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Tournaments  | Championship | 7/20/2025

5 Star Dominates, Takes Down 14u WS

Jheremy Brown
Elijah McClary
5 Star Mafia Storms to 14U Championship with Dominant 9-1 Win Over Ghost National
SANFORD, FL – In a championship matchup featuring two powerhouse 14U squads, 5 Star Mafia 14U Black delivered a commanding performance to capture the title at one of the most talent-rich youth tournaments of the year. Behind electric pitching and a late offensive surge, 5 Star defeated Ghost National 9-1 Wednesday morning at Boombah Sports Complex, invoking the mercy rule after six innings.

The first two innings were a tightly contested duel, with both teams scoreless until Ghost National scratched across the game’s first run in the top of the third. But the early 1-0 lead would be short-lived. In the bottom half of the frame, 5 Star Mafia responded with plating three runs to gain the momentum. The game then settled into another brief stalemate through the fourth and fifth innings.



But in the bottom of the sixth, 5 Star Mafia delivered the knockout blow. Fueled by discipline at the plate, they exploded for six runs—capitalizing on six walks and a pair of singles—to seal the 9-1 victory via the 8-run mercy rule.

On the mound, it was a two-headed monster for 5 Star. Cole Christian (2029, NC) set the tone early, allowing just 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 7 batters across 4.0 innings. Working consistently in the 81-84 mph range and mixing in a sharp 69-mph curveball, Christian lived up to his billing as a Top 100 player in the nation—ranked No. 51 overall by Perfect Game.

He handed the ball to Carter Reddick (2029, NC), who closed the door with 2.0 hitless innings of relief. Reddick struck out two and flashed a fastball in the 79-81 mph range with a 66-mph curve to complement it.

At the plate, Landon Blackard (2029, NC) led the offense, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and continuing to prove why he’s a Perfect Game High Follow talent. Christian also contributed with the bat, going 1-for-3, scoring two runs, and adding 2 RBIs—bringing his tournament average to a scorching .500 through six games.

Henry Numssen (2028, SC) added a 1-for-3 performance with two runs scored and an RBI, while Austin Tack, TJ Coleman, Jahmeer Damon, and Mason Mackay each added RBIs as part of a well-rounded offensive effort that saw seven different players drive in at least one run.

Ghost National was led offensively by James Sanfilippo (2029, NJ), who went 1-for-2 and is now hitting .429 over seven games. Whitton Butler (2029, NC) chipped in a double and scored a run, while Gavin Heil (2029, NJ) went 1-for-2. Minjoon Kim drove in the lone run for Ghost.

On the mound, Braxton Faulkner (2029, NC) put in a strong effort for Ghost National, allowing just 5 hits over 5.0 innings while striking out three. Faulkner’s fastball sat 80-85 mph and was paired with a biting 78-mph curveball.

In a tournament brimming with national-level talent, 5 Star Mafia rose above the rest, closing out their championship run with dominance, depth, and a flair for the big moment.

-Elijah McClary


It was a quick Look for me during the 14u World Series, catching only a handful of slots following the 13u National Showcase, but that still proved to be plenty of time for some players to prove themselves and make noise on the national scene.


Shortstop Josh Sosinov (2029, Marlboro, N.J.) did a little bit of everything over my looks, standing out both in the field and at the plate. And by in the field, I mean he recorded all three outs in a single inning and capped it off with an exclamation point of a play in which he ranged up the middle with a slide, popped and delivered a strike on to first base. With a heater on the bump in the low-80s, the arm certainly plays, and so too does the stick as he finished No. 2 on the top performers list and couldn't seem to miss the barrel if he tried. There's a combination of athleticism, bat speed and barrel control you like to see in a young bat and he collected 4 hits over 2 games worth of looks, including a 3 run double in the playoffs. 


Jacob McCarter (2028, Concord, N.C.) is younger for the 2028 class, hence his inclusion in the 14u World Series, and it makes him all the more interesting given what the young left-hander is already bringing to the mound. Long limbed at 6-foot-3, 165 pounds, McCarter came out attacking hitters in pool play, living comfortably in the low-80s, bumping 84 mph, with good carry through the zone given the extension he's able to generate out front and hitters simply weren't comfortable in the box, something his 7 strikeouts in 3 innings supports. The changeup was one of the better off speed pitches I saw as he maintained both his arm speed and release, turning it over with conviction in the low-70s, again, keeping hitters off balance in the box. 


Perhaps the most impressive arm I saw in my time in Sanford came in the form of right-hander Nathan Jarrett (2029 Whitsett, N.C.) and though he's listed as a primary shortstop, what he brought to the mound was truly eye opening. Over the course of his 5 inning start Jarrett lived comfortably in the 82-84 mph range, it was how he went about attacking hitters and the very real carry he was able to generate on the pitch courtesy of his lower release height. And by that I mean he's able to backspin the ball effectively through the zone, winning those battles at the top of the zone, and allowing that low-80s fastball to play up even higher in the eye of the batter. While he didn't ultimately need much more than his heater, which also induced weak contact on top of his 8 strikeouts, he did show a slider in the low-70s with late biting action from a similar tunnel to that of his fastball. 


Carter Nash (2029, ) entered the event as the top ranked prospect in attendance and he performed like it in my looks, consistently living on the barrel while picking up a handful of hits, including a double to the pull side in the opening round of the playoffs on Tuesday morning. Over the course of his 4 games during thee World Series, Nash picked up 7 hits in 10 at-bats, finishing with a .700/.667/1.567 slash, again showing the top-of-the-class bat speed we've come to know while consistently squaring up baseballs. The bat often gets the headlines for Nash, but his defense in center field is equally impressive as he simply floats to baseballs, covering lots of green in the outfield to shrink the gaps and take away balls that would otherwise be hits for the opposition.


There's not much more to say about right-hander Joshua Pfeffer's (2029, Cypress, Texas) performance at the 14u World Series other than "dominant", or maybe "awesome" if you're looking for another adjective. The byproduct of a low effort, simplistic operation, Pfeffer was able to fill up the zone with a barrage of strikes, working upwards of 82 mph during the course of his complete game shutout, one that saw him carry a no-hit bit into the fifth during the opening round of playoffs on Tuesday. In total he'd go on to strike out 11, getting ahead in the count while using a low-70s breaker to keep hitters off balance. Over the course of 2 appearances, Pfeffer struck out 13 over 9.2 innings, didn't allow a run and scattered just three base hits while walking only three. 

-Jheremy Brown
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Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap
Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
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General | Blog | 2/20/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 63

Ron Wolforth
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Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 62, Part 1 | Part 2 Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls - Part 3  We've made it to Part 3…the final installment of our series on baseball's most misunderstood and debated topics.   In Part 1, we tackled the curveball. The takeaway: the pitch itself isn't what’s dangerous. Decades of awful and ineffective coaching cues, ”snap your wrist," "turn the doorknob”…exacerbated and even in many causes caused some of the problems. Teach it correctly, when the athlete is ready, and it's no riskier than a fastball.  In Part 2, we examined pitch counts. The takeaway: they're a useful tool, but a limited one. Treating a single number as a universal measure of safety ignores everything...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/20/2026

18U PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor

Dave Durbala
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SPRINGFIELD, IL - 2026 Perfect Game Softball Winter Elite Showcase, February 6 - 8, 2026.  Twenty teams rolled into Springfield to showcase their talents in this 18u, four-game guarantee, pool-into-bracket play,  at the newly opened 170,000-square-foot domed facility at Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe. In the Silver Bracket, it was the 09 Midwest Sluggers taking home the championship over the CR Blue Devils 18u National. In the Gold Bracket, a championship game that featured the tournament's top two pitchers, it was the Iowa Dynamite 18u with the win over GTS 15u Elite-Herrick, by a score of  2-1. The tournament, with a mix of committed players, and those young ladies striving for the next level,  was loaded with talent.  Below are some of the players that excelled on the field and made their way onto the tournament’s Top Performers list. Earning...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/19/2026

14U PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor

Erica Beach
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PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor 14U January 17-18, 2026 Springfield, IL   SPRINGFIELD, IL- It may be cold outside, but there was some hot competition going on at the PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor tournament. Six team converged on the Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe and the Texas Glory IL 29 walked away with the hardware after a close 7-6 ballgame. Below we highlight some of the impressive athletes who competed on the weekend.     Lila Rafferty (2029, Leroy, IL) of the Texas Glory IL 29 was an unstoppable force at the plate over the weekend. She showed great tenacity in the box, proving to be one of the most consistent hitters in the tournament. She finished her weekend batting an incredible .750, tallying nine hits and scoring five times. She flashed her speed on multiple occasions, stealing two bases and legging out two doubles and two triples. She came in clutch,...
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High School | General | 2/19/2026

Pacific Northwest All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
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NORTHWEST REGION (WA, OR, ID, WY, AK, MT, HI)    The biggest change in the Northwest Region for 2026 is the addition of Hawaii, which has always been overlooked due to being lumped with California in the former Pacific Region.  This also coincides with an increased Perfect Game presence in the islands in the form of additional events and scouting.  And Hawaii certainly contributed in it’s first year, placing four players on the All-Region team, including slugging 2026 outfielder Judah Ota. The powerhouse Puyallup HS team is the only Northwest Region team to be represented in the PG Pre-Season Top 50 National HS Rankings, beginning the year ranked 26th.  C – Teagan Scott (Sr., South Salem HS, Ore.) Scott has been on the prospect map since he played in the 2023 PG 14U Select Festival and is signed with Oregon State.  A right-handed hitter with lots...
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Showcase | Story | 2/20/2026

PG ID Camps Help Build Baseball Resume

Jim Salisbury
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PG ID Camps Help Youngsters Build a Baseball Resume There was still snow on the ground in a lot of places last weekend, but that didn’t stop more than 200 young players from going indoors to participate in the first round of Perfect Game Select Fest ID Camps for the 2026 season. John McAdams, PG’s national crosschecker and Northeast scouting director, ran the event in Farmingdale, New Jersey, and was impressed with his group’s energy and desire to improve at the game. “We’re giving young players the opportunity to build their baseball resumes and chart their growth and progress over a span of years,” he said. In addition to New Jersey, Select Fest ID Camps were held in Lake St. Louis, Missouri; Rossford, Ohio; Marietta, Georgia; and Kent, Washington. The ID camps debuted in 2025. Twenty-two of them were held around the country with nearly 700 young...
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Draft | Story | 2/19/2026

Then vs. Now: '26 Class Look Back

Tyler Henninger
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One constant across our scouting staff is the volume of in-person looks we get at prospects during their high school years. With assignments at national tournaments and showcases throughout the calendar, we’ve built a deep library of reports and video on many of today’s top college prospects dating back to their prep days. This week, we took a step back to revisit what those players looked like as high school prospects. Which tools stood out? What was missing from the profile at the time? And what, if anything, did we overlook that ultimately helped shape the player they’ve become? Below, we break down 10 players in a “Then and Now” reflection. Justin Lebron (23 FL) finishes off the tournament getting in on the hit parade with a single to the pullside. #PGShowdown #Bama commit pic.twitter.com/C4Irym2ZTR — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 4, 2023...
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High School | General | 2/18/2026

High School Notebook: Feb. 18

Cam McElwaney
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Grady Emerson (‘26 TX) laces this ball to right for a walk off single. Clean lefty stroke. Looks the part both sides of the ball. Checks all the boxes. Will be scouted heavily this Spring. #PGHS #HookEm commit. #PGDraft pic.twitter.com/wXvdHdgqME — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) February 6, 2026 Grady Emerson (2026, Argyle, Texas) had a strong showing throughout the opening week of high school baseball out here in Texas. Works good at-bats and is always a tough out in general. Makes all the plays at short and just has the look of a future big leaguer. He does all the little things right. Bat to ball will play at a high level and there is still a lot more power to project on here. There is a reason why Emerson is one of, if not the most highly coveted high school prospect in the 2026 class and it’s easy to see why. Currently committed to Texas, but has the potential to...
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High School | Rankings | 2/18/2026

Midwest Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Midwest All Region & Top Tools Rk Midwest 2025 Record 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (KS) 27-4 2 Edmond Memorial (OK) 30-8 3 Muskego (WI) 27-10 4 Lawrence Free State (KS) 28-2 5 Mill Valley (KS) 22-6 6 Valley View (AR) 29-5 7 Platte County (MO) 29-8 8 Liberty North (MO) 19-14 9 Millard North (NE) 23-13 10 St. John Vianney (MO) 38-2 11 Owasso (OK) 40-3 12 Olathe East (KS) 22-6 13 Staley (MO) 38-4 14 Shawnee Mission South (KS) 10-11-4 15 Blue Springs South (MO) 27-7 16 Blue Valley (KS) 21-10 17 Edmond Santa Fe (OK) 37-7 18 Skutt Catholic (NE) 24-7 19 Howell (MO) 35-4 20 Olathe West (KS) 25-3 21 Creighton Prep (NE) 16-15 22 Rogers (AR) 26-4 23 Fayetteville (AR) 26-7 24 Blue Valley West (KS) 17-10 25 Cretin Derham Hall (MN) 19-5-1
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/18/2026

PG Softball Winter One Day Tournament

Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game Softball Winter One Day Tournament, February 15, 2026. Twelve teams, split between the 16u and 18u divisions, participated in this event.  With two pool games, and then a move into single elimination bracket play,  some players used this tournament as  their last warm-up before kicking off their high school seasons, while others were tuning up for the busy Spring and Summer travel season. In the 16u division, it was the Iowa Aries 16u Ce Fire Red taking the championship, with Southeast Iowa Allstars 18u Gold Miller earning the crown in the 18u division. Below are write-ups from observations made during the day, as due to a software glitch, there were no stats available to complete a Top Performers list. 16U Division  Earning the MV-Pitcher Award, as selected by her coaches, was Aurora Widlund (2029 Altoona, IA) of tournament champion Iowa...
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College | Rankings | 2/18/2026

DIII Rankings: February 18

Nick Herfordt
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Every spring, Division III baseball begins as a wide-open map. Cold mornings turn into long bus rides, non-conference gauntlets test resolve, and by the time the dust settles, only a few teams are still standing with a clear line to the NCAA Division III baseball tournament. The 2026 Perfect Game Division III Baseball Rankings capture that moment before the stretch run, highlighting the programs that have separated themselves through depth, durability, and an ability to win in a variety of ways. These eight teams are not simply piling up wins; they are shaping identities built to survive the grind and thrive when the margins narrow.  The destination is familiar, even if the journey never is. Once again, the final chapter will be written at Classic Park, where timing, composure, and roster balance matter as much as raw talent. The teams ranked here enter 2026 with more than ambition....
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