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2,410 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 12/30/2002

6. Florida Bombers Win the PG WWBA National

Atlanta, GA - The Florida Bombers proved to have one of the top summer teams in history. They won 50 games in a row, playing some of the best competition in the USA. The tournament with the most talent and quality teams was the PG WWBA Championship held in Marietta, GA. At the beautiful 9 million dollar East Cobb complex. The Bombers won 9 straight to take home the rings. Scouts were all over the place including many scouting directors and nearly every major college power in the country. San Antonio, TX., Jeff Manship playing for ?€?Ohio Thunder?€? may have put on the performance of the tournament on a 1-hitter with 17 strike outs in a 1-0 victory against the power house East Cobb Yankees.

Here is the story that appeared in Baseball America.

By Allan Simpson
July 15, 2002

MARIETTA, Ga.--The Florida Bombers proved their perfect record was no fluke.

Playing against their stiffest competition of the summer at the Perfect Game/Baseball America World Wood Bat Association championship, the Bombers extended their 2002 record to 43-0 by winning nine straight games at the 40-team, high school-age tournament. They hung on to beat the Ohio Warhawks 3-2 in Sunday's deciding game.

"This is the best club we've ever had," said Bombers coach Emilio Fernandez, whose four-year-old team won its fourth major tournament this summer. "This tournament was a great test for us. It was by far the strongest field we've seen."

The Bombers rolled through pool play with five straight wins, outscoring their opponents 42-7. With the field then whittled to 16, they entered bracket play as the No. 1 seed and were forced to win four games on the final day as rain Saturday pushed the first-round of back a day. The Bombers survived their biggest scare in the Round of 16 when they rallied from a late 3-1 deficit against the Fort Myers (Fla.) Eagles in the fifth inning on a two-run homer by outfielder Willy Hernandez, and won 4-3 in extra innings.

The Bombers then defeated the reigning Connie Mack World Series champion East Cobb (Ga.) Yankees 5-2 and the AAU 16-year-old defending champion East Cobb Astros 5-3 before meeting the unbeaten Warhawks, the reigning National Amateur Baseball Federation College World Series champions, in the final.

The Bombers scored three times in the first inning on consecutive doubles by shortstop Marcos Cabral, Hernandez, third baseman Gaby Sanchez and DH Camilo Vasquez, and made the lead stand up against the Warhawks.

Vasquez, Cincinnati's unsigned fourth-round draft pick from Florida 6-A champion Hialeah High, was named the tournament MVP. Though drafted by the Reds as a pitcher, Vasquez worked in only one game in the tournament, striking out eight in three innings in a pool-play game. He did most of his damage with the bat, hitting nearly .500 overall while driving in 12 runs.

The Bombers will now set their sights on the Connie Mack World Series, scheduled for Aug. 2-8 in Farmington, N.M. They fell one game short last year when they lost to eventual champion East Cobb Yankees in a regional final. The two teams are on a collision course again this year.

While the Bombers were composed of players entirely from Florida with all but three from Dade County high schools, the Warhawks (38-6) had players from nine different states. The Warhawks reached the final in exciting fashion when shortstop Herman Demmink, a Clemson recruit, rallied his team from a 5-0 deficit with a fifth-inning grand slam as the Warhawks defeated California's ABD Bulldogs 6-5.

Righthander Ross Lewis earned his sixth save of the tournament (and third of the day) in that game for the Warhawks. Lewis, a freshman at Central Florida Community College and one of the few non-high school players in the tournament, was named the tournament's outstanding pitcher. The 6-foot-8 righthander didn't allow an earned run in 16 innings.

The tournament was played at East Cobb Baseball's new $9.8 million complex, with teams from as far away as Puerto Rico and Canada. Players had to either be in high school last spring or not turn 19 before Aug. 1 to participate, and the draft classes of 2002 and 2003 were heavily represented.

Scouting Around

Upwards of 25 pitchers were clocked at 93 mph or better, led by East Cobb righthander Micah Owings, the unsigned second-round pick of the Rockies whose fastball registered a high of 97. Shortstop Tyler Greene, an unsigned second-round pick of the Braves, also played for the East Cobb Yankees, who went only 4-3 overall.

Righthander Zach Greinke, the sixth overall pick in this year's draft, played two games at shortstop for Team Florida before signing with the Royals for $2.475 million midway through the tournament.

Perfect Game Royal, an all-star team of prospective 2003 draftees, may have had the most talented team of all as it fielded as many as nine future first-round picks. Outfielder Lastings Milledge (St. Petersburg) and righthander Jeff Allison (Peabody, Mass.), the No. 1-ranked position player and pitcher in the '03 high school class, highlighted the team but it bowed out with a 3-3 record.

Tournaments | Story | 4/9/2026

Don't Boot the Loot Scout Notes

Cam McElwaney
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‘30 UTL Chase Jelks (GA) lifts this one deep into the gap & rolls around the bags for a triple. Loose LH swing w/ feel to lift. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/leF4GMTawJ — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 4, 2026 Chase Jelks (2030, Atlanta, Ga.) put together a great weekend for The Dream 14u Black in their run to a championship game appearance, hitting .444 with two triples and a double along with three RBI. He controlled the zone throughout the event in the box and finished with a 6:1 BB:K ratio because of it while also swiping five bags as well. It was a strong showing for Jelks, something that’s becoming common this spring in PG events.    ‘30 MIF Cohen Carter (TN) hits this one on the screws into the gap for a triple. Functional & compact swing. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Tennessee pic.twitter.com/YVUfxbHBxx — Perfect Game...
College | Story | 4/16/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 16 POY Deep Dive

Perfect Game Staff
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Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart  to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Player of the Week: Jaquae Stewart – Texas State University  If you squint a little bit, you can see some Josh Naylor or Dominic Smith in Jaquae Stewart, with a stout build like a more powerful version of the teacup from the children’s song. Lately, the Sun Belt Conference has been child’s play for Stewart as he has been on fire showing an improved hit approach and power that tracks more with his 2024 performance at Northwest Florida State College than with his 2025 experience at the University of Texas. It’s tough for any player to jump from a JUCO in Florida to the big stage...
Juco | Rankings | 4/15/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 15

Blaine Peterson
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Another week of undefeated weeks for our top 4 ranked teams. Joining them in the top 5, coming off an undefeated week of their own, is Florence-Darlington, a team we have consistently had as a top 10 team all season long. Cloud County and Midland College continue to put together strong weeks and climb the rankings each week it seems. Jumping into the rankings this week on the strength of a 15-game winning streak is Seminole State (OK). And Linn Benton makes the top 25 for a 2nd consecutive week and looks like the top team in the NWAC this spring. Plenty of high-level matchups at the JUCO level for some of the top teams in the county this next week.  Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 42-2 2 Gaston (NC) 43-3 3 McLennan (TX) 34-7 4 Chipola (FL) 37-7 5 Florence-Darlington (SC) 40-8 6 Walters State (TN) 37-10 7 Blinn (TX) 31-11 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 30-12 9 Southern Nevada...
College | Rankings | 4/15/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 15

Nick Herfordt
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Welcome to this week's small school baseball rankings, covering NCAA Division II, the NAIA, and NCAA Division III. As the calendar turns toward the final weeks of the regular season, the urgency is real across all three levels — teams are running out of weekends to build their cases, and the extended postseason invitations that every program is chasing don't go to programs that peak in March. The next few weeks of results will carry more weight than anything that happened before spring break, and the postseason committees in all three divisions are watching closely. Every series dropped to a team you should beat, every road sweep you let get away — it all matters now in a way it simply didn't two months ago. What you'll also notice as you read through the breakdowns below is that the numbers are doing more of the heavy lifting in how these rankings are constructed. Run...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/15/2026

Perfect Game & Youth Prospects Team Up

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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 YOUTH PROSPECTS ANNOUNCE   BROADCAST RIGHTS AND CONTENT PARTNERSHIP    Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, April 15, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with content platform Youth Prospects centered around broadcast rights, content collaboration and expanded visibility for elite youth baseball events.    As part of the agreement, Perfect Game will grant Youth Prospects broadcast rights to select games across its premiere events, including marquee matchups at the WWBA World...
College | Story | 4/14/2026

College Players of the Week: April 14

Vincent Cervino
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April 14th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Jaquae Stewart, INF/OF, Texas State  The Texas State Bobcats (24-12) are sitting in second place in the ultra-competitive Sun Belt Conference, and they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country.  They average right at 8-runs per game and can slug with the best of them, averaging almost 2-home runs per game as well.  Sitting in the middle of the order, Jaquae Stewart, is putting together a career year and is becoming the focus of opposing teams.  The 5-10/234 junior from Sinton, Tx is your classic lefthanded power hitter and is thriving in his move from Austin to San Marcos.  While it wasn’t the best week for his club, Stewart was sensational, collecting 8 hits in his 19 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, launching 5 home runs and driving in an insane 17 runs.  For the season, he is now slashing...
Showcase | Story | 4/14/2026

PG Announces Prospect Gateway Schedule

Hannah Jo Groves
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PG has announced the dates for Prospect Gateway events across the country - unique opportunities for young players to receive professional feedback and prepare for the next level. The Prospect Gateways are for players ages 13U-14U and serve as a qualifier for the National Showcase. Kevin Schuver, the senior director of showcases at Perfect Game, said these events are chances for players to step out of their comfort zone and show what they’re really made of. “Perfect Game Prospect Gateways aren’t just events. They’re doorways into something bigger. For young athletes, they serve as the first real step beyond their local fields, where raw ability begins to meet visibility and purpose.” At the event, each player is assigned a PG advisor who will watch and advise them individually. There will also be other scouts giving tips on how to enhance and develop a...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/13/2026

PG & MLB Clubs Offer Discount Tickets

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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 PARTNERS WITH THREE MLB CLUBS TO OFFER EXCLUSIVE TICKET DISCOUNTS FOR YOUTH TEAMS    Sanford, Florida (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new fan engagement initiative in partnership with three Major League Baseball clubs — the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals — to provide exclusive discounted ticket opportunities for teams participating in Perfect Game events.    Through the collaboration, youth baseball and softball teams competing in...
College | Rankings | 4/13/2026

College Top 25: April 13

Vincent Cervino
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In a season where remaining in the Top 25 has become a war of attrition, the No. 1 UCLA Bruins (33-2) are making the game look much easier than it is in all reality.  Winners of 27-games in a row, this club continues to win games by any means necessary as they continue their historic run.  Beyond the incredible win streak, the Bruins have started off Big Ten play (18-0) by sweeping their first six conference weekend.  Adding to their resume, in Game 1 of their series at Rutgers, they won a 14-inning thriller by a score of 4-1where their pitching staff registered an eye-popping 30-strikeouts while only surrendering 1 walk and 4 hits throughout.  In most any other season, the No. 2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (30-5) would be sitting atop the poll as they are putting together a historic season of their own.  They swept Florida State (24-11) who was previously ranked...
Draft | Story | 4/10/2026

PG Draft: Favorite Position Group

Tyler Henninger
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Every draft class has its strengths. Some years its a loaded group of prep infielders, some years its a deep collection of college arms. In this year’s class, certain position groups stand out above the rest to us. This week, the draft team dives into their favorite position groups. Groups that we believe are loaded with depth, upside, and big league potential. College Infielders It’s hard not to get excited about the crop of college infielders in this year’s class because of who is at the top. Roch Cholowsky alone makes the group exciting. He’s got gold glove potential at the next level and an offensive profile that should make him one of the Top 15 to 20 prospects in all of baseball the second he gets drafted. Justin Lebron is another player with as much upside in the class. He is a premium athlete that can really pick it at short and has big upside with the...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/10/2026

Perfect Game and vivenu Partner Up

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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 PARTNERS WITH VIVENU TO POWER DIGITAL COMMERCE ACROSS YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL    Sanford, Florida / New York, New York (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, has selected vivenu as its ticketing and commerce partner to unify revenue operations across its tournament ecosystem.    With 1.6 million tickets sold annually, 9,800 events in 40+ states and an immense social footprint, Perfect Game has built the most influential pipeline in amateur baseball. The organization has produced over 2,200 MLB alumni, and...
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