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Tournaments  | Championship | 9/30/2025

Canes Stay Hot, Win WWBA Sophomore

Photo: Canes National (Perfect Game)
Canes National 16U took the shut-out, run-rule victory over SBA Bolts National 2028, going up 8 runs in six innings. 

It was balmy in JetBlue Park’s stadium as players, coaches, parents and friends packed in to watch the culmination of an action-packed tournament. 

The Canes were able to get 4 runs across in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on walks and errors to plate as many as possible.



With two outs and the bases loaded, Graham Virag blasted a single to center to bring another two runs in - making the score 5-0 to really spring the Canes ahead. This was Virag’s first tournament with this already established Canes team.

“I was a little nervous, but once I settled in, I just simplified it and swung as hard as I could and found a barrel,” Virag said.

Robert Mascia plated an additional run on a line drive to right field to make the score 6-0 at the end of the first.

The next few innings, SBA attempted to get on the board, but the Canes defense was lights-out - turning double plays and making it look easy. 

On the mound for the Canes was right-hander Nolan Slaymaker. Through 4 innings of work, he struck out 4 batters using a fastball that sat in the high-80s range, but topped out at 91 and also mixing in a mid-70s slider and changeup.

“I was trying to just do whatever I could to help my team out. Just fill up the zone, get outs as quick as possible,” Slaymaker said. 

The SBA defense showed its strength in the middle innings, not allowing any runs.

However, in the bottom of the fifth, the Canes finally brought in a run off a fielder’s choice.

Then, in the sixth, with one on and two outs, Isaias Torres called “game” as he lined one to right field, bringing Grant Arnold in as the game’s final run.

“It was 3-0, and Coach gave me the green light,” Torres laughed. “I was ready for a fastball, found it and hit it well. It felt great. [It’s been a] long tournament. Our team played well. Our team played hard. We’re all exhausted out here.”

The fatigue was understandable, as the players were on the field in the heat of the day. Though everyone was glad for no weather delays, there was only occasional cloud cover to shield everyone from the beating sun. 

“I actually brought a big ice bucket for the team,” Virag said. “We’d stick our hands in it, put it on our heads, put our heads in it. It actually kept us in the game - cooled us down.”

Arnold, who crossed the plate as his team’s tournament-winning run, also won MVP for the event, with 9 hits, 6 stolen bases, 2 home runs, and 13 runners batted in. 

“In the beginning of the week, it was just hitting a lot of fastballs,” Arnold said, explaining what led up to him winning the award. “But towards the end of the week, it was just taking a lot of pitches and getting on base a lot.”

As to who has helped him improve recently, Arnold gave credit to two individuals specifically:

“I’d say definitely my dad. He’s always helped me with everything. Then, I’d say my hitting coach Leo, because I’ve been working with him a lot.”

However, it didn’t seem like the MVP award was the most memorable part for Arnold. When asked what would stick with him, he said:

“Definitely the championship. That’s the most important part for me. I just love winning. Losing makes me angry…it feels like we’ve been waiting for this one for a while.”

The team’s encouraging, fun dynamic was easy to feel throughout the tournament - especially as they showered each other with any ice, gatorade, or water they could find after their win. 

Their head coach, Brian Hucks, commended the boys’ strong sense of unity.

“We’ve got players from all over the country and to see how close they are and how much they pull for each other - it’s really something special,” Hucks said. “The Canes culture, I think, is what separates us from everybody else. And these guys love one another and they pull for one another.”

“I’ll remember how the dugout was a blast,” Torres smiled. “Everyone was hyped and everyone had good chemistry.”

“All these boys, I just met them,” Virag said. “It feels like I’ve known them forever. It’s a lot of fun being with these guys and it makes the game easier for me.”

“We all have this inside joke,” Slaymaker smiled. “It’s really funny. I’m not going to talk about it, but we just have a great time in here.”

Beyond the fun memories in the Canes’ dugout, Hucks said this win meant a lot to him and the program.

“SBA is an incredible program and they’ve got so many good players,” Hucks said. “But we feel like we deserve to be the best team in the country. We’ve been close so many times, and I’m just glad they finally found a way to get it done.”
 

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. ...
Draft | Mock Draft | 4/3/2026

PG Staff Mock Draft

Jheremy Brown
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Welcome to another Perfect Game Mock Draft. This is not your typical mock draft as it features 15 different GMs drafting the first two rounds of the draft. Each member of the mock draft was assigned two teams and as such will be drafting all of the picks in the first two rounds for each responsible team. The actual draft order will be presented below and we will dive into how teams made their selections and how they feel about the players drafted. It is important to note that this is not how we think the draft will play out in almost any capacity. This is simply an exercise 4 months ahead of time with a large portion of the scouting staff and some picks fall under personal favorites, best available, and a multitude of other factors. Chicago White Sox 1:1 Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA | 1:41 Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame The White Sox don’t overthink here and select Roch Cholowsky, who has...
High School | General | 4/2/2026

High School Notebook: April 2

Steve Fiorindo
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Lennex Minor (‘28 CA) absolutely destroys this offering to the PS for a 2-run shot. 2-4 on the day w/ 4 driven in. Athletic in the box w/ a quick stroke and strength throughout the frame. Also closed out the game running the FB up to 88 in a St. Bernard win #PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/KF7BsKGcm7 — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) March 29, 2026 Lennex Minor, MIF/P, St. Bernard (2028) Minor had a massive day in my look this past Saturday in a game being played at the University of San Diego.  The sophomore had a pair of hits, one which was a no-doubt homer, and drove in four.  Minor’s athleticism jumps out on the field with twitchy actions both at the dish and in the dirt.  He features a 6-foot, 170-pound frame with room to add and generates from a strong lower half and exceptionally quick hands.  Showing two-way potential, he made an...
High School | General | 4/2/2026

NHSI Scout Notebook

Cam McElwaney
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An extended look at ‘26 RHP Wilson Andersen… 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K. @HailStateBB signee. #NHSI26 @JesuitBaseball @Florida_PG @PG_Draft @PGAllAmerican https://t.co/VLwECd2qZ8 pic.twitter.com/JbTFR3Gd2l — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 30, 2026 Wilson Andersen, RHP, Tampa Jesuit  Andersen got the ball on day two of the event and showed a quick tempo, pounding the zone with a power mix. He ran the fastball up to 97 mph, working comfortably in the mid-90s, with a power curveball/changeup mix he showed confidence in. He’s one of the top right-handers in the class that saw his stock rise in Cary. Andersen is signed with Mississippi State.    An extended look at ‘26 RHP Cooper Sides… 5 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. @LSUbaseball signee. #NHSI26 @olubaseball @PG_Draft @California_PG https://t.co/Ag1MfBAR5a pic.twitter.com/5wSszVjBn8...
All American Game | Story | 4/2/2026

All American Classic Heading to Citizens Bank

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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 DICK’S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC HEADED TO CITIZENS BANK PARK IN 2026   Perfect Game makes debut at iconic Phillies venue during America’s 250th birthday celebration   Former Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel named Honorary Chairman of All-American Classic   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Thursday, April 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that the 2026 Perfect Game DICK’S All-American Classic will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, marking the first time a Perfect Game event has ever been held at the iconic home of the Philadelphia Phillies.   The game will take place on...
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

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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...
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