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2,461 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
High School  | General | 3/5/2023

IMG Claims Showdown 3-Peat

Photo: IMG Ascenders (Perfect Game)




Hoover feels like home for IMG: Ascenders Capture Back-to-Back-to-Back Titles
 
Hoover, Ala. -- A really anticipated matchup between two titanic programs, IMG Ascenders and Houston County, finally came together in the Blue Championship Game. After a close game through three innings IMG would put up eleven in the 4th inning to put the game away and bring home the hardware.
 
The 1st inning started off hot with Houston County getting a single from Drew Burress, followed by a loud double off the bat of three-hole hitter Andrew Dunford. Dunford’s double coming off a 90 mph fastball. Troy Carpenter would hit a ground ball to drive in Burress. IMG would respond in the bottom half after they worked a couple walks and then got a single from TayShaun Walton to drive in the first run. Stone Russell followed Walton with a sacrifice fly to take the lead 2-to-1, a lead they would not surrender.
 
IMG Starter Noah Franco and Houston County starter Brooks Willis would exchange a couple of zero frames before IMG’s enormous 4th inning.
 
The scoring started with a one out triple by Andre Modugno that rattled off the rightfield wall. Dean Moss and Zion Ross had a single in the inning with Jackson LaLima notching two singles in the inning. The biggest blow was Walton though. He unloaded on an opposite field triple to score three runs and put a cap in the monstrous eleven run inning.
 
Franco settled down after the 1st inning and dominated the next three innings giving up just a single hit in his final three innings. He finished the day throwing four innings and striking out five batters.
 
IMG scored 38 runs during the Championship run before knocking off Nationally ranked Houston County.
 
Houston County knocked off Nationally ranked North Broward Prep and returning champion Central on the way to the championship game.
 
MVP-Player – TayShaun Walton
MV-Pitcher – Cameron Johnson
 
Other Notables From Day 3


Hunter Baynes, RHP, 2023; IMG Academy (Fla.)
Baynes only got an inning of work, but it was a really good one as he came out throwing strikes with pretty easy gas. It was 90-92, bumping 93, and his longer arm stroke/extended release gives it really good carry up in the zone. He showed a hard-diving changeup and he can spin it a bit, but the ability to miss bats like he did with the fastball is notable and there’s great upside.
 
Lawson Williams, 1B, 2024; Hartselle (Ala.)
Williams stood out a bit with the bat in a Hartselle lineup that is chalked full of talented left-handed hitters. He’s physical and there’s obvious strength in the swing, which he showed with multiple extra-base hits over the course of the weekend and he added a bomb on the final day. Given the consistency of the bat over the course of facing solid arms and the impact he has, he could be an interesting follow as a still uncommitted junior.

Grant Breaux, RHP, 2024; Catholic BR (La.)
Breaux didn’t have overly great results against a loaded Parkview lineup, but he looks the part of one of the better underclass arms in the region. It’s a long and projectable body with a loose and fast arm, with the arm speed to project much more velocity, and he’s already pitching in the 87-90 range with good life to the fastball. He gets over the front side well on the breaking ball and gets late snap off the fastball plane and overall, the components give him pretty huge upside as everything really clicks over the next year.

 
Eli Tidwell, SS, 2023; Hartselle (Ala.)
Tidwell is one of those established guys in this lineup that really makes it go and he was pretty impressive over the course of the event, hitting up over .400 including a monster bomb that cleared the right-center wall at the Met by a good margin. It’s an athletic profile and the feel to hit stands out while he can make some impressive moves with the lower half to get the barrel out with big intent and let the strength/bat speed go to work on impacting the ball pull side.
 
Josh Hanson, OF, 2024; IMG Academy (Fla.)
Hanson is obviously very established given he’s committed to USC and is ranked in the top 300 in the country, but I think he’s got the components to pop a bit more. He took some really good swings in the late game on the final day and it’s super well-rounded in terms of boxes checked. He’s physical now but has good athleticism, albeit probably in a corner long-term, and it’s a good swing with the bat speed and overall feel to hit that bodes well for the future.
 

High School | Rankings | 6/2/2026

High School Top 50 Update: June 2

Tyler Russo
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With another few weeks in the book of the high school season, we’ve already had state champions crowned with playoffs happening in some northern states. There have been some upsets so there has been a good amount of movement in the National High School Top-50. We have a new number-one this update with Tomball (TX) taking over the top spot and will be playing for a state championship this week. They sport a 42-1 record heading into the title game and have been one of the best teams from start to finish this year. St. John Bosco (CA) has now gone back-to-back with Trinity League and CIF Southern Section titles and take over the No. 2 spot. No. 3 Aledo (TX) continues to win, No. 4 Trinity (KY) has been dominant in Kentucky play and No. 5 Norco (CA) lost the Southern Section title game and had a great year. Magnolia Heights (MS) moves up a few spots to No. 8 after winning their 8th...
Tournaments | Story | 6/4/2026

California Kickoff Scout Notes

Joey Cohen
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Jayce Dejong (‘27, CA) finished 6-for-14 on the weekend which included a big HR in the championship game. Intriguing @PG_Uncommitted player to monitor this summer. #CAKickoff https://t.co/UbuSQxNalf pic.twitter.com/kjVcyiG8km — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 1, 2026 Jayce Dejong (2027, Yorba Linda, Calif). Really strong weekend at the plate, going 6-for-14 with multiple line-drive barrels, including a no-doubt pull-side HR. Medium, lean, athletic frame with room to add. Hits from a wider base from the left side, starts early and consistently gets to launch on time. Loose barrel turn with adjustability and length through the middle, showing the ability to create lift and impact out front. Coming off a strong junior season at Crean Lutheran and should be a priority uncommitted follow this summer. Evan Stroner (2027, Huntington Beach, Calif). Impressive...
Showcase | Story | 6/4/2026

Soph. & Junior National Arrive in Georgia

Hannah Jo Groves
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This weekend will kick off the 2026 PG Junior National Showcase with the Sophomore National Showcase following close behind. Both in Marietta, Georgia, these showcases will feature lots of top-50 talent along with the ever-present potential for lesser-known players to turn heads.  For the Junior National Showcase, starting on June 6, 7 of the top 10-ranked players will attend - No. 2 Colin Anderson, No. 3 Cullen Scott, No. 4 Carter Shouse, No. 6 Aiden Kearney, No. 8 Keelan Zumwalt, No. 8 Landon Bonner and No. 9 Theo Swafford.  Anderson won’t have to travel far to attend, coming from Acworth, Georgia. At last year’s Sophomore National Showcase, he impressed scouts with his calm approach and explosive bat speed. Scott, a right-handed pitcher and third baseman from Melissa, Texas, has shown his arm strength getting up in the 90-mph zone....
Draft | Story | 6/4/2026

Pence Makes the Jump to 2027

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 STANDOUT STRIKER PENCE RECLASSIFIES TO CLASS OF 2027, ACCELERATING PATH TO MLB DRAFT   Corona, California (Thursday, June 4, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that Perfect Game prospect Striker Pence, one of the most watched young prospects in amateur baseball, has officially reclassified from the Class of 2028 to the Class of 2027, making the 17-year-old eligible for the 2027 Major League Baseball Draft. Pence is currently the #2 ranked player on Perfect Game’s national rankings and the top-ranked right-handed pitcher. Pence, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitting first...
Tournaments | Story | 6/3/2026

Gulf Coast Classic Kicks Off

Alyssa Golden
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The 2026 Perfect Game Gulf Coast Classic will bring together teams from across the region this weekend as players in the 14U-16U and 18U divisions take the field looking to capture a championship and make their mark on one of the summer’s premier events. Held in Fort Myers, Florida, the tournament will feature a talented mix of standout programs, nationally ranked prospects and emerging young talent. Swamp Baseball enters the 18U division with one of the most talented rosters in the event. The Cape Coral-based team features three nationally ranked top 500 prospects along with several additional High Follow players. Outfielders Nicholas Raber and Austin Schoolcraft, along with right-handed pitcher Tyler Reeder, are all ranked among Perfect Game’s top 500 prospects nationally. Raber will have the opportunity to compete in his hometown of Fort Myers. The 2026 graduate has shown...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/3/2026

EBC 17U-Griggs Takes Title

Kinley Kitchens
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After a week of dominant performances, timely hitting, and resilient play, EBC 17U-Griggs capped off its run through the 2026 Perfect Game Hoover Invitational with a championship victory Monday, securing the program’s first tournament title of the summer. Despite a lengthy rain delay, EBC never lost focus, relying on contributions throughout the lineup and another strong pitching performance to secure the win. “This being our first [win] of the summer, we have an amazing group right here,” head coach Rodd Griggs said. “Some of the guys I’ve had for years, some of the guys just joined us this summer, but it’s an amazing group.” EBC’s championship performance reflected the depth that carried the club throughout the tournament. Paxton Wright set the tone of the mound, working four innings while allowing just two hits striking out two hitters....
Tournaments | Story | 6/3/2026

AZ Summer Kickoff Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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JJ Utash (‘27, AZ) tripled to both gaps, collecting 3 RBI along the way. Big time strength. Balls jumps off the barrel to all fields. Good runner/athlete too. #HookEm commit #AZKickoff pic.twitter.com/h1SbsSxpMy — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 30, 2026 JJ Utash (2027, Gilbert, Ariz.) is the top-ranked player in the state and showed off why over the weekend. The Texas commit collected five hits, including a pair of doubles and a pair of triples. The mix of power and speed is impressive. The ball jumps off the barrel with ease to all fields. Utash consistently lifts balls with authority, resulting in loud in-game power. The speed on the bases stands out as well. Utash looks to be aggressive and can take extra bags when they present themselves. The tools are some of the loudest in the class and will draw considerable draft interest next July.  Soren...
Tournaments | Story | 6/2/2026

Southeast Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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Southeast Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Auburn commit Brennan Neal (2027, Columbus, Ga.) had a good showing on Sunday on the mound, putting the clean, athletic delivery on display in an inning of work. Neal worked in the 90-93 range with the fastball with plenty of life, and showed some run to it when working to the arm side. Neal also worked in a tight slider in the upper 70s, but also showed confidence in a fading changeup in the mid 80s. Neal also has room to add strength to his lanky frame, which could be big for him to continue to add velocity. South Florida commit Taylor Casson (2026, Atlanta, Ga.) had an impressive showing on the hill with the stuff and results, going 5 innings of no-hit baseball with 10 strikeouts. The fastball worked in the 89-92 range with downhill angle and tail, and was in the zone often. He worked a 3-pitch mix, showing some impressive swing and miss stuff...
Tournaments | Story | 6/2/2026

WWBA South Invite Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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WWBA Scout Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Raylen Hunter (‘30 TX) stays living on the barrel; this one burning the CFer for a double. Just an electric ballplayer. #WWBASouth https://t.co/1LThRBqN80 pic.twitter.com/z5RF5dy47o — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) May 30, 2026 Raylen Hunter (2030, Cypress, Texas) took home MVP honors for the tournament and helped lead his team to a big championship win. Was a big standout on a loaded Banditos team that steamrolled their way to the championship. He ended the week going 10-16 with a pair of doubles while scoring ten runs atop the lineup. Hunter is a true spark plug who makes consistently hard contact line to line. The swing is short and works to all fields with plenty of twitch and bat speed. Bat to ball plays at an extremely high level as he rarely gets cheated never taking an at-bat off. Once on base, Hunter causes havoc on the base-paths, a...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/2/2026

EC Astros Win Back-And-Forth Thriller

Will Dembo
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In a highly anticipated matchup between two of the nation’s top 17u teams, the East Cobb Astros defeated eXposure National 9-8 in a thrilling extra-inning battle to claim the PG Southeast Elite Championship. The Astros completed the weekend undefeated, opening their summer season with a hard-fought, statement victory. “I mean, it's fun, it's been a grind today,” said Astros Head Coach, Josh Burress. “Been out here a long day, but our guys are competitors, they come out compete, they want to compete and win, so it's just fun to watch them come out here and not quitting playing to the end... so the guys did very well today, and they competed all the way through.” eXposure began the opening frame by taking the early lead on an error but quickly gave their lead away as the Astros came out of the gates hot, plating six runs in just the first inning. Mason Peek,...
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