SURPRISE, Ariz. – It’s official, Perfect Game Baseball fans. The desert Southwest is definitely open for business and make no mistake, business will be booming over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend in Phoenix’s West Valley of the Sun. And, as a PSA for those planning to attend, be sure to pack your sunscreen.
More than 120 teams from states in the most western third of the country will compete for championships in six age divisions during play Friday through Monday at the 2021 PG WWBA West Memorial Day Classic.
Competition will take place in the 18u (14 teams), 17u (18), 16u (26), 15u (15), 14u (36) and 13u (14) age groups. Games are slated to be played at two state-of-the-art MLB Cactus League Spring Training complexes in Surprise (Royals, Rangers) and Goodyear (Indians, Reds); several area high school fields will also be employed.
With close to 2,000 players expected to gather in the West Valley – where the daily high temperature is forecast to hover around 100 degrees throughout the event’s four-day run – it’ safe to say the competition will be heated at every turn.
And perhaps even more so than in years past after the 2020 version of the PG WWBA WMDC was cancelled by COVID-19, and with all of the older top prospects in attendance coming off their first high school seasons in two years. Simply put, these guys are going to be ready to get after it. Just based on the size of their fields, the 14u and 16u divisions promise to garner a lion’s share of the attention.
With 36 teams from top western state programs like the BPA, Canes, CBA, GBG, LVR, San Diego Show, So Cal Bombers, Top Tier and Trosky – among a host of others – just advancing to the 10-team, single-elimination playoffs at the 14u event presents a challenge.
There will certainly be star-power galore on display in this division, with 13 prospects from the class of 2025 ranked in the top-60 nationally.
It’s a group that includes MVP Hustle Black 2025 La Mirada, Calif., outfielder Travis Friend (No. 9-ranked); Top Tier Americans 2025 Anaheim, Calif., outfielder Josiah Hartshorn (No. 10); Canes West 2025 San Antonio catcher Masa Chilcutt (No. 17); Trosky National 2025 Mount Vernon, Wash., catcher Xavier Neyens (No. 19, Oregon State commit) and Canes West 2025 Murrieta, Calif., third baseman Vaughn Neckar (No. 20).
Another Canes West 2025 prospect to keep an eye on is Scottsdale outfielder Cam Caminiti (No. 24-ranked) who is rostered with the Canes West at both the 14u and 15u events.
The top prospect at the 16u WWBA WMDC is Phoenix 2023 right-hander/first baseman Grant Smith, who is ranked No. 37 nationally (No. 8 RHP). Scouts will have to be on their toes while trying to keep track of Smith, however, as he’s rostered with both the Canes West 2023 and the Canes Arizona 2023 Gold at the 16u WWBA WMDC and with the Canes Arizona 2023 Gold at the 17u WWBA WMDC.
The Phoenix-based 3D Gold program has put together a pair of powerhouse rosters that feature 14 top guys who occupy spots on both of its 17u and 18u teams. Heading that list of notables is 2023 outfielder/right-hander Duce Robinson (No. 60) out of Phoenix and ’23 right-hander/outfielder James DeCremer (No. 178, Oregon State) from Scottsdale in the East Valley.
Top 2022s playing in the 18u WWBA WMDC include Mill Creek, Wash., shortstop Dominic Hellman (No. 31, Oregon) for the Washington Rush and Las Vegas third baseman Demitri Diamant (No. 79, Georgia Tech) from 3D Gold.
And speaking of representation from the East Valley, the Scottsdale Dirtbags 2024 Black jump off the page as a formidable entrant at the 15u WWBA WMDC.
A trio of top 2024s in Plano, Texas right-hander/first baseman Jack Frankel (No. 11), Phoenix shortstop/utilityman Chris Newstrom (No. 12, Arizona State) and Red Oak, Okla., right-hander/corner-infielder Brex Caldwell (No. 73, Oklahoma State) lead the way and they know their way around the Perfect Game circuit. All three performed at the 2019 PG 13u Select Baseball Festival and Frankel and Newstrom returned for the 14u Select Festival in 2020.
As the PG 2021 summer tournament season officially opens over this much-anticipated Memorial Day Weekend, it’s impossible to not be excited about what the next several months will bring. The Valley of the Sun is definitely open for business and, yes, business will be booming.