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Tournaments  | Story  | 1/3/2025

Year in Review: PG Events

Steve Fiorindo      Jason Phillips      Steve Doherty      Anthony Gambardella     
The 2024 Perfect Game Event Calendar saw another year of outstanding performances from prospects and rising stars from across the country with development at the forefront throughout the circuit. Events such as the WWBA National Championship, PG High School Showdown, and the WWBA World Championship always bring out the stars and with new initiatives like the Prospect Gateway and the National Academies Association by Perfect Game really taking off this year.


The annual WWBA National Championships highlight the summer schedule in Atlanta, Georgia and the stars came out in force once again. Chi Town Cream defeated the East Cobb Astros 17U to win the 18U division with right-hander Brett Crossland taking home The Most Valuable Pitcher for the Cream. Shortstop Josh Gibbs (East Cobb Astros 17U) was named Most Valuable Player with his .600-3-10 stat line and a 1.848 on-base plus slugging percentage.




Big offensive performances were a theme at all four WWBA National Championships with players from across the country putting up big numbers at the events. Shortstop Cole Prosek turned in absurd numbers at the 16U WWBA in leading EBC 16u-Wright to the Championship Title with 17 hits in 26 at-bats. He was named the 16U Most Valuable Player after finishing with five doubles, five homeruns and 18 runs batted in. Left-handed pitcher Uli Fernsler (Michigan Bulls- Hermelyn) may have been even more impressive with 27 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched, including a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts. 

The 15U WWBA and 17U WWBA National Championships were just as impressive with USA Prime 15U National taking home the 15U WWBA Title and BPA going a perfect 11 and 0 to take home the 17U WWBA Title. Shortstop Cooper Flemming was named Most Valuable Player of the 17U WWBA in leading BPA on their championship run. Shortstop Coy James for Canes National 17U/NY Mets Scout Team turned in a tournament for the record books with 22 hits in 31 at-bats (.710 BA) with five doubles, a triple, four home runs and 15 runs batted in for the runner-up Canes. At the 15U WWBA, catchers Jorvorskie Lane Jr. (USA Prime 15U National) and Dyson Grant (BPA) were named Co-MVPs while Cole Chambers was named to the All-Tournament Team (Elite Pitching) with 24 strikeouts over 13 innings pitched and only one earned run allowed for STL Legacy 15U-Kessler.  


The 2024 High School Showdown in Hoover, Alabama always brings out the top High School programs from across the Southeast Region and this year was no different. In the Gray Bracket, third baseman Caleb Barnett was named Most Valuable Player for the Champion Mountain Brook Spartans (AL) after posting a .625-2-8 stat line in the Spartans 4 and 0 run. Shortstop Jack Ruckert and right-handed pitcher William Schmidt were named to the All-Tournament Team for leading the Catholic High Baton Rouge Bears (LA) to the Blue Bracket Title. Schmidt, a 2023 All American Classic Player, was named Most Valuable Pitcher after his 12-strikeout performance over five innings pitched in a 4-1 victory. In the Red Bracket, Braden Booth was named the Most Valuable Pitcher for Champion Bob Jones (AL) after his 5-inning no-hit victory over Peachtree Ridge High School with nine strikeouts. Outfielder Andrew Cutler was named the Most Valuable Player in the White Bracket for the Champion North Broward Prep Eagles (FL). 


The National Academies Association Powered by Perfect Game took flight this year with high profile Academies matching up against each other from January to October. Pro 5 Academy (Holly Springs, N.C.), TNXL Academy (Ocoee, FL), Elite Squad Academy (Pembroke Pines, FL), PDG Academy (Fredericksburg, VA), P27 Academy (Lexington, S.C.), A3 Academy (Tampa, FL) and Georgia Premier Academy (Statesboro, GA) participated in the inaugural season which culminated with a conference tournament at East Cobb in Georgia. (Champion- TNXL Academy) Outfielder Ethan Wagner (P27 Academy) led the comp with a .465 batting average, nine homeruns and 39 runs batted in. The Tennessee commit was drafted in the 17th Round by the Houston Astros and signed to begin his professional career. Right-handed pitcher Tre Jackson (Uncommitted), a 2025 grad for Georgia Premier Academy, led all pitchers with 162 strikeouts over 90 innings pitched. 


The WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Florida was pushed back a week this year due to Hurricane Milton rolling across Florida but that didn’t stop the talent from across the country making a statement to end many of their PG careers. CBA Marucci made the trek and led by Most Valuable Player Jagger Snitko (Uncommitted) and Most Valuable Pitcher Taylor Werth (UC Davis), took the Championship Trophy back to Temecula, California with a 4-0 victory over the East Coast Sox 2025 Scout in the title game. CBA Marucci used quality pitching and defense along with timely hitting to finish 8 and 1 with three shutouts to take home the 2024 WWBA World Championship. Pitchers Werth, Dylan Harrison (Clemson) and Mason Murphy (Sam Houston State) combined for 23 scoreless innings pitched for CBA Marucci with 28 strikeouts. The biggest riser in terms of draft stock from the tournament could be Ethin Bingaman for Canes National/ NY Mets Scout Team. The listed primary right-handed pitcher and Auburn commit, led the tournament with 11 hits including five doubles and 15 runs batted in. His performance was a big statement to scouts as a two-way player with upside moving forward.
 
-Jason Phillips

Prospect Gateway Taking Off 

Perfect Game’s Prospect Gateway hosted 68 events across the country with thousands of athletes seeking to improve their skill set. The 2024 circuit laid a strong foundation for young prospects, allowing them to showcase their talents and receive feedback from an assigned advisor. Prospect Gateway created unmatched exposure for each athlete in attendance as well as a path to National teams for some. It also included personalized development plans created in seconds using swing data. This software known as Pelotero automates hitting analysis, generates personalized training plans, and tracks the progress of each hitter. This year was quite literally just the beginning for Prospect Gateway, as it looks to open doors for even more athletes in 2025. 

CPBL Series Tournament 

Perfect Game returned to Ontario for its annual CPBL Series Tournament in September, playing host to eleven teams determined to showcase their talents. Several of the top 2026 Canadian prospects showed up and showed out including Kentucky commit Robert Omidi and the 6-foot-6 right-hander Jack Potts. Some 2027 names that jumped off the page were power-hitting catcher Gino De Santis, Brody McCready, Caleb Quack and Galen Hudel, who batted .600 with seven RBI on the weekend. The Great Lake Canadians went 4-0 at the 16u CPBL Series Tournament while rendering just five runs. At the 15u level, it was the Fieldhouse Pirates who turned in a perfect record, being led by the lefty-hitting catcher Austin Burton and infielder Hunter Bartha. It was another successful CPBL event filled with loud bats and dominant arms. 

-Anthony Gambardella

The 2024 Perfect Game Events calendar in the western part of the United States delivered an unforgettable blend of summer and fall baseball, showcasing some of the most talented players and prestigious organizations in the country. Highlights included the UBC West, the WWBA 18U West Coast Cup, and the 18U PG World Series West, each event offering a unique stage for rising stars to shine. The West Coast Cup, in particular, was a remarkable late addition to the schedule, spawned from the unexpected arrival of Hurricane Milton, which swept across Florida and led to five elite organizations relocating to the West Coast for competition. The caliber of play was exceptional, with players demonstrating the skills and poise that suggest a select few will hear their names called in the 2025 MLB Amateur Draft this July. These events underscored Perfect Game’s dedication to fostering high-level competition and providing a platform for the next generation of baseball greats.

UBC West

With an embarrassment of riches tournament wide on the player side with names like Vanderbilt commit Seth Hernandez (‘25, CA) of BPA/Corona HS, LSU commit River Hamilton (‘25, OR) of Baum Bat Northwest/Sam Barlow HS in Oregon, and Oregon St. commit Xavier Neyens (‘25, WA) of Trosky/Brewers Scout/Mount Vernon HS in Washington, it was bound to be a great kickoff to the summer events on the west coast. Taking the crown on the 17U side was Baum Bat Northwest with an overall 5-0 record and a convincing 10-1 victory in the final. It was a clean sweep for Baum Bat NW taking home all the hardware and tournament honors. LSU commit Jonah Aase, the #1 ranked LHP in the state of Washington, brought home Most Valuable Player honors, while RHP River Hamilton (OR) and Nevada commit RHP Greyson Osbun (HI) shared Most Valuable Pitcher honors. On the 16U side, Stacked National raised the trophy with a 5-0 record. Georgia Tech commit outfielder Ezekiel Lara (‘26, CA) from Stacked/Mater Dei HS carried home Most Valuable Player Honors with a gaudy weekend slashing 583/667/1.750. USC commit, RHP Rallin Covey (‘26, CA) NorCal U/Sacred Heart Prep earned the Most Valuable Pitcher award striking out ten over six innings of work.

West Coast Cup Takes Shape Quickly

The WWBA 18U West Coast Cup was spawned out of the unexpected arrival of Hurricane Milton, which swept across the state of Florida and changed the travel plans of five elite organizations from the western part of the United States who were all set to participate in the 18U PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, FL. The beautiful Orange County Great Park facility played host to Baum Bat Scout, GBG National, Hawaii Elite 2G, TB SoCal Scout, and Trosky/Brewers Scout who were all participants in the tournament.  The TB SoCal Scout team took home the inaugural title posting a 6-0 record and a 12-5 victory in the final. Some stand out position players included Arizona commit Caleb Danzeisen (‘25, AZ) from GBG National/Valley Christian HS who earned top hitter slashing 667/1.417/750. Stanford commit Teddy Tokheim (‘25, WA) Trosky/Brewers Scout/Lakeside HS 417/1.083/500. Michigan commit Bruin Agbayani (‘25, HI) Baum Bat Scout NW/St. Louis HS slashed 417/979/563. UCLA commit Dominic Cadiz (‘25, CA) GBG National/Notre Dame HS hit 417/962/462 and garnered attention from the MLB scouting community. We saw some outstanding pitching performances come from a familiar name and LSU recruit Jonah Aase (‘25, WA) from Baum Bat Scout who tossed four innings and struck out nine. UCI commit Caden Castles (‘25, CA) Trosky/Brewers Scout/Davis HS with 4IP,  six strikeouts, and another UCLA commit Elai Iwanaga (‘25, HI) Hawaii Elite 2G/Kamehameha HS, the #1 ranked RHP in the State of Hawaii. 3IP, allowing one hit and striking out six.

Best of the West 18u World Series

Hometown favorite Marucci Athletics Orange captured the coveted 18U World Series title off the bat of tournament Most Valuable Player Clayton Brassfield (‘25, AZ) an uncommitted catching recruit out of Perry HS who in eighteen (18) plate appearances collected six hits and slashed 429/1.056/556 over the weekend. Bringing home the hardware for Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament was Andrew Jacobs (‘25, AZ) AZBC/Mountain Ridge HS and a University of Arizona commit. Jacobs posted five efficient innings of work allowing one hit, nine strikeouts with a 0.60 WHIP showing that he is more than capable. Other notable performances include uncommitted catcher Trevor Lain (‘25, CA) SoCal Dukes who slashed an eye popping .778/1.722/.833 in twelve plate appearances, Tegan Jenkins (‘25, UT) MBA Navy who slashed 667/1.817/733 in fifteen plate appearances collecting seven RBI and RHP Josiah Kaya-Medeiros (‘27, HI) Pono Baseball/Kamehameha HS, who racked up twelve strikeouts over seven innings with a 1.00 WHIP, showing he’s got the goods to compete above his age group. 

-Steve Doherty
 
Looking back at the past year, two of the three most memorable are no brainers for me.  PG National is always memorable as it’s a gathering of some 300 of the top prospects in the country, and the crop of prospects at Chase Field this past year did not disappoint.  What really made this years National even more for memorable for me was the depth of California talent that was represented.  Yes, I’m biased towards the California guys, particularly the So Cal guys as many of the California players are the guys I’ll be bearing down on throughout the high school season.  There was more than 50 California players at the event in 2024, with great depth in both position players and pitchers.  

The second event provides pretty much the perfect end to a grinding summer and a return to Chase Field for the Perfect Game All American Classic.  The depth of the California class was well represented in the Classic with 18 players calling California home being  named to the All American game.  The West took the loss in the game, but getting looks at some of the top players in the country never disappoints.  There’s always an excellent group of high octane arms, and the 2024 group did not disappoint.  The entire weekend is pretty much perfect, and continues to get better with the underclass All Star game providing early looks at some of the top players in the 2026 and 2027 classes being an excellent addition (that started in 2023). I’m not a huge Home Run Derby guy, but when a So Cal kid takes home the title, and does it left handed when he hasn’t been switch hitting long, it was certainly memorable seeing Josiah Hartshorn accomplish that feat.  
 
-Steve Fiorindo
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