the University of San Diego.  The sophomore had a pair of hits, one which was a no-doubt homer, and drove in four.  Minor’s athleticism jumps out on the field with twitchy actions both at the dish and in the dirt.  He features a 6-foot, 170-pound frame with room to add and generates from a strong lower half and exceptionally quick hands.  Showing two-way potential, he made an...
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High School | General | 4/2/2026

NHSI Scout Notebook

Cam McElwaney
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An extended look at ‘26 RHP Wilson Andersen… 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K. @HailStateBB signee. #NHSI26 @JesuitBaseball @Florida_PG @PG_Draft @PGAllAmerican https://t.co/VLwECd2qZ8 pic.twitter.com/JbTFR3Gd2l — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 30, 2026 Wilson Andersen, RHP, Tampa Jesuit  Andersen got the ball on day two of the event and showed a quick tempo, pounding the zone with a power mix. He ran the fastball up to 97 mph, working comfortably in the mid-90s, with a power curveball/changeup mix he showed confidence in. He’s one of the top right-handers in the class that saw his stock rise in Cary. Andersen is signed with Mississippi State.    An extended look at ‘26 RHP Cooper Sides… 5 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. @LSUbaseball signee. #NHSI26 @olubaseball @PG_Draft @California_PG https://t.co/Ag1MfBAR5a pic.twitter.com/5wSszVjBn8...
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All American Game | Story | 4/2/2026

All American Classic Heading to Citizens Bank

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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 DICK’S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC HEADED TO CITIZENS BANK PARK IN 2026   Perfect Game makes debut at iconic Phillies venue during America’s 250th birthday celebration   Former Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel named Honorary Chairman of All-American Classic   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Thursday, April 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that the 2026 Perfect Game DICK’S All-American Classic will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, marking the first time a Perfect Game event has ever been held at the iconic home of the Philadelphia Phillies.   The game will take place on...
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College | Rankings | 4/1/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 1

Nick Herfordt
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Welcome to another week of Perfect Game Small School baseball — and if you're looking for clarity at the top, you've come to the wrong place. Across all three classifications, the No. 1 spot is very much an open question, and nobody is sleeping comfortably right now. In NCAA Division II, Pittsburg State is stumbling at precisely the wrong moment, leaving the door cracked wide open for hungry challengers to come knocking. In the NAIA, defending national champion LSU Shreveport has dropped four straight and suddenly looks far more vulnerable than a program of their pedigree ever expects to be. And in NCAA Division III, the race for the top ranking is less a competition and more a ten-car pileup of elite programs, none of whom have done enough to pull away — and all of whom have done plenty to deserve it. Three classifications, three vacancies at the top, and a whole lot of...
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Juco | Story | 4/1/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 1

Troy Sutherland
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Another week of JUCO baseball and another week full of wins for No. 1 ranked Johnson County . The Cavaliers have won 18 games in a row and have swept through the Jayhawk Conference to this point, setting a new school home run record along the way. Walters State returns to the top 5 this week on the strength of a 12-game winning streak. Both McLennan and Pearl River are coming off of undefeated weeks and look like strong top 10 caliber teams, while Midland (now 30-3) continues to climb in the rankings for the third consecutive week. For the first time all year this ranking will feature 4 California schools as Palomar joins Ohlone, Fresno City and Santa Ana in the JUCO rankings. Check back in next week for an update as most of JUCO baseball is now past its halfway point in the 2026 season. RK School Week Overall 1 Johnson County (KS) 4-0 34-2 2 Gaston (NC) 2-1 35-3 3 Walters State (TN) 3-0...
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College | Story | 4/1/2026

Collegiate Midseason All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
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Collegiate Midseason Awards * denotes Midseason Award Winner - All-Americans chosen based on statistics, prospect status, future projection, among other factors - Only true freshmen considered for Freshmen All-American teams - All Statistics as of Monday, March 30th First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Vahn Lackey Georgia Tech JR .423 .541 .845 36 41 9 1 10 36 7 1B Quinton Coats Cincinnati SO .360 .441 .896 38 45 8 1 19 46 7 2B Jarren Advincula Georgia Tech JR .411 .489 .563 31 46 2 0 5 30 5 3B Ace Reese Mississippi State JR .330 .417 .661 32 36 12 0 8 37 1 SS Roch Cholowsky UCLA JR .350 .493 .730 39 35 8 0 10 32 1 IF Dee Kennedy Kansas State JR .430 .549 .910 44 43 10 1 12 43 15 OF Will Gasparino UCLA JR .351 .468 .794 31 34 5 1 12 38 1 OF AJ Gracia Virginia JR .350 .504 .650 37 36 7 0 8 24 1 OF Landon Hairston* Arizona State SO .469 .551 1.027 44...
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High School | Rankings | 3/31/2026

High School Top 50: March 31

Tyler Russo
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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....
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