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Tournaments  | Story | 7/1/2022

Shorthanded Premier Primed for 18u Run

Riley Sheppard
Photo: Perfect Game
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Every baseball club has different challenges, but for Premier Baseball 18U, a player getting something as simple as a cramp can be detrimental.

“It's crazy, like we get hurt we have to keep playing,” Premier two-way player Stephen Hammergren said postgame. “You just have to keep playing but it's hard, especially with the Florida sun and the humidity.”



The reason why it’s a big deal for one of their players to get hurt is because they traveled to the BCS National Championship with just nine players, the exact amount needed on the field at all times.

“It's simultaneously extremely difficult but also easy,” Head Coach Tyler Long said postgame. “When you’ve got nine players, you don't have to worry about who you're playing, but figuring out pitching and defense is tough.”

Despite those challenges, Premier has made their way to the semifinals at the 18u BCS National Championship. In their quarterfinal matchup against Chi Town Cream, a one-run complete game from Hammergren led the way in their 2-1 victory.

The two teams faced off just 24 hours prior, with Premier coming away with a 7-3 victory behind a seven-strikeout complete game from Jayden Ripplemeyer. So when the two matched up one again, with a berth to the semifinal on the line, Premier was not going to be denied.

“My teams have always been gritty like that,” Long said. “When we play top level teams, they seem to always step up. I can't explain it, just moxie.”

Premier’s two runs came in the bottom of the first. Back-to-back walks from Trevin Long and Nikki Scott put runners on first and second with just one out. After a fielder’s choice and error, both made their way home to take a 2-0 lead entering the second.

Despite giving up a single and an RBI double in the top of the third, Hammergren was not taken out of rhythm and retired the next three batters in just seven pitches.

Chi Town had an opportunity to tie things up in the top of the fifth, getting runners on first and second with just one out. But a liner up the middle ended up in Hammergren’s glove to turn a double play and end the inning.

“I’m going to be completely honest, I didn't see it at all,” Hammergren said postgame. “But it definitely brought the energy, our whole team was hyped up after that so it felt great.”

A combination of faith in his pitcher and lack of eligible arms kept Hammergren out there the final two innings to finish his 104 pitch effort.

Just one win away from a BCS National Championship, Premier is looking to win a title with half or even a third the amount of players at their disposal as many of the other teams in the tournament.

“Guys are just gonna have to get rested and hydrated tonight and be ready to play,” Long said postgame. “I think mental and physical fatigue is going to be the biggest test at this point.”
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Tournaments | Championship | 8/12/2026

Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title
Alyssa Golden
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Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title A hot afternoon at JetBlue Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida ended in a 9-1 victory for the Original Florida Pokers 2028 National, defeating SBA Bolts Florida 2028 National on Monday to capture the 16U BCS National Championship. A pitchers’ duel kept the game scoreless through four innings before the Pokers broke it open with a five-run fifth inning. The title marked the Pokers’ second 16U BCS Championship, adding to the championship they won in 2022. Despite a slow start to the summer, the Pokers found their stride at the right time. “We struggled a lot early in the summer, but the past few tournaments we really started turning it on,” Pokers head coach Will McCrimon said. “I’m just so proud of these kids.” Max Maynes started the game on the mound for the Pokers. The left-hander allowed three hits and two walks...
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All American Game | Story | 8/15/2026

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Jim Salisbury
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Showcase | Story | 8/13/2026

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Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game to honor Pat Gillick in new Philadelphia Showcase  By Maya Heyman Perfect Game is bringing its elite showcase experience to Philadelphia’s FDR Park for the inaugural Philly Stars/Pat Gillick Showcase this weekend, honoring one of the greatest executives in MLB history in the city where he constructed his final of three World Series winners. The event will take place on Sunday, the same day as the DICK’S All-American Classic, taking place just across the street at Citizens Bank Park.  The showcase will allow Philadelphia-area players to gain exposure and will also honor Gillick, who has been a tremendous influence in both professional and amateur baseball.   Jered Goodwin, Vice President of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game, said the idea came naturally.  “Going to Philly made a lot of sense to honor Pat Gillick, who's been a...
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For the fourth time since its inception in 2023, two rosters comprised of the best rising juniors (and a handful of rising sophomores) will step out onto the field Friday afternoon, kicking off the All-American weekend. While the Perfect Game All-American Classic is slated for a 1:35 first pitch at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, 36 future hopefuls of the Classic will go up against one another in an American vs National clash at 11 AM Eastern, Friday morning.  With 36 players from across the country descending on Philadelphia, there will be plenty of familiar names in attendance as 24 of the 36 played in at least one PG Select Festival and all 36 attended either the he Sophomore National, Junior National, or the PG Underclass All-American Games this summer. Leading the charge are a pair of No. 1s in 2028 dynamic talent Dexter McCleon Jr and 2029 Macgraw VanWormer, a do-it-all...
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Tyler Henninger
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Over the 2026 draft cycle, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the projected No. 1 pick throughout the entire cycle. White Sox fans began #RochWatch and were already talking about when he will make it to Chicago. Now that he has been selected, Cholowsky has immediately become a Top-10 prospect in all of baseball. There is no denying the hype, and the pressure, for Chowlosky to get to the big leagues and produce at a high level.  But how realistic is that? Let’s take a look back at past 1:1 selections and see what you can expect from a No. 1 overall selection.  For this exercise, we’ll look at No. 1 overall picks from the bonus pool era, excluding Eli Willits from 2025 since this is his first full year of pro ball. That gives us 13 players selected from 2012 through 2024.  Almost All Become Big Leaguers The first thing that stands out is how successful No. 1 picks...
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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 AND GOAT'D PARTNER TO BRING PREMIUM PROTECTIVE GEAR TO THE NATION'S TOP AMATEUR BASEBALL PLAYERS   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 11, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Goat'd, a premium protective gear brand focused on developing innovative products for athletes. The partnership will bring Goat'd's premium protective equipment to some of the nation's top amateur baseball players and families across Perfect Game's premier national events. The partnership will debut at several of Perfect Game's marquee events, including the 13U Select Fest, 14U Select Fest, Perfect Game All-Star Game and...
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Perfect Game Staff
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Sunday August 9th, 2026 1:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
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Perfect Game Staff
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Draft | Story | 8/7/2026

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Tyler Henninger
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College | Story | 8/7/2026

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Perfect Game Staff
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RHP Jason Flores (@BaseballUGA) Showed some electric stuff, up to 98 several times CT, SL, CH to round out the arsenal in his 5IP 9K performance. @HarwichMariners So./‘27 elig pic.twitter.com/p2nTvkFnWh — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) August 5, 2026 Jason Flores | RHP | University of Georgia | Harwich Mariners  Flores heads to Georgia this fall looking to reestablish himself as one of the premier arms in the 2027 draft class after showing significant promise during his freshman season at Texas. Flores posted a 2.78 ERA over 32.1 innings as a freshman before a limited sophomore campaign in which he logged just 12 innings. The stuff was on full display this summer, highlighted by a dominant five-inning, nine-strikeout playoff performance in which he touched 98 mph five different times. His fastball averaged nearly 96 mph throughout his time on the Cape, pairing the...
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