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Tournaments  | Story | 6/28/2019

15U BCS: Day 2 Scout Notes

Vincent Cervino
Parker Fronk
Photo: Griffin Herring (Perfect Game)
2019 15U BCS National Championship: Day 1 Scout Notes

Starting off hot on Day 2 of the 15U BCS Finals was FTB Tucci-Orlando shortstop Rafael Betancourt Jr (2022, Deltona, Fla.) and the smooth swinging infielder had a big day with two doubles on the ledger. Betancourt is a good athlete with excellent projection, he’s young for the grade, and some present twitch. The set up from the left side is fairly simple, with a narrow setup and a higher hand set. He drops his hands slightly in the load and brings them to contact on an uphill path that is smooth and his hands are athletic enough to adjust to different pitch types and locations. Betancourt handles shortstop well with clean and quick footwork and looks to be a well-rounded prospect at this juncture.



Hector A. Candelas (2021, Carolina, P.R.) had a strong day both at the plate and on the mound for Team Elite of P.R. as he collected two hits and topped out at 82 mph on the mound while tossing three hitless innings. Candelas has a long and lean 6-foot-1, 172-pound frame with lots of room for projection and for strength on the frame. The swing is smooth with a longer swing path but gets some loft to the end of the stroke and allows him to leverage the ball hard to the pull side. The bat speed and offensive prowess certainly stand out for Candelas and his two-way on the mound offers intriguing potential to monitor.



A standout at the Junior National showcase, Alvin Keels (2022, Norfolk, Va.) had himself a day in what was a wild game during the afternoon slots as Keels knocked in two triples during game action. Keels has incredibly fast hands and those hands allow him to be able to not only pull the ball but create impact off the barrel, even when he’s mistimed; he was out in front of a breaking ball but did a very good job at keeping his hands back to punish the off-speed pitch deep to dead center field. Keels is an excellent athlete, as he ran a 6.8 second 60-yard dash a month ago in Hoover, but his offensive tools shine through loudly and there’s serious upside to his profile.

Starting the third slot for 5 Star West 15U Black, Riley Cruce (2021, Loganville, Ga.) showed off some impressive pitchability from a very slender frame that is ripe for physical projection. He’s got some wiry strength at present and though he’s listed at 5-foot-11 the delivery is clean and deceptive and the arm works. Cruce works really quickly, grabbing and starting his delivery almost immediately after receiving the ball, and hides it nicely in the back to allow the natural life to play up some on his fastball that sat 79-82 mph. The curveball has some shape and sharpness while Cruce also has good feel for his changeup; Cruce struck out four over two innings and needed very few pitches to do so.

Turning in a quick outing in relief was lefthander Jamie Arnold (2022, Tampa, Fla.) who touched 86 mph with his fastball early and sat in the 80-84 mph range. He’s very deceptive, coming at hitters from a lower and extended three-quarters arm slot that generates some life and good angle on the hitter at the plate. The arm swing is very long in the back and he almost pauses as he’s driving onto his backside to give hitters a bad look at trying to time him up. He only threw 20 pitches and spiked one curveball, but the changeup showed some promise. Arnold is a projectable southpaw with a good present fastball and sky-high projection.



Speaking of very quick and efficient performances, Dulin Dodgers McGarrh lefthander Griffin Herring (2022, Southlake, Tex.) was remarkably effective in two hitless innings on the mound. A LSU commit, Herring held 80-83 mph with his fastball from the onset and really gave hitters some tough looks as he garnered a lot of swing and miss. The Texas native gets his arm up quickly with a fairly direct delivery that allows him to incorporate his lower half well. The fastball worked to all parts of the strike zone, even effective when elevated, and his ability to hold his velocity certainly stood out. Both secondaries were solid with some sharpness to a low-70s curveball, but his changeup was nasty against righthanders. The pitch was in the mid-70s and fell off the proverbial table to get a lot of swinging swords from opposing hitters. Herring’s pitchability stands out among the class and with an uptick in velocity he has a chance to be dominant.

Herring’s teammate and starting shortstop Cade McGarrh (2022, Frisco, Tex.) stood out during Day 1 action for touching 89 mph off the mound in a relief appearance. He has the size and frame to fill out immensely at a listed 6-foot-3, 155 pounds with excellent athleticism and actions over at shortstop. The swing itself is fairly simple, mostly an upper half and hands-oriented stroke that allows him to both cover the plate and turn the barrel over effectively. He rocketed a single in one of his at-bats to the pull side earlier today and with additional lower half usage and strength he should be able to use his long limbs to leverage balls to the pull side with carry. The athleticism and first step quickness, along with the obvious arm strength, should allow him to stick at shortstop at the next level while the coming power is certainly a bonus.

Drake Flowers (2022, Jupiter, Fla.) has a lot of components to like out of a young, uncommitted prospect. The 6-foot-4, 165-pound prospect looks to have an immensely projectable frame with a relatively simple and easy operation on the mound. He delivers from an over-the-top arm slot and generates a high-spin fastball that worked in the 82-85 mph range. Flowers gets great extension toward the hitter with a relatively low effort release and the ball jumped on opposing hitters causing a lot of empty hacks at the heater. He mixed in a couple of mid-60s breaking balls, but the projection coupled with the present stuff and size make him an extremely interesting uncommitted follow.

Recently committing to Florida, Cade Kurland (2023, Tampa, Fla.) has been standing out in the early portions of the tournament as the three-hole and starting shortstop for Top Tier American. The athletic infielder will just be entering his freshman year in high school but it’s not hard to see what the Gators liked about him. The athleticism and glove work stands out as he has excellent first-step quickness and the arm strength to project as a shortstop at the next level. The swing is fairly mechanically sound with a clean shift of the lower half and very fast hands. He hits the ball hard and hit it on the ground more often than one would like, but the loose hands and easy bat speed both portend a high offensive ceiling. Kurland is a high-level prospect for this age group and he’s showing no issues handling an age group higher than his own.

-Vinnie Cervino

Starting pitcher for BBA National was Joan Sebasitan Roman Cancel (2022, Marlboro, N.J.). Cancel stands at 6-foot and uses his long arms to get down the mound. He has an athletic build and a smooth delivery to the plate. Cancel had his fastball up to 85 mph and his curveball was 68-70 mph. He controlled the pace of the game and he did not allow a hit during his outing. Cancel will continue to get stronger over the next couple years and velocity will improve also.

Another BBA National player that showed his potential was first baseman Tywone Malone (2021, Jamesburg, N.J.). Tywone stands at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, and he is very strong. He looks to do damage with every pitch and drive balls into the gaps. He has quick hands to the zone and hunts pitches early in counts. He has good speed for his size and looks athletic at first base. Malone is exciting to watch and he will continue to develop as a ball player.

Kaleb Heatherly (2022, Cullman, Ala.) has started off hot. He is 5-for-6 with three doubles and two RBI. He stands at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and has pop to all fields. He looks to elevate to his pull side and drive the ball into the left-center gap. He plays a good first base and will continue to get more athletic and develop. Heatherly will continue to get stronger and keep hitting extra base hits over the next couple years.

Robert Lane (2022, Claxton, Ga.) of 5 Star National 15U Weaver looks confident at the plate. Standing at 5-foot-7, he keeps his hands inside of the baseball very well and lives in the middle of the field. Lane is a line drive hitter who looks for a pitch over the plate to drive hard up the middle. He also has good speed and uses it on the base paths well, as he disrupts the pitcher’s rhythm because he is a threat to steal a base at any time. Lane plays the game the right way and he is a fun player to watch.

-Parker Fronk
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Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
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Roman Keister (2030, Dade City, FL) Could not miss the barrel this weekend tallying 6 hits including 2 triples and 4 RBI. Starts the load early and controls his body well, the up the middle approach really plays in game. Also worked from off the mound for an inning and picked up a punch out.  Colton Russo (2030, Coral Springs, FL) Showed off the power burning outfielders all weekend. 5 hits including two triples that carried over the CF and RF heads. Has a good understanding about using the lower half in the swing and the bat to ball skills really impressed.  Karson Blakney (2030, St. Augustine, FL) Made his impact in a big way this week, collecting the win in the quarterfinals. In his outing he went 5 shutout innings and struck out 5 while only allowing 2 hits. Worked in the mid 70s with the FB and topped out at 78. Also produced on offense driving in 5 RBI on 4 hits. ...
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College | Rankings | 4/1/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 1

Nick Herfordt
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Welcome to another week of Perfect Game Small School baseball — and if you're looking for clarity at the top, you've come to the wrong place. Across all three classifications, the No. 1 spot is very much an open question, and nobody is sleeping comfortably right now. In NCAA Division II, Pittsburg State is stumbling at precisely the wrong moment, leaving the door cracked wide open for hungry challengers to come knocking. In the NAIA, defending national champion LSU Shreveport has dropped four straight and suddenly looks far more vulnerable than a program of their pedigree ever expects to be. And in NCAA Division III, the race for the top ranking is less a competition and more a ten-car pileup of elite programs, none of whom have done enough to pull away — and all of whom have done plenty to deserve it. Three classifications, three vacancies at the top, and a whole lot of...
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Juco | Story | 4/1/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 1

Troy Sutherland
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Another week of JUCO baseball and another week full of wins for No. 1 ranked Johnson County . The Cavaliers have won 18 games in a row and have swept through the Jayhawk Conference to this point, setting a new school home run record along the way. Walters State returns to the top 5 this week on the strength of a 12-game winning streak. Both McLennan and Pearl River are coming off of undefeated weeks and look like strong top 10 caliber teams, while Midland (now 30-3) continues to climb in the rankings for the third consecutive week. For the first time all year this ranking will feature 4 California schools as Palomar joins Ohlone, Fresno City and Santa Ana in the JUCO rankings. Check back in next week for an update as most of JUCO baseball is now past its halfway point in the 2026 season. RK School Week Overall 1 Johnson County (KS) 4-0 34-2 2 Gaston (NC) 2-1 35-3 3 Walters State (TN) 3-0...
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College | Story | 4/1/2026

Collegiate Midseason All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
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High School | Rankings | 3/31/2026

High School Top 50: March 31

Tyler Russo
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Another pair of weeks has gone by this high school season and with that we have another High School Top-50 Update. Southern states are within a few weeks of the end of the season while some northern states are just getting started this week. Through the end of the spring, we will be bringing you updates to the Top-50 along with state rankings updates coming soon. For the first time in 2026, we have a new #1 in the country as Orange Lutheran (CA) takes over the top spot after winning the NHSI. Venice (FL) came in second place at the NHSI after a thrilling game against Orange Lutheran and comes in at #2. Previous #1 team in the country St. John Bosco (CA) rounds out the top-3 and will have a big showdown against Orange Lutheran starting tonight. Barbe (LA) boasts a 26-1 record and comes in at #4 while Corona (CA) continues to string together wins and holds down the #5 spot in this update....
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College | Story | 3/31/2026

PG Collegiate Midseason Awards

Vincent Cervino
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Midseason Awards  Perfect Game Midseason Player of the Year:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The season sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston is putting together is generational, even amongst the Hall of Fame talent Arizona State has fielded over the years.  Hairston, the 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ has his club on track for another postseason appearance and they will make plenty of noise in the Big 12 regular season.  To put things in perspective on Hairston’s season, he is currently 5th in the nation in batting average, 3rd in hits, 8th in hits per game, tied for 2nd in home runs, tied for 5th in runs scored and is 4th in runs batted in so far.  He holds a batting average of .469 while slugging 1.027 and reaching base over half the time with an OBP of .551.  Hairston walks more than he strikes out and has 12 doubles, 17...
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College | Story | 3/31/2026

College Players of the Week: March 31

Vincent Cervino
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March 31st Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The Arizona State Sun Devils (20-8) went (3-2) last week and now sit at No. 18 in our latest Top 25 poll.  They are proving that they are legitimate Big 12 contenders and Landon Hairston is making a strong case for National Player of the Year at the halfway point in the season.  The 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ is putting up such loud numbers that they are almost hard to fathom.  In five games last week, the lefthanded hitter collected 12-hits in 19 Abs, scoring 13 runs on 6 walks, a double, 5 home runs and he drove in 11 runs on his own.  For the season, he has put together a slash line of .468/.991/.553 with 12 doubles, 15 round trippers, 45 RBIs, a 12:18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and he has swiped 8 bags so far.  It has been a special year for the...
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College | Rankings | 3/30/2026

College Top 25: March 30

Vincent Cervino
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Well college baseball fans, we are officially at the half-way point of the 2026 season and what an incredible ride it has already been.  While there is some separation at the top as we start to look at programs that could be potential NCAA tournament hosts, things continue to change as clubs revitalize their seasons by winning massive series in league play.  The Top 25 seems to be getting more volatile as we reach the midway point, and the second half is setting up to be something special.  The one thing that will remain the same as it has for a month now, is that the UCLA (25-2) will still be the No. 1 team in the nation.  The Bruins are winners of 19-consecutive games and have started off Big Ten league play by sweeping 4-straight series.  The Texas Longhorns (23-4) hold tight at No. 2 this week after sweeping previous No. 11 Oklahoma (19-8) and sit atop the...
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High School | General | 3/27/2026

High School Notebook: March 27

Vincent Cervino
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Hudson December (2027, Woodland Hills, Calif.) showed flashes of his upside despite a somewhat uneven three-inning outing. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-hander struck out three while working through a couple of tough jams, though his command was inconsistent at times. He ran his fastball up to 87 mph on a pair of occasions and generally sat in the 83–85 range. He mixed in an upper-70s slider with varying shape and execution where it was most effective when thrown with proper intent, showing shorter, tighter depth. He also flashed a changeup against a few left-handed hitters. Mechanically, there’s a blend of positives and areas for development. He incorporates his lower half fairly well and moves down the mound with some pace and intent. The arm is quick, though it can be late getting up at times, and his taller finish limits full torso extension through release. With...
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Draft | Mock Draft | 3/27/2026

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Tyler Henninger
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The spring season is well underway and the board is starting to take shape. Last week, the draft team put together the Top-300 and this week we take a stab at our first mid-season mock draft. While there still is plenty of time for things to shake out differently, here is how we see things shaping up at this point in the draft cycle.  Pick Team Selection Position School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Justin Lebron SS Alabama 3 Minnesota Twins Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 4 San Francisco Giants Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Ace Reese 3B Mississippi State 8 Athletics Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 9 Atlanta Braves Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 10 Colorado Rockies AJ Gracia OF Virginia 11 Washington Nationals Gio Rojas LHP...
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