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College  | Story | 5/20/2013

College Field of 64: May 20


* Oregon dropped a tough series to rival Oregon State over the weekend and dropped out of a national seed in the latest projections. The Ducks, with the series loss, still have a chance to be a top eight national seed, but just need to finish the regular season in flawless fashion. The Ducks are now 5-4 vs. RPI Top 25, 9-4 vs. RPI Top 50 and 21-10 vs. RPI Top 100. This week, we give the final national seed nod to Louisville, who's up to 13 in the latest RPI with a 1-3 mark vs. RPI Top 25, 8-4 mark vs. RPI Top 50 and 20-8 vs. RPI Top 100. I'd also keep an eye on Indiana, which has a high RPI and respectable overall resume, while the NCAA could always throw a curveball at us and give North Carolina State a fourth ACC national seed. The Wolfpack actually has a very good resume entering this weekend. For instance, the Wolfpack is 11-8 vs. RPI Top 25, 16-9 vs. RPI Top 50 and 24-12 overall record. Meanwhile, it's my opinion the other seven national seeds are set unless someone stumbles in ugly fashion this week.

* I feel very good about the 16 NCAA host sites as we enter conference tournament week for most leagues around the country. Mississippi State is our last host in this week's projections, and the Bulldogs have a rather solid resume. Despite playing an incredibly difficult Southeastern Conference schedule, the Bulldogs have a nice record and resume. The Bulldogs are 6-8 vs. RPI Top 25, 19-14 vs. RPI Top 50 and 21-16 vs. RPI Top 100. I'd also continue to keep a close eye on South Alabama if it gets hot in the Sun Belt tournament. The Jaguars still have a high RPI, but the resume needs some work. USA is 2-3 vs. RPI Top 25, 5-9 vs. RPI Top 50 and 14-14 vs. RPI Top 100. I'd also keep an eye on Arkansas as the week progresses. The Razorbacks still have an RPI in the 40s entering the SEC tournament, but the overall resume is very respectable. Arkansas is 7-7 vs. RPI Top 25, 15-15 vs. RPI Top 50 and 15-16 vs. RPI Top 100. The Hogs clearly have a lot of work to do, but the SEC tourney could be a major resume booster.

* Another intriguing situation in the postseason picture right now is just exactly how many bids the Big East will get into the NCAA tournament. We were feeling good about Pittsburgh going into last weekend's series against Louisville. However, the Panthers tumbled in the RPI and pecking order after failing to win a single game against the Cardinals. Meanwhile, South Florida, which has been fighting an uphill RPI battle the entire season, hasn't been great the past few weeks. Both teams have a chance to get on the good side of the bubble at the Big East tournament, Pitt having the better shot at this point. The Panthers have eclipsed that always-important 40-win mark and finished tied with Seton Hall, who's clearly in the field at this point, in the Big East standings. The strikes against the Panthers are their resume from an RPI standpoint. Pitt, which has an RPI of 64, is just 3-3 vs. RPI Top 50 and 6-9 vs. RPI Top 100. It's easy to see why the NCAA Selection Committee would dislike that resume, but personally speaking, I think Pitt's in-conference resume speaks for itself. I'd have the Panthers in if I were on the committee going into the conference tournament. Meanwhile, there's a reason USF is fighting more of an uphill battle than Pitt. For instance, the Bulls are 2-10 vs. RPI Top 50 teams and 9-13 vs. RPI Top 100 teams, along with an RPI of 63. The Bulls also finished behind Pitt in the conference standings.

* Two more things to keep an eye on this week include the new West Coast Conference tournament, which includes Gonzaga, San Diego, San Francisco and BYU. The Zags probably need to win the conference tournament to make the NCAA Field of 64, though, there's always a chance at an at-large by virtue of winning the WCC regular season crown. However, with USD safely in the field as of now, the interesting story line is following what BYU and San Francisco do. For now, we have the Cougars, who have the head-to-head series win over the Dons, leading the charge. However, USF is right on their heels and could change the game this week. Breaking down the two resumes, BYU has an RPI of 62 with a 3-2 record vs. RPI Top 50 teams and 12-15 mark vs. RPI Top 100 clubs. Meanwhile, San Francisco has an RPI of 55 with a 1-4 mark vs. RPI Top 50 and 12-16 mark vs. RPI Top 100. Again, USF might slightly have an edge RPI-wise, but head-to-head, for now, is the difference … The other thing to watch with intrigue this week is the Big Ten tournament as it relates to Ohio State and Illinois. Illinois joined the field of 64 this week, but a bad showing in Minneapolis could be the difference between in and out. The Fighting Illini have some really nice wins this season, including a road series sweep of a solid Baylor club earlier in the year. Illinois has an RPI of 30 with a 3-6 mark vs. RPI Top 50 and 9-11 mark vs. RPI Top 100. By comparison, even though Ohio State finished out of winning the Big Ten regular season crown, the postseason resume isn't all that special. For instance, the Buckeyes have an RPI of 49 with a 10-15 mark vs. RPI Top 50 teams and 11-15 mark vs. RPI Top 100. For now, I think both clubs are in the field if the season ended today, but will that be the case later this week? Stay tuned.

* Fans are always intrigued to see how individual conference breakdown from a postseason bids standpoint. Here's the breakdown by conference, in order from most to least: SEC (9), ACC (8), Pac 12 (4), Sun Belt (4), Big 12 (3), WCC (3), Big Ten (3), Big West (3), Big East (2), Big South (2), Ohio Valley (2), Colonial Athletic (2), Conference USA (2), America East (1), Atlantic 10 (1), Atlantic Sun (1), Horizon (1), Ivy League (1), Metro Atlantic (1), Mid-Eastern Athletic (1), Missouri Valley (1), Mountain West (1), Northeast (1), Patriot (1), Southern (1), Southland (1), SWAC (1), Summit (1), WAC (1).

* Out of the current one-bid leagues, the Atlantic Sun and Missouri Valley potentially have the most to gain this week during conference tournaments. Illinois State won the MVC automatic bid, and though the Redbirds could miss the postseason all together if they won't win the MVC tournament, for now, we're putting ISU on the good side of the bubble for capturing that regular season crown. That leaves the door open for Creighton to step in as one of the 64 teams with a very strong showing this week. The Bluejays, admittedly, have some serious work to do. Creighton has an RPI of 44 with a 30-16 overall record. However, the Jays are just 1-4 vs. RPI Top 50 and 6-8 vs. RPI Top 100. That must improve … As for the A-Sun, North Florida and Florida Gulf Coast are very much still in the postseason picture, though again, both have some work to do this week to put themselves on the good side of the postseason bubble. UNF has struggled a bit the past couple of weeks, but still has an RPI of 54 with an impressive 38-17 overall record. The Ospreys are 4-4 vs. RPI Top 50 and 11-9 vs. RPI Top 100. Again, not a bad resume. Then there's FGCU. FGCU went through a skid in the middle of the season, but certainly showed at times this season it's a club that could win an NCAA Regional when clicking on all cylinders -- just ask Florida. With that said, FGCU, which has an RPI of 61 with a 37-18 overall record, has some work to do. The Eagles are 3-8 vs. RPI Top 50 and 6-12 vs. RPI Top 100. In other words, FGCU still must not only pass UNF in the pecking order, but also other teams on the national stage. Not exactly an easy chore to say the least.

* Many questions posed in this week's college baseball chat were in regard to the postseason bid situation for the Pac 12 Conference. Right now, I have four teams from the league in the postseason, including Oregon State, Oregon, UCLA and Arizona State, three of which are expected to earn host sites barring a huge surprise. Will the Pac-12 get a fifth bid to the postseason? It's looking unlikely at this point unless Stanford or Arizona take care of business this weekend, and the committee feels rather generous. Stanford is currently fifth in the Pac-12 with a .500 record with an RPI of 89. The Cardinal is 3-9 vs. RPI Top 50 and 8-14 vs. RPI Top 100. By comparison, Arizona has an RPI of 76 following a huge rivalry series win over Arizona State. However, the Wildcats are 2-11 vs. RPI Top 50 teams and 7-16 vs. RPI Top 100. Should either of those teams get into the field as of today? Not if you're asking me. The resumes don't warrant it.


-- The projected national seeds are listed on the left, seed denoted in parenthesis. Regional on the right matches up to be projected NCAA Super Regional.
* Denotes automatic bid
^ Denotes at-large bid


College Baseball Field of 64 (May 20)
Nashville, Tenn., Regional
1. Vanderbilt* (1)
4. Columbia*

2. Troy*
3. Ohio State^
Bloomington, Ind., Regional
1. Indiana*
4. Kent State*

2. Virginia Tech^
3. Alabama^
Chapel Hill, N.C., Regional
1. North Carolina* (2)
4. Maine*

2. UNC Wilmington*
3. Florida Atlantic^
Starkville, Miss., Regional
1. Mississippi State^
4. Army*

2. South Alabama^
3. Austin Peay^
Baton Rouge, La., Regional
1. Louisiana State^ (3)
4. Jackson State*

2. Rice*
3. Louisiana-Lafayette^
Clemson, S.C., Regional
1. Clemson^
4. Western Carolina*

2. Ole Miss^
3. Coastal Carolina^
Corvallis, Ore., Regional
1. Oregon State* (4)
4. South Dakota State*

2. Cal Poly^
3. Auburn^
Manhattan, Kan., Regional
1. Kansas State*
4. Illinois State*

2. Arkansas^
3. Sam Houston State*
Charlottesville, Va., Regional
1. Virginia^ (5)
4. Rider*

2. Arizona State^
3. William & Mary^
Eugene, Ore., Regional
1. Oregon^
4. Gonzaga*

2. Oklahoma^
3. BYU^
Fullerton, Calif., Regional
1. Cal State Fullerton* (6)
4. Milwaukee*

2. New Mexico*
3. Houston^
Los Angeles Regional
1. UCLA^
4. CSU Bakersfield*

2. San Diego^
3. UC Santa Barbara^
Tallahassee, Fla., Regional
1. Florida State^ (7)
4. Savannah State*

2. Mercer*
3. Florida^
Columbia, S.C. Regional
1. South Carolina^
4. Bryant*

2. Georgia Tech^
3. Campbell*
Louisville, Ky., Regional
1. Louisville* (8)
4. Saint Louis*

2. Miami^
3. Illinois^
Raleigh, N.C., Regional

1. North Carolina State^
4. Tennessee Tech*

2. Oklahoma State^
3. Seton Hall^
Last five: William & Mary, BYU, Houston, Ohio State, UC Santa Barbara.
Next 10: Pittsburgh, San Francisco, UC Irvine, Michigan State, Creighton, Texas A&M, North Florida, FGCU, South Florida, Kansas.
 
Conference automatic bids

America East: Maine
Atlantic 10: Saint Louis
Atlantic Coast: North Carolina
Atlantic Sun: Mercer
Big Ten: Indiana
Big 12: Kansas State
Big East: Louisville
Big South: Campbell
Big West: Cal State Fullerton
Colonial Athletic: UNC Wilmington
Conference USA: Rice
Horizon: Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Ivy League: Columbia
Metro Atlantic: Rider
Mid-American: Kent State
Mid-Eastern Athletic: Savannah State
Missouri Valley: Illinois State
Mountain West: New Mexico
Northeast: Bryant
Ohio Valley: Tennessee Tech
Pac-12: Oregon State
Patriot: Army
Southeastern: Vanderbilt
Southern: Western Carolina
Southland: Sam Houston State
Southwestern Athletic: Jackson State
Summit: South Dakota State
Sun Belt: Troy
West Coast: Gonzaga
Western Athletic: CSU Bakersfield


College | Story | 7/28/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 28 Summer Edition

John Coppolella
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The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Blake Schaaf – Bourne Braves  Schaaf had a big week, going 12-for-22 (.545 AVG) with 3 Doubles, 4 Stolen Bases, and 9 Runs Scored. It’s been the continuation of a terrific summer for the...
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

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...
Tournaments | Championship | 7/29/2026

SBA Sox Save Best for Last

Kinley Kitchens
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Sometimes the best ending comes after a season of figuring things out. For SBG Sox American, the summer wasn’t always seamless. The team spent their early weeks learning where players fit best, building chemistry and searching for the combination that would allow them to play their best baseball. By the final weekend, they found it.  SBG Sox American closed their summer with a 7-5 victory over Dirtbags Midsouth 2027 Black to capture the 2026 17U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship, putting together one final winning performance in the last tournament this group would share this summer.  For SBG Sox Coach Cooper Williams, that made taking home the championship trophy even more meaningful. “It’s been great, especially for it being their last summer event,” Coach Williams said. “It’s really cool for them to kind of pull this thing out for...
Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

East World Series Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Evan Brand (2027, Acworth, Ga.) has been solid at the plate all summer and did not slow down late in the summer. This week, Brand was able to hit just under the .700 mark and tallied three extra base hits, including a homer. The switch hitter has a fluid barrel path with plus feel for the barrel to all fields. The lower half also moves with some rhythm, and the switch hitting ability with the accuracy to the barrel provides plenty of intrigue. The middle infielder is committed to Georgia Tech. Atley Schwarzrock (‘27 GA) catches of all of the first pitch he sees launching it over the wall in left for a 2-run 💣 sending it with some heat; stays loose in his progressing ripping the barrel thru the zone with some strength behind it and staying tall on impact. #EastWS… pic.twitter.com/oGxbPQN1W0 — Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) July 27, 2026 Atley Schwarzrock (2027,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

17u World Series Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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17u World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Lukas Waite (‘27, CA) showed LOUD stuff out of the pen. 6-2/205 frame. High-end athlete on the mound. FB sat 92-95 (T96). SL at 80-82 generated uncomfortable whiffs #PGWS @California_PG @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXaVxqA2kv — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 27, 2026 Lukas Waite (2027, San Diego, Calif.) came out of the pen on day four and showcased the loudest stuff out of the entire event. The recently named PG All-American ran the fastball up to 96 mph and sat 92-95 mph throughout the outing. A slider at 80-82 mph was lethal. It tunnels well off the heater and gets uncomfortable whiffs often. Waite features a 6-2, 205-pound frame that moves extremely well. There is supreme athleticism throughout the delivery that stands out. The upside is extremely high and will be sure to draw heavy draft interest during this...
All American Game | Story | 7/29/2026

Victorino & Girardi Tabbed PGAAC Managers

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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   SHANE VICTORINO AND JOE GIRARDI NAMED MANAGERS FOR PERFECT GAME DICK'S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC AT CITIZENS BANK PARK   Former Phillies Stars to Lead Nation's Top High School Baseball Players on August 16 in Philadelphia   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Wednesday, July 29, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that former Phillies All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino and former Phillies manager Joe Girardi will serve as managers for Team East and Team West, respectively, at the 2026 Perfect Game DICK'S All-American Classic, taking place on Sunday, August 16, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa.   Joining Girardi and...
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