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Tournaments  | Story | 12/24/2021

Regional Review: California

Photo: Marcelo Mayer (Perfect Game)
Regional Review: Texas

With the Perfect Game scouting staff spread throughout the country and another action-packed season in the books, we'll take a look back at some highlights from individual states over the next couple of weeks, from the 13u level all the way up through the collegiate ranks and the MLB Draft.

Biggest 13u/14u Breakout Player
Zach Strickland is someone to keep an eye on as we enter the new year, as he won this year’s National 14u Pitcher of the Year. He features a tall, lean, athletic build with plenty of room to add more muscle as he matures. The right-handed pitcher can run his fastball up to 89 mph with good life and swing-and-miss ability. When I first saw Strickland in March his velocity was dominating his competition, but was still trying to find the strike zone here and there. He kept his head down and kept working and started to climb in the rankings, earning himself an invite to the 2021 14u Select Festival, where he was named the National Pitcher of the Year and is currently ranked the No. 1 right-handed pitcher in California and is nationally ranked No. 2. The UCLA commit has a promising future and will be fun to watch over the years.



Biggest Moment in College
Stanford hosted a regional for the fourth straight season, dominated their bracket, then had to travel to Lubbock, Texas to face No. 8 Texas Tech, where they dominated as well and took the series in the first two games to advance to the College World Series. In game one of the CWS they faced a tough loss to NC State, but came back strong and took it to the Arizona Wildcats to advance. Next facing Vanderbilt, they battled and took the lead early, but ultimately fell to the Commodores. The pitching staff dominated all year and got stronger as the season went on. Offensively, the team was led in every offensive category by sophomore Brock Jones, a strong, physically-built outfielder with great power and a lot of speed that played well on both ends of the ball.

Biggest Breakout/Ranking Riser
Ethan Hedges had a big summer, as he made some noise in the PG 17u World Series. He caught the attention of scouts early as he crushed the ball all weekend to all fields and had several home runs, pitched well, and made some awesome plays defensively. He came to the tournament under the radar, with not many scouts knowing who he was, and left with a few college scholarships offers. The USC commit features a lean athletic build with a very projectable body and room to add more muscle. He has a violent, compact swing that stays long through the zone, consistently generating line drives to all fields. Defensively, he moves well and has good range to both sides of the ball with good arm strength. When he gets on the mound, he'll get his fastball to 92 mph with good arm-side run.

Biggest Draft Moment
The first prep player picked in the 2021 MLB Draft came from California in shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who was taken by the Boston Red Sox with the No. 4 overall pick. Marcelo was ranked the No. 1 shortstop and overall player in California per Perfect Game, where he finished ranked No. 2 nationally in the final player rankings installment. He is very athletic, very smooth defensively, and offensively could do it all with good speed. Mayer was set to attend USC prior to getting drafted and he'll continue to rise and excel at whatever level he plays at and will be a good one to follow in this year’s season.

Top Travel Teams
There are a few organizations that rank in the top-five programs in California in a few age divisions. CBA Marucci National is ranked No. 1 in both the 18u and 17u divisions. The San Diego Show holds a top-five position in three different age groups, as they are ranked No. 5 in both the 18u and 14u age groups and ranked No. 2 in the 17u division. Alpha Prime is another top contender, as they are ranked top-three in four age groups; ranked No. 1 in 16u and 15u and No. 3 in 18u and in 17u. BPA has a top-five ranking in three different age groups. They are ranked No. 5 in 17u, No. 2 in 16u, and No. 3 in 15u. The MVP Hustle is ranked No. 2 in both 15u and 14u divisions. The ZT Prospects have a few teams in the top-five in the younger divisions, as they are ranked No. 1 in both 14u and 13u divisions and have a third place team in the 14u division as well. All these programs have great coaches across the board that produce good athletes years after year. These teams compete and usually have a top finish in the tournaments they play in.

A Look Ahead:



College

Youth may prevail at UCLA in 2022 as they had their best recruiting class in recent memory and there are many holes to fill. The Bruins return just 6 starts from last year’s staff, but they are armed with a bevy of talented arms in the freshman class, including Thatcher Hurd, currently the top-ranked collegian in the 2024 draft class. From the left side, Gage Jump came off an outstanding senior campaign at JSerra and looks primed for an impactful role. Ethan Flanagan, Alonzo Tredwell and Luke Jewett all had some injuries in their senior years of high school and could have roles in 2022.



The Bruins lost a lot of at-bats from last year’s squad to the draft and they have some freshman that could step in right away. Cody Schrier (ranked No. 5 in 2024 draft class) looks primed to have an early impact somewhere on the dirt (they have a lot of talent that can play multiple positions). In the outfield, Malakhi Knight and Nick McLain were both starting in fall looks.  



Long Beach State

Coach Valenzuela and his staff have recruited and developed a team that has gotten them back to their true Dirtbag roots, featuring pitching and a blue collar approach to the game. Luis Ramirez and Jack Noble return to anchor the weekend rotation and Team USA reliever Devereaux Harrison returns as closer and could also be stretched out to a longer role. Juaron Watts-Brown and Marques Johnson are two arms that impressed in fall looks. Connor Burns returns behind the dish, a standout defender that can handle the staff and can really throw. Sophomore Jonathon Long can swing the bat and is expected to be one of their key hitters in the middle of the lineup.
 
High School

In California the high school discussion generally starts in the Trinity League, and once again it will be loaded with talented teams and draft talent. Perennial power Orange Lutheran has three of the top-10 ranked players in California, led by Perfect Game All-American Mikey Romero (ranked No. 3), lefty Oliver Santos (ranked No. 4) and catcher Karson Bowen (ranked No. 9). Add 2023 infielder Casey Borba and Derek Curiel (No. 1 in nation for 2024 class) to that group and you have a very deep and talented squad. The Trinity League is a gauntlet with tough series every week. Look for Santa Margarita to make some noise with a young nucleus of talent. JSerra will plug in a new batch of talent and rely on some youth and two big arms in David Horn and Tyler Gough. Servite has some big arms and a deep lineup featuring 2022 Jarrod Hocking and Roman Martin.

Some of the usual suspects outside of the Trinity League that are expected to have big years, CIF Champions Harvard Westlake reloaded for 2022 and will have a pair of 2024 arms to lean heavily on in Bryce Rainer and Duncan Marsten to eat up innings. Huntington Beach has depth and talent led by Raffaele Velazquez (No. 13 in the state), one of the most pure hitters in the class. Yucaipa is loaded once again, with commits all over the field, including Jacob Reimer (No. 20 in state for 2022), Owen Egan (No. 14 in state for 2023) and Daniel Arambula (No. 22 in state for 2024). Corona will have one of the deeper lineups with three committed sophomores joining seniors Andrew Walters and transfer Troy McCain.

Further north, Buchanan is locked and loaded for 2022 with D-I commits all over, headlined by 2022 RHP Sam Tookoian (No. 34 in the state), an Ole Miss commit. Twin brothers Jared Lewis (No. 22 in state) and Jordan Lewis (No. 26 in state) headline a talented San Ramon Valley team chalked with D-I commits.

Some up-and-coming teams that will be exciting to follow for the next few years are San Dimas, which had nine freshmen on their varsity roster last year, five which are now committed (along with one 2025 commit). Aquinas, led by Eric Bitonti (No. 2 in state), is another young team establishing themselves as one of the better private programs in the Inland Empire.

Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap

Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
High School | General | 2/11/2026

Southwest All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
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SOUTHWEST REGION (AZ, NM, NV, UT, CO)  The most dominant tool in the Southwest Region for the 2026 season is undoubtedly power at the plate, as most players featured below not only have the size and bat speed to drive the ball but have put up the numbers as well.  While that isn’t exactly surprising given that virtually the entire region plays at elevation, it certainly stands out on the individual top prospects. The Region features four Perfect Game All-Americans in OF Ryan Harwood, IF Rookie Shepard and C Alain Gomez-Gudino and RHP Dylan Blomker.  The 2027 class is looking very promising as well, with four juniors gaining mention on the All-Region team below and Arizona in particular having a very talented class.  Keep an eye out especially for 2027 3B Colton Floyd (Corona Del Sol HS, Ariz.), one of the best and biggest power hitters in that class. Two Region...
Press Release | Press Release | 2/11/2026

Perfect Game Partners with Goodles

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 ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH GOODLES    Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, February 11, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with  GOODLES, the brand that reimagined boxed mac and cheese, naming the brand the Official Mac & Cheese of Perfect Game. The collaboration will bring delicious, nutrient-packed mac and cheese to families and players during premiere events and tournaments.    While practice makes perfect, a player’s diet can’t be...
College | Rankings | 2/11/2026

DII Top 25: February 11

Nick Herfordt
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Preseason rankings are less about certainty and more about expectation. Experience, continuity, and proven production tend to win in Division II baseball, but every spring reminds us how thin the margins can be. The teams below enter 2026 carrying varying combinations of momentum, pressure, and opportunity. Some are defending a standard. Others are chasing it.  At this level, projection is rarely about raw talent alone. It is shaped by familiarity, by the players who have been through a season together, by staffs that know how to manage the quiet stretches as well as the loud ones. Injuries, turnover, and postseason moments leave marks that don’t always show up in the numbers, but they shape how teams respond when games tighten.  The programs at the top of these rankings carry more than returning statistics. They carry memory and momentum. They remember what it felt like...
High School | Rankings | 2/10/2026

Texas Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Texas All Region & Top Tools Rk Texas Record 1 Grapevine 36-3 2 Memorial 28-6-1 3 Lake Travis 28-12-3 4 Kingwood 39-4 5 Aledo 31-8 6 Atascocita 33-12-2 7 Calallen 35-2 8 Pleasant Grove 36-6 9 Prestonwood Christian 25-5 10 The Bennett School N/A 11 Lovejoy 30-9 12 Allen 16-16-1 13 Prosper 33-10-1 14 Flower Mound Marcus 30-13 15 Tomball 34-7-1 16 Waco Midway 35-8 17 Dallas Jesuit 23-9-1 18 Flower Mound 21-12 19 Buda Johnson 26-13 20 The Woodlands 29-6-1 21 Katy Taylor 26-13-1 22 Rockwall Heath 15-9 23 Rockwall 29-10 24 Lutheran South 34-3-1 25 Keller 29-11
College | Story | 2/10/2026

Conference Preview: America East

AJ Denny
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Binghamton  13 11 28 26 Bryant  18 6 36 18 Maine  13 11 20 31 NJIT  14 10 27 26 UAlbany  10 14 22 32 UMass Lowell  8 16 18 35 UMBC  8 16 18 28 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Levi McAllister UAlbany 2025 2nd Team America East All-Conference; hit .310 last season w/ 9 HRs and 25 XBH. Do-it-all guy for UAlbany, reliable behind dish w/ ability to hit for both AVG + power offensively 1B Sean O'Leary UMass...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/9/2026

Perfect Game Softball Winter Warm Up 18U Division

Erica Beach
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Perfect Game Softball Winter Warm Up Burlington, IA Jan 30-Feb 1, 2026   BURLINGTON, IOWA- 23 teams across two age divisions converged onto Fun City Turf last weekend to compete to be the Winter Warm Up champions. In the 18U division, the Iowa Nationals 18U came out on top in a hard-fought game, defeating the Iowa Gold Prospects 2-1. On the weekend, several athletes stepped up big for their teams and below we highlight some of the top performers of the tournament.   18U Division   Julia Roth (2026, Dubuque, IA) of the Lady Expos Blue was one of the most effective hitters of the weekend. She finished her weekend batting .583, tallying seven hits, four of them being home runs. Her power was on display, and she came in clutch multiple times, driving in nine runs for her team. This right-handed hitter showed great composure in the box, working counts, and making defenses earn...
High School | General | 2/9/2026

Deep South Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Deep South All Region & Top Tools Rk Deep South  Record 1 Magnolia Heights (MS) 39-5 2 Barbe (LA) 35-7 3 Catholic (LA) 37-5 4 The Baylor School (TN) 22-8 5 Nolensville (TN) 20-14 6 Hoover (AL) 22-20 7 Sam Houston (LA) 36-8 8 Christian Brothers (TN) 26-13 9 Hartselle (AL) 35-8 10 Lipscomb Academy (TN) 28-9-1 11 Lewisburg (MS) 21-10 12 Farragut (TN) 32-11 13 Tuerlings Catholic (LA) 36-5 14 Tuscaloosa County (AL) 33-13 15 Petal (MS) 18-10 16 West Monroe (LA) 26-9-1 17 Brandon (MS) 24-14 18 Auburn (AL) 21-18 19 Oak Ridge (TN) 36-9 20 Bob Jones (AL) 37-12 21 Thompson (AL) 30-15 22 University Lab (LA) 29-12 23 Knoxville Catholic (TN) 23-16-1 24 Sumrall (MS) 25-9 25 Benton (LA) 35-6
College | Story | 2/10/2026

Conference Preview: Horizon

Scott Rankin
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Milwaukee 22 35 16 13 Northern Kentucky 31 25 18 12 Oakland 18 41 10 20 Wright State 40 21 25 5 Youngstown State 15 42 11 19 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Jake Paulick Northern Kentucky Slashed .265/.404/.518 with 8 homers and 41 RBI in ‘25  1B Jp Peltier Wright State 1st team All-Horizon playing OF in ’25 and hit 20 homers with a 1.019 OPS 2B Hunter Warren Wright State 1st team All-Horizon in ’25...
High School | General | 2/9/2026

Deep South All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
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DEEP SOUTH REGION (AL, LA, MS, TN) The Deep South Region is absolutely loaded with position talent and would certainly have a chance to outscore any of the other Regions in a straight offensive battle.  And this trend doesn’t look like it’s going to change soon looking at the 2027 and 2028 classes for the Region. All the starting lineup, for instance, is made up of Perfect Game All-Americans if you excuse the recently re-classified Will Brick.  That leaves a pair of Louisiana All-Americans, Miller Sheets and Braylon Montgomery, out of the starting lineup.  Also missing is another re-classified player, Alabama shortstop Rocco Maniscalco, who has been talked about as a potential Day One draft in 2026. A strange twist in the Region is that it is abnormally well supplied with catchers, more so than any other region in the country really.  Nowhere does that...
College | Story | 2/9/2026

Conference Preview: Ivy League

Jason Phillips
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Brown 7 14 11 28 Columbia 16 5 30 19 Cornell 7 14 12 22 Dartmouth 8 13 11 25 Harvard 9 12 14 28 Penn 13 8 21 20 Princeton 8 13 12 31 Yale 16 5 31 14 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Owen Estabrook Columbia 9 HRs in 109 ABs, Buster Posey Award Midseason Watchlist 1B Giovanni Colasante Harvard .314-10-33, 7 2Bs/ 31.2 IP, 36 SO, 2025 1st Team Ivy League UTL/P INF Jack Kail Columbia .312-7-45, 14 2Bs, 2025 1st Team Ivy League INF Davis Baker...
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