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General  | Blog | 12/10/2025

Youth Baseball Exec. DeDonatis III Joins PG

Youth Baseball Executive Don DeDonatis III Joins PG

By Jim Salisbury 



It’s free-agent season in baseball and Perfect Game has landed a big one.

Don DeDonatis III joined PG as a consultant in November.

The DeDonatis name is synonymous with youth baseball and softball. Along with his dad, Don Jr., DeDonatis helped build USSSA into a big hitter in the game. He brings decades of experience and knowledge to PG.

“We all acknowledge that Donny has moved on from USSSA,” PG CEO Rob Ponger said. “This is a new chapter for him and we hope both sides take advantage of it to help youth sports in general.

“The DeDonatis name has a legacy attached to it and we’re hoping that Donny is going to help us. PG is a growing brand and he’s on board to help.”

DeDonatis was CEO at USSSA from 2018 until his exit from the company two years ago.

“I’m excited to be part of the PG team, excited to see how I can help as the company continues to move to new levels,” DeDonatis said.

DeDonatis has a strong baseball background and a deep love for the game. His dad played minor-league ball in the Detroit Tigers’ system and later filled his desire for competition on the softball field. Don Jr. ran softball tournaments for USSSA in Michigan then started putting together baseball tournaments for kids. As those tournaments grew in popularity, so did USSSA. Don Jr. became CEO of the organization in 1998 and presided over its growth in the youth baseball and softball space until his retirement in 2018.

Don III followed in his dad’s footsteps and played professionally in the Tigers’ system after a successful playing career at Eastern Michigan University, where he was a middle infielder. He joined USSSA in 1998, working at first in Michigan before moving up in the organization.

“Working with my dad to grow something special was pretty cool,” he said.

Over the years, USSSA baseball predominately served young, pre-high school players. PG, meanwhile, was making a name for itself by attracting elite high school talent looking to showcase itself for top college recruiters and major league scouts.

DeDonatis was always impressed with PG’s work with top-tier youth baseball players.

“My son is 11 and even if I was still the CEO of USSSA, he’d be playing Perfect Game, especially when he’s 13,” DeDonatis said. “That’s how much respect I have for them and how credible the brand is. Anyone who is anyone that plays minor-league ball or major-league ball, they played Perfect Game. You have to. When you see PG, you think of the best of the best. I’d say that if I was still CEO of USSSA.”

Perfect Game has become a player in the girls’ softball world in recent years and that commitment is only growing. Long ago, USSSA started as a softball organization. DeDonatis’ background in that game could be valuable to PG.

“I have a lot of experience in that space,” DeDonatis said. “PG is just scratching the surface in softball. I’ve said this for several years: Fastpitch has the potential to be bigger than baseball in the youth space. The sport is continuing to grow. The amount of people that fastpitch brings out is amazing. There is huge potential and upside there. I believe PG could replicate what they’re doing in baseball, especially at the elite level. It’s a huge opportunity, especially if done right.”

DeDonatis’ love for youth baseball and softball comes through in his voice. He talks about the joys of coaching his son, Don IV. He talks about the experiences he had playing as a kid, how he played in summer tournaments against youngsters Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

“I can’t remember where I left my car keys two hours ago, but I remember the positive moments and experiences from games I played in and teams I played on when I was 13,” he said with a laugh. “Along with Rob and everybody else at PG, I share the desire to build lasting memories for young ballplayers. I’m very excited about this.”

General | General | 2/9/2026

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Jim Salisbury
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CARTER NASH EMBRACES ALL THINGS PG By Jim Salisbury  COLUMBUS, Ohio – It’s cold outside. The wind is whipping. Is that sleet? Ugh. Think spring. Think baseball. Carter Nash surely is. Nash looked right at home during a visit to the American Baseball Coaches Association annual convention last month. Outside, the weather was frightful. Inside, it was baseball season. Nash lit up radar guns with his smile as he made his way through the convention hall and the event’s bustling trade show. He checked out all the new equipment, all the cutting-edge technologies and even met a few former major leaguers. “It’s like a baseball heaven to me right now,” the wide-eyed 15-year-old said. Nash is one of the bright young talents of Perfect Game. You’ll be hearing a lot about him in the coming years, if you haven’t already. He’s played in...
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Tyler Russo
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COASTAL REGION (NC, SC, VA, WV)  The first thing that stands out about the players on the Coastal Region team is that this is undoubtedly the fastest All-Region Team in the country.  There are four or five players who could legitimately have 80 grades on their running speed from the region and all have other tools to back up their speed. Another thing that jumps out is the quality of the juniors on the team.  While the region features only one 2025 PG All-American in left-handed pitcher Carson Bolemon, there are six juniors on the All-Region team who are ranked in the top 34 in the 2027 class, with plenty more talented underclassmen just behind them.  Three region high schools break into the Top 50 in the Perfect Game Pre-Season High School Rankings.  Charlotte Catholic at 33rd overall and Metrolina Christian Academy at 42nd represent the North Carolina schools...
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Perfect Game Staff
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High School | General | 2/11/2026

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David Rawnsley
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SOUTHWEST REGION (AZ, NM, NV, UT, CO)  The most dominant tool in the Southwest Region for the 2026 season is undoubtedly power at the plate, as most players featured below not only have the size and bat speed to drive the ball but have put up the numbers as well.  While that isn’t exactly surprising given that virtually the entire region plays at elevation, it certainly stands out on the individual top prospects. The Region features four Perfect Game All-Americans in OF Ryan Harwood, IF Rookie Shepard and C Alain Gomez-Gudino and RHP Dylan Blomker.  The 2027 class is looking very promising as well, with four juniors gaining mention on the All-Region team below and Arizona in particular having a very talented class.  Keep an eye out especially for 2027 3B Colton Floyd (Corona Del Sol HS, Ariz.), one of the best and biggest power hitters in that class. Two Region...
Press Release | Press Release | 2/11/2026

Perfect Game Partners with Goodles

Perfect Game Staff
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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 ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH GOODLES    Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, February 11, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with  GOODLES, the brand that reimagined boxed mac and cheese, naming the brand the Official Mac & Cheese of Perfect Game. The collaboration will bring delicious, nutrient-packed mac and cheese to families and players during premiere events and tournaments.    While practice makes perfect, a player’s diet can’t be...
College | Rankings | 2/11/2026

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Preseason rankings are less about certainty and more about expectation. Experience, continuity, and proven production tend to win in Division II baseball, but every spring reminds us how thin the margins can be. The teams below enter 2026 carrying varying combinations of momentum, pressure, and opportunity. Some are defending a standard. Others are chasing it.  At this level, projection is rarely about raw talent alone. It is shaped by familiarity, by the players who have been through a season together, by staffs that know how to manage the quiet stretches as well as the loud ones. Injuries, turnover, and postseason moments leave marks that don’t always show up in the numbers, but they shape how teams respond when games tighten.  The programs at the top of these rankings carry more than returning statistics. They carry memory and momentum. They remember what it felt like...
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Texas Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* School W L W L Akron 20 34 9 21 Ball State 36 22 21 9 Bowling Green 33 22 19 11 Central Michigan 20 35 11 19 Eastern Michigan 21 30 12 18 Kent State 38 18 23 7 Massachusetts* 14 34 7 23 Miami  35 23 23 7 Northern Illinois 21 33 9 21 Ohio 14 37 9 21 Toledo 32 29 17 13 Western Michigan 19 32 12 18 *record in the A-10 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Brody Williams Kent State .341-7-53; .457 OBP w/ zone awareness, leader on both sides, power in the...
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