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Tournaments  | Story | 10/16/2024

Jupiter: A 10 Year Look Back

The EvoShield Canes

Ten years ago, the big story at the WWBA World Championships was the EvoShield Canes. The Canes were on an unprecedented winning streak as an organization. They had won the 2013 WWBA World Championship, along with the 2013 PG 17U World Series and 2013 and 2014 WWBA 17U and 16U National Championships.



Dating back to 2000, no team had ever won two straight Jupiter championships. The Canes, of course, did go on to win the 2014 WWBA World Championship, beating the Orlando Scorpions 8-2 in the championship game to finish off a perfect 8-0 tournament run. They then went on to win the 2015 WWBA World Championship as well, along with seeing their junior based team, Canes Prospects, win Jupiter in 2017, completing a run of four out of five years for the Jeff Petty-ran organization. Only the Dirtbags in 2016 interrupted the Canes’ championship streak.

The key to the Canes dominance seemingly was that they assembled deeper pitching staffs than any other team, especially pitching staffs full of strike throwers. In tournaments like Jupiter, where a team has to win eight games in five days, pitching is almost always the key and the Canes usually had the deepest staff at any major event in that era.

But were the Canes really that much better as a roster than their top competitors? We took a look at their 2014 Jupiter roster compared to that of the runner-up Scorpions and there really wasn’t much of a difference; if anything, the Scorpions had a talent advantage.

The Canes had nine players ranked in the PG Top 100 in the 2015 class and 15 ranked in the PG Top 200. The Scorpions had eight players ranked in the PG Top 100 and 13 ranked in the PG Top 200.

But a closer look at the rosters reveals a significant tilt to the Scorpions in the most talented players.

Only three Canes players were 2014 PG All-Americans: Right-handed pitchers Ashe Russell and Beau Burrows and outfielder Ryan Johnson. The Scorpions featured seven 2014 PG All-Americans: Shortstop Brendan Rodgers (the #1 prospect in the 2015 class), right-handed pitcher Tyler Baum, outfielders Nick Plummer, Kep Brown and Carlos A Cortes, catcher Nick Fortes and third baseman Drew Mendoza.

Only one Canes player has gone on to play Major League Baseball; left-handed pitcher Logan Allen. On the other hand, six Scorpions players have seen big league time; Rogers, Fortes, Plummer, right-handed pitchers Cole Sands and Bowden Francis and left-handed pitcher Tyler Holton.

Regardless of the present and future talent on those two respective rosters, plus the rosters of many other talented teams, there was no question that during the mid-2010’s there was a different aura and mystique surrounding the EvoShield Canes. They pulled up to fields in their huge and gleaming Canes bus, largely intimidated opponents on the field and usually emerged with the championship rings.

Other 2014 Jupiter Highlights

Canes catcher Brad Debo won the Most Valuable Player award, driving in seven runs in four playoff games, including four in the championship game with a pair of doubles, after a quiet performance in pool play.

Scorpions left-handed pitcher Tyler Holton, now with the Detroit Tigers, won the Most Valuable Pitcher award by throwing 10 scoreless innings, allowing only 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 13 hitters.

2014 was before the explosion in pitching velocities and only a small handful of pitchers topped 93 mph. The late Donny Everett and future MLB hurler Nick Neidert claimed the top velocity at 96 mph. Some other notables included future 100+ arm Jordan Hicks (93 mph in Jupiter), Brady Singer (92) and Ian Anderson, Casey Mize, Braxton Garrett and Bowden Francis, all at 91 mph.

Two years ago in our look back at the 2012 WWBA World Championships, we noted left-hander Ethan Small, the future big leaguer who topped out at only 81 mph as a sophomore. As a senior in 2014, Small threw a complete game shutout, striking out 13 hitters while topping out at 93 mph.

The top offensive performance of the championship could be claimed by either Cardinals Scout Team outfielder Jason Heinrich or 2015 PG All-American third baseman Joe Rizzo. Heinrich, who was a fifth round pick of the Orioles in the 2015 draft and the 105th ranked player in the 2015 class, hit 8-16 with two doubles, two triples and two home runs. Rizzo, who notably didn’t make the Canes top team and starred for Team EvoShield, collected a tournament-high 10 hits in 17 at-bats while driving in five runs and scoring six. Rizzo went on to be a second round pick by the Mariners in 2016 and played seven years in the minors, topping out at AAA.

Not surprisingly in retrospect, the top exit velocity was registered by current Indians first baseman Josh Naylor at 107.9 mph.
 

Tournaments | Story | 12/10/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2026

Tyler Henninger
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The Class of 2026 is one of the deeper prep classes that we have seen in a couple of years. With that being said, there is plenty of talent on the defensive side. Let’s take a look at some of the best defenders in the class.  C: Will Brick, Christian Brothers HS (Memphis, TN) Brick is a newcomer to the class after reclassifying, but immediately became the top backstop. Extremely advanced actions are shown behind the dish with impressive athleticism to go with it. Brick showcases big time arm strength and is consistently accurate on throw downs. He can make playing the position look extremely easy at times. Brick possesses all the defensive tools needed to be a premier catcher.  1B: AJ Curry, University City HS (San Diego, CA) Curry has a bigger and stronger frame with good strength throughout. He has a well-proportioned build that serves him well on the dirt. He’s...
Press Release | Press Release | 12/11/2025

PG Believe In Baseball Announces Awards Dinner

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   THE PERFECT GAME BELIEVE IN BASEBALL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR FIRST ANNUAL “IN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME” AWARDS DINNER AND AUCTION   Los Angeles, California (Thursday, December 11, 2025) – The Perfect Game Believe in Baseball Foundation, together with Perfect Game leadership of Chairman Rick Thurman and CEO Rob Ponger, has announced the inaugural “In the Spirit of the Game” event, an evening of baseball and laughter, taking place Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the iconic Laugh Factory in Hollywood, Calif. The evening supports the Foundation’s mission to provide financial assistance and resources that allow deserving young athletes to play, learn and grow through the...
Tournaments | Story | 12/10/2025

Scout Stories: Part 3

Tyler Kotila
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Best Game I Saw: The 17u Ultimate Baseball Championship featured a thrilling matchup between the ZT National Prospects and the Trosky Brewers 2026, with the winner claiming the trophy. Both teams showcased their talent, boasting a combined 15 players committed to Division I programs. In a back-and-forth contest that highlighted standout pitching against potent lineups, ZT National ultimately held off a late comeback to secure a 5-4 victory. Justin Lopez shone for ZT National with three hits and two RBIs, while University of North Carolina commit William Myhand added two hits and two runs batted in. On the Trosky side, UCSB commit Noah Dabela kept his team competitive with an impressive performance out of the bullpen, tossing 2 and 2/3 scoreless innings. However, time ran out with ZT on top. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Noah Jarolimek delivered an outstanding performance at the 14U...
Draft | Story | 12/10/2025

PG Draft: Post-Lottery Draft Targets

Tyler Kotila
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On Tuesday night, the MLB Draft Lottery took place, and the draft order has officially been set for July. With draft slots finalized, teams can now begin narrowing in on the prospects most likely to be available when they are on the clock. From polished college players to high-upside preps, several potential targets are already emerging as ideal fits based on past draft philosophy and finalized draft position. Let’s take a look at potential targets for the six teams that were awarded a lottery pick.  1. Chicago White Sox Potential Targets:  -Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA -Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (Tex.) -Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.) The White Sox took home the top spot at the MLB Draft Lottery, staying true to their spot, with the highest odds to earn the first-overall draft pick amongst lottery-eligible teams this year. This will only...
Tournaments | Story | 12/9/2025

Scout Stories: Part 2

Kyler Peterson
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Scout Notes: Part 1 Best Game I Saw: '27 OF Finnian O'Loughlin (NJ) singled oppo & came up big to walk it off w/ a 2B in B7 to complete the comeback victory. Good pwr projection & been hitting the ball hard w/ regularity. @PG_Uncommitted #UBCEast @PGMidAtlantic @TheCanesBB pic.twitter.com/wm4yrDp4SF — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 18, 2025 The first game that I saw this year was probably at 16U UBC- East down in West Palm Beach, Florida when Wow Factor National and Canes National faced off in an afternoon match. Both lineups were absolutely loaded up and down, but it was the pitching performances that really stood out. Both starters, Texas commit Grant Sperandio (Wow Factor) and Tennessee commit Brady Buenik (Canes) came out pumping octane, each touching 94. They both held that velocity and Sperandio neutralized the opposing order with high level stuff, holding the...
Tournaments | Story | 12/8/2025

Scout Stories: Part 1

Steve Fiorindo
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Best Game I Saw:  Feel like I may put this every year (don’t fact check me), but the PG All American Classic is always up there, I’m sure I could pick a game where I saw Seth Hernandez shove for Corona here too, but the All American Classic is always just loaded with talent and it pretty well wraps up a long summer of baseball.  Being back at Petco Park makes it even more special as it’s simply one of my favorite venues to watch a game, and seeing a group of the top high school players in the country in that yard is simply awesome.  And to have the West squad win, just makes it that much better (Yes, I’m a left coast homer).  The Underclass All Star Game kicking things off has made the event even better the last few years, and gave us a taste of what to look forward to down the road.  I’m sure Kinon Bastian will have numerous big...
College | Recruiting | 12/8/2025

The State of Recruiting in the Northeast

Ryan Miller
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Cold weather states face unique obstacles when producing baseball talent and none persevere better than those in the Northeast. States such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, among others have annually funneled high-level recruits throughout the country to college baseball’s premier destinations. New England has specifically made a name for themselves, in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and occasionally Vermont or New Hampshire. Below, we look at the programs who annually land top talent from the East Coast, showcasing the vast spectrum of area competitors.   Top ACC Bidders Maintain Grasp on the Northeast    An extended look at '27 RHP Enmanuel Acevedo (NY)... @PG_Uncommitted #WWBAWorlds @PGMidAtlantic https://t.co/8uH6Lg95OL pic.twitter.com/vpQdG0G7qI — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 21, 2025 Duke and Virginia will be tied to the hip for the...
College | Story | 12/5/2025

College Notebook: December 5

Craig Cozart
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Memphis Tigers 2025 Highlights: Head coach Matt Riser began to put his stamp on the program in his first year as skipper after leaving Southeastern Louisiana where he won over 300 games in 10 seasons. He is a proven winner and while they took their lumps at times last year, they did beat Ole Miss at home for the first time since 2001 and achieved their first conference road sweep in over a decade at Rice. Under his direction there was a significant uptick in offensive production as they slugged 68 home runs (fifth most in program history) and walked 284 times (third most in program history). They also saw massive improvements on the mound, putting together a sound rotation and the back end of the bullpen was excellent securing 16 saves. Ultimately, they would miss the American Athletic Conference tournament, but the foundation is in place for 2026 to be one of the best in recent history....
General | Blog | 12/5/2025

Down on the Farm: NL West

David Rawnsley
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It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature.  We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.  Some of them might be high profile, high draft pick, ex-PG All-American talents who fans have been long familiar with.  Others might be more obscure prospects who have significantly improved either in college or as professionals.  Note that players who have used up their rookie eligibility are not considered. The idea isn’t to necessarily pick the best PG background prospect in each organization but the one who might be closest to the big leagues.  Sometimes that is the same player, other times not. And there is plenty of variation among organizations...
Draft | Story | 12/4/2025

PG All-Americans: Where are they now?

Tyler Kotila
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PG All-Americans - Where are they now? Every year, Perfect Game hosts its All-American Classic, one of the most prestigious honors for high school players across the country. It’s a storied event with 23 years of rich history — between the countless big leaguers who have gone on to produce incredible big-league careers, to future World Series champions, and players from more recent years who still have a whole road ahead of themselves. This week, our PG Draft Team has decided to take a look back at the history of this event over the years. Our scouts on the draft team went through and selected a PG All-American Classic from the past to discuss across three different eras. Over its 23-year history, we have divided it into three eras: the 2000s, the 2010s, and the 2020s. Our Scouts take a look at some of the noteworthy performers from the years they chose, and give a little...
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