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High School  | General | 2/2/2022

Battle Tested Buchanan Ready For Season

Photo: Sam Tookoian (Perfect Game)
2022 High School Baseball Preview Index

The Buchanan High School (Calif.) baseball team decided in the offseason that it wanted to beef up.
 
Trenton Kemp, the team’s strength and conditioning coach, implemented a food plan. Kemp spent time in the Boston Red Sox organization, where he saw the importance of what athletes were putting into their bodies. So the Buchanan players log into an app each day, and document their food and water intake.
 
That, along with the weight program the team is on, has produced results on the field already.
 
“It’s made a big difference in terms of them being able to maintain a high level throughout our whole practice,” Head Coach Brad Fontes said. “I’ve noticed that we don’t drop off toward the end like we were before. The energy seems better. The lifts are getting better. Some of the guys who were a little bit behind velocity-wise are starting to catch up. I can’t say that it’s just the nutrition program or weight program or throwing program, it’s probably a combination of all of it. Right now it’s working pretty well for us.”
 
After winning its conference and section last year, Buchanan returns a good amount of its roster from a year ago and lands at No. 11 in Perfect Game's Preseason High School Top 50.
 
The seniors on the roster include right-hander Sam Tookoian (Ole Miss), third baseman Andrew Smith (Oregon), outfielder Evan Wallace (UC Irvine), shortstop Jett Ruby (Fresno State), outfielder Hunter Jansen (Pepperdine), right-hander Austin Watson (Utah Valley), and first baseman Max Bernal (Cal State Bakersfield).
 
Infielders JP Acosta and Colton O’Toole, both committed to Long Beach State, and righty Jayden Mandal, committed to Fresno State, will help out of the junior class as well.
 
The talent seems well spread out, too. Scan over that list of committed players, and there are three pitchers, two outfielders, two corner infielders, and a handful of middle infielders. Of course, there are more guys on the roster ready to make an impact as well.
 
“You’re not sure where everybody is going to fit in, how they’re going to contribute,” Fontes said. “We’ve had plenty of guys who were not committed to Division-I schools who played a huge part in the success of our program…You never know how it will translate. These guys are a very blue collar group. They really work and go about their business pretty consistently the right way.”
 
Tookoian, who stands at 6-foot-5, will be the ace on the mound for Buchanan. The big righty really put himself on the national map at Perfect Game’s National Showcase last summer, and his outing in Jupiter later last fall solidified his future.
 




Heading into the WWBA World Championship uncommitted, Tookoian dealt a three-inning, six-strikeout performance on amateur baseball’s biggest stage, featuring a low-90s sinking fastball and a curveball that paired well with it.
 
Soon after, the commitment to Ole Miss came. Now, more refinement of his craft comes.
 
“He’s trying to put it all together and figure out how to pitch, not just throw hard,” Fontes said of Tookoian. “He’s really been working hard to put it together and polish it all. I think as the season goes on he’ll just get better and stronger and really be a big part of our staff.”
 
Tookoian will be a leader of the team, but he won’t be alone. That’s the great thing about this group, Fontes said.
 
This senior group has been together four years now, been battle tested, thrown into the fire as sophomores, and have one more opportunity to make a deep run in the playoffs.
 
Last year’s seniors were the same way, and the team really worked toward the same goal. It takes everyone on the same page if Buchanan wants to repeat as section champions and move its way through a regional bracket this spring.
 
“It will be about how well this team comes together,” Fontes said. “Last year they really came together as a team. In today’s age with social media and all the individual accolades, nobody really cared who got the credit. It was a different guy on a nightly basis. If this team can take on that mentality and all pull the rope in the same direction, we’ll have a very successful year. Regardless of wins or losses, that would be a big success for us.”
 
It’s about that time when rubber meets road, as Buchanan had its first scrimmage on Tuesday night for the first time this spring against an outside opponent.
 
The season officially starts 10 days from today on Feb. 12 with a doubleheader against West Ranch.
 
The offseason program has shown its benefits in practice thus far, now comes the real test.
 
“They’re getting after it and doing a good job,” Fontes said. “We’re a long way away, but the effort and the intensity have been good…We’re headed in the right direction.”

High School | General | 8/17/2026

Scott Wins MVP Two Ways

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – When the folks at Perfect Game reached out to invite him to pitch in the 2026 PG All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors, Cullen Scott had one request. “You mind if I get a couple of at-bats, too?” Along with his dad, Scott traveled from the family’s home in Texas to Citizens Bank Park. The trip proved to be a huge success as he starred on the mound and at the plate and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Scott, 16, pitched a scoreless first inning and struck out two. In the fourth inning, he belted a grand slam six rows up into the left-field seats to lead the National team’s 6-1 win over the American team. “He showed us why he’s here as a pitcher and a hitter,” said Greg Sabers, PG’s vice president of scouting and showcases. "He’s one of the top pitchers here, but he’s too good a...
Press Release | Press Release | 11/2/2026

PG Partners Up with Minority Prospects

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 MEDIA RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP WITH MINORITY PROSPECTS   Sanford, Florida (Monday, November 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a media rights partnership with Minority Prospects, the Atlanta-based organization that has become the largest platform in the world for minority baseball and softball prospects. The partnership kicked off last month at the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., Perfect Game's premier fall event, where Minority Prospects produced content featuring some of the nation's top amateur players in front of college coaches, professional scouts and MLB legends. Under the agreement, Minority...
Draft | Story | 10/30/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Prep Middle Infielders

Ryan Miller
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2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: Collegiate Right-Handed Pitchers | Collegiate Left-Handed Pitchers The premium profile in each class often are prep middle infielders, a sought-after group with the athletic ability to stick on the dirt or land throughout the diamond long term. This demographic has produced the superstars of today’s game and therefore are selected in prime spots while demanding high-end signing bonuses. This group features a mix of loud tools, high level projection, and impact defenders. Below we break down at the top prep middle infielder in the 2027 cycle.  ‘27 SS Dylan Seward (CA)- liftoff from the No. 1 player in the class. A solo blast to RCF to extend the lead for @TheCanesBB #WWBA @California_PG @Vol_Baseball commit https://t.co/lJjNg6T7PS — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 27, 2026 SS Dylan Seward, Norco (CA)  The Southern...
Tournaments | Story | 11/2/2026

2028: Under-the-Radar Names to Know

Joey Cohen
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2028 Post-Circuit Dive: Under-the-Radar Names to Know One of my favorite parts of the calendar comes after the summer and fall circuits have wrapped, when I can finally sit down, dig through our tournament performance data and uncover some names that may have slipped through the cracks. With hundreds of events on the schedule and thousands of players coming through them, there's inevitably going to be talent that I or even our collective staff haven't given enough attention to. For this exercise, I wanted to isolate a particular offensive profile. I looked for 2028 bats who produced at a high level while keeping their swing-and-miss numbers in check across a sample of at least 50 plate appearances. On the pitching side, the approach was equally straightforward in terms of identifying arms who consistently filled the strike zone while missing bats at a strong clip. Of course, not all...
Tournaments | Story | 10/29/2026

WWBA Underclass Prospect Recap

Kyler Peterson
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WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Days 1-2 | Day 3 | Day 4 Stars Being Stars These are some of the more well-known names on the national landscape, playing across several big events in which they performed at the highest of levels. Their showings in Fort Myers were simply a continuation of what we've almost come to expect at this point from them!  Kasen Langerhans (2028, Round Rock, Texas) batted leadoff and stuck at the hot corner for Texas Twelve Red Sox 2028 in Fort Myers. The Texas native has the looks a young left-handed power bat and the swing is built for it. Langerhans produces easy bat speed, delivering a fast and leveraged barrel through the zone. He creates backspin and uses the ground well, really getting into the legs. The infielder has excellent power projection and took comfortable, intentful cuts in the box. Langerhans got the job done at the top of the order...
Tournaments | Story | 10/28/2026

WWBA Sophomore Prospect Recap

Kyler Peterson
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WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 Stars Being Stars These are some of the more well-known names on the national landscape, playing across several big events in which they performed at the highest of levels. Their showings in Fort Myers were simply a continuation of what we've almost come to expect at this point from them!  2029 MIF Easton Housewright (Knoxville, Tenn.) currently stands at 6-foot,175 pounds with strength in the lower half, present above-average athleticism. Continued to shine at the top of the lineup as the left-handed hitter is your prototypical leadoff hitter, consistently finding a way on and scoring. Takes quality at-bats with an above average awareness of the strike zone. Loose hands with easy bat speed that find the barrel often for hard line drives into the gaps that frequently turn into XBHs. Confident and balanced approach. Also...
Tournaments | Story | 10/27/2026

Beyond the Board: SS Malachi Butler

Tyler Henninger
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As the 2027 draft cycle moves through the fall and into the offseason, we kick off a new series called Beyond The Board. With each installment, we will provide an in-depth scouting report for some of the top players in the class, breaking down their tools, strengths, question marks, and overall projection. This week we take a look at Georgia prep shortstop Malachi Butler. The Georgia Tech put together an outstanding showing on the circuit this summer and has been a significant riser early in the 2027 cycle.  Player: Malachi Butler Position: SS B/T: L/R Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 190-pounds School: McEachern HS Hometown: Powder Springs, Ga.  Physical Description: 6-2/190. Strong, athletic build. Well-proportioned body. Has strength with room to continue to add more.    High speed BP swing from '27 SS Malachi Butler (GA)... #PGNational @PG_Georgia https://t.co/M9OWUX9rPw...
Tournaments | Story | 10/27/2026

South Fall World Series Scout Notes

Jay Vossler
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Kason Mead (2029, Spring, Texas) had a great weekend for Premier Baseball Donato 2029. Went 5-9 with a pair of doubles and a home run, driving in five without striking out. Physical frame with a lot more strength on the way. Impressive bat speed that attacks the top of the zone well. Works to all fields consistently and the profile indicates that he’ll be able to build off that with more impact. Lot to like, should be a riser as he goes into his sophomore season. Sterling McCormack (2029, Magnolia, Texas) performed well for Premier Baseball Donato 2029. Reached four times, including a double. Gains ground well on the stride, using his physicality to his advantage as he stays on an uphill plane, geared for slug. Plenty of strength at the point of impact. Landon Hardy (2029, Spring, Texas) had a strong showing for Scorpions Team Easton 2029. Went 4-11 with a double and homer, driving...
Tournaments | Story | 10/27/2026

WWBA Freshman Prospect Recap

Jheremy Brown
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Stars Being Stars These are some of the more well-known names on the national landscape, playing across several big events in which they performed at the highest of levels. Their showings in West Palm were simply a continuation of what we've almost come to expect at this point from them!  Kolt Hampton (2030, Chandler, AZ) is a left-handed hitting infielder with present barrel speed and twitch in the turn. Turned around an upper 80s heater that plated two runs in the first inning of the quarterfinals and never looked back. Also got it done on the rubber punching out three and topping out at 86. The number one player in Arizona produced all week and took care of business defensively.  Landen Davis (2030, Beaufort, SC) showed up at the dish this event hitting .500 with four doubles and five RBIs. Stays tight in the turn with present strength and the approach plays to all fields....
Tournaments | Story | 10/24/2026

SBA Takes 14u Title Behind Offense

Jheremy Brown
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To say there were standouts all over the field for the 14u WWBA World Championship would be an understatement as the matchup of Team Elite 14u Scout and SBA Bolts National 14u saw two of the more loaded rosters going head-to-head with a title on the line. And after weather threw a giant wrench into pool play, both Sunday and Monday were nothing but sunshine and high intensity baseball leading into the final game of the event.  While the game ultimately ended via run rule after five in favor of SBA upon a 9 run inning, it was a tight contest up until that point with Team Elite carrying a 3-2 lead thru four innings.  Team Elite drew first blood as a Ross Logan walk quickly turned into the first run of the game following a well struck single by Cooper Ooten into left field who eventually came around to score following a double steal, scoring before the third out of the inning was...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 10/22/2026

PG Softball Chesterfield Fall Showcase High School Division

Erica Beach
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PG Softball Chesterfield Fall Showcase HS Division Oct 17-18, 2026 Chesterfield First Community Athletic Complex CHESTERFIELD, MO — It was a perfect weekend for softball, with 16 teams converging on the Chesterfield First Community Athletic Complex to compete in the High School Division. Teams from Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa were there to battle it out, and there was only one undefeated team in the tournament: the Southeast Iowa All-Stars 16U Gold Flowerbach, who went a stellar 5-0 on the weekend. We were treated to some stellar performances all weekend and below we highlight some of the standout athletes who caught our eyes.  Lucy Turner (2027, Marion, IA) of the Cedar Rapids Reds was a truly dynamic two-way player this past weekend. Offensively, she batted .444 with 5 RBIs and an impressive 6 stolen bases, which led the tournament. She also scored 6 runs for her team and...
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