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Tournaments  | Story | 9/24/2026

Windy City Fall Classic Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff

AJ Minderman (2028, Geneva, Ill.) a 6-foot-1, 140-pound left-handed pitcher worked all five innings of his game on Sunday in impressive fashion. He punched out seven opposing hitters and allowed no runs. He showed great composure with runners aboard, stranding anyone who reached. He worked out of the stretch with a big leg kick and did a nice job of working downhill on the mound. The fastball was 75-78 mph and he used it heavily to the glove side. He kept the fastball down early and set hitters down by throwing it at the top of the zone. His changeup (70-71 mph) was used as his primary off-speed pitch with good depth, and he used it in all counts. He mixed in a breaking ball 69-71mph with late break. Minderman is a name to keep an eye on with his pitchability and as he continues to fill into his long-levered frame.  
 

Valdrin Islami (2029, East Troy, Wisc.) a 5-foot-9 163-pound middle infielder/outfielder collected two hits in his five at bats in a rain shortened weekend. One of his two hits was for a triple, and he mixed in a well hit liner in his third game of the weekend. He has a simple setup in the box. He coils into his back hip and strides through the baseball well. His hands are quick to the ball, and he ends with a level one hand finish. He has a nice line drive approach at the plate and stays patient as he worked a walk in each of his 3 games.  

Kanon Baxley (2028, Sugar Grove, Ill.) a 5-foot-10 170-pound shortstop/right-handed pitcher had a strong overall showing on the weekend. As one of the top performers he picked up three hits, three walks, three RBIs, four runs scored, and two stolen bases. He was a huge part of why his team ended up winning it all. He has a violent swing at the plate with an efficient barrel path. He also worked two solid innings, closing the championship game. He punched out four with his fastball reaching 86mph during his first inning of work. It’s safe to say Baxley was an impact player across his four games this weekend.  



- Ethan Pequette 
 

Ryan Pape (2028, Park Ridge, Ill.) a 6-foot, 145-pound outfielder has a lanky, athletic frame and was a leading force at the plate this weekend for the Chicago Slammers (Orange/Black). He was a big time run producer bringing in eight RBI’s and scoring five runs for his team. With the bat he totaled five hits, with three of them going for extra bases, and found a way on the bag with four walks. Does a great job of staying tall in his swing, getting to good extension and staying on plane through contact. Utilizes the toe-tap during the load and generates tilt to get natural pop.  

Ace Martin (2028, Shorewood, Ill.) was dominant during his outing on the mound for Rhino HQ leading them to a win. The right-handed pitcher has a tall build with room to grow at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds but uses his legs well to get down the mound. Only allowed two hits through 6 â…” innings of work and generated weak contact from opposing hitters. Utilized a three-pitch mix that kept them off-balance to rack up eight strikeouts as well. Fastball was heavily used to get ahead in counts, sat at 76-79mph and topped at 80mph. His changeup (72-73mph) and curveball (67-69) paired well with the heater as finishing pitches to get strikeouts and roll overs. Overall, has a great feel for his body and ability to fill up the zone.  

Bryce Roach (2030, Frankfort, Ill.) a 6-foot-2, 155-pound catcher for Cangelosi Sparks White went nuclear this weekend at the plate. Across four games he had eight knocks with two doubles, a triple, seven RBI’s, and scored four runs. Showcased great plate discipline with the ability to get deep into counts and not get beat. Strides into his load but keeps his shoulders tall and doesn't allow dip to be able to drive the ball to all big parts of the field. Athletic kid that moves well around the basepaths and behind the dish, good arm strength and framing ability.  

- Ty Rechtorovic  
 

Donnie Christiano (2030, Park Ridge, Ill.) the middle infielder, played two age levels up this weekend and still raked. Christiano took home the MVP award for the 17U division in New Lenox. Across three games, Christiano hit .500 with a home run and a triple. In the box, he works in a toe-tap stride from an open stance and lets the barrel cover the whole plate. An efficient weight transfer that really gets in the back hip and works through the point of contact really stands out, along with quality bat speed.  


Nathan Tunt (2028, Bloomington, Ill.) the southpaw fought through five innings Saturday. High-waisted, he uses a shorter arm action that lets him hide the ball well from a low ¾ slot. Crossfire in his delivery adds even more deception for the lefty. Tunt’s fastball shows late action with arm-side run sitting in the upper 70s. The slider works in at 67-70 mph with a sweeping motion that moves like a frisbee, and he’s developing feel for it. The changeup is what really stood out in the outing. It looks like the fastball, but he throws it 72-73 mph before the bottom drops out right at home plate. In his start, he punched 6 tickets over 5 innings.  
 

Jarred Martini Jr. (2030, Stevens Point, Wisc.) stood out in the box for a couple of reasons this weekend. At 6-foot-4 he towers over his peers and has the bat to further differentiate himself. Through 4 games this weekend, he went 5-for-12 with two triples and 6 RBIs. The first baseman also did not strike out this weekend. In the box, he works from a wide toe-tap stance and really stores his energy in the lower half. The barrel whips through the zone with intent as everything works towards the pitcher at impact.  

Ryker Rissman (2028, Sycamore, Ill.) was dominant in his lone start this weekend. The lefty powered through his opponent in 4.1 innings. Rissman struck out 8 batters and allowed only one hit on Saturday. He moved with ease down the mound from a ¾ slot. He also limited base running, picking off three different runners during the game. The fastball was his main offering, picking apart opposing batters from 77-80 and topping out at 81 mph. He also showed a curveball with a 12-6 shape in the upper 60 mph range.  

William Smrz (2028, DeKalb, Ill.) the 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher, stepped on the mound Saturday with determination. Plenty of velocity still in the tank for the righty thanks to a projectable frame. Working out of a ¾ slot, he really gets down the mound. Smrz worked four scoreless innings on the rubber in wet conditions on cruise control. He only allowed one hit in the outing while fanning four batters. The fastball is heavy out of the hand of Smrz, running 80-83 mph and topping out at 84 mph. He pairs it with a late-breaking CB in the low 70s.  

-Brady Shick  
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Tournaments | Story | 10/10/2026

WWBA World Champ. Scout Notes: Day 2
Perfect Game Staff
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Erica Beach
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Tournaments | Story | 10/10/2026

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Perfect Game Staff
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WWBA Freshman Scout Notes: Day 1

Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 10/9/2026

WWBA World Champ. Scout Notes: Day 1

Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 10/8/2026

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Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 10/8/2026

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Hannah Jo Groves
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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 LAUNCHES “PG MOMS”, A NEW CONTENT AND PARTNERSHIP PLATFORM CELEBRATING THE MOTHERS BEHIND THE GAME   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, October 8, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the launch of PG Moms, a new social media-driven initiative celebrating the mothers who play an essential role in the travel baseball journey. The new content platform will allow moms who are well-versed in the youth baseball space to share their lessons, insights and tips in authentic ways with fellow moms across the country. The platform will debut this week from Perfect Game’s annual WWBA World Championship event in Jupiter,...
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Ron Wolforth
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