THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 10/7/2012

Burn eyes 2nd PG national title

Photo: Perfect Game

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Florida Burn Orange aren't exactly boiling in their boots with championship fever, but there's certainly something percolating inside the Burn's bloodstream.

Only about 2 1/2 months after the Florida Burn won the inaugural 16u Perfect Game World Series in Marietta, Ga., to claim the organizations' first PG national championship, many of the same young prospects that won championship gold in Marietta are in position to make another run for the rings here on Monday. And they couldn't be more relaxed.

"It's fun just getting out and playing the game just for fun, with no pressure or anything or no one really looking at stats," Dalton Guthrie, one of the country's top shortstop prospects in the class of 2014, said Sunday afternoon from the jetBlue Player Development Complex. "It's just about having fun and winning the games for your team."

Dalton Guthrie's comments came after the Burn Orange beat Baseball U Texas Orange, 4-0, Sunday in a second-round playoff game at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship.

The second-seeded Burn Orange then clipped the No. 15 Dulins Dodgers, 3-2, in the third round to advance to Monday's quarterfinals. Florida Burn Orange earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs by whipping three pool-play foes by a combined 19-1.

The quarterfinals were originally scheduled to be played on Sunday night, but rain on Friday and Saturday made several of the fields in the area intended for use unplayable. Consequently, the quarters were pushed back to Monday at 8:30 a.m. on four fields at the jetBlue Complex, with the semifinals slated to begin at 11 a.m. on two jetBlue practice fields; the championship game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at sparkling jetBlue Park.

All eight quarterfinalists are 5-0 heading into Monday morning, with the parings as follows: No. 18 Orlando Scorpions 17u Black vs. No. 8 NVTBL Stars-White; East Cobb Braves vs. Orlando Scorpions 17u Purple (yes, there are two Orlando Scorpions squads left standing in the final eight); No. 2 Florida Burn Orange  vs. No. 10 Team Elite Chain; and No. 3 Palm Beach County PAL vs. No. 22 Marucci Elite.

No real surprises there at all.

"We expect to do well in this tournament," Dalton Guthrie said. "We're trying to perform and get seen and help each other get seen."

This team is coached by and the organization was founded by former big-league pitcher Mark Guthrie, Dalton's dad. Guthrie pitched for 15 years from 1989 through 2003 in the major leagues with eight teams, including his first seven seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He was a seventh-round draft pick of the Twins out of LSU in the 1987 MLB amateur draft.

"We're not scalding the ball, but we've had some pretty decent pitching and our pitchers have done a really nice job of moving the ball around," Mark Guthrie said Sunday. "We've played really solid defense -- knock on wood -- but it's just been a great experience again for our guys. To get the exposure they get down here ... and we've had a few games in the (spring training) stadiums, so it's been really nice."

Dalton Guthrie is one several highly ranked prospects on the Florida Burn Orange roster. The highest-ranked is outfielder/first baseman/right-hander Brandon Elmy (2014, Osprey, Fla.) who comes in at No. 74 nationally. Dalton Guthrie (2014, Sarasota, Fla.) is ranked No. 92 nationally and right-hander Chris Hopkins lands at No. 238.

Dalton Guthrie, top-1,000-ranked Deacon Liput (2014, Oviedo, Fla.) and unranked Michael Rivera (2014, Venice, Fla.) are all University of Florida commits. Unranked Ryan Miller (2014, Sarasota, Fla.) has committed to Florida Atlantic.

Coach Guthrie had Liput, his son Dalton, Elmy and Rivera batting 1 through 4 in the lineup against Baseball U Texas Orange.

"We're very fortunate to have them," Guthrie said. "They've really worked hard ... but really all of these kids have. We have a lot of kids that still aren't committed for one reason or another that we're excited about, and they still draw a lot of attention and people come out to see them play.

"It's my theory that the kids learn more from each other than they do from us, and to be around a solid group like they are is the most important thing."

Coach Guthrie said that after the 16u PG World Series that first week of August, his 16u team basically took the next six weeks off. It played in one fall event a week ago, but this is otherwise its first taste of action since winning the 16u PGWS. Unofficially, 11 players that are the roster here this weekend were on the national championship roster in Marietta in early August.

Dalton Guthrie remembers well that championship feeling from nearly seven weeks ago.

"Just being up there with your team for the whole week and hanging out in each other's hotel rooms between games, it was more like a vacation," Dalton said. "And then, you get to play a game that you love, but really it was more like a vacation then anything. There wasn't any pressure."

Coach Guthrie will have a Florida Burn team in the field at this week's PG WWBA Florida Qualifier here in Fort Myers with the hope it can win the darn thing and earn an expense-paid invitation to the PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter on the Atlantic Ocean side of the state.

"That will be these guys, and we'll have our seniors with us, too, so we'll be in good shape pitching-wise," Guthrie said of the team he will bring to the Florida Qualifier. "This event is great and the competition is awesome but we're not going to sell our souls to win it. We're going to hold our (pitchers') innings down."

Mark Guthrie is also keeping an eye on the other prize. He's fully aware that only three of the young prospects on his 20-man roster here have secured college offers, and he'd like that to change. He just doesn't want anyone doing anything goofy.

"It's our theory that as long as you immerse yourself into the game, the other stuff will take care of itself," Guthrie said. "We don't want guys getting showcase happy or doing things to impress the scouts; just do what they do and play the game and try to get noticed that way."

Dalton Guthrie prefers to take the practical approach.

"We play like we expect to be an elite team and we expect good things from ourselves," he said. "We play like we expect we should be winning tournaments like this."


Tournaments | Championship | 11/11/2026

Florida Offense Paces All State Crown

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
Florida National got off to a hot start in Monday’s championship game against Texas National. Scoring all their runs in the first and second inning, Florida National held off Texas National and won 5-3 for the 14U PG National All-State Select Championship title. An electric and fun-filled weekend all led up to this final game on Field 3 at Premier Baseball of Texas. The players geared up under the lights for what would surely be another great meeting between stacked teams. Texas National was up to bat first, but Florida’s pitcher, Lucas Diaz, struck out 2 batters in a row before fielding a ground ball for the third out. Though the bottom of the first started with a strikeout for Florida National, Diaz reached first base on a dropped passed ball and Jayden Portes got on with a walk. With two on and only one out, Florida National was primed to pounce. Lucas Viera singled to...
College | Recruiting | 11/11/2026

Head of the Class: No. 5 Vanderbilt

Kyler Peterson
Article Image
Complete 2027 Vanderbilt Recruiting Class No. 5 Vanderbilt Head Coach: Tim Corbin | Recruiting Coordinator: Scott Brown Total Signees: 16 | Top 100 Signees: 5 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 21 Ethan Gustus RHP 6-6 192 R-R Roseville Roseville CA 55 Broder Katke C 6-2 205 R-R Brother Rice Bloomfield Hills MI 61 Graham Keen 3B/RHP 6-4 185 R-R Mt Lebanon Pittsburgh PA 63 Stephen Bobo OF 5-11 175 L-L Shelbyville Central Shelbyville TN 85 Derek Yormack RHP 6-3 220 R-R Bellmore JFK Merrick NY The Dores check in at No. 5 in the recruiting rankings with a loaded 2027 class. The class holds five players currently ranked in the top 100 and ten total ranked within the top 200. Coach Corbin and his staff dipped into the west coast to head their class with one of the best arms in the country, California native Ethan Gustus. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has touched triple...
College | Recruiting | 11/11/2026

Head of the Class: No. 6 Alabama

Jay Vossler
Article Image
Complete 2027 Alabama Recruiting Class Head Coach: Rob Vaughn | Recruiting Coordinator: Jason Jackson Total Signees: 17 | Top 100 Signees: 4 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 29 Finnian O'Loughlin OF 6-2 200 R-R Delbarton Jersey City NJ 31 Mac Morris SS 6-0 187 R-R Dorman Taylors SC 47 Harry Chubb Jones Jr. * SS 6-4 190 R-R McEachern Douglasville GA 86 Anderson Lambert OF 6-0 180 R-R McDonogh Laurel MD 108 Jude Carter RHP 6-5 210 R-R Alexander Central Taylorsville NC * denotes enrolling early for upcoming spring After three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a trip to Omaha in 2026, Rob Vaughn and the Alabama Crimson Tide have seen their recruiting class skyrocket in the rankings. After checking in at 24 in 2024, they took a huge leap up to 8 in 2025, stayed close to that at 13 in 2026, and now sit at 6 in 2027, the highest under Rob Vaughn....
Tournaments | Story | 11/10/2026

14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 3

Donovan May
Article Image
14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 Cody Bloomfield ('31, FL) tallied three hits on Championship Monday and capped off an impressive weekend at the plate, finishing with a .455/.538/.636 slash line. Repeats a compact stroke and consistently gets the barrel to the baseball. Shows present strength in the hands and lower half with the ability to drive the ball from gap to gap. Mature all-fields approach continued to produce quality at-bats throughout the event.  Levi Munoz ('31, CA) worked 6.0 innings and struck out five in a strong start on the mound. Attacked hitters with a 77-80 mph fastball that showed life through the top of the strike zone and paired it with a mid-60s curveball featuring 12-to-6 shape. Worked ahead in counts throughout the outing and consistently controlled the tempo. Flashed present swing-and-miss stuff while maintaining command of the...
College | Recruiting | 11/10/2026

Head of the Class: No. 7 TCU

Quinton Hall
Article Image
Complete 2027 TCU Recruiting Class No. 7 TCU Head Coach: Kirk Saarloos | Recruiting Coordinator: John DiLaura Total Signees: 16 | Top 100 Signees: 5 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 19 Cooper Goff OF 6-0 185 L-R Mountain Ridge Herriman UT 41 Andrew Carlson RHP 6-3 230 R-R Trinity Classical Academy Valencia CA 79 Joe Mendazona Jr C 6-3 200 L-R Central Monmouth OR 94 Cooper George LHP 6-3 175 L-L Long Beach Wilson Long Beach CA 98 Blake Ragsdale SS 6-0 175 R-R Lyons Twp Burr Ridge IL Head Coach Kirk Saarloos and his staff have put together another impressive recruiting class, landing at No. 7 in the Class of 2027 Recruiting Rankings. With 16 commitments spanning 11 different states, including five prospects ranked inside the Top 100 nationally, the Horned Frogs have made their presence felt across the country. Leading the offensive talent is PG All-American...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 11/10/2026

2027 MLB Draft Reports: 101-200

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2027 MLB Draft Board: Top 200 2027 MLB Draft Reports: 1-100   101. Cooper Williams | LHP | LSU | L-L | Alvin, TX Williams is a lanky, projectable left-hander, standing at 6-foot-4, 200-pounds. A loose, whip arm hides the ball well into a tough low 3/4 slot. The fastball sits in the low-90’s. Both a sweeping slider and curveball are spun well. Williams shows strong pitchability with the ability to add and subtract. Strikes will need to improve if he is to stick as a starter long term. 102. Christopher Ramirez | SS | Tennessee | R-R | Corona, CA Ramirez was the WAC freshman of the year and followed it up with an even better sophomore campaign. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound shortstop has now transferred to Tennessee for the ‘27 season. The right-handed hitter Ramirez showcases premium contact skills, especially in-zone. The approach will get overly aggressive at times, resulting...
Tournaments | Story | 11/9/2026

14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 2

AJ Denny
Article Image
14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 1 Nicholas Gollatz (2031, Avondale, Pa.) of Team Northeast continued to put together quality at-bats on Day 2, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, a walk, and two stolen bases across two games. The right-handed hitter has been an on-base machine throughout the tournament, showing a mature approach with solid bat-to-ball skills and the ability to use the entire field. Gollatz rarely chases outside the zone and has been a consistent presence in the Northeast lineup as the team advances to bracket play. Here’s another look at ’31 OF Julian Diaz (OH), barreling this pitch for a double. Displays good balance in the box with a quick bat. #NatAllState @PG_OhioValley https://t.co/Bal1YW2aB7 — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) November 8, 2026 Like his teammate, Julian Diaz (2031, Toronto, Ohio) of Team Northeast, also had a productive Day 2. The...
College | Recruiting | 11/10/2026

Head of the Class: No. 8 Tennessee

Geoff Billock
Article Image
Complete 2027 Tennessee Recruiting Class Head Coach: Josh Elander | Recruiting Coordinator: Ricky Martinez Total Signees: 11 | Top 100 Signees: 7 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 1 Dylan Seward SS 6-0 177 S-R Norco Corona CA 9 Sebastian Wilson OF 6-0 200 L-R IMG Academy Chicago  IL 23 Max Hemenway SS 6-1 185 L-R IMG Academy Puyallup WA 27 Leo Nockley SS 5-8 165 L-R Wyoming Seminary Upper Plains PA 48 Caden Dawson OF 6-2 205 L-R Blessed Trinity Marietta  GA Coach Josh Elander and his staff add 11 signees with 9 out of the 11 cracking the top 200 in recently updated class rankings. This year’s recruiting class for the Vols is led by a serious crop of athletic short stops and the list does not end after the top five recruits. Headlining the group of recruits we have the number one overall player in the country named Dylan Seward. Sebastian...
College | Recruiting | 11/9/2026

Head of the Class: No. 9 Florida

Marcus Thomas
Article Image
Complete 2027 Florida Recruiting Class No. 9 Florida Head Coach: Kevin O’Sullivan | Recruiting Coordinator: Tom Slater Total Signees: 14 | Top 100 Signees: 4 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 8 Kinon Bastian OF 6-0 190 R-R The First Academy Winter Garden FL 24 Juan Diaz SS 6-0 180 S-R IMG Academy Hialeah FL 68 Rylan McMahan LHP 6-2 180 L-L Clay Green Cove Springs FL 75 Liam Dougherty RHP 6-2 200 R-R IMG Academy Hendersonville FL 112 Landon Green RHP 6-1 185 R-R TNXL Academy Clearwater FL The Gators once again find their way inside the top 10 with another strong 2027 recruiting class, led by Kinon Bastian. The outfielder has a 6-foot, 190-pound frame and plus athleticism with speed and strength. The PG All-American also shows some juice in the bat for the right-handed hitter. Bastian is joined by fellow All-American Juan Diaz, the 6-foot, 180-pound...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 11/9/2026

2027 MLB Draft Reports: 1-100

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2027 MLB Draft Board: Top 200 1. Dylan Seward | SS | Norco | S-R | Eastvale, CA | Commitment: Tennessee Seward is a lean, athletic infielder with loud tools throughout the profile. The California prep is a switch-hitter with lightning quick hands. He has shown quality in-game power from both sides of the ball, despite a smaller build. There have been swing and miss issues with fastballs at times. Seward is a top of the class, 80-grade runner with the ability to steal bags often. He is a plus defender at shortstop with twitchy and fluidity. 2. Brendan Lawson | SS | Florida | L-R | Toronto, ON Lawson is a strong 6-foot-3, 215-pound infielder with massive offensive upside with a consistent track record. The left-handed hitting shortstop possesses easy raw power that translates well in-game. There is a strong feel to hit to go with the impact. The approach can become overly patient at times,...
Loading more articles...