THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,414 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,414 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Championship | 10/13/2020

WWBA Freshman belongs to Canes FL 2024

Jerry Miller
Photo: Canes FL 2024 (Perfect Game)
Before the championship contest of the 2020 WWBA Freshman World Series began on Monday afternoon at the 5-Plex in Ft. Myers, every parent, fan, scout, umpire, and PG event staff member knew that The Canes were going to walk away with the championship trophy from the annual crown jewel of PG tournaments. The aforementioned is truly easy to explain. Playing on Field 2 in front of a very energetic crowd of supporters were two undefeated teams - the designated visiting team, the Canes National club, based in Fredericksburg, VA, and the designated home club the Canes FL 2024 out of Boca Raton. After falling behind early by a score of 2-1, the Canes FL 2024 club mounted a furious, almost unrelenting rally in the 5th and 6th innings when they plated four and two runs respectively, to take a seemingly comfortable, 7-2 lead. The winning Canes FL team had some anxious moments in the top of the 7th when they had to hold off a hard charging Canes National nine. The Virginia club scored one and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs. A ground out to shortstop, however, set off a jubilant celebration in the Canes FL dugout. The comeback was not to be, as Canes FL 2024 held on to defeat Canes National 7-3.

The championship game, after the long grind of five brutal and exhausting days of competition, pitted two outstanding clubs against each other. Both had manipulated their way through the gauntlet of pool play and two grueling days of playoff baseball. Both Canes teams had to win two tense playoff games on Sunday and two more anxiety filled games on Monday to even earn the right to play in the final contest.



The gritty, physically talented Canes FL 2024 club is a regionally based south Florida group. According to their skipper, Sam Luppino, “all of our kids know each other and are true friends. They live within two hours of each other. To say we are a TRUE team would be an understatement”. The first thing any baseball fan would take note of regarding the Canes FL bunch is their baseball savvy. These young players approach their craft with a veteran player’s purpose. They understand the game. They pay attention to detail. They make the routine plays without duress and the tough plays with a calmness usually reserved for players much their senior.

Case in point, Rivers Kurland (2025, Tampa, FL) is in the 8th grade. He was playing above his usual age group. All the young southpaw did was limit one of the top hitting clubs in the entire tournament, to three runs on eight hits. Holding down the vaunted Canes National offense would have been tough for a high school senior with experience. Rivers is in the 8th grade. He is still in junior high, and he pitched like a veteran hurler with years of experience against one of the best collections of offensive talent in the WWBA. He threw a gutsy 6 2/3 innings and was only pulled after he had reached the PG mandated daily pitch count limit. From his body language, the competitive lefty didn’t want to leave the hill. Luppino said, “What can I say about Rivers? His performance was GINORMOUS”. “We don’t win without his effort. We had one pitcher after Rivers and he had 20 pitches left. If Rivers doesn’t do what he did, we probably are in bad shape.”

This tight knit south Florida group gets obviously outstanding support from their family and friends. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the individual and team disposition starts at home and is further built by Sam Luppino and his staff. The Canes FL 2024 is a team that hit the ground running on Thursday and never looked back. Their enthusiasm and energy was palpable. Although each individual would undoubtedly speak highly of the entire club, there were some individual performances that must be noted.

The Canes FL lead-off hitter is a long time veteran with the organization. Rylan Lujo (Coconut Creek, FL) had a monster tournament that was emphatically highlighted by his performance in the championship game. The 6-foot-1, 170 pound high school freshman went 2-for-4 on the day. He scored a run and drove in another. His outstanding day was completed when he stepped in to calmly close the ball game out on the mound. The long and lean righty threw six pitches and walked off the bump with possibly his biggest career save to date.

Another big contributor for Canes FL is a relative newcomer to the organization. Their three-hole hitter, Mateo Gray (2024, Weston, FL) was a force at the plate, on the infield and the mound. Although Mateo just joined the club this year, he fit right in with the culture that the Canes have created. He is a solid infielder and has the quick feet and the strong arm that is needed to play the hot corner. He threw nine, much needed quality innings on the mound during the tournament when depth of a pitching staff is tested continually. His bat plays and plays big. Hitting in the third spot in any line-up, at any level, is a prime spot for managers to place, usually, one of their more reliable hitters. Mateo filled that bill all weekend.

The Most Valuable pitcher award in the WWBA Freshman World Series went to Evangelical Christian HS freshman, Maddix Simpson (2024, Lehigh Acres, FL). All the 6-foot-1, 175 pound right-hander did was appear in four games on the hill and dominate each time he was out there. He closed out the Canes 4-2 quarterfinal win over 5 Star 15U White. He worked an inning and a third, allowing only one hit, while striking out two. Already heated from closing the quarterfinal game, Maddix started the semi-finals against a very talented USA Prime club and went four gritty innings, giving up only one run on four hits. He struck out five and only walked one. As if his mound performances weren’t enough, Simpson also played second base and centerfield almost flawlessly. When asked about the many noticeable attributes that Maddix brings to field, Canes skipper, Sam Luppino, said,” I don’t have enough words. Maddix was simply outstanding all weekend.”

The tournament's Most Valuable Player was Canes catcher extraordinaire, Niko Benestad (2024, Coconut Creek, FL). The sturdy backstop, who is a freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS was, without question the offensive star of the tournament. To list all the hits, extra base hits, and RBI's the obviously gifted Benestad had during his run to the MVP trophy would fill a book. He can flat out hit the ball. He has a great feel for the barrel and when he triggers his swing he does so with force. He makes consistently loud contact. Niko’s coach, Sam Luppino said that Niko “is a great young man who is emblematic of who we are as an organization” and that he was “clutch” all weekend.

When the dust finally settled on the many fields that hosted the 2020 WWBA Freshman World Series in Fort Myers, the well-coached, fundamentally sound, and highly enthusiastic Canes FL 2024 club walked away with the big silver cup, emblematic of their well-earned championship. Kudos to all the teams who participated in this year’s event. Congratulations to all the clubs who battled through pool play and made the playoffs, a feat that is reserved for only the very best teams in the country. A big tip of the cap to this year’s runner-up team, Canes National. A hearty congratulations to the 2020 WWBA Freshman World Series Champions, The Canes FL 2024. You played the toughest and beat the best!

Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 4/9/2026

Don't Boot the Loot Scout Notes
Cam McElwaney
Article Image
‘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...
Read More
High School | Rankings | 4/21/2026

High School Top 50 Update: April 21

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Another few weeks have wrapped up this high school season as we’re flying through the spring and most southern states are starting playoffs right around the corner. With the end of the regular season, we have another National Top 50 update to bring to you, along with this will be the start of the weekly editions of our National Top 50. We have a change at the top of the rankings as Venice (FL) takes over the top spot after just dominating their competition in the state of Florida this year. Orange Lutheran (CA) drops one spot to No. 2 after dropping a series but still holds firm at No. 2 in the country. Barbe (LA) has continued to dominate and holds onto the No. 3 spot while Tomball (TX) skyrockets in this update to No. 4 in the country, currently holding an incredible 30-0-1 record. The rest of the top-10 is names we’ve become accustomed to see with Aledo (TX) at No. 5, IMG...
Read More
PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 4/21/2026

Select Festival Dates/Locations Announced

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES DATES AND VENUES FOR   2026 SLATE OF SELECT FESTIVALS    Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced dates and venues for its 2026 Select Festivals, a premiere series of invitation-only events showcasing many of the nation’s top young prospects at the 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U levels.    The Select Festivals provide elite players with a unique opportunity to compete alongside and against the best talent in their age group while experiencing a...
Read More
College | Story | 4/21/2026

College Players of the Week: April 21

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
April 21st Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Tague Davis, IF, Louisville  The Louisville Cardinals (22-18) haven’t been able to get themselves in much of a groove this spring, their longest winning streak is 5-games, and they are (4-6) in their last 10-games.  The issue has not been the offense as the Cardinals are averaging over 8-runs per game and Tague Davis is leading the club in virtually every offensive category.  His calling card is his 70-grade power and that was on display last weekend in their series against Cal.  In the three-game series, Davis went 7 for 12, scoring 4 runs, launching 5 home runs and collected 7 RBIs.  The 6-4/220 lefthanded hitter from West Chester, PA has a pure stroke, is one of the premier power hitters in the nation and has significantly improved his plate discipline from a year ago.  After his big weekend, he is...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 4/20/2026

PG & EventConnect Extend Collaboration

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND EVENTCONNECT EXTEND COLLABORATION FOCUSED ON SCALE, SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE    Sanford, Florida (Monday, April 20, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the renewal and expansion of its long-standing housing and technology partnership with EventConnect, reaffirming a shared commitment to innovation, scale and best-in-class experiences for athletes, families and event operators across North America.    The renewed multi-year agreement extends a successful partnership that has helped Perfect Game...
Read More
College | Rankings | 4/20/2026

College Top 25: April 20

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
As the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end” and that was the case last Tuesday when UCLA (36-3) saw their 27-game win streak come to an end in a shutout loss to UCSB.  However, the No. 1 team in the land still has their 21-game winning streak in Big Ten to protect, as they have started off league play without a single blemish.  The Bruins will remain atop our poll this week and their historical start to the season roll on.  The UNC Tarheels (33-7-1) move up to No. 2 this week after they made their biggest statement of the year by taking the weekend series from now No. 4 Georgia Tech (32-7).  No. 3 Texas (30-8) and No. 5 Georgia (32-9) both went (3-1) on the week and won their SEC series to stay in contention for the regular season title.  Florida State (28-11) had a nice bounce back (4-0) week and re-enter the Top 10 at No. 8 this...
Read More
College | Story | 4/16/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 16 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
Article Image
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...
Read More
High School | General | 4/16/2026

High School Notebook: April 16

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Alain Gomez-Gudiño (‘26 AZ) with a pair of backside barrels, including a double. Physical 6-0/215 frame. Switch-hitter with power. Adv. defender with strong C&T behind the dish. @PGAllAmerican alum. #Gamecocks commit #PGHS @PG_Draft @SaguaroBaseball pic.twitter.com/2Vhuu5gYX9 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) April 11, 2026 C Alain Gomez-Gudino, Saguaro (Ariz.) Since I first saw him as a sophomore, Gomez-Gudiño has long been one of my favorite prospects in the state. The backstop features a super physical frame at 6-foot-0, 215-pounds with a thick lower half and strong forearms. Defensively, Gomez-Gudiño has always stood out. He moves well for his size behind the plate and receives with confident hands. The catch-and-throw ability stands out. Gomez-Gudiño looks to be aggressive and will back pick runners often. The glove alone makes...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 4/15/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 15

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
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...
Read More
College | Rankings | 4/15/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 15

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
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...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 4/15/2026

Perfect Game & Youth Prospects Team Up

Article Image
    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...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.