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 the weekend. She is a strong right-handed hitter who knows how to generate next-level barrel whip and she covers the strike zone well. Her impressive 14 RBIs showed her ability to come through in clutch situations. She also contributed in the circle for her team, throwing ten innings and striking out 15 on the weekend. She was impressive with her command of the strike zone, walking none.
Audrey Lucas (2027, Polk City, IA) of the Iowa Dynamite 18U is a strong leadoff hitter who was an RBI machine over the course of the tournament. She led the entire tournament with 17 RBI’s helping her squad to take the championship. Lucas finished the weekend with nine hits, two stolen bases, two doubles, and an impressive four home runs. She was so impressive on both sides of the ball that she was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, an honor that is well deserved. She is a strongly built left-handed hitter who has a great ability to use her firm front side to sit on the changeup and drive the ball to all fields.
Libby Baker (2027, Polk City, IA) is a strong hitting three-hole hitter for the Iowa Dynamite 18U. She showed incredible consistency and clutch performances throughout the tournament, helping lead her squad to the championship. She finished the tournament hitting .571 and driving in an impressive 11 RBIs. She did a fantastic job with her barrel awareness, driving pitches all over the zone and being a consistent force at the plate. She drove a home run, a triple, two doubles, and drew two walks at the plate. She had great hands and barrel control and showed a great ability to hit the ball from gap to gap.
Sydney Jarvis (2027, Fort Madison, IA) of the Black Dragons had an incredible tournament, finishing with a .571 batting average. She finished the weekend with eight hits and drove in an impressive nine RBIs for her team. Sydney proved to be one of the strongest two-way players in the field, not only putting up such impressive offensive numbers, but also being unhittable in the circle. In nine innings of work, Jarvis posted a 0.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts. She was truly dominant, not allowing a hit on the weekend and only walking one. Using a combination of her curve, backdoor curve, and a sharp drop ball on both sides of the plate, she was deceptive and effective in every outing.
Sara Young (2028, Keokuk, IA) of the Black Dragons was one of the top offensive performers of the weekend, belting eight hits and finishing with a .500 batting average. She showed some pop with two doubles and scored an impressive 10 times for her team. This strong right-handed hitter has great barrel awareness as she is scrappy in the box. She battled through counts and came through multiple times for her team. She showed the ability to drive the ball gap to gap and proved to be a consistent presence in the box for the Black Dragons.
Tiffany Taylor (2028, Des Moines, IA) of the Iowa Dynamite 18U was an incredible two-way player all weekend. Not only was she dominating in the circle, but she was lights out at the plate. Offensively, this left-handed hitter showed a great ability to drive the ball to all fields. She hit .533 on the weekend, tallying eight hits and driving two home runs. She flashed her speed around the bases, legging out a triple, two doubles, and stealing four bases. Her versatility as an athlete was on display all weekend and what was most impressive was her performance in the circle for the Dynamite. In her 9.1 innings pitched she did not surrender any earned runs and struck out a tournament leading 23 batters. She only gave up two hits and finished with a WHIP of .54. With a combination of a dirty drop, curve, and changeup, Taylor kept the ball down in the zone and was lights out all weekend.
Madilynne Reed (2029, Johnston, IA) of the Alliance Select Harper proved to be one of their most consistent hitters over the weekend. Finishing the tournament with a .467 batting average, she was consistent and effective in the box. She tallied seven hits, with one triple, and two doubles, showing off her speed. This lefty slapper leadoff hitter showed great barrel control and her first steps out of the box were quick and efficient. She proved to be relentless and scrappy in the box, fouling off countless pitches and going deep into many counts. She proved to be a great table setter for her team and was a huge contributor to her team’s success on the weekend.
Jillian Monahan (2027, Saint Jacob, IL) of the Black Widows 08 had an incredible weekend at the plate. This right-handed hitter finished the tournament batting an impressive .778, tallying seven hits. She belted three doubles, showing off some solid barrel pop. She showed a great ability to drive the ball where it’s pitched, going opposite field with ease. She showed quick hands and a compact swing that led to her successful tournament.
Izzabell Janus (2027, Staunton, IL) of the Black Widows 08 was an offensive powerhouse over the course of the tournament. This strongly built right-handed hitter finished the weekend with a .778 batting average and driving in seven runs for her team. She came through multiple times in clutch situations and showed the ability to drive the ball to all fields. She used a firm front side and showed the ability to sit back on the off-speed pitch.
Ella Trewin (2028, Walford, IA) of the Alliance Select Harper showed great offensive impact during the tournament. She was a huge contributor to her team’s success, finishing with a .500 batting average and tallying seven hits. She came in clutch, driving in six runs for her team and showed her barrel pop with four doubles. Ella is a strong left-handed hitter who can hit the ball to all fields. She showed a next-level ability to sit on the off-speed pitch and to let the ball travel. She had great strikezone awareness and a solid swing.