THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 3/17/2018

Showdown-Academies Scout Notes

Greg Gerard
Photo: Perfect Game

2018 PG High School Showdown-Academies: Event Preview | Player Stats | Daily Leaders

On his way to earning the Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament, Daniel Espino (2019, Statesboro, Ga.) turned in an outstanding six inning start and showcased some of the best velocity in the entire 2019 class. Sitting 94-96 early on with his fastball and not releasing a fastball below 89 mph throughout his six innings, Espino’s start was impressive in every way. The command of his fastball was outstanding and the velocity was completely overpowering. Swings and misses were a common trend as Espino piled on 12 strikeouts on the day.

His arm action is quite long and wrapped through the back, but the arm continually gets through the circle on time and out in front. The recent verbal commitment to LSU gets outstanding extension out in front as well. His 6-foot-3 200-pound frame and excellent extension help generate a 98 mph best effective velocity per TrackMan. Espino gets up to eight feet of extension reaching way out in front at release getting some occasional run to his explosive fastball. The LSU commit dominated the entirety of his start and showed why he is a top of the line pitcher in the class of 2019. 

Zachary Ottinger (2018, Marietta, Ga.) put together an outstanding start to open up the tournament for East Cobb Baseball and showed why he committed to West Virginia in doing so. The righthander from Marietta, Georgia’s fastball topped out at 90 mph early on in the game and consistently lived in the upper-80s throughout the contest. In his four inning start, Ottinger struck out six batters with his fastball and slider combination. The slider was short breaking and the fastball showed short life occasionally to armside. His delivery is simple and shows good tempo as he repeats it well getting good command of both of his pitches. The arm action is clean and full as he releases with little effort. Ottinger repeatedly live low in the strike zone and missed lots of barrels.




Jose Cabrera Jr. (2018, Santiago, Dominican Republic) displayed his overpowering fastball in a relief appearance for CBC Elite and earned the win in doing so. Cabrera’s fastball was the top fastball of the day on Thursday as he peaked at 92 mph. The big righthander from the Dominican Republic showed heavy life to his fastball and good command of two pitches. His fastball completely overpowered hitters on this day as it was his primary pitch in route to tallying all six outs via the strikeout. When Cabrera was head in counts, which was quite often, he liked to go to his tight 11-to-5 breaking curveball. The pitch was well located like his fastball and was a solid secondary pitch to accompany his fastball. Cabrera’s arm action is pretty long and wraps some around the backside before coming through continually on time. He gets solid lower half usage down the mound, but it appeared he could get even more of his lower half incorporated for added velocity to the already impressive fastball.


Carlos Francisco (2018, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) may be the most projectable pitcher in the entire tournament standing at 6-foot-5 215-pounds with some present strength especially in the lower half. He brought with him to the mound a fastball up to 90 mph and a hard biting curveball in the upper-70s. To go along with his projectable frame, Francisco has an explosive delivery and a full arm action that really works. The velocity was maintained in the upper-80s but projects for more moving forward. The uncommitted Francisco, unfortunately took the loss even though he only allowed one earned run. 

Kyle Riesselmann (2019, Tyrone, Ga.) had one of the more impressive offensive performances of the tournament and showed big-time physical tools in doing so. Standing at a highly projectable 6-foot-2 181-pounds Reisselmann has good bat speed and showed the ability to run as well. Sprinting multiple sub-4.30 home to first times from the righthanded batter’s box with his best time coming in at 4.20-seconds. The swing is simple and the timing is good. He gets the barrel head out in front squaring up the ball continuously. On a triple in his final game of the weekend, Riesselmann showed the potential pop in his bat driving the ball deep to center field. The uncommitted outfielder turned the bag at first with a run time of 4.69-seconds scampering to third without a throw. Riesselmann showcased his raw tools all weekend long.

Tyler Driver (2019, Wake Forest, N.C.) helped Pro5 Academy earn a Game 1 win as they began their tournament. The junior righthander ran his fastball up to 88 mph in doing so as well. Driver throws three different pitches and has the ability to command all three well. Driver’s fastball sat mostly in the mid-80s with a top velocity of the aforementioned 88 mph pitch. The first secondary pitch he went to was his short-breaking slider. The pitch was effective in getting hitters to swing and miss especially when buried. Driver seemed to have more feel of his changeup, however. Especially when fastball arm speed was maintained, Driver’s changeup was the better of the two secondary pitches. The UNC-Charlotte commit’s three pitch mix continuously kept hitters off balance and helped him tally five strikeouts in three innings of work. 




Having been up to 94 mph in past PG events, Makenzie Stills (2018, Fayetteville, Ga.) was back on the mound this time for Citadels Baseball Academy and showed similar arm strength Friday night. Stills filled up the strike zone for the duration of his six inning start with a fastball that ranged 88-91 with lots of heavy sinking action. Quite frequently the fastball showed 80-grade sink on a 20-80 scale and hitters had trouble doing any sort of damage to the pitch. Only allowing one run on the day, Stills received an unfortunate loss but still went home with a quality start.

Stills is a Vanderbilt commit and has a long arm action as he comes to the plate. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Stills has obvious arm strength and incorporates his lower half well in his windup. To go along with his fastball, Stills has a pair of secondary pitches that make him a full arsenal pitcher. His slider is very tight and short as it breaks late on hitters. Stills’ changeup may be better than his slider as it shows similar sink to the fastball and dives late. The senior from Georgia is an impressive pitcher and he showed that talent in Friday night’s game.

Trent Harris (2018, Raleigh, N.C.) came into Pro5 Academy’s quarterfinal matchup to close out the game and ran his fastball up to 90 mph. The High Point commit showed off an arm that really works well. Coming from a full arm action and a high three-quarters, his fastball is mostly straight, but he spots it up well. The projectable 6-foot-1 190-pound righthander mixed in a mid-70s curveball with good depth to accompany the fastball. Harris earned the save in Pro5 Academy’s 1-0 win striking out two along the way. Harris helped Pro5 in a big way to earn them a trip to the semifinals of the PG High School Showdown-Academies.

Daniel Cerda (2018, Statesboro, Ga.) was the most impressive hitter of the tournament and he showed big-time actions in the infield as well. The starting shortstop for the Georgia Premier Academy Sox showed all weekend long his soft, sure hands and good arm strength across the diamond. At the plate, Cerda finished the PG High School Showdown-Academies 7-14 (.500) and consistently put the barrel to the baseball showing off his outstanding barrel to ball skills. Cerda’s arm strength was noticeable in the infield as well as on the mound. Cerda came into close out a pair of games for the Sox and topped out at 89 with his fastball. The senior Chipola JUCO commit is an exciting player to watch that plays with outstanding energy game in and game out.




Shep Hancock (2020, Sharpsburg, Ga.) pitched on two different occasions during the weekend. First, in a closing role Friday night the sophomore faced three batters striking out one of them. The velocity was more impressive on the first night as he sat 85-87 consistently without the appearance of an offspeed pitch. Secondly, on Saturday afternoon, this time in a starting role, Hancock’s fastball was down some from the night before but the command was even more impressive. The 6-foot-3 225-pound righthander throws with little effort and creates some good plane on his fastball especially when down in the zone. Hancock’s arm action is very clean and easy as he comes through and releases out in front. He appears to be able to get even more drive from his lower half as well for more velocity as he continues to mature. 

Lucas Torres (2021, Cayey, Puerto Rico) was one of the younger pitchers in the event, but still showed that he can pitch with the older guys. Torres showed really good command for his young age and it resulted in three strikeouts and no walks in his 2 2/3 innings of relief. Torres has a deliberate delivery getting his lower half going down the mound as the arm comes through from a mostly clean arm action. The fastball topped out at 86 mph, but sat 83-85 mph mostly. He never did show an offspeed pitch during the outing, but being that he is a primary shortstop the added repetitions and maturity should include the addition of a secondary pitch to his arsenal. As a primary shortstop, Torres is interesting on the mound and definitely worth noting early on because of his present arm strength.

The PG High School Showdown-Academies MVP was Auburn commit Troy Bearden (2018, Trussvile, Ala.) as he showed all weekend that he can swing the bat and make loud contact. Bearden is as physical of a presence in the box as any. Listed at a believable 6-foot-2, 225-pounds with present strength throughout, Bearden’s strength is present in his swing as he generates good bat speed. When squared, the ball comes off of the barrel with authority and the exit velocities were on display continually over the course of the tournament. Bearden collected eight hits in the event and on numerous occasions produced 90-plus mph exit velocities off of the barrel with the best coming on a line drive single up the middle that left his barrel at 94 mph.




Jacob Gilliland (2018, Ocean Springs, Miss.) pitched Next Level Baseball Academy to a championship on Saturday evening. After a lightning delay pushed back the start of the semifinals and championship game, Gilliland finally received the ball and showed his ability on the mound. The righthander sat 90-92 mph in the first before settling in the 88-90 mph range for the remainder of his start. The commitment to junior college powerhouse Chattahoochee Valley has a good curveball that was mixed in and effective to get hitters to swing and miss especially when ahead in counts. Gilliland was ahead in counts often in this contest as he finished with five strikeouts 5 1/3 innings.

His mechanics are more fluid than in previous viewings as his arm works fully through the arm circle. He gets good drive from his lower half and releases with minimal effort. In this outing the fastball was mostly straight and he commanded it well. Overall, the 6-foot-2 180-pounder is an interesting arm in this year’s loaded draft class.
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
Read More
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 2/26/2026

PG Draft: Early Season Underclass Performers

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 RHP Dax Whitney, Oregon State (‘27 elig.) Whitney may not just be the best arm in next year’s class, he may be the best arm in the entire country right now. The right-handed sits 98 mph with the heater and has been up to 100 mph. Both the slider and curveball are plus offerings that he spins extremely well. Whitney will mix in a quality Gavin changeup that sits in the upper-80’s and has also introduced a new cutter. All the pitches come from the exact same release point and jump out of the hand. He...
Read More
High School | General | 2/26/2026

PGHS Showdown: Academies Scout Notes

AJ Denny
Article Image
Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) going WAY out to right. Rhythmic approach and smooth swing get into big time power. #Mountaineers commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/qyDaIPxIol — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) First live look at the left-handed hitting West Virgina commit. The power is real, launched two long homers in game action this weekend. Easy mover with very clean path with sky high offensive ceiling if he continues to show like this. Swing is built for power and lofted pull side impacts.    CJ Alfano (‘26 NY) long PS bomb this morning. Just leaning on everything that’s thrown over the heart. #WVU commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/4lGnhOEyrl — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Cj Alfano (‘26 NY)Just an impossible out throughout the weekend....
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/25/2026

Perfect Game Softball 16U Winter Elite Showcase

Dave Durbala
Article Image
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball 16u Winter Elite Showcase, February 20-22, 2026. Twenty-Four teams arrived in Springfield for the opportunity to showcase some of the best talent in the midwest. After 3 pool play games,  the field was split and seeded into either the Platinum or Gold Division to begin bracket play.  With several highly sought after young arms on display, it was Indiana Magic Gold 16U Carroll and Indiana Magic Gold 14U National making it into the Platinum Division Championship, and through a mutual agreement, they decided to end the tournament as Co-Champions. In the Gold Division, it was Gts 16u Elite-Gonzalez with a 7-2 win over Cedar Rapids Blue Devils 14u, to earn the championship. Below are some of the players that played their way onto the top performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from both the Platinum and Gold Divisions. Earning the...
Read More
College | Recruiting | 2/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: Feb. 25

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
A few weeks into the season and the shape of the national picture is starting to emerge (slightly, let’s get too silly about early results). Some preseason favorites are humming exactly as advertised, a few dark horses are pawing at the gate, and a handful of early contenders are discovering that February optimism and March reality are not always the same thing. Across DII, DIII and the NAIA, pitching staffs are setting the tone, offenses are either detonating or recalibrating, and the Top 25 is already beginning to feel less theoretical and more earned.   DII UT Tyler is performing as predicted with a 12-2 start that includes a series win at Angelo State. The Patriots’ offense has not exactly been knocking the cover off the ball, but the pitching staff has been stingy, holding opponents to a .228 batting average.  They have not faced a ranked opponent yet, but...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 2/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: February 25

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another strong week for many of the top teams in junior college baseball. Walters State put together another undefeated weak and sticks in the top spot for the 3rd consecutive ranking. Chipola on the strength of a 20-1 start has established themselves early as one of top teams in the country. Johnson County put together a 2nd consecutive undefeated week and moves into the top 5 with a 15-1 overall record. They will play 4 games against #22 Iowa Western this week who is also coming off an undefeated week. Fresno City (15-0) and Midland (13-0) are two undefeated programs to begin 2026. They have gone from not in the preseason top 25 to the top 15 in our rankings in less than a month. And welcome to the PG Juco Top 25 Cloud County (KS) who debuts at #23 and is coming off a huge 3 game sweep on the road in Texas of a previous top 10 program in our rankings. Plenty of good matchups ahead this...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/24/2026

Perfect Game Softball February Frenzy

Dave Durbala
Article Image
BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game February Frenzy, February 20-22, 2026.  Twenty-two teams, representing five states, rolled into town for the opportunity to compete in this pool play, then into bracket play, with four games guaranteed,  in both a 14u and 18u division. Taking home top honors in the 14u division was Midwest Sluggers 11, who held off a late charge by the Black Dragons , winning 7-5. In the 18u division, it was Nebraska Gold 319 Berning topping Iowa Gold Prospects 4-0, avenging a pool play opening, 1-0 loss. Below are some of the players that played their way onto our Top Performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from the championship bracket in each age division. 14U Division Earning the 14u division MVP award was Presley Perkins (2030 Taylor Ridge, IL) who although is listed as a switch hitting OF, was only observed hitting from the left side for tournament...
Read More
High School | General | 2/25/2026

High School Showdown Preview

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
We’re only about 24 hours away from the 14th PG High School Showdown and as we get closer to one of the premier events on the high school schedule, we look ahead to what we’ll see in Hoover. The teams and players are what make this event special along with the environment with scouts packing the stands for this event. As with every year we’ve run this event, there are sure to be names called in the upcoming MLB Draft along with big time contributors at the college level. This year’s field is loaded with five teams ranked inside the Preseason High School Top-50, headlined by a trio of top-10 teams in No. 8 South Walton (FL), No. 9 Blessed Trinity (GA), and No. 10 IMG Academy (FL). Rounding out the list of top-50 teams are No. 34 Parkview (GA) and No. 43 Hoover (AL), along with plenty of other teams that will challenge for state championships in their respective...
Read More
College | Story | 2/24/2026

College Players of the Week: Feb. 24

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
February 24 Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA After playing 117 games, launching 27 doubles and 25 home runs in Austin, TX for the University of Texas, Will Gasparino decided it was time to head back to his hometown of Los Angeles, CA. Based on his performance in the first two weeks of the season for the Bruins, he looks very comfortable and ready to push his name up the Draft Board. UCLA (6-1) enters 2026 with incredibly high expectations, jumped to No. 3 in our Top 25 poll with their 3-game sweep of previously ranked TCU and Gasparino provided much of the offensive firepower. For the week, the 6-6/220 outfielder went 7 for 13 good for a .538 BA, with a double, 5 home runs and 13 RBI. That brings his slash line through 7-games to .391/1.304/.548 with a double, a triple, 6 home runs and he has driven in a total of 15 runs. The scary thing is that Gasparino is just...
Read More
High School | General | 2/23/2026

Northwest Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Northwest All Region & Top Tools Rk Pacific NW (+ Hawaii) 2025 Record 1 Puyallup (WA) 28-1 2 Kamehameha Kapalama (HI) 19-5 3 South Salem (OR) 30-2 4 Lake Washington (WA) 21-11 5 Bainbridge (WA) 24-4 6 St. Louis (HI) 15-6 7 Iolani (HI) 11-11-1. 8 Eastlake (WA) 23-9 9 Summit (OR) 24-6 10 Sumner (WA) 18-8 11 Sunset (OR) 23-9 12 Punahou (HI) 7-10-1. 13 Mount Vernon (WA) 28-4 14 Jesuit (OR) 26-8 15 Tahoma Senior (WA) 13-9-1 16 Blanchet Catholic (OR) 31-2 17 West Linn (OR) 22-8 18 Woodinville (WA) 13-12 19 Eagle (ID) 15-13 20 Central Catholic (OR) 23-6-1 21 Service (AK) 20-6 22 Meadowdale (WA) 10-4 23 Waiakea (HI) 10-4-1. 24 Liberty Christian (WA) 24-3 25 Madison Senior (ID) 19-11
Read More
General | General | 2/23/2026

PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar A few weeks ago, Perfect Game and its Believe in Baseball foundation held a fundraising event in Los Angeles. The “In the Spirit of the Game” dinner and auction brought in thousands of dollars, all of which will go toward providing deserving youngsters an opportunity to play and grow in the game. Chet Brewer was not at the event – the former Negro Leagues star died at age 83 in 1990 – but his spirit was. Big time. “That night was all about Chet,” PG commissioner Dennis Gilbert said. “He was all about giving kids chances to play the game, especially kids from underprivileged backgrounds. “When you’re 15, 16, 17 years old – those years are the basis of your life. Chet helped put a lot of kids on the right path through the game of baseball.” Brewer’s impactful life has...
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.