THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,472 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,472 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 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 | 6/14/2026

UBC West Scout Notes: Days 1-2
Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Nash McCarthy (2030, Camas, WA) was outstanding in his start on day two of the UBC West for NW Baum Bat, working six-innings allowing four-hits, no walks and struck out seven.  Standing at 6-foot, 170-pounds with athleticism and room to add.  Effortless mover down the bump with a low effort, up-tempo operation that produced a fastball that was up to 84.  He showed feel for the secondary offerings mixing in a firm breaking ball at 71-74 with 11-5 shape with depth.  Controlled the zone and the tempo throughout the outing, moving the ball around to all four-quadrants.  Projectable arm speed with advanced feel for the spin and strike zone.  Dylan D'Oyen (2030, Cerritos, CA) got the start for 5 Star 2030 in their opening game of the tournament and impressed over six innings of work.  Athletic mover down the mound with balance and repeats the delivery. ...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/14/2026

PG Softball Super Regionals

Erica Beach
Article Image
PG Super Regionals Dripping Springs, Texas June 6-7, 2026     DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX- The weather was nice, the Longhorns JUST won a national championship, and Perfect Game brought it’s first softball event to Dripping Springs. It was a weekend packed with college coaches, quality softball, and a great softball atmosphere. Over the course of the six-game guarantee event, our scout saw some amazing athletes. Below she highlights some of the athletes who caught her eye.   Destiny Sidiropoulos (2028, Houston, TX) of the Impact Gold HTX 16U was an incredible spark plug at the top of their lineup all weekend. She is a true triple threat who has great speed on the basepaths. She can soft and power slap, drop a sneaky bunt, and hit away with pop. Her barrel control is next level, and she is fun to watch pick apart defenses. On defense, she is versatile and athletic. She gets...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

West Coast Summer Breakout Hopefuls

Joey Cohen
Article Image
With summer ball ramping up, the priority follow lists from our scouting staff start to take shape and every year a handful of intriguing names outside the national spotlight begin to separate. Digging deeper into the West region, there’s a group of prospects currently buried outside the Top 200 who carry real breakout and helium potential over the next few months. All 10 players featured here are coming off strong high school seasons and bring traits that evaluators tend to bet on whether it’s projectable/athletic bodies, strong secondary stuff, or flashes of impact tools. They may not be household names just yet, but the ingredients are there for significant jumps by the end of the summer circuit. Don’t be surprised if several of these names are firmly in the mix and climbing up early boards in a hurry before the fall rolls around. Two innings of work here from Jonah...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

UBC South Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Quintin Blackwell (2030, Hercules, California) has, literally, been unstoppable this weekend for Premier Banditos Deleon. In six plate appearances, he has a walk and five hits. Doing it all with a double and two triples, while stealing three bags. Plenty of coil on the front side. Hands work through zone and the barrel stays on plane for a long time. High upside bat that makes an already deep Banditos lineup even deeper. Kenson Buth (2027, Trophy Club, Texas) has been an absolute weapon on both ends for Stix 2027 Scout. At the plate, he’s 6-9 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. Linear approach with a ton of bat speed. Plenty of impact at the bottom of the zone and showing some ability to do serious damage in the middle of the field. On the mound, he went four quality innings, punching out three. The fastball lived 86-90 with carry. Good feel for the slider in the mid 70s....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

WWBA East Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Sawyer Pettit (‘27 MS) Has shown extremely well to start the summer of 2026. Its a physical left-handed hitting corner profile with big muscle mass. Will pass the eye test off the bus at the next level. The swing is clean with controlled violence and big in-air power that has shown up frequently. Good mover for the size and plays the game hard. Candidate for a big frosh season at LSU-Eunice in 2028. Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) Pair of barrels tied together here. Innate feel to hit with fast hands. Line drive approach that gets to pull side power in the air. Excellent athlete that will stick at a premium spot. #LaTech commit.#WWBAEast pic.twitter.com/xeintVTMil — PG Deep South (@PG_DeepSouth) June 12, 2026 Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) The Louisiana Tech commit just does not stop hitting. Left the yard to the pull side yesterday and followed it up with a 3-4 day with a...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

AZ All-State Ready to Take Place

Emily Hicks
Article Image
This weekend, eight teams will head to Goodyear Ballpark for the 2026 PG Arizona All-State tournament, setting the stage for what should be an exciting few days of baseball. With teams traveling from across the city, the field will be packed with talent and plenty of championship contenders. Among the teams competing in 16U are AZ Select, Marucci Athletics 2028 Grannis, Overfly 2028, Phoenix Phillies, Team Dinger 2028, T-Rex East Valley, USA Scout Team AZ 16U, and West Coast Ghost AZ 16U. Each team enters the weekend with its own strengths and goals, creating several intriguing storylines to follow throughout pool play and bracket action. One of the biggest teams to watch this weekend will be 10-10, T-Rex East Valley. Whether it's dominant pitching, high-powered offenses, or strong defensive play, T-Rex East Valley has already shown they can compete at a high level this season. A few...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

13/14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
13u & 14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Tucker Richardson (2030, Mobile, Ala.) has already made a name for himself and he continued to play at the expected high level during his time in Hoover, finishing the tournament with a robust .700 average, collecting at least one base hit in each of his team’s games. Now the No. 10 ranked prospect in the country, Richardson more than once showed the ability to read and react to spin out of the pitcher’s hand, barreling up baseballs for a couple of his hits on the tournament. As much as the bat stands out, the defensive actions in the dirt are even better as he’s arguably the best defender in the class, making the most difficult plays look routing, including one where he charged hard on a slow roller with momentum taking him towards the third base dugout but thanks to the big arm, he was able to make the play look second...
Read More
College | Story | 6/11/2026

Collegiate Freshman All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Collegiate Postseason Awards | Collegiate All Americans First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Alonzo Alvarez Miami FR 0.341 0.439 0.551 40 57 13 2 6 32 3 1B Ethin Bingaman Auburn FR 0.330 0.415 0.581 60 71 9 0 15 50 4 2B Ethan Ball Virginia Tech FR 0.310 0.420 0.660 43 63 18 1 17 52 3 3B Nico Partida Texas A&M FR 0.306 0.408 0.550 45 55 8 0 12 43 4 SS Jett Kenady California FR 0.320 0.350 0.573 36 66 17 1 11 34 1 IF Linkin Garcia Texas Tech FR 0.338 0.387 0.489 53 78 21 1 4 59 1 OF Angel Laya Oregon FR 0.296 0.396 0.538 49 66 10 1 14 47 5 OF Anthony Pack Jr. Texas FR 0.359 0.485 0.597 58 74 16 0 11 52 20 OF Jacob Parker* Mississippi State FR 0.339 0.449 0.732 51 57 10 1 18 62 7 OF Teddy Tokheim Stanford FR 0.352 0.414 0.704 40 70 19 0 17 47 0 UT Drew Grego Nebraska FR 0.326 0.417 0.531 33 57 13 1 7 44 5 DH Enzo Infelise Cincinnati FR 0.374...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/11/2026

PG East WWBA to Get Underway

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
One of the summer’s premier events returns to the Hoover area this week as the 2026 Perfect Game East WWBA Championship gets underway. Now in its seventh year, the event has become a staple on the summer travel baseball calendar, bringing together some of the top organizations and prospects from across the country. A total of 132 teams will compete across three age divisions, including 38 teams in the 15U division, 48 teams in the 16U division, and 46 teams in the 17U division. Past champions include organizations such as Top Gun Team Alabama, EBC, USA Prime Alabama, and defending champion USA Prime Southeast 15U. As always, the tournament field features some of the nation’s top-ranked players. In the 15U division, all eyes will be on Alabama right-hander Tristan Blalock, the No. 23 ranked player nationally in the 2029 class and the top ranked player in Alabama. Blalock...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 6/11/2026

Team Elite Takes Another PG Elite

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
After capturing last year’s championship, Team Elite Scout 14U returned to Hoover looking to prove their success was no fluke. Four days later, they accomplished exactly that. Behind strong pitching, timely hitting, and the confidence that has defined the team throughout the tournament, Team Elite Scout 14U defeated SBA Bolts National 14U to claim the 2026 PG 14U National Elite Championship and secure back-to-back titles. “It’s awesome,” Team Elite Coach Blankenship said. “This is our first event of the year, so it’s good to get it to start with them, and they won it last year, so I know they are excited to do that back-to-back, so it’s pretty awesome.” The championship game showcased many of the same qualities that carried Team Elite through the tournament. Ryan Johnson delivered 4.1 scoreless innings on the mound, allowing just two hits...
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.