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2,494 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 12/6/2024

College Fall Report: UNCW

Photo: Tanner Thach (UNCW Athletics)
Players Mentioned: Tanner Thach, Kevin Jones II, Aiden Evans, Brock Wills, Alec DeMartino, Trevor Lucas, Ryker Galaska, Zane Taylor, Connor Marshburn, Trace Baker, Cameron Bagwell, Christopher Morris, Baker Cox, Cyle Phelan, Ty Lawson, Mason Murdock, Aubrey Smith, Cooper Allen

Last Spring: Head coach, Randy Hood, has been a fixture in eastern North Carolina for almost his entire life after starring at South Wayne HS and playing collegiately at Campbell University. He would go on to play a few years professionally before starting his coaching career at his alma mater and then made the move to UNCW where he has been since the fall of 2002. After taking over for legendary coach, Mark Scalf, Hood guided the Seahawks to their second consecutive CAA Tournament championship in 2024. They would win 40-games before going (1-2) in the Athens Regional where they shutout Georgia Tech in Game 1.



Carrying Tool for 2025: Hood has long been revered for his ability to get the most out of his players and consistently mold his club into an offensive juggernaut. He blends athleticism and speed as bookends to his lineup and usually can do damage in the middle with plenty of power. The 2025 offense will feature exactly that, and it all revolves around one of the premier left-handed sluggers in the nation in Tanner Thach. The junior is an imposing 6-4/220 and carries a career slash line of .308/.626/.383 with 22 doubles, 42 home runs and 143 RBIs in his career thus far. With five other returning starters supporting Thach, this will be another potent offense. Senior, Bryan Arendt returns behind the dish with 127 career games played and is an elite defender, while slick fielding Kevin Jones II returns at shortstop. Last year, Aiden Evans elevated his batting average by almost 100 points from his freshman campaign and junior infielder Brock Wills is a grinder who does the little things to put his club on the scoreboard. Alec DeMartino has started 111 games in the last two years and will provide some of that pop in the middle of the lineup with 17 career home runs. JUCO transfer, Trevor Lucas, brings a blend of power and speed and should lock down the hot corner and UNC transfer, Ryker Galaska, is showing promise with the stick and could land in center field.

Concerns for 2025: The pitching staff has some questions to answer and will need to figure out the rotation in the non-conference segment of the season. The anchor of the rotation will be senior, RHP Zane Taylor who has made 42 career starts and is the consummate pitcher. He pounds the zone with three quality offerings and reports have his velocity trending upwards, grabbing the mid-90s with his fastball. Outside of Taylor, there are a couple returners who should garner attention for the rotation in 6-6/230 sophomore righty Connor Marshburn and junior Trace Baker. Marshburn works downhill with his sinker/slider combo both with above average traits, while Baker shows more of a power repertoire with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and a well tunneled slider to go with it. Cam Bagwell, a 6-5 freshman RHP had a lot of heat in to see him last spring but made it to school and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he works his way into the rotation in the latter part of the season. His fastball already rides comfortably in the low-90s, and he shows feel for a tight two-plane breaker that misses barrels often. If senior, DII transfer, Khris Morris can duplicate his success from last year then he could give the Seahawks real depth in the rotation.

Two senior lefties will lead the way for the bullpen in Baker Cox and Cyle Phelan. They both proved their worth last season and have the flare for getting outs in high leverage situations. Phelan has also stepped into the rotation when needed, garnering 18 starts throughout his time in Wilmington. Juniors Ty Lawson and Mason Murdock with sophomores Aubrey Smith and Cooper Allen are all sturdy righties with 90 mph fastballs and quality breaking balls to go with it that will give Randy Hood plenty of options to finish a game.

Season Outlook: The Seahawks have put together an extremely difficult early season schedule with two games against UGA, a road series at Southern Miss and a home series against Charlotte. On top of that, most of their midweek competitions will be against Power-5 in-state programs. This is all a part of the process that Hood uses to get his club ready for the CAA gauntlet. So, as usual, we should expect UNCW to compete for the regular season title and find itself comfortably in the Field of 64 come June.

College | Story | 7/7/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 7 Summer Edition

John Coppolella
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It’s an exciting time for College Baseball. Not only do potential and proposed changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) elevate the game, but we are coming off a thrilling College World Series and less than a week away from Major League Baseball’s 2026 Amateur Draft. In the middle of it all is the Cape Cod Baseball League.  The amateur players on the Cape are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th  through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and...
Tournaments | Story | 7/7/2026

Two Day Rewind at 15u National Elite

Kinley Kitchens
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Two days into the 2026 Perfect Game 15U National Elite Championship, the storylines are already beginning to take shape. As one of the summer’s premier invite-only events, the tournament annually brings together many of the nation’s top 15U clubs, with 100 elite teams traveling to Hoover in pursuit of a championship. While there is still plenty of baseball left to play, the opening rounds have already produced breakout performances, dominant team victories, and plenty of excitement heading into bracket play. Several nationally recognized organizations entered the week as favorites, including MTBA Dawgs, ranked No. 3 nationally, Wildcatters Baseball at No. 10, and 5 Star Mafia, ranked No. 12. Meanwhile, newer programs like Jason Kidd Select Team have quickly shown they are capable of making noise against the nation’s best. One of the biggest storylines through the first...
Tournaments | Story | 7/7/2026

15u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Troy Sutherland
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Tristan Barton (‘29, TX) has struck out three over three scoreless innings of work, getting a lively FB up to 89. Mixed in a sharp vt CB w/ late bite. Operates from a projectable RH frame w/ length + room to fill. #NatElite @Texas_PG pic.twitter.com/LXfkLOtxdo — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 5, 2026 Tristan Barton (’29, Gunter, TX) turned in a strong start on Sunday, lasting four innings of one run ball, striking out four. Barton operates from a bigger lengthy right-handed frame with considerable room to fill. He starts with a mid-body handset before working to the belt and into a high compact leg lift. Barton fires down via a compact arm action and high three quarters slot. The Texas native got a run/ride fastball up to 89, living in the mid-80s throughout the outing. He mixed in a sharp 12-6 curveball with vertical depth and late bite. Jack Graviss...
Tournaments | Story | 7/7/2026

16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1

Jason Phillips
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Nolan Ash (2028, Ashland, Mo.) showed off the power upside for Natty State 2028. The right-handed hitter starts from a spread stance with in-line feet and a high handset with a high back elbow, utilizes a leg lift stride. Creates separation and uses a direct hand path with a slightly uphill bat plane and some feel to generate lift from the lower half. Quick hands and stays in-sync with a rotational lower half and solid bat speed. Showed the power belting a solo bomb over the left field fence. Long and lean 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame with wiry strength present and more room to fill. The shortstop has a high ceiling and feel for the barrel. Colton Dodds (2028, Columbia, Mo.) showed off the barrel feel and power upside for Natty State 2028. The right-handed hitter starts from a wide base with in-line feet and a high handset with a high back elbow, utilizes a no stride trigger. Direct hands...
Tournaments | Story | 7/6/2026

16u WWBA Rolls Into Marietta

Will Dembo
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More than 300 of the nation’s top 16u teams will meet in East Cobb, Georgia this week as the 16u WWBA Championship gets underway. Over 50 ranked teams from across the country will compete for one of the most prestigious titles in travel baseball, drawing scouts and fans from all over. Pool play will commence on Monday, July 6th with the championship game set for July 13th at the storied East Cobb Baseball Complex. Canes National 16u will hold honors of being the top ranked team entering the event as they have earned a No. 2 national ranking following a dominant 17-2-1 start to their season. The highly touted program is home to many of the top ranked prospects from the 2028 class including talented two-way athlete, Grant Arnold (No. 12 overall) who lives in the 90’s from the mound as well as middle infielder, Bryan Mesa (No. 14 overall) who will draw lots of attention this...
College | Story | 7/6/2026

USA Collegiate National Team: Stars

Craig Cozart
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Quick Hits  Each year at the end of June and beginning of July, top collegiate baseball talent from around the nation arrives in Cary, NC at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.  Typically, the rosters are filled with top underclass, non-draft-eligible talent but this year, we will see a sprinkling of upper-classmen as the coaches evaluate just under 60 players to get to their final 28 roster spots.  For a total of two weeks, the Stars Squad and the Stripes Squad will compete against outside competition in North Carolina as well as Virginia before finishing their slate with 5-games against each other at the NTC Complex.  Once the final roster has been announced the team will depart for Taiwan to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Championships, July 11-15.    CNT Stars Position Players  Anthony Pack Jr.  FR / OF / University of Texas ...
Draft | Mock Draft | 7/6/2026

MLB Mock Draft: 4.0

Tyler Henninger
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MLB Draft: Top 500 Update Pick Team Name Pos. School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 3 Minnesota Twins Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 4 San Francisco Giants Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 8 Athletics Chris Hacopian SS Texas A&M 9 Atlanta Braves Ryder Helfrick C Arkansas 10 Colorado Rockies Tyler Bell* SS Kentucky 11 Washington Nationals Jared Grindlinger LHP/OF Huntington Beach 12 Los Angeles Angels Cameron Flukey RHP Coastal Carolina 13 St. Louis Cardinals AJ Gracia OF Virginia 14 Miami Marlins Derek Curiel OF LSU 15 Arizona Diamondbacks Gio Rojas LHP Marjory Stoneman Douglas 16 Texas Rangers Liam Peterson RHP Florida 17 Houston Astros Justin Lebron SS Alabama 18...
Tournaments | Story | 7/5/2026

13u World Series Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Michael Wedgeworth (2030, Flomaton, AL) had put the two way ability on full display so far this week, dominating from both sides. On the mound Wedgeworth ran the fastball up to 84 (81-83) with ease to the delivery. Broke off a couple nasty curveballs that induced swing and miss, as well as freezing hitters for punch outs. Collected six in his four inning complete game. He also would not be denied at the plate going 3-5 in the first two days with two doubles. Very intriguing young player as the body continues to grow.  Tyler Bellush (2031, Summerville, SC) is a sure handed shortstop for the Canes Nation squad. Swings it from the left side of the plate and the barrel accuracy has really stuck out thus far. 3-4 through the first couple days with a double and two triples, Bellush has also walked twice and collected 3 RBI along the way. Yesterday against USA Prime with the bases loaded,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/4/2026

16u WWBA North Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Oliver Lindstrom (2028, Green Bay, WI) created some of the loudest offensive moments of the weekend while producing across the board, finishing with six hits, eight RBI, and a home run. The right-handed hitter showed the ability to stay through the baseball and drive it with authority. Creates quality leverage through the lower half while arriving in strong hitting positions early, allowing the barrel to work with intent through the zone. The blend of power, athleticism, and all-fields impact stood out throughout the event.  Dominic Haigh (2028, South Bend, IN) was one of the most productive hitters at the event, collecting 10 hits while consistently creating pressure on opposing defenses. Made life difficult on pitchers with a relentless approach, routinely extending at-bats and forcing them to work deep into counts. The operation remains simple and efficient, featuring an early...
Tournaments | Story | 7/4/2026

West Region Rankings Risers: Class of 2028

Joey Cohen
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After a heavy stretch of early summer looks, our scouting staff felt confident rolling out an updated ‘28 national ranking a couple weeks ago. The evaluation window was packed whether it was with our Memorial Day and Summer Kickoff tournaments, UBC action, Sunshine Showcases, and of course the Junior National Showcase which all provided a deep and diverse look at the class against strong competition. Between fresh game evaluations and updated showcase data, we were able to get a clearer picture of where players stand and more importantly how they’ve progressed. Improvements in strength, athleticism, and overall skill were evident across the board giving our staff real conviction when it came time to shuffle the board. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight a handful of west region prospects who made a strong impression on me this summer and earned a well-deserved jump in...
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