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 | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15
John McAdams
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Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...
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Tournaments | Story | 12/17/2025

15u Tourney All-American Team

Jason Phillips
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Hitter of the Year: Landon Bonner The 2028 class saw many players from across the country take the next step in their development as they entered the High School ranks. There were huge performances from highly ranked players on the PG circuit as well as some under-the-radar guys who burst onto the scene. Landon Bonner came into Sophomore National as a Top 500 ranked player and after an impressive showing, left with all eyes on him as a rankings riser in the class. The left-handed hitting shortstop from The Colony, Texas, had a summer to remember with All-Tournament Team selections in three of his next four events culminating with a historic performance at the 2025 PG 15U WWBA National Championship. The Hebron High School prep went 20-for-24 in nine games for 5 Star Mafia 15U Black with four homeruns and 12 runs batted in. He also scored 17 runs and finished with a mind-boggling 2.500...
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Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

AJ Denny
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Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...
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Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino
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There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason.  Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...
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Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
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Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
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Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
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College | Story | 12/12/2025

College Notebook: December 12

Craig Cozart
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Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Highlights: The Cornhuskers were a difficult team to figure in ’25 as they finished with 33 wins, played just .500 (15-15) in the Big Ten but had some big wins at various times during the season and got hot at the right time. They knocked off then #16 Vanderbilt in the second game of the year, beat #5 Oregon State 2-out-of-3 at home in late March and then got hot at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to win the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Michigan State in a 10-inning thriller before taking care of #4 Oregon, knocking off Penn State and then shutout #13 UCLA to punch their ticket to the Chapel Hill Regional. Head coach Will Bolt has now led his alma mater to three conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during his six years in Lincoln. No different than when he was a player, Bolt’s teams play with passion and toughness, this was never more...
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Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

Troy Sutherland
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 You like athletes? You like defenders who can impact a game at any given point? Look not further than this class as it's loaded from coast-to-coast with elite defenders all over the diamond.  C: Brogan Witcher, Bakersfield, CA Our scouting staff got several strong looks at Witcher whether that was at the Summer Kickoff, Sophomore National or the Underclass All American Games where he showcased his strong overall skillset and especially his advanced ability behind the plate. His 6-foot-3,180 pound build looks like one that will fill in quite nicely and be that big and physical catcher’s frame. His arm talent is undeniable where he gets it out quick and runs it up to 79 mph on throwdowns to 2nd (1.84 pop). Besides the standout catch/throw ability, we’ve seen him frame/receive strong arms and block it well during...
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Softball | Softball Tournament | 12/11/2025

PG Softball "Toys 4 Tots" Fundraiser 18U division

Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - 2025 Perfect Game Softball Toys 4 Tots Fundraiser One Day, December 7, 2025. Kicking off the holiday season, six teams participated in this one day, 3 game guarantee tournament in the 18u Division. We would like to thank those that donated a toy, and know that they will be distributed to area underprivileged children through a local charity organization. Following are some of the top performers from the weekend. Earning Tournament MV-Pitcher was Jolee Strohmeyer (2026 Dubuque, IA), a RHP/UTIL with tournament champion Lady Expos Blue. Strohmeyer shows hitters a consistent and repeatable motion and delivery with good use of the legs in the drive phase, and a quick and aggressive arm whip. Working with a six pitch mix of fastball, change-up, rise, drop, curve and screw, Strohmeyer topped out at 60 mph, and showed good movement  as she worked her rise and curve just out...
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Tournaments | Story | 12/11/2025

Scout Stories: Part 4

Tyler Henninger
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Scout Notes: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Best Game I Saw: Hudson Reed (‘26, GA) torches this ball to deep CF for a solo 💣. Generates easy power that plays to the big part of the yard. Middle of the order traits #UBCWest @PG_Georgia @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXqDVFmUBx — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 18, 2025 I was fortunate enough to see a lot of highly competitive games with loads of talent on the field, the game that sticks out to me the most was Alpha Prime 2026 vs. ZT National Prospects at the UBC West. The game was an efficiently played affair with arms dominating on both sides. Graham Schlicht was masterful for Alpha, striking out 12 hitters over 5 dominant innings. PG All-American Julian Cazares came out of the pen blowing smoke, touching 97 mph with the fastball. On the other side, Jake Carbaugh surrendered just one hit and...
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