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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/30/2023

Not Your Typical Rookie

Olivia Bontempo     
Photo: Rookie Shepard (Perfect Game)
Rouselle "Rookie" Shepard is the No.1-ranked player from the class of 2026, and his performance at the WWBA thus far is a testament to that.

The East Cobb Baseball Complex in Marietta, Georgia, welcomed 368 teams to their facility this week for the WWBA 15U National Championship. Teams from around the country, with top players, have been vying for the 21st coveted WWBA title.



Shepard, playing for the USA Prime National, has been batting right around .643 all the week and has had some solid at-bats, totaling four RBI. On Sunday, Shepard went 3-for-3 at the plate and on Tuesday and Wednesday went 2-for-3 at the plate. On the 25th, against the DPC 2026 National team, Shepard started things off strong with a line drive single to right field. From there, Shepard doubled on a line to left field, scoring teammate Braeden Lipoff and finished off the game with a line drive single to center.

“I have had success so far this weekend,” Shepard said about his trips to the plate. “I just really try to keep it simple at the plate. Try not to overthink and just stay within my approach. Stay within myself and not try to do too much and try to help the team out as much as I can.”


The No.1 ranked player has seen and experienced plenty of Perfect Games highly scouted events. In 2020 Shepard was invited alongside other top players from his class to the 12U Select Festival. He was then invited again to the 13U and 14U Select Festivals in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

“Those events are definitely a blast. You definitely never forget those.” Shepard said. “The guys that are there, the elite competition, the coaches with the MLB experience that they have gotten, and just learning from them and different guys and getting myself better as well. With that competition, you want to be around that as much as you can, so it has definitely helped throughout this process for sure.”

These events help set young players on a path to developing their skills at a highly competitive level. By participating in the Select Fests, players can gain the exposure to college and MLB scouts early to help kick start their journey to the next level.
 

Now a rising sophomore in high school, Shepard has a few more high school and summer seasons left in him before he heads to the University of Miami in 2026. He hopes to continue to develop his tools both in high school and at the collegiate level.

“I'm always trying to develop no matter what, even when I get to college,” Shepard, the Miami commit said. “I can always continue to look forward to my development; hitting, running, throwing, every tool in my game I can always get better at and improve on.”

Shepard and the Prime now await the winner of game 996, as they advance to the Round of 16 at the WWBA National Championship.
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