general overview of the top teams and players at the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA levels, as well as a list of the Top 100 Prospects for the 2011 draft.' /> general overview of the top teams and players at the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA levels, as well as a list of the Top 100 Prospects for the 2011 draft.' /> general overview of the top teams and players at the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA levels, as well as a list of the Top 100 Prospects for the 2011 draft.' />
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College  | Rankings | 2/2/2011

Small Colleges: Top Prospects, 2011

Allan Simpson
Mt. Olive Righthander, Carter Capps,
Tops List Of Non-Division I Prospects
 
 
Over the 46-year life of the baseball draft, a total of 31 players have been selected in the first round from non-Division I four-year colleges. That includes the likes of righthander Tim Belcher, who was chosen first overall in 1983 out of Ohio’s Mt. Vernon Nazarene College, an obscure NAIA school.
 
The impact on the draft by NCAA Division II and III, and NAIA colleges has lessened in recent years as record-setting Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) first baseman Beau Mills and Southern Arkansas righthander Hayden Simpson have been the only two first-rounders produced by non-D-I schools in the last eight years. Mills (Indians) was the 13thpick in 2007 after bashing an NAIA record 38 homers and Simpson (Cubs), a D-II product, was a surprise selection a year ago as the 16th pick overall.
 
The 2010 draft produced just two players in the top 100 selections—Simpson and Florida Southern righthander Daniel Tillman (Angels), the 81st pick—that were products of small colleges. On PG CrossChecker’s current list of the Top 500 Prospects for the 2011 draft, there are three such players in the top 100, and a total of 14 overall.
 
We’ve unveiled a separate listing of the Top 100 Small-College Prospects for this year’s draft, and it begins with 6-foot-6 Mt. Olive (N.C.) College sophomore righthander Carter Capps, whose fastball has been clocked up to 97 mph. As Capps is ranked at only No. 80 on the overall list for 2011, the chances of a player being drafted in the first round are considered remote, though Capps has made huge strides in his development as a prospect over the last year and could dominate the D-II ranks this spring.
 
Capps originally enrolled at Mt. Olive, the 2008 NCAA Division II World Series champion, as a catcher and red-shirted as a freshman while in the process of being converted to a pitcher. He went 10-0, 3.06 as a red-shirt freshman for the Trojans, then cemented his status as a potential high-round pick last summer in the Coastal Plain League, where he was the hardest thrower in the circuit and made significant headway in developing a third pitch, a slider (to go with his fastball and changeup), while fine-tuning his command.
 
Extenuating circumstances are usually the reason why players emerge from the small-college ranks to become high-round drafts, especially first-rounders, as it is rare for a prospect with a significant upside to ever slip through the cracks out of high school and land at anything but a Division I program, or junior college.
 
Mt. Olive was the only college that seriously considered Capps out of a North Carolina high school, mainly because he was playing out of position at the time. The Nos. 2 and 3 players on the accompanying list, meanwhile, are transfers from Division I schools.
 
Oklahoma City is a long-standing NAIA national power and was able to secure the services of righthander/shortstop Ryan O’Sullivan, a former 10th-round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants, at the Christmas break. O’Sullivan, who is ranked No. 2 among small-college players (No. 97 overall) for the 2011 draft, endured injury and academic issues as a sophomore at San Diego State, and pitched in only one game for the Aztecs in 2010. Had he not transferred to Oklahoma City, he would have been academically ineligible this spring at San Diego State. O’Sullivan is a viable two-way prospect, but his professional upside appears to be highest on the mound. His fastball has been clocked in the mid-90s.
 
Another NAIA school, California’s Fresno Pacific, landed its own prospect of note when righthander Jesse Darrah, No. 3 among small-college talent (No. 100 overall), transferred from Cal State Sacramento for his junior year.
 
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Darrah owns a lofty draft ranking, even as he went just 3-6, 5.05 as a sophomore at Cal State Sacramento. Scouts, however, say he appears primed for a breakout season at Fresno Pacific after he flashed an impressive four-pitch mix in the fall that included an outstanding changeup, in addition to his 92-95 fastball.
 
Belcher remains the poster child for small-college players, though he was something of an aberration himself as the No. 1 pick overall in the draft 28 years ago.
 
Most big-league clubs were unfamiliar with Belcher little more than two months before the 1983 draft, but his fastball suddenly spiked to 96 mph and he began dominating his modest competition over the latter half of his junior year. He was subsequently drafted by Minnesota with the top pick, though left the Twins holding the bag when he refused to sign. He was re-drafted by the New York Yankees the following January.
 
Belcher went on to win 146 games in a 14-year major league career. He ranks with British Columbia lefthander Jeff Francis (2002, Rockies/9th pick), Tampa first baseman Tino Martinez (Mariners, 1989/14th pick), Ferrum (Va.) lefthander Billy Wagner (Astros, 1993/12th pick) and Biola (Calif.) righthander Todd Worrell (Cardinals, 1982) as the most successful first-rounders to come from the small-college ranks through the years.
 
Not surprisingly, the top half-dozen small-college prospects for this year’s draft are pitchers. In addition to Capps, O’Sullivan and Darrah, Massachusetts-Lowell lefty Jack Leathersich, Nebraska-Omaha righthander Joe Holtmeyer and Cal State San Bernardino righty Aaron Brooks are all expected to command scouting interest this spring consistent with the top five rounds.
 
All six come from the traditionally-stronger Division II and NAIA ranks. Of the 100 small-college prospects listed by PG CrossChecker, 53 are products of D-II schools, 37 are NAIA players and just 10 attend Division III schools.
 
Clarkson (N.Y.) outfielder Jerry Coleman is not only the highest-rated position player on the small-college list (No. 7), but the first player listed from an NCAA Division III school.
 
Scouts will get an early opportunity to view many of the top small-college prospects over the next 2-3 weeks, especially those playing for traditional Sun Belt schools, as their counterparts in the more powerful Division I ranks won’t kick off their 2011 season until Feb. 18, the uniform starting day for D-I teams.
 
Upstart Southern Indiana (52-14 in 2010) won its first NCAA Division II national title a year ago, and the D-II field appears to be wide open again this spring, although Franklin Pierce, Mt. Olive (the 2008 national champion) and Tampa (the 2006 and 2007 national champions) all have three players on the national Top 100 list and also have plenty of recent experience playing in the NCAA D-II World Series. This year’s event is again scheduled for May 28-June 4 in Cary, N.C., the home site of USA Baseball’s national training complex.
 
At the NAIA level, Fresno Pacific and Cal Baptist, two California schools that have little prior record of success nationally, have four players each in the small-college top 100. If talent counts for anything, they should be primed to challenge 16-time NAIA World Series champion Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and defending champ Cumberland (Tenn.) for the 2011 title, which will be contested May 27-June 3 in Lewiston, Idaho.
 
L-C State failed to win another national title a year ago, despite a 48-5 record, and will be without the services this season of Ed Cheff, its long-time and highly-successful coach who stepped down after last season, his 35th with the Warriors. The program has historically relied on transfers to make it a contender year-in and year-out, and righthander Zach Arneson (No. 14 on the accompanying Top 100), an unsigned 21st-round pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2010 who played at Cal State Bakersfield a year ago, has become the team’s top prospect. His fastball was clocked in the mid-90s in the fall.
 
The D-III World Series was won a year ago by unheralded Illinois Wesleyan, which won 11 of its last 12 games after taking a 19-19 record into post-season play. That tournament should be totally up for grabs again as there is no team with an abundance of pro-level talent, or a clear front runner. It will be played in Appleton, Wis., from May 27-31.
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College | Story | 7/28/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 28 Summer Edition
John Coppolella
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The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Blake Schaaf – Bourne Braves  Schaaf had a big week, going 12-for-22 (.545 AVG) with 3 Doubles, 4 Stolen Bases, and 9 Runs Scored. It’s been the continuation of a terrific summer for the...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/30/2026

Blue Wave Battle & Prevail at 14u Classic

Kinley Kitchens
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For Excel Blue Wave, the summer was never about being perfect. It was about getting better. After a season filled with challenges, growth, and plenty of learning along the way, Excel Blue Wave put everything together when it mattered most, defeating SBG Sox Prime, Al 9-3 to capture the 2026 14U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship. For Excel Blue Wave Coach Forrest Heacock, watching the group celebrate with a championship trophy was especially meaningful because of everything it took to get there.  “It hasn’t been the easiest summer, and have battled a lot,” Coach Heacock said. “The kids have improved so much over the summer, and that is really what it’s all about at this age. It’s really just about improving at this age, and to see them be able to put it together, and just really compete together and play as a team, I couldn’t be...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/30/2026

Excel Leaves No Doubt at 15u Hoover Classic

Kinley Kitchens
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Excel Blue Wave National wasn’t leaving Hoover empty-handed.  At least, that was the message head coach Wes Henderson gave his team.  After a summer filled with strong performances but without a tournament title to show for them, Excel Blue Wave National entered the 2026 15U Perfect Game Hoover Classic with one more opportunity to finish the season the way they wanted.  This time, they left no doubt.  Excel Blue Wave National defeated East Coast Sox 2029 Victus, 12-0 in the championship game, combining a balanced offensive attack with a strong performance on the mound to secure their first tournament title of the summer.  “It’s been a special group,” Coach Henderson said. “They fought really hard, and they played really well this summer, and this is the first championship that we’ve been able to bring home. We typically...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/29/2026

"Excel"ling Through the Hoover Classic

Kinley Kitchens
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After a long summer of baseball, Excel Blue Wave National had one final opportunity to end it the way every team hopes to.  Together, having fun, and as champions. Excel Blue Wave National closed their summer with a 13-9 victory over Excel Blue Wave American – Morrison to capture the 2026 16U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship. In a game that required contributions throughout the lineup and seven innings of competition, the Excel Blue Wave National relied on the same qualities and approach that had carried the group all summer. With talent, perseverance and a chemistry built far beyond the baseball field, they were unstoppable.  For head coach Brennan McCullough, there couldn’t have been a much better way for his players to finish their final weekend together .  “It’s great,” Coach McCullough said. “We’ve had a long...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

16u West WS Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Quinton Hall
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16u West World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Jason Lizotte (‘28 | NV) Smooth LHH, hunts pitches down in the zone he can rip to the middle & PS w/ a downhill & direct path. Some strength in the hands w/ feel for the barrel #PGWS pic.twitter.com/kbK5Ayvhd7 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 27, 2026 Jason Lizotte (2028 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-9, 145-pound left-handed hitter and outfielder was a spark plug all weekend for MTBA Dawgs 2028, finishing with seven hits, eight runs scored, one double, one triple, four RBI, three stolen bases, and four walks without a strikeout. Lizotte refused to give away an at-bat, consistently working hitter’s counts before spraying line drives all over the field. The left-handed swing stays short and direct with plenty of feel for the barrel, and once he reached base, he immediately put pressure on the defense with...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/29/2026

SBA Sox Save Best for Last

Kinley Kitchens
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Sometimes the best ending comes after a season of figuring things out. For SBG Sox American, the summer wasn’t always seamless. The team spent their early weeks learning where players fit best, building chemistry and searching for the combination that would allow them to play their best baseball. By the final weekend, they found it.  SBG Sox American closed their summer with a 7-5 victory over Dirtbags Midsouth 2027 Black to capture the 2026 17U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship, putting together one final winning performance in the last tournament this group would share this summer.  For SBG Sox Coach Cooper Williams, that made taking home the championship trophy even more meaningful. “It’s been great, especially for it being their last summer event,” Coach Williams said. “It’s really cool for them to kind of pull this thing out for...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

East World Series Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Evan Brand (2027, Acworth, Ga.) has been solid at the plate all summer and did not slow down late in the summer. This week, Brand was able to hit just under the .700 mark and tallied three extra base hits, including a homer. The switch hitter has a fluid barrel path with plus feel for the barrel to all fields. The lower half also moves with some rhythm, and the switch hitting ability with the accuracy to the barrel provides plenty of intrigue. The middle infielder is committed to Georgia Tech. Atley Schwarzrock (‘27 GA) catches of all of the first pitch he sees launching it over the wall in left for a 2-run 💣 sending it with some heat; stays loose in his progressing ripping the barrel thru the zone with some strength behind it and staying tall on impact. #EastWS… pic.twitter.com/oGxbPQN1W0 — Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) July 27, 2026 Atley Schwarzrock (2027,...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

17u World Series Scout Notes: Days -3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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17u World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Lukas Waite (‘27, CA) showed LOUD stuff out of the pen. 6-2/205 frame. High-end athlete on the mound. FB sat 92-95 (T96). SL at 80-82 generated uncomfortable whiffs #PGWS @California_PG @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXaVxqA2kv — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 27, 2026 Lukas Waite (2027, San Diego, Calif.) came out of the pen on day four and showcased the loudest stuff out of the entire event. The recently named PG All-American ran the fastball up to 96 mph and sat 92-95 mph throughout the outing. A slider at 80-82 mph was lethal. It tunnels well off the heater and gets uncomfortable whiffs often. Waite features a 6-2, 205-pound frame that moves extremely well. There is supreme athleticism throughout the delivery that stands out. The upside is extremely high and will be sure to draw heavy draft interest during this...
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All American Game | Story | 7/29/2026

Victorino & Girardi Tabbed PGAAC Managers

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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   SHANE VICTORINO AND JOE GIRARDI NAMED MANAGERS FOR PERFECT GAME DICK'S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC AT CITIZENS BANK PARK   Former Phillies Stars to Lead Nation's Top High School Baseball Players on August 16 in Philadelphia   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Wednesday, July 29, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that former Phillies All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino and former Phillies manager Joe Girardi will serve as managers for Team East and Team West, respectively, at the 2026 Perfect Game DICK'S All-American Classic, taking place on Sunday, August 16, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa.   Joining Girardi and...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/28/2026

Co-Champs Crowned at 15u WWBA

Will Dembo
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Following a jam-packed week of competition in East Cobb, Georgia, at the 15u WWBA National Championships, East Coast Ghost '29 National and eXposure 15u National were crowned co-champions after inclement weather prevented the championship game from being played. Both clubs completed the tournament undefeated behind dominant pitching and explosive offensive performances on their way to the title. "Couldn’t be more proud of this group," East Coach Head Coach Mike Valerio said. "The amount of work that went into this moment is something no one sees. The countless team and individual practices, workouts, mindset calls and time put in makes this moment even more special. The summer hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to, up to this point, but the boys never let it affect them. We just always said we need to get back to our team standard, which is “make the routine play”....
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