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Summer Collegiate  | Story | 7/22/2010

Northwoods League All-Star Notes

Patrick Ebert
The Northwoods League All-Star Game took place on Tuesday night, with a nice collection of aspiring professional talent on hand, as the North squad defeated the South, 7-5.  That is a relatively high-scoring game in this league, and here I’ll share some of the more notable highlights from the day.
  
 Home Run Derby
  
 Prior to the game, Duluth’s Mark Threlkeld took home the home run derby crown, swatting nine home runs over the three-round format.  He used a pronounced tomahawk chop swing to club some bombs over the left-field fence, as everything hit to left-center and centerfield (the deepest parts of Eau Claire’s Carson Park) was pushed back by the wind.  Kyle Gaedele faced Threlkeld in the final round of the derby and showed a much  smoother and controlled swing.  Neither pre-derby favorites, Cody Asche and Harold Riggins, hit a single home run in the opening round.
  
 Big Hit
  
 Speaking of Asche, he was named the Star of Stars from the game, the NWL equivalent of the all-star game MVP.  Serving as the cleanup and designated hitter for the North team, Asche went 2-or-4 with two runs, two RBIs and a walk.  The big hit was a majestic two-run home run in the third inning to deep right-centerfield that easily cleared the fence and landed in the trees 20-30 feet past the outfield wall.  He also added a sharp single up the middle in the seventh, showing no problem making hard contact with a wood bat.
  
 Asche came into the game leading the league in RBIs (45) and tied for the lead in home runs (seven).  He is coming off of a solid spring at Nebraska and is certainly making a strong impression so far this summer.  He has a square build and a very patient and controlled approach at the plate.  I like his swing path, with a natural uppercut like most lefties have.  Also like most lefties, he appears to be a low-ball hitter with easy pull power.
  
 Big ‘D’
  
 While Asche’s home run proved to be the biggest hit on the day, and ultimately the difference in the game, his teammate, outfielder John Schultz, made two key defensive plays in the third inning to prevent the South from scoring two runs.  With no outs and runners at first and third, catcher Chris O’Dowd hit a fly ball to left field.  Tagging at third base was the speedy Nolan Fadness, and Schultz, a left-hander, made the catch moving to his right, quickly righted himself and fired a strike to home plate to gun down the runner.
  
 After an RBI double by Harold Riggins, Schultz got another opportunity off the bat of Kyle Gaedele.  Gaedele hit a single to left with Riggins running on the pitch.  Schultz came up firing again, and once again gunned down the runner at the plate, giving him two assists at home in the same inning.
  
 I like Schultz’s approach at the plate as well.  A very patient hitter, he’s hitting .320 so far this summer with eight doubles and six triples.  He’s leading the league in both triples and walks (34), and he’s coming off of a good spring for Pitt in which he hit .404 with 56 walks (.521 OBP), just shy of the national leaders.
  
 Shortstop Trio
  
 There were three interesting shortstops who participated in the all-star game:  Steve Nystizor, Marcus Semien and Brad Zapenas.
  
 I covered Nystizor a couple of weeks ago, a very good-looking athlete with intriguing five-tool potential.  He has pop at the plate and decent speed, although I didn’t get the chance to see him make too many plays in the field.  He slid over to second base once Semien entered the game.  Nystizor is among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category, hitting .303/.348/.476 with 10 doubles, five triples, four home runs and 11 stolen bases.  He isn’t draft eligible until 2012, and enjoyed a very successful freshman campaign for Rutgers this past spring.
  
 Semien is a shorter, quicker middle infielder who physically resembles Rafael Furcal.  Of course he doesn’t have Furcal’s power arm/bat combination, but he has some interesting pro potential.  He is more of a line-drive hitter, coming into the game hitting .316 this summer, and also has some speed on the basepaths, swiping 15 bases so far in 18 attempts.
  
 Playing the entire game at short for the South team was Brad Zapenas.  He doesn’t have the obvious physical tools of Nystizor or the fast-twitch quickness of Semien, but he appears to be the steadiest of the trio.  He ranges well to both sides and makes strong, accurate throws to first base time after time.  He had an RBI double in the second, ripping a fastball down the third base line, and an RBI single in the sixth.  Like Semien, there isn’t much power to his swing, but he manages the zone well and has been making consistent hard contact.
  
 While not a shortstop, I also want to mention Mike Marjama for the impression he made on me defensively.  He did make an error in the game, the easiest chance he had, but fielded a few others very cleanly, starting a few potential 5-4-3 double plays.  The Long Beach State transfer showed soft hands and quick instincts at the hot corner, and also has a line-drive bat and room for more power potential at the plate.
  
 Bats Stand Out
  
 The hitters in this game definitely stood out more than the pitchers.  In addition to the players already mentioned above, Madison Mallards teammates Harold Riggins and Kyle Gaedele batted fourth and fifth, respectively, and played the entire game.  Riggins went 2-for-4 with the aforementioned RBI double while Gaedele went 3-for-4.
  
 I was impressed with Riggins’ size last year when I had the chance to see him play for the Mallards, and it appears he has worked hard to trim down a little more.  He’s a big, sculpted athlete, although he will have to continue to work hard at conditioning so he doesn’t go back to his previous hefty proportions.  He’s hitting .366 at the midpoint, third best in the league, and is tied with Asche and Threlkeld for the league-lead in home runs with seven.
  
 Gaedele was profiled in this column a couple of weeks ago, but it was nice getting to see him play in both the game and participate in the home run derby.  As noted above, he didn’t appear to over-swing during the derby, and it obviously didn’t affect his performance during the game as he collected three hits.  Physically he reminds me of a blend of Jeff Francoeur and Hunter Pence, a rare tall yet well built outfielder who has an exciting blend of both speed and power.
  
 South starting catcher Chris O’Dowd, the son of Colorado Rockies General Manager Dan O’Dowd, showed a pretty good left-handed swing at the plate.  Coming off a strong spring at Dartmouth, O’Dowd is hitting .330 with four home runs so far this summer, although it looks as though he has some work to do behind the plate.
  
 Pat Stover played in the league last summer, the summer after his senior year in high school, and continued to have a solid freshman year at Santa Clara.  He’s built similar to someone like Jason Bay with a similar tool-set in that he likely will always be known for his bat.  He has a line-drive swing with a patient approach, but he has the size to develop more power as he matures.
  
 Here’s a sleeper to watch over the next year:  Isaac Ballou.  He’s a fantastic athlete who excelled in football, basketball and baseball in high school.  He attended the 2008 Perfect Game National event, receiving excellent grades for his arm strength, bat and foot speed.  He will be draft-eligible as a sophomore next spring playing for Marshall.
  
 A Few Arms
  
 The pitchers really didn’t stand out in this game.  There was a mix of some good projectability and some good, not great stuff.
  
 Brad Schreiber stood out the most.  Entering the game for the South in the fifth inning, he came out throwing darts.  Reports later indicate he was approaching the mid-90s with his fastball, and he also showed some solid off-speed stuff.  Physically he’s a rather ordinary athlete, reminding me of former Clemson ace and current Baltimore Oriole Jason Berken.  Schreiber definitely stood out and made a name for himself on this day.
  
 Matt LaMothe followed Schreiber in the pitching rotation in the sixth inning for the South.  He was definitely the best pitcher in regards to athleticism and projectability, even if he wasn’t throwing as hard as Schreiber.  He threw a pretty good, hard breaking slurvy curveball and went right after hitters with an aggressive approach.
  
 Joe Battistelli’s line didn’t looked particularly good, but he was one of the better-looking pitchers to take the mound.  He followed LaMothe in the seventh, showed a nice pickoff move and snapped off a few of the better curveballs in this game.
  
 Matt Flemer relieved Battistelli in the seventh and continued to pitch in the eighth.  He has good size with broad shoulders and a strong base.  He showed good fastball velocity right around 90 mph and command.
  
 For the North, Nick Anderson showed easy arm strength in the second inning, touching the low-90s with a loose delivery.  He entered the game second in the league in opponent batting average, and threw a couple of good-looking curveballs as well.  He is a lanky, projectable righty with a high waist and plenty of room to add strength.
  
 I really liked the way Sander Beck pitched.  He uses a deceptive, low three-quarters delivery and really hits the outside corners to right-handed hitters, working inside on lefties.  His arm is free and easy and he has a projectable frame.  I could see him being an effective reliever down the road who is particularly tough on right-handed hitters.
  
 Ben Hughes has a big, strong body and a slow, deliberate delivery.  He doesn’t throw as hard as his size may make you think, but he spotted his fastball well and dropped in a couple of nice slow curveballs.
  
 The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA.  Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and 5 Tool Talk, and can be contacted via email at pebert@5tooltalk.com.
  
  
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Summer Collegiate | Story | 9/26/2023

Cape Cod: Best of the Rest
Vincent Cervino
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Cape Cod Top 100 Prospect List | Cape Cod Top 2025 Prospects * indicates draft eligible sophomore ^ indicates incoming transfer Name Pos. Team School Hometown State Andrew Sundean C Hyannis UCF Lakeland FL Bradke Lohry^ IF Hyannis Tennessee Trinity FL Cam Schuelke^ RHP Hyannis Mississippi State Dorr MI Carter Lovasz RHP Hyannis William & Mary Midlothian VA Colby Shelton*^ IF Falmouth Florida Lithia FL Colin Tuft^ OF Orleans Tulane Vienna VA Daniel Corona^ IF Cotuit Missouri Brooklyn NY Derek Clark^ LHP Orleans West Virginia Petersburg MI Duce Gourson IF Falmouth UCLA San Diego CA Eddie Micheletti OF Orleans George Washington Wilmington DE Enzo Apodada^ OF YD Baylor Scottsdale CA Evan Truitt RHP Orleans Charleston Southern Berlin MD Finnegan Wall RHP YD UC Irvine Hesperia CA Garrett Coe RHP Falmouth Uconn Lakeside CT Ian Petrutz OF Bourne Maryland Mantua NJ Jakob Christian^ 1B YD...
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Draft | Mock Draft | 7/11/2026

Final 2026 MLB Mock Draft

Vincent Cervino
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It's draft day and that means it's time for our final Mock Draft with the 2026 group. 1. Chicago White Sox | Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA It’s between Roch and Grady Emerson at this pick, though there have been heavy rumors of a very late deal potentially with another top 5 pick. This boils down to negotiations and we think that they will get there.  2. Tampa Bay Rays | Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian (Tex.) If Grady isn’t the first pick then he is almost certain to be the second pick. The Rays like to get creative but Emerson is a well worth prospect in his own right.  3.  Minnesota Twins | Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech This is likely the floor for Roch Cholowsky, though the Twins might prefer Lackey to Roch outright. They are thought to be in on the top college players with Emerson a distant third.  4. San Francisco Giants | Jackson Flora, RHP, UC...
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College | Story | 7/10/2026

Cape Cod Notebook No. 1

Perfect Game Staff
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Cape Cod League Scouting Notebook  Maverick Rizy | Ole Miss | RHP | Brewster Whitecaps  The towering 6-foot-9, 250-pound right-hander continues to stand out with one of the more unique looks on the Cape, pairing a massive frame with a low three-quarter slot that creates difficult angles for hitters. While his fastball velocity was down from its typical mid-90s range during this look, working mostly 90-92 mph, it still generated plenty of swing-and-miss. He paired the heater with an 81-83 mph gyro slider featuring tight bullet-spin action and mixed in an 85-mph changeup with quality separation. Rizy battled his command early in the outing I saw, before settling in to strike out five over three innings, showing the ability to adjust as the game progressed. Through 12.2 Cape League innings, he has recorded 18 strikeouts, and his combination of size, deception, and projectability...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 4

Perfect Game Staff
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16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ‘28 C Nico Ayars (FL) coming off a monster game yesterday & comes up with the biggest swing of this one. A triple right down the LF line to drive in two. Came into today hitting .833 this week. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/Hvb7UvtkNi — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 8, 2026 Nico Ayars (2028, Fort Myers, Fla.) has just been on the barrel throughout the week so far, collecting six hits across the first four games of the tournament. That didn’t slow down on day three at Mt. Zion High School as he came up with the biggest swing of the day, hitting a triple down the left field line to drive in a pair. It’s been a standout week so far for Ayars and he’ll be a driving force behind the run through the tourney for CBU 2028 Scout Team Lawson. Rylan Jenkins (2028, Tennille, Ga.) put...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

14u & 17u West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Tre Hallberg (‘27, AZ) hammers this out to deep LCF for a 2-run 💣. Continues to stand out at the plate. Power will only continue to develop #WWBAWest @PG_Uncommitted https://t.co/NlWlDygpwg pic.twitter.com/RHrgYXLmwm — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 10, 2026 Tre Hallberg (2027, Mesa, Ariz.) was nearly impossible to get out over the first two days of action, going 7-for-9 with a triple and a home run. A balanced right-handed swing stays compact to contact. There is quick hand speed through the zone with feel for the barrel. Hallberg has a strong feel to hit to go with power that continues to develop. The upside is apparent.  William Garcia Falmer (2027, El Dorado Hills, Calif.) collected a pair of mulit-hit games over the course of day one and two, going 5-for-7 with two doubles, a homer, and seven runs driven in. Garcia Falmer features a physical build...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 2

Perfect Game Staff
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Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 1 Braedon Paczocha (2028, Palmyra, Wis.), a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame catcher for GRB STiKS 16U Black, displayed a quick bat with the ability to do damage. Showed a good feel for the barrel throughout the weekend, hitting .538 (7-for-13) with 3 doubles, 8 RBI, 2 stolen bases, and a 1.376 OPS. Also received well behind the plate with quick, efficient transfers and displayed good instincts.    ’28 1B Brock Hamilton (IL) displays some present strength, driving this ball deep into the LCF gap to leg out a triple. Creates loud contact off the bat and does damage here. #WCInvite @WhitesoxAce pic.twitter.com/6EK81gG9Wi — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 5, 2026 Brock Hamilton (2028, Flossmoor, Ill.), one of the top first basemen in Illinois, brings a physical 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame with plenty of present strength...
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Draft | Rankings | 7/10/2026

Final 2026 MLB Draft Board: Top 500

Tyler Henninger
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After months of coverage, evaluations, and discussions, the 2026 MLB Draft is upon us. With that, we present our final Top 500 Draft Board.  The final update features several notable movers, including a handful of late risers who made one final push up the board. While there was movement throughout the board, the top remains unchanged. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson lead the way again, as they have for much of the cycle. With the games complete, reports filed, and the board finalized, the evaluation process is over. Now, we get to sit back and watch the draft unfold. Rk. Name Level 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 Jacob Lombard H SS R-R Gulliver Schools Miami FL Miami 5 Jackson Flora C...
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Showcase | Story | 7/9/2026

13U National Kicks Off in Fort Myers

Alyssa Golden
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This Friday through Sunday, many of the nation’s top young prospects from the classes of 2030 and 2031 will head to Fort Myers, Florida, as the 2026 PG 13U National Showcase gets underway at JetBlue Park. The invitation-only event features some of the brightest young stars in the country as they look to make their way onto the national stage. This showcase provides players with an opportunity to compete against elite talent from across the country while also serving as a key evaluation for the 2026 PG 13U Select Baseball Festival. “The 13u National Showcase will be the first showcase for a lot of these guys, but we’ve seen their talents throughout this past fall, spring and the summer circuit, securing their invite to the event,” said Jheremy Brown, Perfect Game’s National Director of 13U & 14U Player Development and Festivals. Among some of the stand...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/9/2026

Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 1

Donovan May
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’28 RHP Jack Potsma (IL) went 4.0 IP w/ 4 K, running the FB up to 91 mph. Quick, whippy arm w/ a tall, projectable frame. FB had quality arm-side run, while adding a SL. Good control in the delivery w/ the ability to fill up the zone. FB: 87-91 | SL: 68-73 #WCOpen @RaysIllinois pic.twitter.com/8HfMEeamIC — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 6, 2026 Jack Postma (2028, Barrington, Ill.) is a tall, projectable 6-foot-5, 195-pound pitcher with a quick, whippy arm and loose, athletic actions. The GRB Rays 16U Illinois Green right-hander ran his fastball up to 91 mph with heavy arm-side run while filling up the zone and inducing weak contact. Postma complemented the fastball with a slider and mixed in a fading changeup, giving him a quality three-pitch mix to build upon. Over 4.0 innings, Postma struck out 4, allowing 4 hits while throwing 66% strikes.  ’27 RHP...
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Press Release | Press Release | 7/9/2026

SHIVERSTICKS NAMED OFFICIAL POPSICLE OF PERFECT GAME

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  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   SHIVERSTICKS NAMED OFFICIAL POPSICLE OF PERFECT GAME   Former MLB All-Star Vernon Wells to Make Select Appearances at Perfect Game Events to Promote the Partnership   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, July 9, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with ShiverSticks, naming the Texas-based company the Official Popsicle of Perfect Game. Throughout the travel baseball season, ShiverSticks products will be featured across Perfect Game’s premier events and facilities, with onsite activations, concession integration, digital promotions and social media content designed to introduce players and fans to the...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/9/2026

16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 3

Perfect Game Staff
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16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 Carlos Acuna (2028, Sylmar, Cal.) turned in an impressive start on Wednesday, tossing four shutout innings with six strikeouts and just one hit allowed. The 6-foot-1 right-hander filled up all four quadrants of the strike zone with his fastball, which lived in the 86-87 mph range and touched 88 a couple of times. He mixed in a true 12-6 curveball with huge depth down in the zone, and showed comfortability doubling up on the breaking ball. ‘28 Francis Conners-Schmid (NY) was dominant out of the ‘pen, 6 Ks in 2 hitless inn of work. Lived 88-89 & touched 90 multiple times. Sharp horz break to the SL w/ teeth & tight spin (clip). Athletic mover w/ serious 2-way upside. @JKselectBSB #WWBA @PGMidAtlantic pic.twitter.com/z859j3UCEq — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 8, 2026 Francis Conners-Schmid (2028, East Chatham, N.Y.)...
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