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All American Game  | Story | 8/18/2024

PGAA Visits Valencia Newcomer School

Jim Salisbury
PHOENIX, Arizona -- Before balls started flying and mitts started popping at Chase Field, the featured performers from the 22nd annual Perfect Game Dick's All-American Classic boarded a couple of buses and made a 15-minute drive to the Valencia Newcomer School.
 
Sixty-four elite-level baseball prospects beginning their senior year in high school met 125 young elementary-age school children who had recently settled in the United States with their families.
 
The young students came from 20 different countries and 13 different languages were spoken among the group.
 
But this did not create a bonding challenge.
 
No. Not at all.
 
“We all smile in the same language,” Principal Lynette Wegner said.
 
Smiles abounded during PG’s third visit to the school in as many years.
 
In Mrs. Phillips’ classroom, the ballplayers sat at small tables and played Jenga with young students. Bursts of laughter filled the room when the blocks came tumbling down.
 
Just down the way, in Mr. Montoya’s classroom, PG players danced and laughed with a group of young students as a Kidz Bop music video played. Eventually, the dancing stopped as a young boy produced a toy baseball bat and several sponge baseballs. Before you knew it, a full round of batting practice had broken out in the classroom. “Keep your head still,” one of the PG players told a young boy as he took his swings. Mr. Montoya translated that little bit of coaching into Spanish and – boom! – a double off the wall.
 
“That was a lot of fun,” said Dean Moss, an outfielder from Atherton, California and an LSU commit. “These kids are great.”
 
The dedicated staff at the Valencia Newcomer School would agree.
 
“We have the honor to support their first school experience in America,” said Wegner, who helped found the school in 2017. “Many don’t speak English, but don’t let that fool you – they are super smart.”
 
Wegner explained that the staff at Valencia is trained to help children who have been through trauma.
 
“Transitioning from another country can come with a lot of trauma,” she said. “We have families from all over the world, from Congo to Afghanistan and many more. We just got a little Ukrainian kindergartener who actually had to go shelter in place while he was in school just three months ago in his home country. So, he’s had a lot of trauma.
 
“We provide a place for our students to feel safe and comfortable as they learn English. We also teach them some math and science.
 
“They’re just like everyone else. They may have different stories, and they may have different backgrounds, but they’re still children and they’re still learners.”
 
Students at the Valencia Newcomer School stay less than a year. Their progress is evaluated in 15-day increments and they “graduate” to an elementary school in the Alhambra School District when ready.
 
The Arizona Diamondbacks are strong supporters of the Valencia Newcomer School so it seemed like a natural fit for Perfect Game to also lend a hand when the All-American Classic came to town in 2022. 
 
“The work this school does … ,” marveled longtime PG executive vice president/general manager Brad Clement. “It’s a fabulous connection for us.”
 
According to Clement, PG makes a significant financial donation to children’s charities in the Phoenix area, including Make-A-Wish. Players and their families also make donations through various fundraising efforts. The organization has long served children’s charities, financially and with the gift of time.
 
PG senior adviser Clint Hurdle, the former major league player and manager of the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates, loves the yearly trip to the Valencia Newcomer School.
 
“These are kids that need a little hug,” Hurdle said between visits to classrooms. “Not any of us can even fathom what they’re feeling or the circumstances they’ve gone through. It’s just about giving them a hug and helping them through the day with a smile and a laugh.
 
“It’s a joy seeing our kids interact with these young students.”
 
The PG players genuinely had fun during their visit to the Valencia Newcomer School. There were as many smiles on the PG kids’ faces as there were on the faces of the young students. The PG players spent the morning with small groups in classrooms and the gymnasium then everybody got together for lunch in the cafeteria.
 
The learning didn’t stop there.
 
And sometimes, it was the PG kids who were doing the learning.
 
With the help of Google Translate, Omar Serna Jr., a catcher from Pearland, Texas, and an LSU commit, shared a conversation with a young boy from Indonesia.
 
Sean Gamble, an outfielder from Des Moines, Iowa and a Vanderbilt commit, spent time at a table talking with a young student from Rwanda.
 
“We were learning about him,” Gamble said. “He said he was from Africa and this was his first year here. He likes to play soccer. He has two brothers and a sister and they all go here. And he misses home a lot. We asked him what home was like and he said he sees lions all the time. Exciting. It was pretty eye-opening.”
 
Sounds like a successful day for the Perfect Game crew. And no one had even laced up their spikes yet.
 
“I’m just thankful for the partnership with PG and I hope we continue it,” Wegner said. “They’re inspiring, they’re empowering, they’re authentic. We appreciate them for seeing our children for who they are -- little gifts running around ready to share their stories with the world.”
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All American Game | Story | 8/15/2026

A Philly Dream for Steingall
Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Carson Steingall had been to Citizens Bank Park many times over the years. After all, he hails from Nazareth, Pa., about 90 minutes up the road from the home of the Philadelphia Phillies and he counts himself as a big fan of the team. Zack Wheeler is his favorite. Steingall realized a dream when he pitched from the same mound that Wheeler does in Perfect Game’s fourth annual All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors on Friday. The dream got even better when Steingall, a 16-year-old right-hander, was named Most Valuable Pitcher after striking out the side in the third inning of the National team’s 6-1 victory over the American team. “It’s just an honor to be here,” Steingall said after receiving his trophy. “This event is the best of the best. It’s really cool to win something like this.” Steingall, who’ll...
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Showcase | Story | 8/13/2026

PG Honors Pat Gillick With Philly Showcase

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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General | General | 8/13/2026

PG All-Star Game Heads to Philly

Jheremy Brown
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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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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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Draft | Story | 8/11/2026

Realistic Expectations of a 1:1 Pick

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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Press Release | Press Release | 8/11/2026

Perfect Game & Goat'd Come Together

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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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General | General | 8/8/2026

12U Game Time: 8/9/2026 1PM Eastern

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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General | General | 8/8/2026

11U Game Time: 8/8/2026 Noon Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
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Saturday August 8th, 2026 12:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
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Draft | Story | 8/7/2026

2026 MLB Draft Team Reports: NL West

Tyler Henninger
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2026 MLB Draft Team Report Cards: AL West With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL West Arizona Diamondbacks  Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: C Ryder Helfrick (1st rd) | RHP Blake Bryant (CB-A rd) | SS Carson Kerce (2nd rd) | OF Brayden Dowd (3rd rd)  Ryder Helfrick (@RazorbackBSB ) different AB; same result. He goes dead central for a solo 💣 this time. Threw a runner out earlier; 1.98 pop. #PGCollege @PG_Draft https://t.co/kW7wraqExJ pic.twitter.com/SARYKxd0oE — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 14, 2026 The Diamondbacks started their...
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College | Story | 8/7/2026

Cape Cod League Notebook: August 7

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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