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All American Game  | Story | 9/8/2025

Big-league wisdom is served at PGAAC

Photo: Mike Sweeney (Perfect Game)
Big-league wisdom is served at PGAAC

SAN DIEGO – For Denard Span, it was a full-circle moment.

Before serving as a coach at the DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic last month, he had not participated in a PG event in 24 years, since he attended a showcase at Tropicana Field as a high school prospect from Tampa Catholic in 2001.



Back then, Span shared a field with future major-league talents Prince Fielder, B.J. Upton, Scott Kazmir and Zack Greinke.

Now, he was at Petco Park working with young phenoms such as Grady Emerson, Jacob Lombard, Malachi Washington and Aiden Ruiz.

“I’m amazed at what PG is doing here, amazed at how the whole operation has grown,” Span said after watching batting practice. “The talent here is incredible. These kids have it all. I’ve been away from the amateur game for a little bit so to come back and see the size of these young guys, the speed, the arm strength, the explosiveness, the athleticism, the ability to hit for power.

“They’re way more advanced than me 20-plus years ago. They’re on another level. These guys are low-key professionals already at 17 and 18 years old.”

Perfect Game brought its top 62 rated players, all 2026 draft eligibles, to San Diego for its 23rd annual Classic.

The guest list also included an All-Star roster of coaches, instructors and ambassadors, guys who had enjoyed successful major-league careers and were eager to help a new generation of talent follow its dreams. Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman managed the West club. Former World Series champ Ryan Klesko managed the East club. The West squad won the game, but competition was only part of the event. https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=23834&src=hmrep

Hitters benefitted from coaching tips provided by former American League MVP Mo Vaughn and All-Stars Mike Sweeney, Phil Nevin and Mark Loretta, as well as Jason Phillips and Span, a 2002 first-round draft pick who played 11 seasons in the majors. Pitchers were able to tap into the experiences of former All-Star Tom Gordon, 20-game winner Scott Erickson and longtime big-league reliever Todd Coffey.

Sweeney and Nevin were both in uniform for the first time at a PG event. Sweeney works in leadership development for the Kansas City Royals. Nevin works in player development and scouting for the Chicago White Sox. Both were impressed by the talent at the PGAAC.

“You see kids coming into minor-league baseball out of high school at such a young age and yet they’re so developed,” Sweeney said. “You think, ‘Man, how are these kids getting so big and so strong and so athletic so quickly?’ With PG, you get a taste of it right here. These kids are just starting their senior years in high school and they’re hitting the ball like big-leaguers. It’s incredible. The bodies, the skill sets, the bat to ball. PG is putting on a show.”

During batting practice, Sweeney enjoyed talking hitting with infielder Trey Ebel of Rancho Cucamonga, California.

“We talked about some of the life lessons I learned in the cage after games in Wilmington, Delaware, trying to figure it out till 1 in the morning,” Sweeney said. “Back then I was thinking, ‘Am I ever going to get out of A ball?’ Then you figure something out with your swing and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is a little golden nugget that no one ever told me.’ I got to share those golden nuggets with Trey and he’s taking it to the cage to see if it works for him. It’s great to share little nuggets with these guys.”

Nevin was the first overall pick in the 1992 draft out of Cal State Fullerton. He struggled to reach his potential early in his career before becoming one of the game’s top run producers with the San Diego Padres in the early 2000s. Later on, Nevin coached in the majors with the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels. He also managed the Angels. Clearly, he had a wealth of experience to share with the young players.

“Listen,” Nevin said when asked what advice he was most eager to share with players. “Use all the resources around you. It took me a while to realize that people were always there to try to help me. Thankfully, I got another chance to apply those teachings and learnings throughout my career and was able to put together some good years at the end, but it certainly didn’t start off right away like that for me. I wouldn’t want to see these kids not take advantage of the situation and be at their best when they should be.”

Nevin also addressed work habits with players.

“Make sure every rep you take, every swing you take, every throw you make is done with meaning and the purpose of getting better every day,” he said.

And on top of everything …

“Keep it fun,” he said.

That wasn’t a problem for the 62 young men in San Diego. Hoffman, who has a long affiliation with PG, both as an investor and Honorary Chairman of the Classic, renewed a tradition he started years ago when he invited all the players to his beach house for a couple of hours of fun in the sun. Players swam, surfed, tossed footballs and enjoyed a catered lunch from Hodad’s, the famous San Diego burger spot.

“Kids are coming from all over the country for this event, which is great,” Hoffman said. “They all bring a different experience to San Diego. And, so, it’s an opportunity for them to see something that I truly cherish and that’s living close to the water. To be able to give them that opportunity on a mid-summer August day to take their minds off the stresses that surrounds this game, even at their level -- I like to be able to do that.”

The memories stay with the young players forever. Years after participating in the 2015 PGAAC, major leaguer Josh Naylor approached Hoffman at Petco Park and said, “Hey, Mr. Hoffman, I had a blast at your house.”

Back at the ballpark, players ate up advice like they ate up those burgers at Trevor Hoffman’s beach house.

“Stay disciplined, be consistent and have the heart and the grit and the ability to persevere,” Span said. “It’s a difficult game. It can tear you down at times. But if you stay disciplined to the work and stay disciplined to your craft and keep your nose clean, I believe you will put yourself in a position to be successful.”

All American Game | Story | 9/15/2025

PG Athletes Raise Money For Charity

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    PERFECT GAME ATHLETES RAISE MORE THAN $130,000   FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITIES THROUGHOUT AUGUST    Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 15, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its athletes raised a combined $130,195 for children’s charities during its August 2025 showcase events throughout the country.    The fundraising efforts took place at Perfect Game’s Select Festivals and the DICK’S All-American Classic, with each age group rallying behind a cause that supports children in need. The 11U and 12U Select Fests each benefited Elite Development Academy out...
College | Rankings | 4/1/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 1

Nick Herfordt
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Welcome to another week of Perfect Game Small School baseball — and if you're looking for clarity at the top, you've come to the wrong place. Across all three classifications, the No. 1 spot is very much an open question, and nobody is sleeping comfortably right now. In NCAA Division II, Pittsburg State is stumbling at precisely the wrong moment, leaving the door cracked wide open for hungry challengers to come knocking. In the NAIA, defending national champion LSU Shreveport has dropped four straight and suddenly looks far more vulnerable than a program of their pedigree ever expects to be. And in NCAA Division III, the race for the top ranking is less a competition and more a ten-car pileup of elite programs, none of whom have done enough to pull away — and all of whom have done plenty to deserve it. Three classifications, three vacancies at the top, and a whole lot of...
Juco | Story | 4/1/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 1

Troy Sutherland
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Another week of JUCO baseball and another week full of wins for No. 1 ranked Johnson County . The Cavaliers have won 18 games in a row and have swept through the Jayhawk Conference to this point, setting a new school home run record along the way. Walters State returns to the top 5 this week on the strength of a 12-game winning streak. Both McLennan and Pearl River are coming off of undefeated weeks and look like strong top 10 caliber teams, while Midland (now 30-3) continues to climb in the rankings for the third consecutive week. For the first time all year this ranking will feature 4 California schools as Palomar joins Ohlone, Fresno City and Santa Ana in the JUCO rankings. Check back in next week for an update as most of JUCO baseball is now past its halfway point in the 2026 season. RK School Week Overall 1 Johnson County (KS) 4-0 34-2 2 Gaston (NC) 2-1 35-3 3 Walters State (TN) 3-0...
College | Story | 4/1/2026

Collegiate Midseason All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
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Collegiate Midseason Awards * denotes Midseason Award Winner - All-Americans chosen based on statistics, prospect status, future projection, among other factors - Only true freshmen considered for Freshmen All-American teams - All Statistics as of Monday, March 30th First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Vahn Lackey Georgia Tech JR .423 .541 .845 36 41 9 1 10 36 7 1B Quinton Coats Cincinnati SO .360 .441 .896 38 45 8 1 19 46 7 2B Jarren Advincula Georgia Tech JR .411 .489 .563 31 46 2 0 5 30 5 3B Ace Reese Mississippi State JR .330 .417 .661 32 36 12 0 8 37 1 SS Roch Cholowsky UCLA JR .350 .493 .730 39 35 8 0 10 32 1 IF Dee Kennedy Kansas State JR .430 .549 .910 44 43 10 1 12 43 15 OF Will Gasparino UCLA JR .351 .468 .794 31 34 5 1 12 38 1 OF AJ Gracia Virginia JR .350 .504 .650 37 36 7 0 8 24 1 OF Landon Hairston* Arizona State SO .469 .551 1.027 44...
High School | Rankings | 3/31/2026

High School Top 50: March 31

Tyler Russo
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Another pair of weeks has gone by this high school season and with that we have another High School Top-50 Update. Southern states are within a few weeks of the end of the season while some northern states are just getting started this week. Through the end of the spring, we will be bringing you updates to the Top-50 along with state rankings updates coming soon. For the first time in 2026, we have a new #1 in the country as Orange Lutheran (CA) takes over the top spot after winning the NHSI. Venice (FL) came in second place at the NHSI after a thrilling game against Orange Lutheran and comes in at #2. Previous #1 team in the country St. John Bosco (CA) rounds out the top-3 and will have a big showdown against Orange Lutheran starting tonight. Barbe (LA) boasts a 26-1 record and comes in at #4 while Corona (CA) continues to string together wins and holds down the #5 spot in this update....
College | Story | 3/31/2026

PG Collegiate Midseason Awards

Vincent Cervino
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Midseason Awards  Perfect Game Midseason Player of the Year:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The season sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston is putting together is generational, even amongst the Hall of Fame talent Arizona State has fielded over the years.  Hairston, the 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ has his club on track for another postseason appearance and they will make plenty of noise in the Big 12 regular season.  To put things in perspective on Hairston’s season, he is currently 5th in the nation in batting average, 3rd in hits, 8th in hits per game, tied for 2nd in home runs, tied for 5th in runs scored and is 4th in runs batted in so far.  He holds a batting average of .469 while slugging 1.027 and reaching base over half the time with an OBP of .551.  Hairston walks more than he strikes out and has 12 doubles, 17...
Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Roman Keister (2030, Dade City, FL) Could not miss the barrel this weekend tallying 6 hits including 2 triples and 4 RBI. Starts the load early and controls his body well, the up the middle approach really plays in game. Also worked from off the mound for an inning and picked up a punch out.  Colton Russo (2030, Coral Springs, FL) Showed off the power burning outfielders all weekend. 5 hits including two triples that carried over the CF and RF heads. Has a good understanding about using the lower half in the swing and the bat to ball skills really impressed.  Karson Blakney (2030, St. Augustine, FL) Made his impact in a big way this week, collecting the win in the quarterfinals. In his outing he went 5 shutout innings and struck out 5 while only allowing 2 hits. Worked in the mid 70s with the FB and topped out at 78. Also produced on offense driving in 5 RBI on 4 hits. ...
College | Story | 3/31/2026

College Players of the Week: March 31

Vincent Cervino
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March 31st Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The Arizona State Sun Devils (20-8) went (3-2) last week and now sit at No. 18 in our latest Top 25 poll.  They are proving that they are legitimate Big 12 contenders and Landon Hairston is making a strong case for National Player of the Year at the halfway point in the season.  The 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ is putting up such loud numbers that they are almost hard to fathom.  In five games last week, the lefthanded hitter collected 12-hits in 19 Abs, scoring 13 runs on 6 walks, a double, 5 home runs and he drove in 11 runs on his own.  For the season, he has put together a slash line of .468/.991/.553 with 12 doubles, 15 round trippers, 45 RBIs, a 12:18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and he has swiped 8 bags so far.  It has been a special year for the...
College | Rankings | 3/30/2026

College Top 25: March 30

Vincent Cervino
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Well college baseball fans, we are officially at the half-way point of the 2026 season and what an incredible ride it has already been.  While there is some separation at the top as we start to look at programs that could be potential NCAA tournament hosts, things continue to change as clubs revitalize their seasons by winning massive series in league play.  The Top 25 seems to be getting more volatile as we reach the midway point, and the second half is setting up to be something special.  The one thing that will remain the same as it has for a month now, is that the UCLA (25-2) will still be the No. 1 team in the nation.  The Bruins are winners of 19-consecutive games and have started off Big Ten league play by sweeping 4-straight series.  The Texas Longhorns (23-4) hold tight at No. 2 this week after sweeping previous No. 11 Oklahoma (19-8) and sit atop the...
High School | General | 3/27/2026

High School Notebook: March 27

Vincent Cervino
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Hudson December (2027, Woodland Hills, Calif.) showed flashes of his upside despite a somewhat uneven three-inning outing. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-hander struck out three while working through a couple of tough jams, though his command was inconsistent at times. He ran his fastball up to 87 mph on a pair of occasions and generally sat in the 83–85 range. He mixed in an upper-70s slider with varying shape and execution where it was most effective when thrown with proper intent, showing shorter, tighter depth. He also flashed a changeup against a few left-handed hitters. Mechanically, there’s a blend of positives and areas for development. He incorporates his lower half fairly well and moves down the mound with some pace and intent. The arm is quick, though it can be late getting up at times, and his taller finish limits full torso extension through release. With...
Draft | Mock Draft | 3/27/2026

2026 MLB Mock Draft: V 2.0

Tyler Henninger
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The spring season is well underway and the board is starting to take shape. Last week, the draft team put together the Top-300 and this week we take a stab at our first mid-season mock draft. While there still is plenty of time for things to shake out differently, here is how we see things shaping up at this point in the draft cycle.  Pick Team Selection Position School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Justin Lebron SS Alabama 3 Minnesota Twins Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 4 San Francisco Giants Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Ace Reese 3B Mississippi State 8 Athletics Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 9 Atlanta Braves Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 10 Colorado Rockies AJ Gracia OF Virginia 11 Washington Nationals Gio Rojas LHP...
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