THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,491 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,491 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
General  | Top Ten | 1/30/2009

Florida Schools Rule D-II

Allan Simpson
Since the NCAA restructured baseball at the small-college level in the late-60s, leading to the formation of Division II in 1968—and Division III in 1976—two Florida schools, Florida Southern and Tampa, have been the NCAA’s flagship programs.

Between them, the schools have won 13 national championships—Florida Southern eight, most recently as 2005; Tampa five, most recently as 2007. Moreover, the two schools have been loyal to their D-II roots while more and more D-II programs have sought membership in the more prestigious Division I ranks.

With the exception of Florida Southern, Tampa, Chapman (1968), Cal Poly Pomona (1976, 1980 and 1983) and Valdosta State (1979), every team that won a Division II World Series from 1968-93 has since upgraded to Division I status. That includes the likes UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Illinois State, Jacksonville State and Troy. Chapman, meanwhile, is currently a Division III program.

Florida Southern’s and Tampa’s influence on Division II is expected to be more profound than ever this year as PG Crosschecker, in its continuing preview coverage of college baseball at the non-Division I level, has installed the two Florida schools as the teams to beat in Division II in 2009. In the accompanying charts, we have Tampa at No. 1 and Florida Southern at No. 2 in our ranking of the top 10 teams. A number of D-II schools begin their 2009 seasons this weekend, but Florida Southern and Tampa open on Tuesday.

The lofty rankings of the two schools are due, in large measure, to the talent—both high-end and depth—found on both rosters. In fact, it’s safe to say that the two schools would be on at least an equal footing with a majority of the schools that will comprise PG Crosschecker’s pre-season ranking of the nation’s top 100 Division I programs that we’ll unveil in the days leading up to the Feb. 20 start date.

Florida Southern not only features the top D-II prospect for the 2009 draft in shortstop Robbie Shields, a potential first-rounder, but also boasts the top two small-college prospects for the 2010 draft in sophomore lefthander Max Russell, the team’s No. 1 starter, and sophomore righthander Daniel Tillman, who is scheduled to close for the Moccasins this season. We’ve highlighted the Top 10 Division II prospects for the 2009 draft in one of the accompanying charts.

Tampa doesn’t have quite the same degree of impact talent that Florida Southern does, but the Spartans went a long way to securing its spot as the nation’s No. 1 team by bringing aboard a couple of significant D-I castoffs in lefthander Carmine Giardina from Central Florida and righthander Alex Koronis from Miami.

With the new NCAA rule that restricts players from transferring from one Division I school to another without sitting out a year, the biggest beneficiary has been D-II schools. Not only did Tampa add two prime transfers to its 2009 roster, but the competitive Sunshine State Conference, which includes Florida Southern and Tampa in its membership, added several more significant D-I transfers. Former Clemson lefthander Matt Zoltak is now at Florida Southern, while Barry University added two former Tennessee regulars in catcher Yan Gomes and shortstop Danny Lima.

As part of our ongoing non-Division I preview coverage over the past few days, we looked at the top teams and top prospects in junior college and NAIA. Today, our focus is on Division II and Division III.

Small-college baseball, at any level, doesn’t normally impact the early rounds of the draft, yet there were 117 players from non-Division I four-year programs selected in 2008. Among 55 players drafted in the first 25 rounds, 32 came from NCAA Division II, 17 from NAIA and six from NCAA Division III.

Though big-league teams don’t scout and draft college players on the basis of the level of competition they play, the New York Mets were the most active team scouring the non-traditional college market a year ago, selecting 11 players from small-college programs. Every big-league team drafted at least two players.

The first small-college draft pick a year ago was righthander Bobby Lanigan from D-II Adelphi (N.Y.), a third-round pick of the Minnesota Twins. The initial NAIA player selected, by contrast, was Azusa Pacific (Calif.) outfielder Kirk Niewenhuis, also in the third round by the Mets, while the initial D-III players to come off the board were in the eighth round.

Shields, an athletic shortstop with solid actions and instincts in all phases of his game, should bring undue recognition to the D-II ranks in June—particularly if he is drafted in the first round, as projected. PG Crosschecker will unveil a revised ranking of the Top 500 prospects for the 2009 draft next week, and Shields will rank No. 23 on that list. He hit .348-9-36 as a Florida Southern sophomore, then cut a wide swath in the Cape Cod League—though his summer season was cut short by a wrist injury. No other D-II player is expected to be selected in the top 3-4 rounds.

Meanwhile, the top-ranked D-III prospect, according to PG Crosschecker, is lefthander Matt Tone of New York’s Cortland State, which also gets our nod as the top-ranked team in D-III. Scouts say Tone, who has a fastball in the 90-94 mph range and a slider that can reach 86, is targeted in the fourth- to sixth-round range. He went 8-0, 2.39 with 88 strikeouts in 68 innings in 2008 for Cortland State, which finished seventh at the D-III World Series.

The 2009 Division III World Series returns to Appleton, Wis., from May 22-26, and it may be difficult to top the drama that unfolded in the 2008 event when Connecticut’s Trinity College took a 44-0 record into the championship game, only to lose 4-3 to Maryland’s Johns Hopkins. Fortunately, Trinity had a loss to spare in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament and came back the next day to beat Johns Hopkins 5-4 in a rematch, pushing across the tying and winning runs on bases-loaded walks in the bottom of the ninth inning to capture its first national title.

The 2008 Division II World Series, played in Sauget, Ill., had another first-time winner as North Carolina’s Mt. Olive College ran the table, winning the eight-team tournament in four straight games. An unexpected reward came several months later when Mt. Olive was selected to be the host school for the 2009 and 2010 Division II World Series, marking the event’s third host site in three years. The tournament will be played at the USA Baseball complex in Cary, N.C., with this year’s event slated for May 23-30.

Here’s our four-barrel take on the top 10 teams and top 10 prospects in the NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III ranks in 2009. We’ve identified the top prospects for this year’s draft, and the projected round.

NCAA DIVISION II
TOP 10 TEAMS, 2009

Rank Team ’08 Record Top Prospect ’09 (Projected Round)
1. *Tampa 42-11 Carmine Giardina, lhp (6th-10th)
2. Florida Southern 29-21 Robbie Shields, ss (1st-2nd)
3. *Mt. Olive (N.C.) 58-6 Kyle Jones, rhp (8th-12th)
4. Cal State Chico 42-17 Eric Stephens, 1b (15th-20th)
5. *Central Missouri 47-17 Danny Potje, lhp (15th-25th
6. UC San Diego 43-18 Vance Albitz, ss (late)
7. Abilene Christian (Texas) 44-17 Bret Bochsler, 1b (15th-20th)
8. Delta State (Miss.) 48-11 Kellen Bozeman, 3b/1b (11th-20th)
9. Emporia State (Kan.) 50-10 Conner Crumbliss, of (late)
10. *Franklin Pierce (N.H.) 43-15 Kevin Rivers, of (15th-25th)
*Participated in 2008 NCAA Division II World Series

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

Rank Player Pos. College Previously Drafted Projected Round
1. Robbie Shields SS Florida Southern Never drafted 1st-2nd
2. Darin Gorski LHP Kutztown (Pa.) Never drafted 5th-8th
3. Yan Gomes C/1B Barry (Fla.) Red Sox ’08 (39) 6th-10th
4. Steve Grife RHP Mercyhurst (Pa.) Never drafted 6th-10th
5. Danny Richard RHP Grand Valley State (Mich.) Never drafted 6th-10th
6. Carmine Giardina LHP Tampa Red Sox ’06 (28) 6th-10th
7. Matt Adams C/1B Slippery Rock (Pa.) Never drafted 6th-10th
8. Cory White RHP Indianapolis Indians ’08 (30) 6th-10th
9. J.D. Martinez OF Nova Southeastern (Fla.) Twins ’06 (36) 8th-12th
10. Ryan Schmidt LHP Northern Kentucky Never drafted 8th-12th

NCAA DIVISION III
TOP 10 TEAMS, 2009

Rank Team ’08 Record Top Prospect ’09 (Projected Round)
1. #Cortland State (N.Y.) 42-5 Matt Tone, lhp (4th-6th)
2. #Trinity (Conn.) 45-1 James Woods, of (11th-15th)
3. #Chapman (Calif.) 40-5 Wayde Kitchens, rhp (20th-30th)
4. #Kean (N.J.) 39-11 Joe Bartlinski, rhp (11th-15th)
5. Southern Maine 36-14 Anthony D’Alfonso, of (late)
6. Texas-Tyler 36-9 Blake Booher, rhp (20th-25th)
7. #Wisconsin-Whitewater 42-10 Aaron Dott, lhp (11th-15th)
8. #Johns Hopkins (Md.) 42-8 Chez Angeloni, rhp (late)
9. Salisbury (Md.) 41-4 Mike Celenza, 3b/1b (15th-20th)
10. #Adrian (Mich.) 36-13 Alex Webster, rhp (late)
#Participated in 2008 NCAA Division III World Series

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

Rank Player Pos. College Previously Drafted Projected Round
1. Matt Tone LHP Cortland State (N.Y.) Never drafted 4th-6th
2. Robert Whitenack RHP SUNY Old Westbury Never drafted 8th-12th
3. Aaron Dott LHP Wisconsin-Whitewater Never drafted 11th-15th
4. Kevin O’Hara RHP Rowan (N.J.) Never drafted 11th-15th
5. Brock Whiteman C Muskingum (Ohio) Never drafted 11th-15th
6. James Woods OF Trinity (Conn.) Never drafted 11th-15th
7. Joe Bartlinski RHP Kean (N.J.) Never drafted 11th-15th
8. Mike Avery OF Cortland State (N.Y.) Never drafted 15th-20th
9. Chase Tigert RHP California Lutheran Never drafted 15th-20th
10. Evan Bronson LHP Trinity (Texas) Brewers ’08 (36) 15th-20th
Give us your feedback
General | Blog | 6/16/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 66
Ron Wolforth
Article Image
  The Number That Just Killed MLB Expansion: 1,217   USA Today's Bob Nightengale dropped a bomb shell recently that the baseball world is still digesting. Major League Baseball wants to expand to 32 teams. Team executives are quietly opposing it and the reason has nothing to do with cities or money.   They cannot find enough healthy pitchers.   Between 2020 and 2024, professional baseball performed 1,026 Tommy John surgeries at the minor-league level alone. Another 191 at the Major League level. More than twelve hundred elbow reconstructions in five years on the best young pitchers in the world.   That is not bad luck. That is a system reporting a verdict on itself.   For fifteen years, the youth-baseball industry has chased one number: velocity significantly more than projectability and arm care.    Recruiters scout by it.    Social...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 7/3/2026

Initial 2026 All Star Game Roster Reveal

Article Image
We are excited to announce the first selections for the 2026 PG All Star Game from both the Perfect Game Junior and Sophomore National Showcases. The PG All Star Game will be held on Friday, August 14th at Citizens Bank Ballpark, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, and will feature roughly 40 of the top players, predominately from the 2028 class with a few of the very best 2029s also selected. A watchlist has been created from the Junior National Showcase and another group of players will be selected from that showcase towards the end of July as we continue to evaluate players at the major Perfect Game tournaments this summer. The final wave of selections we be made at the PG Underclass All American Games August 5-7 at the UCSD in San Diego, CA. PG Underclass All American Games   Junior National Selections Dexter McCleon Jr. OF Suwanee, GA USA Prime Cullen Scott RHP/3B Melissa,...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

Freedom Classic Opens Holiday Weekend

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
More than 30 teams from the 14U-18U age divisions will head to Fort Myers, Florida this Fourth of July weekend for the seventh annual Perfect Game Freedom Classic. The tournament, running July 3-6, features several nationally ranked prospects from across the country as teams look to compete for a championship. Headlining the field are twin brothers Derek and Ryan Yormark of Merrick, New York. Right-handed pitcher Derek Yormack is the No. 51-ranked player in the class of 2027, the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 5-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. First baseman Ryan Yormark comes in just behind his twin brother as the No. 3 overall player in New York, the No. 5 first baseman in the nation and the No. 90-ranked player nationally. Both brothers are committed to Vanderbilt. Derek Yormark has established himself as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2027 class. He has run...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

14u West World Series Scout Notes

Quinton Hall
Article Image
Asher Contreras (2030 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitter and outfielder was one of the most dangerous hitters in the tournament for Wow Factor Nv 2030, stuffing the stat sheet while displaying an impressive combination of power and speed. He finished the weekend with 9 hits, including two doubles and a home run, while driving in seven runs and scoring five more. He also swiped three bases and worked three walks, consistently putting pressure on opposing defenses while showing feel for the zone with just one strikeout all weekend. His ability to hit for extra bases while also creating offense on the bases made him one of the most impactful offensive performers at the event.    Braylen Silva (‘30 | NV) RBI 2B for GBG Vegas 14u Red. Direct path, quick trigger, & barrel feel. Solid 2-hole stick creating offense all day #14UWestWS...
Read More
High School | General | 7/1/2026

PG High School All-Americans

Tyler Russo
Article Image
High School Top 50: Final Update With the High School season all wrapped up, today we take a look at our First, Second and Third Team All-Americans from around the country. Below you'll find three teams with stats that seem otherworldly from players who'll likely hear their names called in the coming week's MLB Draft. Within the "Notable Stats" section you'll see the individual award winners as well. First Team All-American Pos.  Name Class School State Commitment Notable Stats C Cole Prosek 2026 Magnolia Heights MS Ole Miss .595 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI 1B Will Adams 2026 Hoover AL LSU .489, 13 HR, 52 RBI IF James Tronstein 2026 Harvard-Westlake CA Vanderbilt .531, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 21 XBH IF Grady Emerson 2026 Fort Worth Christian TX Texas .508, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 34/35 SB, National POY IF Jacob Lombard 2026 Gulliver Schools FL Miami .477, 10 HR, 52 R, 42 H, 14 SB OF Martin Shelar 2026 Marist GA...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2  ‘28 AJ Bonnette (TX) with 7 Ks thru 4 IP thus far, living 89-91 w/ heavy traits. Filling up all four quads & attacking hitters early in counts. Mixing a slurvy breaker & turning the CHG over well. @PG_Uncommitted #NatElite @Texas_PG pic.twitter.com/oz2XXoKHvt — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Aj Bonnette (2028, Keller, Texas) showed out on both sides of the ball at the National Elite Championship, but really stood out on the mound Tuesday. He toed the rubber in round two of the playoffs, proceeding to toss six innings with eight punchouts and zero earned runs allowed. The 6-foot southpaw filled up all four quadrants of the strike zone, attacking hitters early and often with his fastball. The heater lived in the 88-91 mph range with heavy traits, often setting up his slurvy breaking ball. Bonnette showed good feel...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

Performance Baseball Rolls On

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
Championship teams often reveal themselves when the game isn’t going their way. Performance Baseball 2028/Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team did exactly that. Trailing Florida Burn 2028 Scout through four innings, the Brewers refused to panic. Instead, they relied on timely hitting, consistent pitching, and an unselfish approach at the plate, rallying a five-run fifth inning before pulling away for a 9-5 victory to clinch their spot in the semifinals. The comeback was fueled by contributions throughout the lineup. Six different players drove in runs, including two RBIs each from Aiden Capobianco and Cameron Massey, while Matthew Heredia, Parker Weston, Ethan Smith, and Aj Bonnette each added an RBI of their own. On the mound, Derek Wenzel set the tone with 3.2 solid innings before Ethan Smith shut the door in relief, helping preserve the comeback victory. Although the Brewers have had a...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/1/2026

JK Select Hawaii Tackles 14u West WS

Emily Hicks
Article Image
JK Select Hawaii capped off an impressive tournament run by defeating GBG Vegas 14u Red14-4 in the championship game on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark, claiming the 14u West World Series title. From the opening pitch, JK Select controlled the pace of the game. The offense jumped out early, scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning after timely hits from MVP Sean Shindo and Kade Manarpaac. The early lead gave the pitching staff confidence as they worked efficiently through the opposing lineup. “I've worked hard to get better at my game for the past few months; it means a lot that I did well and performed in a tournament like this” said Shindo. Starting pitcher Maddox Prones turned in a strong performance, allowing 3 runs while striking out 5 batters over 3 innings. The defense backed the effort with great plays in the middle infield, preventing GBG Vegas from building momentum....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

"Wow" Swings Catch Eyes at 16u Elite

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
On the second day of the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, one swing turned heads across the ballpark. The next one brought everyone to a stop. With Wow Factor Nation 16U trailing midway through its matchup against Sandlot Scout Team 2028, Micheal O'Connor launched a solo home run to spark the offense. Just one batter later, Aaron Frink stepped into the box and sent another ball over the fence, delivering back-to-back home runs that quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the tournament’s opening days. Parents gathered along the nets, players from previous games stopped to watch, and college scouts turned their attention toward the action as the two towering swings energized the crowd and brought new life to the game. Although Wow Factor Nation ultimately lost 5-3 after a hard-fought performance, the back-to-back home runs served as a reminder of the...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Stacked Runs the Table at 17u WWBA

Will Dembo
Article Image
Following a jam-packed week of entertainment at the 17u WWBA Championships, the top nationally ranked program, USA Prime 17u National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team, faced off against Stacked Baseball 17u (No. 80 nationally) in the highly anticipated championship matchup as both teams looked to earn one of the most prestigious titles in all of travel baseball. Each talented squad entered the finale undefeated, but Stacked Baseball continued their dominance throughout the tournament, defeating the Detroit Tigers Scout Team 10-2 in mercy rule fashion to become national champions behind explosive bats and impressive pitching. Stacked Baseball was the overwhelming top team throughout the week as the WWBA Champions outscored opponents by an absurd 117-12 during their 11-0 run. “We got some talented kids, but we played against a little bit of Goliath over there,” Stacked Head Coach Mike...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 7

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4  Day 5 | Day 6 Shea Corona (2027, Brooklyn, N.Y.) showcased some loud stuff out of the bullpen for MLB Breakthrough Series 2027. The New York native and primary shortstop topped out at 93 with the fastball, sitting comfortable in the 90-92 range. Corona paired it with a sharp and tight slider at 81-83, staying on the same plane until late. The pitch plays well already and the delivery is very athletic. The uncommitted right-hander went three scoreless and was in the zone plenty, striking out two while not allowing a walk. '27 SS Moises Gudino (FL) continues to stay red hot, working a long AB & cracking an oppo 2B on the 8th pitch. Really seeing ing well. #WWBA @Florida_PG https://t.co/OjNJ8Bmzao pic.twitter.com/WoDDp35EI1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Moises Gudino (2027, Tampa, Fla.)...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.