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College  | Story | 4/30/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 30 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.  

Player of the Week: Jarren Advincula – Georgia Tech 

Last week, Fernando Mendoza was taken with the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza transferred from the University of California – Berkeley (Cal) to Indiana University in advance of his draft year. Upon transferring, he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to a national championship. Advincula also transferred from Cal in advance of his draft year, but he took his talents to Georgia Tech. And, while there is still time left in the season, Advincula has positioned himself to be in the conversation for College Baseball’s Heisman Trophy (the Golden Spikes Award) and positioned his team for a College Baseball World Series berth.   



Advincula had a big week, but, really, he has had a big season. Recognized as a 2026 Perfect Game Midseason First Team All American at 2B, Advincula has absolutely raked this season to the tune of .428 AVG / .500 OBP / .628 SLG / 1.128 OPS with 21 BB vs. 15 SO and a miniscule 7.3% Strikeout Rate. All of Advincula’s metrics are trending up on a year-over-year basis from 2024 to 2025 to 2026, including AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, ISO. The knock on him has always been the lack of power, but Advincula has seen his HR total rise from 5 in 2024 to 6 in 2025 to 8 this year, with games yet to be played. While transferring from Cal to Georgia Tech somehow kept him in the same conference, he has continued to dominate that conference – and all of college baseball.  

Carry Tool: Hit. Advincula might be the best pure hitter in the country. His career numbers almost don’t seem real: .361 AVG and .435 OBP with 69 BB vs. 60 SO over 629 AB in his college career. Most impressive to me is the career 8.3% Strikeout Rate, one of the best in college baseball. He reminds me a lot of a left-handed version of Nico Hoerner. Hoerner, who just signed a massive $141 million contract extension, was taken #24 overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Stanford University (ironically, Stanford’s hated rival is Cal). Hoerner was a career .305 AVG hitter in college with a .352 OBP, 47 BB vs. 73 SO, and a 9.5% Strikeout Rate for the Cardinal – and hit only 2 HR in his draft year. Expect Advincula to keep moving up MLB Draft boards. Teams are always looking for advanced college hitters who can move quickly through the minor leagues, and the comparisons to Hoerner – not to mention Mendoza – make him an intriguing prospect.  

Pitcher of the Week: Brett Renfrow – Virginia Tech  

Renfrow is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2026 MLB Draft. He was widely considered a better prospect as an Outfielder than an RHP coming out of Colgan High School in Manassas, Virginia, a suburb of Washington DC. Durable and athletic at 6’3 / 220, Renfrow went undrafted because of signability; he set a number, stuck to it, and bet on himself – on the mound – at Virginia Tech. That bet looks prescient, as Renfrow was a 2024 Perfect Game Freshman All American Second Team selection and has pitched the past two summers with Team USA.  

Renfrow can flash three above average offerings with a Fastball up to 97 mph, an above average CH, and a biting hard SL. The numbers are catching up to the stuff, and Renfrow had his best outing of the season on Friday night at Home in Blacksburg, VA, against North Carolina State – dominating with 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 SO. Even after that outing, Renfrow has a 5.47 ERA on the season, which becomes basically immaterial when you look inside his stuff numbers and see 54.1 IP, 54 H, 17 BB, 71 SO for the 2026 season. MLB teams care a lot more about these stuff numbers than they do about ERA. Expect Renfrow to be rewarded for betting on himself, and his draft stock is on the rise. 

Carry Tool: Cutter. Renfrow’s FB and CH were his two main weapons in 2024 and 2025, as he toyed with a Cutter, Slider, and Curveball. While he still sometimes uses the Slider and Curveball, his Cutter has become a real weapon, generating 14 SO in 32 AB and allowing only a .507 OPS. I’ve mentioned how much I like two-way players in past articles not only because of their athleticism, but also because of their special mindset and unique understanding. It is going to be fun to watch Renfrow as he continues to improve and the draft approaches. 

Co-Freshman of the Week: Ethan Bingaman – Auburn University 

There’s a really cool video (https://www.perfectgame.tv/player-video?id=540815) that Perfect Game produced about the 2025 Corona High School Baseball Team. For the uninitiated, Corona is in Southern California, where the 91 freeway meets the 15 freeway, and is a hotbed of high school baseball talent. I drove through Corona every day (my daily drive was four freeways each way: 5 -> 55 -> 91 -> 15) for two summers as an intern for the Lake Elsinore Storm in the summers of 1997 and 1998. Corona’s 2025 team was one for the ages; not only did it include Bingaman, a legit two-way prospect in his own right, but it also included three of the top 32 (!!!) selections in the 2025 MLB Draft: Seth Hernandez (#6 / Pittsburgh Pirates), Billy Carlson (#10 / Chicago White Sox), and Brady Ebel (#32 / Milwaukee Brewers). Bingaman was drafted in the 20th Round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks but instead took his bat and glove to Auburn. 

 

Carry Tool: Hit. Bingaman has hit the ground running on the Plains with a .317 AVG / .420 OBP / .524 SLG / .944 OPS in 126 AB, showing a good hit approach with 19 BB vs. 23 SO. Bingaman has been playing primarily 1B, and he’s a good athlete who was also a standout pitcher on that magical Corona HS team. However, his hit tool is going to carry him, and he shows good traits by hitting better on the Road (.324 AVG / 1.108 OPS) and really performing vs LHP (.362 AVG / 1.125 OPS). That he’s doing all this at a major program in the SEC, which currently checks in at #7 in Perfect Game’s Top 25 rankings, is all the more impressive. 

Co-Freshman of the Week: Trent Grindlinger – University of Tennessee 

Like Bingaman, Grindlinger was a So Cal prep star – from Huntington Beach, about 35 miles west of Corona – who went to play college ball in the SEC. Perfect Game rated him the #30 overall high school prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft and, like Renfrow, Grindlinger went undrafted due to signability, flipping his commitment from Mississippi State to the University of Tennessee. Strong and athletic at 6’3 / 210, there is belief he can be a long-term catcher thanks to a plus arm and above average field grades. He’s a well below average runner but can hit with above power. 

And that’s exactly what he’s been doing in 2026: Grindlinger is currently hitting .395 AVG / .479 OBP / .642 SLG / 1.121 OPS, showcasing an advanced hit approach with 10 BB vs. 12 SO in 81 At Bats. These are impressive numbers for any freshman, or for any catcher, but to be doing this as a freshman catcher in the SEC is pretty special. Grindlinger absolutely has first-round upside if he can continue to develop, and he should be draft-eligible as a sophomore in 2027. His younger brother, Jared, just re-classified and is currently rated as the #9 overall high school prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft by Perfect Game. 

Carry Tool: Power. If Grindlinger can stay at catcher and tap into his power, he can be an impact player. Like most teams do now, when I was running the Atlanta Braves, we looked at days of the week as a performance indicator for draft-eligible college players. We wanted players who hit well on Friday nights because that is the night that hitters face an opposing team’s best starting pitcher. Grindlinger has only played 5 Games and had 16 At Bats on Friday nights this season, but he has made the most of them, launching 2 of his 5 HR this season against teams’ best starters, with a .438 AVG / .571 OBP / .938 SLG (!) / 1.509 OPS on TGIF. If that power continues to show against top arms, he will shine even brighter as a prospect. 


National Nuggets (things that caught my eye this week) 

Speaking of Friday Night Starting Pitchers, there hasn’t been any better this season than the University of California – Santa Barbara’s Jackson Flora … ranked #4 on the Perfect Game 2026 Draft Board Top 400 updated less than a week ago, Flora got the win on Friday night for UCSB with another strong outing: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO, which brings his season totals to 8-0, 0.78 ERA (!), 69.1 IP, 36 H, 25 BB, 88 SO … Flora has allowed only 1 HR in 69.1 IP, pointing to the leverage he creates with a really good downhill plane that generates late arm side run and hard sink to his ++ FB 95-98 that has routinely touched triple digits … Flora mixes that with two types of Sliders, a harder one that has Cutter actions and has been devastating this year by limiting opposing hitters to .071 AVG and .259 OPS (!) with 1 BB vs. 8 SO in 14 AB … Flora has been tough on all hitters, but especially tough for RH hitters to whom he has allowed only .117 AVG and .340 OPS with 48 SO in 128 AB … at 6’5 / 205, and not turning 21 until late May 2026, he is still somewhat projectable and his body could easily carry another 20-25 pounds of strength … former UCSB RHPs have been very high picks in recent years with Tyler Bremner going #2 overall in the 2025 Draft to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Dillon Tate going #4 in the 2015 Draft to the Texas Rangers … Flora has a higher upside than both of those pitchers and with his frame and top-shelf stuff reminds me a lot of a young Kevin Brown … like Bremner and Tate, Flora will likely be a Top-5 pick and would be a great addition to any MLB team.
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College | Story | 6/11/2026

Collegiate Freshman All-Americans
Vincent Cervino
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Collegiate Postseason Awards | Collegiate All Americans First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Alonzo Alvarez Miami FR 0.341 0.439 0.551 40 57 13 2 6 32 3 1B Ethin Bingaman Auburn FR 0.330 0.415 0.581 60 71 9 0 15 50 4 2B Ethan Ball Virginia Tech FR 0.310 0.420 0.660 43 63 18 1 17 52 3 3B Nico Partida Texas A&M FR 0.306 0.408 0.550 45 55 8 0 12 43 4 SS Jett Kenady California FR 0.320 0.350 0.573 36 66 17 1 11 34 1 IF Linkin Garcia Texas Tech FR 0.338 0.387 0.489 53 78 21 1 4 59 1 OF Angel Laya Oregon FR 0.296 0.396 0.538 49 66 10 1 14 47 5 OF Anthony Pack Jr. Texas FR 0.359 0.485 0.597 58 74 16 0 11 52 20 OF Jacob Parker* Mississippi State FR 0.339 0.449 0.732 51 57 10 1 18 62 7 OF Teddy Tokheim Stanford FR 0.352 0.414 0.704 40 70 19 0 17 47 0 UT Drew Grego Nebraska FR 0.326 0.417 0.531 33 57 13 1 7 44 5 DH Enzo Infelise Cincinnati FR 0.374...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/19/2026

14u/15u Midwest World Series Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Aiden Weishaar (2029, Geneso, Ill.) physical power bat put together one of the most productive offensive performances of the event, showing big impact off the barrel with advanced strength and leverage through the swing. Collected six hits including two doubles and two home runs while driving in 13 runs, consistently doing damage in run-producing situations. Creates loud contact with present pull-side juice and projects for significant power as the frame and strength continue to mature. Middle of the order offensive profile with the ability to change the game with one swing. Also stood out on the mound with a dominant 7 inning performance, punching out 11 hitters while working efficiently throughout the outing. Fastball ran up to 86 mph with good life through the zone and showed the ability to consistently attack hitters and miss bats. Highly intriguing two-way prospect whose combination...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/19/2026

14u WWBA Returns to Hoover

Kinley Kitchens
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One of the most anticipated events on the summer travel baseball calendar returns this week as the 2026 Perfect Game 14U WWBA National Championship gets underway in Hoover and the surrounding Birmingham area. Now in its 19th year, the tournament has established itself as the premier event for 14U players across the country, annually attracting some of the top young talent in amateur baseball. This year’s championship will feature 129 teams competing for a national title, continuing a tradition that has seen organizations such as East Cobb Astros, Team Elite, USA Prime, SBA Bolts National, and defending champion ZT National Prospects take home the trophy. As always, the field is loaded with elite prospects, many of whom are already becoming familiar names within the Perfect Game community. Starting off strong with Christopher Cabrera, the No. 1 overall player and No. 1 third baseman...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/19/2026

UBC West Scout Notes: Days 5-7

Perfect Game Staff
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UBC West Scout Notes: Days 1-2 | Days 3-4 Impressive performance on both sides from Cole Migaki, working 5 and striking out 3 w/o allowing a walk for the ND. FB 81-83 T85, BB 73-74 #UBCWest https://t.co/nSIx0UVQY7 pic.twitter.com/t2zXIpPLCO — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 16, 2026 Cole Migaki (2029, Vancouver, Wash.) Migaki is a high-end prospect, putting that on display with one of the more consistent performances at the 15u UBC West.  He totaled five hits, drove in four and walked six times to only two strike outs to help lead the Baum Bats to the title.  He has a projectable frame 6-foot-1, 170-pounds with strength throughout.  The right-hander made an appearance on the mound, throwing five-innings and striking out three without allowing a walk.  The fastball was up to 86 with run and coupled it with a sharp breaking ball in the...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/19/2026

Road to the 2026 17U BCS Title

Emily Hicks
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This weekend, 11 teams will take the field for the 2026 17U BCS Challenge, a three-day event that brings together programs from across the country for a full slate of pool play and bracket action. With games beginning Friday and a champion crowned Sunday, the format leaves little room for slow starts, making every inning important from the opening pitch. The field features a mix of established programs and rising teams. With so many evenly matched rosters, there’s not much separation heading into the weekend, which puts importance on pitching depth, defensive consistency, and timely hitting. Pool play will quickly determine seeding, and even one loss can shift a team’s path heading into bracket play. One of the teams expected to be in the mix is Hawaii Elite 2G 17U National, a group that is 6-3 overall and ranked as “Honorable Mention” on the Perfect Games...
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Draft | Rankings | 6/19/2026

PG Draft: Top 500 Update

Tyler Henninger
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Rk. Name Lvl Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Roch Cholowsky C SS R-R UCLA Chandler AZ 2 Grady Emerson H SS L-R Fort Worth Christian Argyle TX Texas 3 Vahn Lackey C C R-R Georgia Tech Suwanee GA 4 Jackson Flora C RHP R-R UC Santa Barbara Pleasanton CA 5 Jacob Lombard H SS R-R Gulliver Schools Miami FL Miami 6 Eric Booth Jr. H OF L-L Oak Grove Bassfield MS Vanderbilt 7 Drew Burress C OF R-R Georgia Tech Perry GA 8 Ryder Helfrick C C R-R Arkansas Discovery Bay CA 9 AJ Gracia C OF L-L Virginia Monroe NJ 10 Chris Hacopian C SS R-R Texas A&M Potomac MD 11 Gio Rojas H LHP L-R Marjory Stoneman Douglas Coral Springs FL Miami 12 Tyler Bell* C SS S-R Kentucky Frankfort IL 13 Cameron Flukey C RHP R-R Coastal Carolina Egg Harbor Township NJ 14 Ace Reese C 3B L-R Mississippi State Canton TX 15 Justin Lebron C SS R-R Alabama Miramar FL 16 Derek Curiel* C OF L-R LSU West Covina CA 17...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/18/2026

PG Softball Stars Over Florida Showcase 14U Division

Erica Beach
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PG Stars Over Florida Showcase Clearwater, FL June 13-14, 2026   CLEARWATER, FLORIDA- Perfect Game Softball made its official debut in the state of Florida this past weekend at Eddie C. Moore sports complex. The weather was perfect, and the atmosphere was right for some great softball. We had many college coaches of all levels attend and our National Scouting Director was on hand to evaluate and highlight the athletes. We are excited for future events and the ability to promote and highlight the great athletes in the southeast! Below we highlight the 14U division where we had teams representing three states.     14U Division   Zoey Salas (2030, RHP/1B Windsor, CO) of the Colorado Angels 14U Breed was a standout player all weekend. She was a strong two-way player who proved to be a consistent force on both sides of the ball. Offensively, this left-handed hitter starts...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/18/2026

PG Aggieland Showcase

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PG Aggieland Showcase College Station, Texas June 13-14, 2026 Scouts: Brynn Baca & Karlie Milburn COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS- Perfect Game Softball was excited to return to College Station for the second annual Aggieland Showcase last weekend.. Some great competition was seen over the three age groups. We had two scouts on site to evaluate and highlight some of the athletes who caught their eyes. Thank you to all teams and players who competed so hard! Below we highlight those athletes who impressed our scouts. 18U Division Elizabeth Posada- Elizabeth Posada is a 2028 two-way player from Houston, Texas, competing for Aztecs Premier who brings an intriguing combination of offensive upside and athletic versatility. At the plate, Posada recently went 4-for-8 on the weekend, continuing to show consistency and offensive awareness. She sets up with a slightly open, wide stance and does a...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/18/2026

Big Talent on Display at City of Palms

Alyssa Golden
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The fifth annual PG City of Palms Championship is set to take place in Fort Myers, Florida, from June 19-22, featuring teams from the 15U-18U age divisions. The four-day event will showcase some of the top talent in the state, including several nationally ranked prospects who have already made their presence felt this summer season. Before tournament play begins, here’s a look at some of the highest-ranked players expected to compete this weekend. Leading the group is catcher Nico Ayars in the 16U division. Ayars enters the weekend as the No. 135 player nationally, the No. 3 catcher in Florida and the No. 20 catcher in the country. Through 22 games this summer with Turn 2 Garcia, the right-handed hitter owns a .887 OPS while batting .306 with a .438 OBP and a .449 SLG. Ayars has collected 15 hits while driving in 12 runs and scoring 13 times. Ayars’ teammate, right-handed...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/17/2026

Perfect Game Softball Route 66 Summer Showcase

Dave Durbala
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SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball Route 66 Summer Showcase, June 13-14, 2026. Twenty-Seven teams, representing the 14u and High School Divisions, arrived at the newly opened all turfed Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe, for the opportunity to showcase their talent in a five game guarantee format. As with anytime we bring a group of players together for competition, there will be those players that rise to the challenge and turn in performances that earn them a place on our Top Performers list.  Below are some of the players, from both divisions, that were recognized as top performers. 14U Division Kinley Abrams (2030 Bloomington, IL) is a RHH for Texas Glory IL-2030 (Wyatt). Setting up in a slightly wide parallel stance, into her back leg, Abrams gains separation with a  push back to transfer weight, and then utilizes a small stride to launch her swing. Abrams works a...
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Juco | Story | 6/18/2026

PG JUCO Awards & Final Top 25

Blaine Peterson
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Pitcher of the Year: Nathan Leffel - RHP - Fresno City College 2026 Stat Line: 89.1 IP | 12-1 | 1.91 ERA | .83 WHIP | 118 K An outstanding individual pitching season in California JUCO baseball this spring. A model of consistency on the mound making starts in January through May for Fresno City. Worked over 89 innings on the mound and made 14 starts where he threw at least 5 innings. Ranked in the top 5 of California JUCO in wins, ERA and strikeouts. And one of the only pitchers in all of JUCO to reach the benchmarks of 10+ wins (12), a sub 2.00 ERA (1.91 ERA) and 100 strikeouts (118 K). A consistent and dominant presence on the mound for a team that went 40-5 this past spring. Congratulations to Nathan Leffel, 2026 Perfect Game JUCO Pitcher of the Year. Ryan Bradford | FR | OF@JCCCBaseball Everything I have from this spring starting with HR’s 31 & 32 today. This is...
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