THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,496 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,496 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 11/19/2021

Org Report: South Charlotte Panthers

Photo: South Charlotte Panthers 2022 (Perfect Game)
Owner: Don Hutchins
General Manager: Scott Clemons
Twitter: @_scpanthers
Instagram: @scpanthers_

Top Historical Perfect Game Moments
2021 WWBA Underclass World Championship: Runner-up
2021 WWBA Freshman World Championship: 3rd Place
2018 WWBA Freshman World Championship: 1st Place
2016 WWBA 17u National Championship: Runner-up
2013 WWBA Underclass World Championship: 3rd Place
2012 WWBA 16u National Championship: Runner-up
2009 WWBA 18u National Championship: Runner-up
2007 WWBA 18u National Championship: Runner-up
2005 WWBA 16u National Championship: 3rd Place
• Multiple Regional Championships and Runners-up



Favorite Perfect Game memory: "After numerous runner-up and top-16 finishes in PG National events, our SCP2022 team won the championship at the 2018 WWBA Freshman World Championship." -South Charlotte Panthers

Program History
"The South Charlotte program was founded in 2002 with a single team of 13u players. It evolved into a two-team (17u and 16u) model in 2007 and continued to be two teams for the next 10 years. SCP expanded teams in 2017 and currently fields four teams (17u, 16u, 15u, 14u). SCP is a non-profit whose mission is to compete at the highest levels in summer and fall travel ball baseball, help advance our players to college and professional opportunities, and support and develop our players with their academic, personal, and character goals.

11 former players have made it to Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Whit Merrifield and Alex Wood. 10 former players have made a USA National Team roster, including Ryder Ryan, who represented the USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. 52 former players have been drafted, including eight in the first three rounds. 275 former players have gone on to play in college, including eight All-Americans and six national champions.

SCP has 18 teams to date, all with a win percentage over 75%. We initiated a "SCP for a Cure" program in 2005 in the fight against cancer and contribute $10 per team win annually to a cancer-related charity. To date, the program has contributed over $15,000." -SCP

Best College Resumes
• Whit Merrifield – USC – NCAA national champion, CWS game-winning hit
• Richie Shaffer – Clemson – All-American, CWS
• Brian Holberton – UNC – All-American, CWS
• Alec Burleson – ECU – All-American
• Josh Crump – Coastal Carolina – NCAA national champion
• Tyler Chadwick – Coastal Carolina – NCAA national champion
• Trent Thornton – UNC – All-American, CWS
• Josh Hiatt – UNC – All-American, CWS
• Andrew Moritz – UNCG – All-American, NCAA leading hitter

Best Pro Resumes
Whit Merrifield – KC Royals – two-time All-Star, multiple league-leading hits and stolen bases
Alex Wood – Braves/Dodgers/Reds/Giants – second round draft pick, All-Star, world champion, 63 career wins
Bailey Ober – Twins – MLB debut in 2021
Ty Buttrey – Angels – fourth round draft pick, 34 career holds, 11 saves
Trent Thornton – Astros/Blue Jays – fifth round draft pick, MLB team leader in innings, strikeouts
Jeffrey Springs – Rangers/Red Sox/Rays – 24 career holds, 2 saves
Owen White – Rangers – second round draft pick, A level, 2021 Fall Star
Logan Davidson –  first round draft pick, AAA level, 2021 Fall Star
Ryder Ryan – Reds/Mets/Rangers – AAA level, 2021 USA Olympic Team
Cal Raleigh – Mariners – MLB debut in 2021
Richie Shaffer – Rays – first round draft pick, MLB debut in 2015
Luke Bard – Angels – MLB debut in 2018
Max Povse – Braves/Mariners/Royals – MLB debut in 2017
Brody Koerner – Yankees – MLB debut in 2021
Alec Burleson – Cardinals – Year 1 in pro ball in 2021, Advanced from A to AAA level

Perfect Game All-American Classic Participants
Richie Shaffer, 2008

Perfect Game Select Festival Participants
Samuel Cozart, 2019-2021
John Lash, 2021

All-Time Lineup
1. Whit Merrifield, 2B
2. Brian Holberton, C
3. Walker Jenkins, CF
4. Alec Burleson, 1B
5. Richie Shaffer, 3B
6. Alex Destino, XH
7. Ryder Ryan, DH
8. Drew Downs, RF
9. Matt Heavner, SS
10. Andrew Moritz, LF

SP: Trent Thornton

Hitting Reserves: Logan Ratledge, Kirk Morgan, Josh Crump, Ike Freeman, Logan Davidson, Jaylen Guy, Caleb Cozart, Jacob Cozart, Parker Byrd

Pitching Reserves: Kyle Greenwalt, Alex Wood, Jeffrey Springs, Ty Buttrey, Brody Koerner, Doug Norman, Owen White, Jake Hunter, Eli Jerzembeck, Chance Mako, Samuel Cozart, John Lash

Scouting Highlights
This organization has had the reputation of being an arm factory for many years, as their overall philosophy coincides with many ideas that I have believed in and preached over my Big League career. The philosophy is pitching first, and it has definitely showed over the years as their offseason mentality is “go right after the hitters and get strike one.” Over this past season, it definitely shows as their pitchers go deep in the ball game and run after the hitters. The ability they have to develop young pitchers into elite college pitchers, and even pros, over the years is proof that their dedication and core philosophy in teaching these young men how to play the game is a success. Every time I see that the South Charlotte Panthers are in this tournament, you know that they are going to go deep, if not win it. They are a well-balanced organization that also teaches to swing early in the count and attack the fastball. The organization also believes in having their top team at each level so when colleges come out to see them, they are seeing the best they have to offer in every event. After watching them play their last tournament of the year, I am truly excited to watch the next season as they have quite an impressive pitching staff and lineup, which should be a force to reckon with at every tournament this upcoming season. -Todd Coffey

Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 2

Perfect Game Staff
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Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 1 Braedon Paczocha (2028, Palmyra, Wis.), a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame catcher for GRB STiKS 16U Black, displayed a quick bat with the ability to do damage. Showed a good feel for the barrel throughout the weekend, hitting .538 (7-for-13) with 3 doubles, 8 RBI, 2 stolen bases, and a 1.376 OPS. Also received well behind the plate with quick, efficient transfers and displayed good instincts.    ’28 1B Brock Hamilton (IL) displays some present strength, driving this ball deep into the LCF gap to leg out a triple. Creates loud contact off the bat and does damage here. #WCInvite @WhitesoxAce pic.twitter.com/6EK81gG9Wi — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 5, 2026 Brock Hamilton (2028, Flossmoor, Ill.), one of the top first basemen in Illinois, brings a physical 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame with plenty of present strength...
College | Story | 7/10/2026

Cape Cod Notebook No. 1

Perfect Game Staff
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Cape Cod League Scouting Notebook  Maverick Rizy | Ole Miss | RHP | Brewster Whitecaps  The towering 6-foot-9, 250-pound right-hander continues to stand out with one of the more unique looks on the Cape, pairing a massive frame with a low three-quarter slot that creates difficult angles for hitters. While his fastball velocity was down from its typical mid-90s range during this look, working mostly 90-92 mph, it still generated plenty of swing-and-miss. He paired the heater with an 81-83 mph gyro slider featuring tight bullet-spin action and mixed in an 85-mph changeup with quality separation. Rizy battled his command early in the outing I saw, before settling in to strike out five over three innings, showing the ability to adjust as the game progressed. Through 12.2 Cape League innings, he has recorded 18 strikeouts, and his combination of size, deception, and projectability...
Draft | Rankings | 7/10/2026

Final 2026 MLB Draft Board: Top 500

Tyler Henninger
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After months of coverage, evaluations, and discussions, the 2026 MLB Draft is upon us. With that, we present our final Top 500 Draft Board.  The final update features several notable movers, including a handful of late risers who made one final push up the board. While there was movement throughout the board, the top remains unchanged. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson lead the way again, as they have for much of the cycle. With the games complete, reports filed, and the board finalized, the evaluation process is over. Now, we get to sit back and watch the draft unfold. Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Roch Cholowsky C SS R-R UCLA Chandler AZ 2 Grady Emerson H SS L-R Fort Worth Christian Argyle TX Texas 3 Vahn Lackey C C R-R Georgia Tech Suwanee GA 4 Jacob Lombard H SS R-R Gulliver Schools Miami FL Miami 5 Jackson Flora C...
Showcase | Story | 7/9/2026

13U National Kicks Off in Fort Myers

Alyssa Golden
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This Friday through Sunday, many of the nation’s top young prospects from the classes of 2030 and 2031 will head to Fort Myers, Florida, as the 2026 PG 13U National Showcase gets underway at JetBlue Park. The invitation-only event features some of the brightest young stars in the country as they look to make their way onto the national stage. This showcase provides players with an opportunity to compete against elite talent from across the country while also serving as a key evaluation for the 2026 PG 13U Select Baseball Festival. “The 13u National Showcase will be the first showcase for a lot of these guys, but we’ve seen their talents throughout this past fall, spring and the summer circuit, securing their invite to the event,” said Jheremy Brown, Perfect Game’s National Director of 13U & 14U Player Development and Festivals. Among some of the stand...
Tournaments | Story | 7/9/2026

Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 1

Donovan May
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’28 RHP Jack Potsma (IL) went 4.0 IP w/ 4 K, running the FB up to 91 mph. Quick, whippy arm w/ a tall, projectable frame. FB had quality arm-side run, while adding a SL. Good control in the delivery w/ the ability to fill up the zone. FB: 87-91 | SL: 68-73 #WCOpen @RaysIllinois pic.twitter.com/8HfMEeamIC — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 6, 2026 Jack Postma (2028, Barrington, Ill.) is a tall, projectable 6-foot-5, 195-pound pitcher with a quick, whippy arm and loose, athletic actions. The GRB Rays 16U Illinois Green right-hander ran his fastball up to 91 mph with heavy arm-side run while filling up the zone and inducing weak contact. Postma complemented the fastball with a slider and mixed in a fading changeup, giving him a quality three-pitch mix to build upon. Over 4.0 innings, Postma struck out 4, allowing 4 hits while throwing 66% strikes.  ’27 RHP...
Press Release | Press Release | 7/9/2026

SHIVERSTICKS NAMED OFFICIAL POPSICLE OF PERFECT GAME

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  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   SHIVERSTICKS NAMED OFFICIAL POPSICLE OF PERFECT GAME   Former MLB All-Star Vernon Wells to Make Select Appearances at Perfect Game Events to Promote the Partnership   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, July 9, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with ShiverSticks, naming the Texas-based company the Official Popsicle of Perfect Game. Throughout the travel baseball season, ShiverSticks products will be featured across Perfect Game’s premier events and facilities, with onsite activations, concession integration, digital promotions and social media content designed to introduce players and fans to the...
Tournaments | Story | 7/9/2026

16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 3

Perfect Game Staff
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16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 Carlos Acuna (2028, Sylmar, Cal.) turned in an impressive start on Wednesday, tossing four shutout innings with six strikeouts and just one hit allowed. The 6-foot-1 right-hander filled up all four quadrants of the strike zone with his fastball, which lived in the 86-87 mph range and touched 88 a couple of times. He mixed in a true 12-6 curveball with huge depth down in the zone, and showed comfortability doubling up on the breaking ball. ‘28 Francis Conners-Schmid (NY) was dominant out of the ‘pen, 6 Ks in 2 hitless inn of work. Lived 88-89 & touched 90 multiple times. Sharp horz break to the SL w/ teeth & tight spin (clip). Athletic mover w/ serious 2-way upside. @JKselectBSB #WWBA @PGMidAtlantic pic.twitter.com/z859j3UCEq — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 8, 2026 Francis Conners-Schmid (2028, East Chatham, N.Y.)...
Tournaments | Story | 7/9/2026

Future Stars Take Center Stage at 14U BCS

Alyssa Golden
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The 21st annual 14U BCS National Championship returns to Fort Myers, Florida this Thursday through Monday, bringing many of the nation’s top teams to compete for one of the summer’s premier titles. Seven nationally ranked teams, featuring some of the top prospects in the class of 2030, will take the field looking to prove why they rank among the country’s elite. Headlining the field is No. 25-ranked outfielder James Watson of Canton, Georgia. The No. 9 outfielder in the nation has been one of the most productive hitters in the field this season, posting a 1.227 OPS while batting .394 with eight home runs, 69 RBI and 32 stolen bases over 84 games. Watson has also excelled on the mound, recording a 3.50 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 44 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .181 batting average. The athletic two-way player owns a 94 mph exit velocity, an 88-mph outfield...
Tournaments | Story | 7/8/2026

Premier Invite Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Tripp Merren (‘29 TX) with a pair of missiles off the barrel today including a no-doubt 2-run 💣 and triple later both to RCF. Electric bat speed with easy strength off the barrel. Can really scoot around bases. #PremierInvite pic.twitter.com/VUEHQZ0bmM — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) July 3, 2026 Tripp Merren (2029, Houston, Texas) took home MVP honors enroute to a big championship win for the Houston Texans Astros Scout Team. Merren stands in at 6-foot-0 from a pretty physical frame at this age. He has the athleticism to go with it and already looks like he has filled out a good bit. Merren fits the mold as a true power hitting corner guy but can play all over on the dirt. He finished the week going 9-15 that included two doubles, a triple, and two homers. He also drove in seven runs and scored nine times. Talk about a complete week and Tripp was simply in the heart of...
Tournaments | Story | 7/8/2026

16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 2

Perfect Game Staff
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16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 ‘28 Rylan Jenkins (GA) hits the bottom of the CF wall for a 2-RBI double; great rhythm to the stroke w/ lots of easy strength in the barrel. 6.46 runner. @BravesScout16u #WWBA @PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/oxSt7fvsUw — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 7, 2026 Rylan Jenkins (2028, Tennille, Ga.) found a few loud barrels Tuesday morning, sending a pair of hard liners off the outfield wall. He drove in four runs and crossed home three times himself. The 5-foot-9 lefty hitter takes a smooth path to the baseball with excellent rhythm to the operation. He generates lots of easy strength at the point of contact and consistently produces high exit velocities to the pull-side and middle of the field. Jenkins is extremely twitchy and gets down the line in a hurry. He runs a 6.46 sixty and turns doubles into triples often. Tripp Sapp (2028, Loganville,...
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