THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,619 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,619 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/3/2025

CBA Tackles The 17u WWBA

Hannah Jo Groves
Photo: CBA Marucci (Perfect Game)
CBA Marucci took the 2025 17U WWBA National Championship in dominant fashion - winning 7-2 over USA Prime/Aces National.

MARIETTA, GA - It had been a long week for both teams competing in the Georgia sun - but the tournament’s MVP, CBA’s Eric Zdunek, said his team came into the final game with the right mindset - even though they were considered underdogs coming into the WWBA:

“I think it was our fifth game in two days,” Zdunek said. “But we knew if we had some good energy, we’d be able to pull off a win."



In terms of pressure on the championship game - Jet Berry was locked in, as always.

“I don’t get too nervous before games,” Berry explained. “There’s only pressure when you put it on yourself. We want to win, we want to do good, but at the end of the day, we’re just going out there trying to have fun…I’ve never gotten to play in a big championship game like that. I was kind of stoked to play in it.”

The first run came in for CBA Marucci as Troy Southisene came in on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first.

After a quiet second inning from both teams, Berry advanced to home on a throw during Eric Zdunek’s at-bat. 2 pitches later, Zdunek knocked in a run with a line drive double.

CBA added even more runs in the bottom of the fourth - one coming in on a wild pitch, another advancing on the throw and the final of the frame coming off a run-scoring single from Berry, who went 4-4 in the ‘ship.

“I didn’t want to do too much. I just wanted to hit some fastballs up the middle and be the contact guy,” Berry said. “I was basically sitting fastball every at-bat. Then I got some good swings off. And then my third at-bat, I was sitting fastball, got a curve ball, hit it up the middle and I was just kind of all over the barrel…I was feeling real good, real confident. I don’t know - I was kind of in that mode. I was kind of just going off.”

In the top of the fifth, USA Prime/Aces National showed signs of life. Jalen Moton hit a 2-out, solo home run and Trevor Condon plated a run with a double.

“That’s when our whole team decided, ‘we have to put an end to this. Now. We have to win this game before we give them a chance to come back,’” Zdunek explained.

Leading off in the bottom of the fifth, Zdunek stepped up to the plate and crushed a solo homer off the first pitch he saw - making the score 7-2.

“I knew the pitcher wanted to get ahead and challenge me. So I just looked for my pitch, got my fastball and did what I can…

I was excited. Off the bat, I knew it was gone. I hit that ball so well and then I was pumped up. It’s awesome being able to have a big moment like that on such a big stage,” Zdunek shared.

Through the week, the 17-year-old had 13 hits, 10 runs, 14 runners batted in and 4 home runs.

“It was really just staying locked in every single at-bat,” Zdunek said - explaining the success that led up to his MVP award. “We had 11 games…sometimes it can be hard to be locked in the

whole time. But I was just trying to help my team win… [I] stuck to it, had a lot of confidence, and kind of just did my thing, just trusted my ability and it all worked out really well.”

Beyond the hitting power that CBA displayed, Berry wanted to shout out the pitchers for their work during the tournament.

“Our pitchers really, really carried us through the week. We hit really well, but, man, our pitchers did a great job.”

CBA Marucci’s starter for the ‘ship, right-handed pitcher Caden Dockan, put in 4.2 innings of work in the championship game. Through 79 pitches, he struck out 3, walked 3, allowed 3 hits and 2 earned runs. His fastball stayed in the mid-80s range - topping out at 86 mph - and he mixed in a low-70s slider.

Coming in relief and pitching the last 2.1 innings for CBA was right-hander Chase Hilt. He threw 36 pitches, struck out 2 batters, allowed 2 hits, no earned runs and no walks. He worked in the mid-80s range with his fastball and the mid-70s with his slider.

Berry added that the team’s chemistry is a big part of their success.

“This has been the best club team I have ever played for in my life. [Coaches] Jon Paino, Matt Jervis - they know baseball really heavy, but they really prioritize relationships with the kids…Everybody likes each other. Everybody’s cheering each other on.”

As for what Berry will remember about this tournament, one specific thing came to mind:

“I’m going to remember the dog pile, for sure, the best - and just how much of a grind it was to get there.”
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

Underclass Area Codes: Standout Arms
Joey Cohen
Article Image
Year in and year out when the best young talent from across the country is packed into one national-level event the arms tend to win the week. That feels especially true in today’s amateur game where velocity, pitch design and high-level training in general are being introduced earlier than ever, allowing young pitchers to develop impactful stuff at a faster rate than younger hitters can consistently catch up to it. The Underclass Area Code Games are no exception and this year there was no shortage of arms that made you stop and take notice. Narrowing it down to 10 was difficult, but I focused on the pitchers who either displayed starter-type traits, brought something genuinely different from a delivery standpoint whether it was slot, height, crossfire or deception or simply possessed an outlier element of stuff that separated them from the pack. These are the 10 arms that stood...
Read More
General | General | 9/3/2026

Class of 2029 Rankings Update

Article Image
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 9/3/2026

Iowa City Scouting Showcase 14U &16U Divisions

Dave Durbala
Article Image
IOWA CITY, IA - Perfect Game Softball Iowa City Scouting Showcase, August 29 - 30, 2026. Fifty-Four teams, competing across three divisions in the 14u - 18u age classifications opened up our Fall schedule playing in a five game showcase style format. For the several college coaches in attendance, they were able to get quality looks at numerous uncommitted 27’ and 28’ graduation year class athletes, as well as having the opportunity to watch some of the quality younger athletes as they put their talent on display. Below are write-ups of some of our top performers over the weekend in the 14 & 16u age divisions. 14U DIVISION Josie Moen (2031 Urbandale, IA) is an athletic OF for TN Mojo 2030 Evans. Working from the left side, Moen was nearly unstoppable while showing defenses her slapping abilities. With great barrel awareness and footwork, Moen utilized the bunt, soft slap...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 9/3/2026

Iowa City Scouting Showcase 18U Division

Ashley Mears
Article Image
Perfect Game Iowa City Scouting Showcase August 29-30 Ashley Mears It was a great weekend to kick off the Fall 2026 tournament campaign in Iowa City. The fields were packed with college coaches from across the Midwest, providing a great opportunity for players to showcase their talents. Both hitters and pitchers put on quite a show, and there were plenty of standout performances to take note of. We are excited to continue following these players and see what the rest of the fall has in store! Gillian Hansen (2028 New Brighton, MN) of the 18u MN Force Impact Standering was an absolute force to be reckoned with at the plate this weekend. Hansen possesses a strong, athletic build that translates into impressive power. Standing parallel to the plate, she utilizes her lower half effectively and does an excellent job of staying through the ball and extending through the zone. Hansen led the...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 9/3/2026

PG Launches Global Country Partner Program

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME LAUNCHES NEW GLOBAL COUNTRY PARTNER PROGRAM TO EXPAND INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PATHWAYS   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, September 3, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the launch of its new Country Partner Program, an initiative designed to expand Perfect Game’s international presence while creating new opportunities for aspiring athletes around the world.  Through the Country Partner Program, select organizations will become the exclusive Perfect Game partner within their respective countries through annual licensing agreements. Each Country Partner will be responsible for managing local...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 9/1/2026

PG Hires Nuovo-Golden in South Carolina

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME SOFTBALL EXPANDS REGIONAL TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS WITH KEY HIRE IN SOUTH CAROLINA   Greenville, South Carolina (Monday, August 31, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced an addition to its Southeast tournament operations team with the hiring of Michelle Nuovo-Golden as Operations Director.   In her role, Nuovo-Golden will oversee regional venue management, team relations and event logistics across South Carolina focusing on expanding Perfect Game’s fastpitch footprint within the core markets which include Columbia, Lexington, Greenville, Anderson and the surrounding regions.   Nuovo-Golden transitions to...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 8/28/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The 2026 MLB Draft is official in the books as those players have been signed and have begun their pro career. That means it is time to turn the page and dive into the 2027 class. This class features an intriguing mix of arms both from the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool. Today, we unveil our first 2027 MLB Draft Board, ranking the Top-100 prospects in the class. There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established ones to rise or fall, but here is where things stand as we begin this cycle.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Dylan Seward H SS S-R Norco Eastvale CA Tennessee 2 Brendan Lawson C SS L-R Florida Toronto ON 3 Dax Whitney C RHP R-R Oregon State Blackfoot ID 4 Gavin Kelly C C/UTL R-R West Virginia Presto PA 5 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State Lockport IL 6 Malachi Butler H SS L-R...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/23/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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 East Atlanta Braves  Grade: 55 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF AJ Gracia (1st rd) | OF Carter Beck (PPI) | RHP Kaiden McCarthy (2nd rd) | RHP Jensen Hirschkorn (3rd rd)   OF AJ Gracia (@UVABaseball) is seeing the ball really well & picked up a couple of hits, including a 2B into RCF. Smooth LH stroke & easy impact. Showed + pwr in BP, 46 BB: 36 K. Jr./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/C4rSc0ZNIc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 30, 2026 Atlanta had $15,870,800 to spend in this year’s draft,...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/22/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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. AL East Baltimore Orioles Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF Eric Booth Jr. (1st rd) | OF Ty Head (2nd rd) | OF Kevin Roberts Jr (4th rd)  Eric Booth Jr. (26 MS) goes big fly 💣 that carried out oppo. Explosive athlete w/ huge LH juice & tools. Big time in several facets. #NatElite #Vandy commit. @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/kXl7ZVyD9G — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2025 Baltimore was about middle of the pack in terms of money available this year, having $13.1m to spend on their class. Booth Jr. is a...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/24/2026

Area Code Gams: Prospect Recap

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Pitchers George Ferguson, RHP, Abilene HS  Ferguson toed the slab for the Rangers squad in game one of the Codes, setting the tone early with some loud stuff.  Ferguson attacked hitters with a verty fastball up to 96 that played well up in the zone with up to 24 inches of induced vertical break.  He showed more than just a power arsenal, going to the changeup often, using the pitch to put away hitters.  Kills the spin to the 1600’s, regularly getting 13-15 inches of horizontal break.  The slider rounded out the arsenal, working 82/83.  Struck out four over his three innings of work, two on the fastball, two on the change.  2026 PG All American committed to Texas.  Quinn Fitzpatrick, RHP, Stratford HS  Another 2026 PG All American out of Texas, the LSU commit punched out three over his two innings of work, allowing just one hit. ...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.