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| 2,628 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,628 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 5/28/2026

Hoover Invitational Set to Kick Off

Photo: Tristan Blalock (Perfect Game)
The 4th annual Hoover Invitational is set to bring another loaded weekend of travel baseball to Hoover, Alabama, as more than 120 teams from across the Southeast will compete from May 28 through June 1. With talent spread across all four age divisions, the event continues to establish itself as one of the premier early-summer tournaments in the region.

The tournament will feature 22 teams in the 14U division, 36 teams in 15U, 34 teams in 16U, and 28 teams in 17U play. Several nationally ranked prospects and highly competitive organizations are expected to make noise throughout the weekend, with many players already drawing significant attention on the recruiting and showcase circuits.



The 14U division enters its second year as part of the event and will feature several intriguing young prospects. Birmingham Stars infielder Caden Kappler headlines the group as the No. 110 ranked player nationally in the 2030 class and the top-ranked third baseman in Alabama. Kappler has continued to establish himself as one of the top young hitters in the state with a strong combination of physicality and athleticism on both sides of the ball. Teammate Leyton West also gives Birmingham Stars another notable name to watch in the division.

The 15U division may ultimately be one of the deepest groups in the tournament, highlighted by East Coast Sox Prime right-hander Tristan Blalock. Ranked No. 23 nationally in the 2029 class and the top-ranked right-handed pitcher in Alabama, Blalock has emerged as one of the premier young arms in the country. The 6-foot-3 Madison native has been up to 90 mph with a highly projectable frame and a low three-quarters arm slot that creates heavy running life on the fastball. Blalock’s upside and present stuff have already made him one of the most talked-about players in the age group heading into the summer.

East Coast Sox Prime also features another nationally ranked arm in Coston Mahan, while USA Scout National AL – Team Nike will rely on Hoover native Mason Jones, currently ranked inside the top 250 nationally in the 2029 class. Beast National 15U Fly outfielder Zachary Byrd and EBC-Russell catcher Eli McDaniels are additional names expected to make an impact throughout the week.

The 16U division brings another strong collection of upperclass talent, led by VBA 16U National right-hander Weston Todd. Ranked No. 229 nationally in the 2028 class, Todd offers significant two-way upside with athleticism across the field and a fastball that has been up to 85 mph. His ability to command both his fastball and slider has continued to elevate his profile on the showcase circuit. VBA South infielder Jordan Lankford is another highly ranked prospect to monitor in the division and gives the state of Alabama another high-end corner infielder prospect in the 2028 class.

The 17U division features perhaps the most star power of the event with multiple nationally ranked and committed prospects expected to compete. East Coast Grays 2027 National catcher Christopher “CJ” Wall headlines the group as the No. 100 ranked player nationally in the 2027 class and an Arkansas commit. Wall is one of the more polished left-handed bats in the Southeast and consistently finds the barrel with advanced feel for the strike zone and present power potential. His athleticism behind the plate and offensive consistency make him one of the premier catching prospects in the class.

EBC 17U-Griggs brings another loaded roster into Hoover with several high-level arms, including Alabama commit Drew Davis and Mississippi commit Trent Buckley. Kentucky commit Mason Woods adds another experienced left-handed option to the staff and gives EBC one of the more talented pitching groups in the event. Auburn commit Collin Thomas will also be a key player to follow throughout the tournament as one of the top shortstops in attendance.

Past champions throughout the event include several nationally recognized organizations, including East Coast Sox, VBA, Oklahoma Fuel, Blueprint Baseball, and FTB National. With another loaded field expected this year, the 2026 edition of the Hoover Invitational should once again provide a highly competitive environment filled with some of the top young talent across the Southeast.

Tournaments | Story | 9/17/2026

South Underclass Qualifier Scout Notes

Geoff Billock
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Cole Marquardt (2029, Montgomery, Texas) left no doubt this weekend as he came home with Tournament MVP honors for his work with Banditos 2028 Black. Went 7-10 with a double, a home run, a pair of triples, and the walk off single in the championship game. Projectable left-handed swing with plenty of tools to dream on. Bat to ball was on point all weekend and he had plenty of chances to show off an advanced run tool. Plenty to dream on moving forward. Callen Corley (2028, Houston, Texas) put together a stellar two-way performance for Houston Wildcatters Navy 2028. At the plate, he went 5-10 with a double, triple, and home run, driving in seven runs. Sinks into his lower half well and creates strong angles for leverage. Plenty of power upside remaining in that frame, to go along with the twitch already present. On the mound, Corley went four shutout innings, surrendering just one hit while...
Tournaments | Story | 9/16/2026

Midwest Labor Day Classic Scout Notes

Brayden Powell
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Ryan Jones (2027, Tinley Park, IL) was one of the most productive hitters of the weekend, collecting six hits, including three doubles and a home run, while driving in nine runs. The left-handed hitter consistently got the barrel out front and created hard contact throughout the event. Working from an open setup with high hands, he features a compact swing that allows him to get to the ball quickly. His hand speed stood out and helped him drive the baseball to multiple parts of the field. Jones showed a strong understanding of pitches he could handle and rarely missed opportunities to do damage. The swing remains efficient through the zone and produces carry off the barrel. His combination of consistent contact and extra-base impact made him a key offensive contributor all weekend. Uncommitted  JP Elbert (2027, Dubuque, IA) put together an impressive tournament, finishing with five...
Tournaments | Story | 9/16/2026

Southeast Qualifier #1 Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Walk. It. Off! ‘27 IF Drew Giles (GA) calls game here as he hammers a ball over the CF wall for a solo HR to win it in the bottom of the 7th. #FLQualifier pic.twitter.com/YrzspVZzUY — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) September 12, 2026 Drew Giles (2027, Brunswick, Ga.) took home MVP honors from the weekend after hitting .385 including a walkoff home run during pool play. Giles helped lead his Canes team to victory and did so with the bat. The swing is super short and simple and he gets immense jump off the barrel. It’s a level path through the zone but the blend of hit and power showed out all weekend for the MVP.  August Backman (2027, Venice, Fla.) had a solid weekend on both sides of the ball: hitting .333 over three games and also sitting 88-91 mph on the mound. Backman, a Florida commit who is nationally ranked, has a three pitch mix highlighted by a really...
College | Recruiting | 9/14/2026

Class of 2026 Recruiting Rankings

Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 9/14/2026

Coastal Fall Battle of the Carolinas Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Deacon Hensley (2028, Zebulon, NC) stands at 6-foot-0, 165 pounds and is a left-handed hitting and throwing right fielder. Lean frame with good athleticism and additional strength likely to come with maturity. Compact swing with quick hands and good feel for the barrel. Relaxed setup with good bat speed through the zone. Good balance in the box with a direct path and solid contact skills. Hensley went 3-for-3, scoring three runs and hitting a double. Great day at the plate. Colt Funderburk (2027, Lancaster, SC) stands at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds with an athletic frame and present strength. Bats and throws left-handed. Physical hitter with a compact swing, good bat speed, and the ability to drive the ball with authority. Good pitch recognition with a disciplined approach. Quiet lower half with a controlled load and good balance. Funderburk went 2-for-4 with one double and two RBI. Cameron...
Press Release | Press Release | 9/14/2026

PG Athletes Raise North of $138,000 in August

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 OVER $138,000 FOR CHARITABLE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT MONTH OF AUGUST   Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 14, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its August premier events raised a combined $138,422 for children's hospitals and charitable organizations, with 1,112 total supporters contributing across five showcases. Since 2016, Perfect Game athletes have raised over $1.8 million for various charitable causes and organizations. The annual fundraising initiative, which runs in conjunction with several of Perfect Game's marquee events each year, gives players, families and fans the opportunity to support...
College | Recruiting | 9/14/2026

Top 500 Fresh Arrivals on Campus

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It's that time of the year where the freshmen around the country start arriving on campus. Regardless of level, here are the top 500 names to make it to their school for the 2027 season.  Rank Name School High School City ST 1 Archer Horn Stanford St. Ignatius College Prep San Mateo CA 2 Noah Wilson Vanderbilt McCallie School Ooltewah TN 3 Logan Schmidt Louisiana State Ganesha Aliso Viejo CA 4 Blake Bowen Oregon State JSerra Catholic Riverside CA 5 Cole Koeninger Tennessee Keller Keller TX 6 Joseph Contreras Vanderbilt Blessed Trinity Cath Alpharetta GA 7 Bo Holloway Vanderbilt Nolensville Nolensville TN 8 James Clark Duke St. John Bosco Riverside CA 9 Malachi Washington Louisiana State Parkview Stone Mountain GA 10 Brady Harris Florida Trinity Christian Academy St. Augustine FL 11 Grayson Willoughby Kentucky Trinity Louisville KY 12 Jorvorskie Lane Jr. Arkansas Grapevine Fort Worth...
College | Rankings | 9/15/2026

Top Incoming Freshmen by Conference

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Every conference at the D1 level has impact talent coming onto campus this fall and below we will see who is where, looking for the next program difference maker. America East Conference Rank Name Pos School HS City ST 1 Charlie Firth RHP Bryant St. Martin's Ottawa ON 2 Ryan Moreschi OF Massachusetts at Lowell Austin Preparatory Peabody MA 3 Will Margolies LHP Bryant The Cheshire Academy Trumbull CT 4 Dylan Zammit RHP New Jersey Tech Holmdel Holmdel NJ 5 Kam Street RHP New Jersey Tech Ocean City Brigantine NJ 6 Donald Lloyd C New Jersey Tech St. Augustine Preparatory Millville NJ 7 Jack Curtis 3B Maine Kingsmen Baseball Academy Castle Creek NY 8 Jacob Veloz OF Maine Mount St Charles Academy Lincoln RI 9 Nolan Gillis RHP Bryant Kimball Union Academy Surry NH 10 Chase McLaughlin 3B UMBC Northeast Pasadena MD 11 Matthew Chirumbolo RHP Maine Salisbury Harwinton CT 12 Tobey Bajda RHP Bryant...
Juco | Rankings | 9/16/2026

JUCO: Top Incoming Freshmen

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With another spring quickly approaching, let's take a look at some of the new faces arriving on campus who could make an immediate impact during their first year in college.  Rank Name Pos School HS City ST 1 Deion Cole OF State College of Florida Etowah Acworth GA 2 Brady Stewart SS Johnson County CC St. Thomas Aquinas Overland Park KS 3 Carter (Cj) Lake RHP John A. Logan College Oakville Sr. St. Louis MO 4 Cooper Leggett RHP Crowder College Owasso Bixby OK 5 Luke Tucker SS McLennan CC Krum Krum TX 6 Kail Peña SS St. Petersburg College Christian Military Academy Caguas PR 7 Ashten Ballew SS Galveston College Katy Katy TX 8 Cale Fossett 3B Kansas City Kansas CC Shawnee Mission South Roeland Park KS 9 Jack Petroff 3B Arizona Western College Sunnyslope Phoenix AZ 10 Jack Beck SS Walters State CC Columbia Central Columbia TN 11 Dawsyn Anderson RHP Lower Columbia College North...
Draft | Story | 9/11/2026

PG Draft: Potential Risers Into Top 50

Michael Albee
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We are in the early stages of the 2027 cycle and there is still plenty of time for players to make significant jumps up the board. While our current Top-100 provides an early look at the class, several players just outside that group have the upside to make a run at becoming Top-50 pick by next July. With that in mind, each member of the draft team each selected one college player and one prep player they believe could make the jump into the Top-50 over the course of the spring. These are the names to keep an eye on as the 2027 draft picture continues to develop. Joey’s Picks:   Jake Cueto (27 FL) goes oppo 💣 on a mid-90s LonL heater. Performing at a very high level, hitting .464 with 5 homers. Excellent hit/run combo and here comes the juice! #PGHS #Miami commit @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/g4gtml81mm — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) April 1, 2026 Prep: OF, Jake...
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