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| 2,410 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,410 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 12/23/2021

Regional Review: Texas

Photo: Jordan Lawlar (Perfect Game)
With the Perfect Game scouting staff spread throughout the country and another action-packed season in the books, we'll take a look back at some highlights from individual states over the next couple of weeks, from the 13u level all the way up through the collegiate ranks and the MLB Draft.


Biggest 13u Moment/Breakout Player
Texas is well represented in the 2026 class with an exciting up-and-coming pool of talent. Among notable performances in the 2021 circuit, the biggest moments of the year came from the state’s top two ranks. Grady Emerson and CJ Sampson were exceptional at 13u National and 13u Select Festival. Sampson was named 13u Pitcher of the Year while Emerson, the No. 4 overall 2026 prospect, helped lead a dominant championship run at the 14u Worlds with his talent at the plate. Plenty still to come from this class, but the most intriguing breakout player was Miles Young, a physical 6-foot-2, 175-pound shortstop who seamlessly impacted games on both sides with a deep tool set on display at the South Elite Championships in the 16u group no less. 


Biggest 14u Moment/Breakout Player
The 2025s in Texas competed very well on some of the biggest 14u stages of 2021. A lot of anticipation lies ahead of these prospects' prep careers after finishing the season with several enticing early verbal commitments to the country’s top programs. There were a handful of notable big moments, but few compared to Vanderbilt commit Minjae Seo tossing a hitless eight-punchout outing at the Freshman Worlds and holding his own in a short appearance in the Upperclass World Championship, striking out two more in the same week. From the start of the spring, Jack McKernan was the clear biggest breakout player, who took leaps in the rankings with dominant performances and power stuff from the left side with more to come, the recent Texas commit really molded his craft on the mound posting strong starts week to week.


Biggest College Moments
Texas had an exciting 2021 campaign, making another College World Series appearance. Though the Longhorns fell one game short of the CWS Championship to the eventual national champions, their 50-17 season highlighted having no holes in their loaded lineup with some of college baseball’s top prospects leading the way and young talent making early impact. Dallas Baptist was also a fun watch in 2021, seeking their first CWS appearance and putting together a Top 25 stature to their 41-18 season that ended after winning the series opener against Virginia in the Super Regional.


Biggest Summer Moment
The 2021 Texas summer circuit provided some fun to watch next-level baseball. Standing out immediately is the power arm from 2023’s No. 10 prospect and 2023 draft eligible prospect, Travis Sykora. The 6-foot-5 athletic and physical presence on the mound still does not prepare you for 97 mph fastballs with life downhill, and not often are rising juniors prepared to make the adjustment at the plate against it. His first start of the summer at the South Invitational was a short two-inning stint with six strikeouts and not much hope to find the barrel against him.


Biggest Breakout Player
Jett Williams was a very fun to watch two-way talent all summer who made leaps in his big summer. He plays with excellent feel for the middle infield and a plus run tool he transfers to the field effectively. He put his five-tool potential on full display week-in and week-out, consistently productive with impact in every phase of the game. Williams is an athletic, compact 5-foot-8 frame with explosive tools and advanced strength heading in the right direction, bringing some excitement to the 2022 Mississippi State recruiting class.


Biggest Draft Moment
In the 2021 MLB Draft, Colton Cowser and Jordan Lawlar exemplified Texas amateur talent at the highest level with back-to-back early first round selections. The Baltimore Orioles put their trust in Southland’s Player of the Year, Cowser, with the No. 5 overall pick out of Sam Houston providing one of the most polished bats making it easy to jump his rank after an incredible college career, piecing together quite the track record alongside a pure hit tool we should see in the Big Leagues soon. Vanderbilt recruit and five-tool shortstop Lawler was the top prep position player in the draft selected at No. 6 overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of Jesuit in Dallas. 

Top Texas Travel Teams

2022 Grads: USA Prime 2022 National
National Rank: 10

2023 Grads: Lonestar Baseball 2023 National
National Rank: 17

2024 Grads: USA Prime 16u National
National Rank: 1

2025 Grads: 2025 Texas Twelve Black 
National Rank: 3

2026 Grads: USA Prime 14u National
National Rank: 1

A Look Ahead


High School: The 2022 Texas high school season is getting ready for another spring of some of the nation’s best teams and players across the state. Picking up where the 2021 season left off with Rockwall-Heath, Friendswood and Lake Travis as the top-three in Texas, I look forward to Lake Travis’s season and another year with an exciting pitching rotation, including the power arm duo from two-way player and Texas signee Pierce George and Texas A&M signee Luke Jackson bringing a difficult pair of low-90s arms both with feel to spin, alongside Rhode Island signee Cole Carroll and 2023 Alabama commit Jackson Baker to go to.

College: Texas is bringing back important players to the 2022 season with some exciting transfers and freshman talent in the mix. This program has looked spring ready since the start of fall, especially their unfair pitching depth, including 2023 draft eligible RHP Tanner Witt generating buzz and looking sharp on the mound in the fall, and there will be plenty of big moments to watch for from him. And after a dominant 2021 season, the experience returns with quality depth shaped for another highly-anticipated CWS run from the Longhorns. 


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 | 4/21/2026

College Players of the Week: April 21

Vincent Cervino
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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...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/20/2026

PG & EventConnect Extend Collaboration

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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 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...
College | Rankings | 4/20/2026

College Top 25: April 20

Vincent Cervino
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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...
College | Story | 4/16/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 16 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
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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...
High School | General | 4/16/2026

High School Notebook: April 16

Tyler Henninger
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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...
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...
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