Softball  | Softball Tournament | 3/29/2022

PG Softball Earlybird Scout Notes

Photo: Perfect Game
There were 14 teams in total that competed in the 18u High School Earlybird, hosted in Burlington Iowa. Teams came from all over the state to represent and show what they have before their high school season starts.
 
Saturday had eight teams come out to the indoor turf at Fun City. Right-handed pitcher Zadie Wadle (2023, Indianola, Iowa) with the Iowa Bandits proved her way to the top, tallying up 22 strikeouts in just 9 innings pitched. Wadle showed great strength with her movement of the ball around the zone.

On Wadle’s coat tail was Cooper Klaahsen (2023, Nora Springs, Iowa) with North Iowa Heat, who ended Saturday with 21 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. Klaahsen kept her pitches consistently between 55-58 mph. Madison Oetzmann (2023, Urbandale, Iowa) was another that got her name on the board for the Iowa Bandits with 13 strikeouts in 6 innings pitched, keeping it consistent between 55-57 mph.
 
Leading in the batter’s box for the Iowa Bandits was Jena Young (2023, Winterset, Iowa), an Iowa commit, who went 6-for-9 on Saturday with a single, 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 5 RBI. Young had a disciplined, aggressive approach to the plate. On the field, Young was a natural at shortstop. She glided across the field as she covered a great amount of range while staying quick with the transfer and throw.
 
Taylor Schwenn (2027, Clear Lake, Iowa) with North Iowa Heat started her Saturday morning with a second inning leadoff homer to center field. Schwenn made great contact and has a solid barrel. Along with that she showed great coverage in center field for her team. She gets a good first-step reaction on balls hit her way to get her footwork set to make the play.
 
With the Southeast IA Allstars, 18u Gold Miller Sydney Roe (2022, Davenport, Iowa), a Kirkwood CC commit, had a day in the batter's box going 4-for-6 on Sunday with 2 doubles and 2 homers. One of her homers was the result of a long battle, hit in a full count at-bat to left field, and the other was a two-run solid drive to go oppo in right field.
 
Teammate Hannah Simpson (2022, Fairfield, Iowa) had a day at the plate as well, going 5-for-7 with 1 single, 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 6 RBI. Both of Simpson's homers cleared the left field fence without question. Simpson has a great feel for the barrel, along with a strong arm at third base. She shows length with her throws across the diamond, and is smooth with the transfer.
 
Maura Chalupa (2023, Muscatine, Iowa) shows an aggressive approach to the batter's box for Southeast IA Allstars, 18u Gold Miller. Maura has a strong feel for the barrel and showed it on Sunday with a strong drive up the middle to tack on 2 RBI for herself. Chalupa also shows great strength in the circle. While keeping her pitches between 57-59 mph, she had 6 strikeouts and no walks in 3 innings pitched on Sunday.



Iowa Gold- 16u's Olivia Feuling (2023, West Des Moines, Iowa) showed off with her framework by keeping her wrist strong and helping out her pitchers to get ahead in the count.  She had a confidence about her slap work in the batter's box. As Feuling matures, the power behind her slaps will only grow and guarantee her a spot on first.

Teammate Joanna Geremesz (2024 Knoxville, Iowa) also had a day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a home run and 2 RBI for her team.
 
Meredith Gatto (2024, Dubuque, Iowa) worked the strike zone for Expos Simon, and she did well leaving batters chasing her rise ball. She led the day on Sunday with 16 strikeouts and no walks in 7 innings pitched. Gatto kept her pitches between 54-56 mph, and she shows great promise with getting more strength behind her pitches as she matures.
 
The leaders in the batter's box for Expos Simon were Emma Karcher (2025, Dyersville, Iowa), going 4-for-5 on Saturday with 4 singles, and keeping it rolling going 3-for-6 on Sunday with 2 doubles, 1 home run and 3 RBI. Brenna Borland (2025, Dubuque, Iowa) was a force to be reckoned with in the batters box on Sunday, going 4-for-4 with 4 singles and an RBI.
 
Cailyn Knight (2024, Altoona, Iowa) showed to be a great utility player for GP Select Iowa on Sunday. She started in right field and had a quick drop step with a smooth transition to catch and throw the ball in to her cut. She moved to third base later in the day and exemplified softball instincts, making quick decisions to keep runners from scoring on plays that came her way.
 
Teammate Katie Murphy (2023, Saint Charles, Iowa) made an appearance in the batter's box and went 5-for-7 with 4 singles and a leadoff home run on Sunday. Right behind her was Jersey Foote (2025 Creston, Iowa), also going 5-for-7 on Sunday with 2 singles and 3 home runs, one of which was a walk-off to secure the run-rule win for GP Select Iowa.
 
Lydia Ettema (2023 Peosta, Iowa) with Lady Expos Houselog had back-to-back days of going 4-for-6 at the plate. Saturday she had 1 single, 2 doubles and a home run. Sunday was 1 single, 1 double and 2 home runs. Two of her home runs over the weekend were grand slams to keep her team on top.
 
Iowa Elite Red had top hitters Saturday overall. Haileigh Smith (2023, North Liberty, Iowa) went 5-for-6 with 2 singles, 2 doubles, a home run, and 4 RBI. Jade Hynek (2023, Swisher, Iowa) led the day with 7 RBI, going 3-for-5 at the plate with 2 doubles and a home run.

Softball | Softball Tournament | 3/4/2026

Perfect Game Softball March Madness

Ashley Mears
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2026 Perfect Game March Madness February 27-March 1st Ashley Mears What a weekend at the Fun City Dome in Burlington, Iowa! The energy was electric from first pitch to final out towering home runs, edge-of-your-seat battles, dramatic comebacks, and extra-inning thrillers with some unpredictable endings, it was a great weekend all around. The Top Performers list welcomed some exciting new names, while seasoned seniors continued to cement their legacies, delivering standout performances week after week. For some, this may have been their final appearance on a Perfect Game stage, and they made sure it was unforgettable. In the 18u division a tough Nebraska Gold 319 Berning team outlasted the Southeast Iowa All Stars in the championship. In 16u the Top Gun 2028- Strange completed their weekend by beating the Iowa Aries 16U CE Fire Black. 18U The weekend’s Most Valuable Player award...
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Vincent Cervino
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Hannah Jo Groves
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PG has announced the dates for Prospect Gateway events across the country - unique opportunities for young players to receive professional feedback and prepare for the next level. The Prospect Gateways are for players ages 13U-14U and serve as a qualifier for the National Showcase. Kevin Schuver, the senior director of showcases at Perfect Game, said these events are chances for players to step out of their comfort zone and show what they’re really made of. “Perfect Game Prospect Gateways aren’t just events. They’re doorways into something bigger. For young athletes, they serve as the first real step beyond their local fields, where raw ability begins to meet visibility and purpose.” At the event, each player is assigned a PG advisor who will watch and advise them individually. There will also be other scouts giving tips on how to enhance and develop a...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/13/2026

PG & MLB Clubs Offer Discount Tickets

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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 PARTNERS WITH THREE MLB CLUBS TO OFFER EXCLUSIVE TICKET DISCOUNTS FOR YOUTH TEAMS    Sanford, Florida (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new fan engagement initiative in partnership with three Major League Baseball clubs — the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals — to provide exclusive discounted ticket opportunities for teams participating in Perfect Game events.    Through the collaboration, youth baseball and softball teams competing in...
College | Rankings | 4/13/2026

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Vincent Cervino
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Tyler Henninger
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Every draft class has its strengths. Some years its a loaded group of prep infielders, some years its a deep collection of college arms. In this year’s class, certain position groups stand out above the rest to us. This week, the draft team dives into their favorite position groups. Groups that we believe are loaded with depth, upside, and big league potential. College Infielders It’s hard not to get excited about the crop of college infielders in this year’s class because of who is at the top. Roch Cholowsky alone makes the group exciting. He’s got gold glove potential at the next level and an offensive profile that should make him one of the Top 15 to 20 prospects in all of baseball the second he gets drafted. Justin Lebron is another player with as much upside in the class. He is a premium athlete that can really pick it at short and has big upside with the...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/10/2026

Perfect Game and vivenu Partner Up

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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 PARTNERS WITH VIVENU TO POWER DIGITAL COMMERCE ACROSS YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL    Sanford, Florida / New York, New York (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, has selected vivenu as its ticketing and commerce partner to unify revenue operations across its tournament ecosystem.    With 1.6 million tickets sold annually, 9,800 events in 40+ states and an immense social footprint, Perfect Game has built the most influential pipeline in amateur baseball. The organization has produced over 2,200 MLB alumni, and...
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Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

Ron Wolforth
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What Do Barry Zito, Justin Verlander, Trevor Bauer, and Dallas Keuchel All Have in Common? By Ron Wolforth | Texas Baseball Ranch® | PG Arm Care Take a second and think about the question posed in the title before you read on. Four Cy Young Award winners. Four of the most decorated pitchers of their generation. What's the common thread? The first answer is obvious… they all won the most prestigious individual award in pitching. Most of you probably got there immediately. The second answer is less obvious… they all trained at the Texas Baseball Ranch® at some point in their development. Interesting, maybe, but not the point of this article. The third answer is the one I really want you to sit with, because it has direct relevance to your career right now: they all move completely differently. And they all attack hitters completely differently. Don't rush past that....
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Coppy's Corner: April 6 POY Deep Dive

Perfect Game Staff
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I’m beyond thrilled to be a contributor to Perfect Game, widely recognized as the premier organization for amateur baseball. Working in baseball operations for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves for nearly 20 years, the importance of amateur baseball cannot be understated. Nobody does it better and I am honored to be working with great baseball people like Jered Goodwin, Vinnie Cervino, Craig Cozart, and many others.  Each week I huddle with Vinnie and Craig to discuss Top 25 rankings and Players of the Week. In "Coppy’s Corner", I will dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level. My hope is that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.  Player of the Week: Andrew Williamson – University of Central Florida (UCF)  Williamson can flat-out hit. While...
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High School Notebook: April 10

Jheremy Brown
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You like 6-foot-9 lefties up to 100 mph? 2026 Brody Bumila (MA) was electric in season opener, super easy upper-90s, multiple 100s. Easy operation w/ simple delivery despite size. Punched out 9 over 3, double digit whiffs. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/BChMhKIIhO — Perfect Game New England (@PG_NewEngland) April 2, 2026 Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan (MA), Class of 2026 He's 6-foot-9, 18 years old, left-handed and was up to 100 mph (upwards of 3 times on some guns) in his first start of the year in low-30 degree temperatures. That's really all you need to know. Oh, and the opposing team arrived 40 minutes late. Coming off a state-championship run in basketball, Texas signee Brody Bumila made his first start of the spring on April 2nd and didn't disappoint in front of at least 40 scouts packed tightly together behind the backstop.  Knowing it was going to be a quicker look given...
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Don't Boot the Loot Scout Notes

Cam McElwaney
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‘30 UTL Chase Jelks (GA) lifts this one deep into the gap & rolls around the bags for a triple. Loose LH swing w/ feel to lift. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/leF4GMTawJ — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 4, 2026 Chase Jelks (2030, Atlanta, Ga.) put together a great weekend for The Dream 14u Black in their run to a championship game appearance, hitting .444 with two triples and a double along with three RBI. He controlled the zone throughout the event in the box and finished with a 6:1 BB:K ratio because of it while also swiping five bags as well. It was a strong showing for Jelks, something that’s becoming common this spring in PG events.    ‘30 MIF Cohen Carter (TN) hits this one on the screws into the gap for a triple. Functional & compact swing. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Tennessee pic.twitter.com/YVUfxbHBxx — Perfect Game...
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