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| 2,586 MLB PLAYERS | 16,394 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,586 MLB PLAYERS | 16,394 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 7/22/2011

S FL Elite Squad Wins 16u WWBA

MARIETTA, Ga.-- The South Florida Elite Squad 16u Black didn't start off the 16u WWBA National Championship the way they had hoped. They didn't finish it the way many would have expected.

After dropping their tourney opener to the DBat Mustangs-Sharp 5-4 on Saturday, the outlook was bleak for the Elite Squad. But as head coach Richie Palmer explained "we could have mailed it in after we lost the first one, knowing we couldn't win our pool. But that goes to show they didn't stop believing, that's something we kept pressing upon them, telling them to play with heart and leave it all out there."


The Elite Squad took their coaches message to heart, crusing to an 8-0 victory over the Patriots of Northern Virginia. Their playoff run began with an ominous start as
Zach Collins (2013 University HS, Pembroke Pines, FL) broke it open with a Grand Slam. The power hitting Catcher who impressed with his left handed bat all tournament went on a tear through the playoffs that would continue with another Home Run to spark a come from behind victory in the second round against the East Cobb Astros 14u.

The difficult run through the playoffs got even tougher when rain interrupted the Elite Squad's third round matchup with the All-American Prospects Gray. The game was resumed on Friday morning with the Elite Squad on the winning end of a pitcher's duel at 1-0.
Colin Tindall(2013 South Browards HS, Hollywood, FL) would go on to earn the win with 4 1/3 no-hit innings. Collins' Home Run streak came to an end with a 2-for-3 day that included a run scored.

They would follow with another 2-0 win in the quartefinals against the Excel Blue Sox. Wyatt Hawes (2013 Highlands Christian, Pompano, FL) outdueled Frazier Taylor (2012 Oxford HS, AL) in a very well pitched game. Taylor threw 73% of his pitches for strikes and limited the talented Elite Squad lineup to just 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 6. But Hawes was even better, throwing a 3-hit shutout to turn Collins' second inning run into the game winner.

The sledding wouldn't get any easier in the semifinals, as the Elite Squad ran into the tournament's #1 overall seed; the Houston Banditos Black. The Banditos tore through pool play, winning all five games by run rule, piling up an incredible 63 runs, while shutting out Pool W. Through eight games the Banditos had allowed just 3 runs total heading into their semfinal matchup with South Florida Elite. The heavyweight battle began with each side trading blows in the first inning, before the Banditos pulled ahead in the 2nd inning.


Zach Collins continued to will the Elite Squad to victory, driving in the tying run in the top of the third and scoring the winning run. Collins would go 3-for-3 with a walk, a Run and 2 RBIs as the Elite Squad piled on plenty of insurance runs in the 4th and 5th innings, knocking off the top seeded Banditos 11-4 to earn a berth in the championship game.


The title game pitted familiar foes, with South Florida Elite taking on their up-state rival Orlando Scorpions Underclass Purple. The Scorpions also had a very long day on Friday, playing 17 innings of baseball on Field 1 at the East Cobb complex. The Scorpions entered the game at 9-0 on the tourney after entering the playoffs as the #4 seed.


The Elite Squad got off to a quick start with a 2-run double by Zach Collins in the top of the first. Following a three-up three-down bottom of the first the Elite Squad kept the offensive fireworks going with a leadoff Home Run by
CJ Chatham (2013 Nova HS, Ft. Lauderdale, FL) to make it 3-0. An RBI triple by leadoff hitter Willy Abreu (2013 Miami Springs HS, Hialeh, FL) pushed the lead to 4-0 before Collins made it 6-0 with his seventh double of the day.

Cory Garrastazu
(2013 Goleman HS, Pembroke Pines, FL) earned the win in the championship, holding the Scorpions to just three hits over 5 shutout innings as the South Florida Elite Squad ended the championship game early with a 8-0 run rule victory.

CJ Chatham made a strong case for tournament MVP honors, hitting .406 with 5 Home Runs, but teammate Zach Collins put together an incredible tournament. Collins went 18-for-29 (.621) with 5 walks (.686 OBP) with 7 doubles, 2 Home Runs and an impressive 16 RBIs to capture Most Valuable Player honors. Andrew Ward of the Scorpions was named Most Valuable Pitcher after throwing 8 innings without allowing an earned run and pitching the Scorpions into the championship game with a CG victory in the semifinals.

Tournaments | Story | 8/2/2026

Battle For The Midwest Scout Notes

Brayden Powell
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Bryce Urban (2027, Kaukauna, Wis.) An athletic 5-foot-9, 175-pound right-handed hitter, who handled the bat well throughout the weekend while showing feel for the barrel and quality bat speed. Stays balanced throughout the operation while showing direct hands to the baseball. There is feel to rotate through the zone and keep the barrel working for an extended period, helping him consistently produce hard-hit contact. He showed the ability to impact the baseball to all fields and remained productive throughout the event. Urban finished the weekend with five extra-base hits and continued to be a reliable offensive contributor whenever his club needed him. He is currently uncommitted.  Landon Clements (2027, McHenry, Ill.) University of Illinois-Chicago commit put together an outstanding weekend at the plate, finishing 10-for-15 while drawing five walks and consistently finding ways to...
Press Release | Press Release | 8/4/2026

PG & Dick's Expand Partnership

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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 AND DICK’S EXPAND PARTNERSHIP, INCLUDE NAMING RIGHTS AT EAST COBB COMPLEX   Marietta, Georgia (Tuesday, August 4, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the renewal and expansion of its longstanding partnership with DICK’S Sporting Goods.   As part of the expanded agreement, the iconic East Cobb Complex in Georgia will officially be renamed DICK’S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb, reinforcing the retailer’s long-term investment in youth sports and enhancing one of the most recognized destinations in all of amateur baseball. The announcement comes ahead of this weekend’s Perfect Game 11U...
College | Story | 8/3/2026

Cape Cod League Notebook: August 3

Perfect Game Staff
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Angel Cervantes | RHP | UCLA | Chatham Anglers  Angel Cervantes has lived up to the hype since arriving at UCLA after turning down a second-round selection (50th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2025 MLB Draft. Following a strong freshman campaign that helped power the Bruins to the No. 1 ranking in the country for much of the season, Cervantes has taken another step forward this summer, emerging as arguably the Cape Cod League's top arm. Through 23.2 innings with the Chatham Anglers, he owns a 1.14 ERA with 24 strikeouts and just five walks. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound right-hander attacks hitters with a polished five-pitch mix featuring a low-90s fastball, an 86-88 mph cutter, a low-80s slider and changeup, and a 78-80 mph curveball. He pounds the strike zone, sequences his arsenal with advanced feel, and consistently keeps hitters off balance, giving him the profile of a...
Tournaments | Story | 7/30/2026

16u South World Series Scout Notes

Jay Vossler
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Kai Anderson (2028, Missouri City, Texas) continued his breakout stretch over the past couple of weeks with 2028 South Texas Sliders 16U Pierce. Compiled a 7-15 week with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs, driving in nine runs. Parlayed that into winning Tournament MVP. Physical presence in the box that is starting to tap into a ton of juice offensively. Tight rotation on an uphill plane with loose actions in the barrel. Doing all of this with very little swing and miss while holding it down in center field. One of the louder stretches of the summer. Trent Costales (2028, San Antonio, Texas) was excellent this week for Texas Angels 2028 Libson. Went 4-11 with two doubles and a home run. Was one of the best run creators in the tournament, driving in ten. Extremely physical frame, projecting as a big time power bat. Coils the hips effectively and creates an uphill plane to maximize...
Draft | Story | 7/30/2026

2023 Draft: Late Round Georgia Look Back

Michael Albee
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I have a soft spot for the under the radar high school preps that go in the 11th-20th rounds and sign. It’s not only a nice story, but it’s a show of faith from an organization in their area scout who put the time in, scouted the player and got a feel for the makeup on a guy that wasn’t a consensus “dude”. 2023 was my first year going out to high school games for Perfect Game in Georgia, so I wanted to go back and highlight the late round guys from the ‘23 class that were popped and signed to pursue their dreams of becoming a professional baseball player right away. Here’s a review of those four players from what they were in high school, and where they are at currently in their careers.  Andrew Dunford (‘23 GA) throwing some gas, up to 95 & sitting 92-93 with heavy life (clip), shown comfort going to big sweeping SL; big...
Draft | Story | 7/30/2026

2026 MLB Draft Signing Deadline Recap

Tyler Henninger
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As of Monday at 5 p.m. ET, the 2026 MLB Draft is officially complete. The signing deadline has passed, meaning we now know every team’s finalized draft class and exactly how much each player signed for. Entering the draft, it was clear there was a distinct top tier consisting of Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, and Vahn Lackey. That separation became even more evident once contracts were signed. Cholowsky became the first player in draft history to sign for more than $10 million, agreeing to a record-setting $10,347,500 bonus with the White Sox. Emerson set a new high school signing bonus record at $9,747,500, the second-largest bonus ever awarded to a draft pick. Lackey rounded out the trio with a $9,497,500 bonus, the third-largest signing bonus in MLB Draft history. Those weren’t the only records set. Teams combined to spend $402,481,143 in signing bonuses, surpassing last...
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...
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...
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...
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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