THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
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 | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘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...
High School | General | 2/2/2026

Monday Morning SoCal Notebook

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Three hitters and three pitchers that really impressed or improved their stock at the Area Code Select at Dodger Stadium.  Gotta start with James Clark as he stole the show offensively, and right out of the gate, with a pull side home run as just the second hitter of the game.  Added a triple to the pull side again, again on the barrel.  Added a single up the middle.  Really showed exceptional feel for the barrel.  Flew out to center field on two occasions, both barreled up pretty well, with one getting lost in the sun.  I’m old and salty, so didn’t give him the double for the cycle, but he was the most impressive bat (easily) on the day.   One of the other position players that impressed, I’ve been somewhat critical of, have spoken with his travel coach a little bit about him behind the plate, but Vista Murrieta catcher Taytum...
Softball | General | 2/2/2026

PG Softball Announce Leadership Hires

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME SOFTBALL ANNOUNCES KEY LEADERSHIP HIRES    Charlotte, North Carolina (Monday, February 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the hiring of two industry-leading softball directors to lead and expand its footprint in the Charlotte, North Carolina market. The additions underscore Perfect Game Softball’s long-term commitment to North Carolina and its mission to elevate tournament standards, scouting opportunities, and player development across the region. Both were...
High School | General | 2/2/2026

High School Top 50 All-Prospect Teams

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
High School Preview Index | High School Top 50 As we have finished unveiling the National High School Top 50, we now look at the abundance of high-level prospects that make up those rosters, building 3 teams at the Class of 2026 level and an underclass team, all made ONLY from players on the teams across the Top 50. Upperclass 1st Team Pos Name High School State Team Rank C Jorvorskie Lane Jr. Grapevine TX 7 1B Will Adams Hoover AL 43 INF Tyler Spangler De La Salle CA 12 INF Cole Prosek Magnolia Heights MS 16 INF James Clark St. John Bosco CA 1 OF Brady Harris Trinity Christian Academy FL 6 OF Malachi Washington Parkview GA 34 OF Trevor Condon Etowah GA 5 UT Matt Ponatoski Archbishop Moeller OH 35 2W Coleman Borthwick South Walton FL 8 P Gio Rojas Stoneman Douglas FL 2 P Kaden Waechter Tampa Jesuit FL 4 P Bo Holloway Nolensville TN 36 P Joseph Contreras Blessed Trinity GA 9 P Savion Sims...
College | Recruiting | 2/2/2026

Northeast Recruiting Notebook

Ryan Miller
Article Image
Jack Nicholls (‘27, NJ) working the 85-88 T89 mph range on the FB w/ some angle & life. Shorter & compact AA thru it. Mid-70s CB w/ good bite & depth to it. Mostly FB attack early on. @PGMidAtlantic @PG_Uncommitted @Oilers_BPC #WWBAWorlds pic.twitter.com/7WYz7ExUPE — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 3, 2025 Jack Nicholls, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Tennessee Josh Elander and the Vols’ staff venture into the Northeast to snag an up-arrow right-hander out of New Jersey. Nicholls works from a medium frame with athleticism and present lower half strength. He starts at the belt exclusively from the stretch, transitioning into a high and compact leg lift. Nicholls fires down the mound via a whippy and quick arm action and high three-quarters slot. The South Jersey product works a lively fastball into the low-to-mid 90s, mixing in a sharp two-plane...
College | Story | 2/2/2026

Conference Preview: Coastal

Ryan Miller
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  School W L W L Campbell 25 31 15 12 College of Charleston 37 22 15 12 Elon 25 32 13 14 Hofstra 18 36 8 19 Monmouth 24 30 10 17 NC A&T 15 37 9 18 Northeastern 49 11 25 2 Stony Brook 25 27 11 16 Towson 21 35 11 16 UNC-Wilmington 34 24 19 8 William & Mary 21 35 14 13 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Tyler Smith North Carolina A&T Switch-hitting backstop who slashed .323/.414/.542 in ’25 and earned a Team USA training camp invite....
High School | General | 1/31/2026

Preseason HS Top 50

Tyler Russo
Article Image
The start of another high school season is right around the corner in a handful of states and with that, as always, comes our Preseason High School Top-50. A whopping twenty states are represented in the initial Top-50, a number that is staggering when you look at the amount of depth some of these rosters have across the nation. Leading the group is St. John Bosco (CA), a team that brought home a CIF Southern D1 title in 2025 and bring back a strong group of seniors to look to repeat. Stoneman Douglas (FL) is a name most people should know by now in the high school ranks and comes in as our preseason #2 team, looking to win their sixth straight state championship in Florida. Orange Lutheran (CA) had a good case for preseason #1 but come it an No. 3, bringing a roster with seven seniors ranked inside the top-200 in the country to the table. Four other Florida schools are represented...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 1/30/2026

Perfect Game Burst the Bubble

Dave Durbala
Article Image
BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game Softball Burst The Bubble Tournament, January 24 - 25, 2026. 15 teams in  this four game guarantee, pool into bracket play tournament, with both a 16u and 18u division contested. In the 16u Division, it was the 09 Midwest Sluggers claiming the Championship over finalist Wisconsin Heat. In the 18u Division it was CIK 08’s taking home the gold rings over finalist Alliance Select Black. The tournament was filled with lots of young talent with big bats, and several players already committed to higher education programs. Below are some of the players that earned their way onto the tournament top performers list. 16U Division  Earning the tournament MVP award was Ruby Stagg (2028 Bettendorf, IA) a solid fielding SS for tournament champion 09 Midwest Sluggers. Stagg, hitting from the right side, sets up in a conventional stance, slightly wide and...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 1/30/2026

Perfect Game Winter Blow-Out 18U Division

Erica Beach
Article Image
Perfect Game Winter Blow-Out 18U Division Burlington, Iowa Jan 17-18, 2026   BURLINGTON, IOWA- The 2026 Perfect Game Winter Blowout, held in the Fun City Turf bubble was competitive from start to finish. Seven teams from three states converged to sharpen their skills and compete for the title. In the end, the Iowa Dynamite 18U took home the hardware, defeating the Alliance Select Harper in the finale. There were some very strong performances on both sides of the ball and below we highlight the top performers from the weekend.     Payton Harris (2028, Mediapolis, IA) of the Black Dragons was lights out on the weekend, batting an impressive .733.  She led the entire tournament in hits, 11 in total showing she was one of the most formidable hitters in her class. She showed her power and ability to drive the ball to all fields, belting four home runs and two doubles on...
College | Story | 1/30/2026

Conference Preview: Big West

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  School W L W L Cal Poly 43 19 23 7 Cal State Bakersfield 18 38 9 21 Cal State Fullerton 29 27 19 11 CSUN 15 34 10 20 Hawai'i 35 21 16 14 Long Beach State 22 31 15 15 UC Davis 27 28 13 17 UC Irvine 43 17 24 6 UC Riverside 16 36 5 25 UC Santa Barbara 36 18 16 14 UC San Diego 26 25 15 15 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Nate Vargas UC Santa Barbara Honorable Mention All Big West performer, posted a 306 average with 10 HR’s and 50 RBI. ...
High School | General | 1/30/2026

High School Top 50: 10-1

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
High School Preview Index Top 50 Breakdown: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 10. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2025 Record: 24-1 Head Coach: Dave Turgeon Notable Prospect(s): C Dillon Moss (Stanford), RHP Michael Ramsey, C Charles Messina (Northwestern), 1B Cy Chrisman (Oklahoma State), SS Dylan Messina (Pennsylvania), RHP Michael Todero (St. Joseph’s), SS Max Hemenway (Tennessee), OF Kyler Meccage (Mississippi State), OF Sebastian Wilson (Tennessee), 1B Frank Thomas III (Auburn), SS Juan Diaz (Florida State), C Ethan Armbruster (Mississippi State), SS Antonio Chavez (University of California, Berkeley), RHP Henry Britt, OF Aiden Choo IMG Academy rattled off an incredible season a year ago, finishing with a 24-1 record, and ended the season being named the national champion. It’s another year in Bradenton with some of the most talented players in...
Loading more articles...