Barrington Broncos (Barrington, Ill.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank)
- Brooks Gosswein (LHP, 2017, Top 500)
- Ryan Loutos (RHP, 2017, Follow)
- Tyler Acosta (OF, 2018, Top 500)
- Will Yorton (LHP/OF, 2018, N/A)
- Clark Elliot (SS, 2019, N/A)
Hitting
Illinois commit and junior centerfielder Tyler Acosta leads a talented Broncos offense into this weekend’s Classic. Acosta shows top-line speed with sound contact ability and a very projectable frame. Will Yorton will provide some pop in the middle of the lineup and Clark Elliot is only a sophomore but will play a big role in the offense.
Pitching
With two potential 90+ mph arms, the Broncos have two talented seniors near the top of the pitching rotation. Ryan Loutos is a tall, projectable righthander who has been up to 90 mph in the past and Brooks Gosswein will also run his fastball up in the upper-80s and touch 90 mph. Will Yorton will also provide some depth in the pitching rotation and there are a number of two-way talents on their roster.
Synopsis
The Broncos come into this event with a very solid team on paper as they come down from Illinois to kick off their season. After starting their season around a week ago, the Broncos have started off hot and will look to bring that momentum into the Classic. Their talented arms and athletic position players create favorable matchups across the board.
Covington Chargers (Covington, Tenn.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank)
- Ethan Whitley (SS, 2017, Top 1000)
- Tyler Higgins (RHP, 2017, N/A)
- Brennan McClain (OF, 2018, N/A)
- Christian Delashmit (RHP, 2019, 399)
- Austin Baskin (SS, 2019, 446)
- Ty Warmath (RHP, 2019, Top 1000)
Hitting
Entering the tournament with three Division I commits, it’s senior shortstop Ethan Whitley, a University of Tennessee-Martin commit, who will be leading the offense. Senior first baseman Tyler Higgins will provide some power in the middle of the lineup with talented shortstop and Memphis commit Austin Baskin rounding out the top and middle of the order.
Pitching
Sophomore righthander, and fellow Memphis commit, Ty Warmath will make the start in the first game of the series and will expect to set the tone early on for the Chargers. Underclassmen will remain the theme for the majority of their staff as junior Brennan McClain and sophomore Christian Delashmit will also see time on the mound and have an impact on the game.
Synopsis
The lone representative from the state of Tennessee, the Chargers have an impressive roster with quality depth up the middle. There are only four seniors on the roster but they have a dearth of underclassmen who will be relied upon to take large responsibilities throughout the event and the caliber of play and maturity they exhibit will dictate how far they make it.
Florence Falcons (Florence, Ala.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank)
- Travis Simpson (SS, 2017, N/A)
- Cole Henry (RHP, 2018, 38)
- Evan Taylor (LHP, 2018, Top 500)
- Braxton Knight (IF, 2018, N/A)
- Landon Langston (C/OF, 2018, N/A)
Hitting
University of North Alabama commit Travis Simpson leads the offense up the middle with a duo of juniors contributing in Landon Langston and Braxton Knight. Langston and Night are already hitting above .390 on the young season and Simpson will provide the senior leadership and look to set a strong offensive tone early on.
Pitching
After losing Braxton Garrett to the first round of the MLB Draft, talented junior, and no. 38 ranked prospect for the 2018 class, Cole Henry will miss the event as he is nursing an injury. Junior southpaw Evan Taylor is already 3-1 to start the year with a 3.12 ERA and will look to pick up the slack. Senior righthander John Paul Dobbs will also see time on the mound with a very projectable 6-foot-3 frame.
Synopsis
The loss of Henry for the event will be tough to overcome for the Falcons, but they are a team who is used to success and will look to compete in other ways. The pitching staff will likely dictate the success of the team and if they can provide quality innings throughout the weekend they have a good chance to win a lot of games.
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank)
- Omar Vigil (OF, 2017, High Follow)
- Nander De Sedas (SS, 2018, 19)
- Alejandro Rodriguez (C, 2018, 239)
- Diego Millan (C, 2018, Top 1000)
- Saul Gonzalez (RHP, 2018, 358)
- Trevor Candelaria (OF/RHP, 2018, Top 1000)
Hitting
Star shortstop Nander De Sedas leads a very talented Montverde squad at the plate and in the field. The Florida State commit is a very advanced defender with sound hitting tools from both sides including potential plus raw power. Alejandro Rodriguez and Diego Millan are two talented catchers who provide middle-of-the order type potential at the plate.
Pitching
Saul Gonzalez has impressed at PG events in the past and should be a big role in the pitching staff of Montverde. He has been up to 90 mph in the past and has a strong frame for a power pitcher. Ernesto Hidrogo will also receive time on the mound and Montverde will be counting on performance from secondary arms and unproven arms to hold the opposition at bay.
Synopsis
Juniors are in the spotlight for Montverde as a talented collection of position players will look to lead the offense. Trevor Candelaria will see time both at the dish and on the mound and senior outfielder Omar Vigil puts the finishing touches on a team that, on paper at least, will garner high expectations.
Northview Cougars (Dothan, Ala.)
Hitting
Another team that enters this weekend as a relative unknown quantity to Perfect Game, the Cougars travel from Dothan, Alabama. A couple of senior outfielders should have important roles on the team as Alex Ashworth ad Tye Whatley will likely be important additions to the lineup.
Pitching
A trio of senior arms will lead the Cougars into this weekend as Nick Mcanulty, Dylan McKnight, and Tanner Ross. The pitchers will need to limit opposing offenses, induce weak contact, and limit scoring opportunities in order to help the team jump out ahead.
Synopsis
It will be fun to watch the Cougars come to PG Park and they will be up against a tough schedule. The Cougars have the advantage of having played a lot of their high school schedule but will need to be on top of their game in order to succeed at the Classic.
Rock Bridge Bruins (Columbia, Mo.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank)
- Nick Wohlbold (3B/RHP, 2017, Top 1000)
- JP Schneider (C, 2019, N/A)
- Jordan Smith (SS, 2017, N/A)
- Jack Widhalm (RHP, 2017, N/A)
Hitting
Senior two-way player Nick Wohlbold leads the offense coming into this weekend and fellow senior Jordan Smith will partner in the infield with Wohlbold. Jack Widhalm will man first base and see time on the mound but will provide strength to the middle of the lineup. Wohlbold is one of the better hitters on the squad and his bat will be important to the Bruins’ overall success.
Pitching
Wildham is one of the better pitchers on the team as well and will look to set the tone against the competition early on in the tournament. Younger players will dominate the pitching staff and that includes 2021 graduate Grant Taylor who has been up to 84 mph in the past.
Synopsis
Led by University of Tennessee-Martin commit Wohlbold, the Bruins are another team that will rely heavily on underclass talent. They only have three listed seniors on their roster so it will be up to the younger guys to compete and shoulder the responsibility heading into this weekend.
Southern Boone County Eagles (Ashland, Mo.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank)
- Garret Goodnight (C, 2017, N/A)
- Clay Jeffrey (OF, 2017, N/A)
- Sam Salmons (2B/RHP, 2017, N/A)
- Ryan Sapp (1B/RHP, 2017, N/A)
- Colin Vaughan (1B, 2017, N/A)
- Daniel Smith (SS/RHP, 2018, N/A)
Hitting
The offense comes in as the strength for the Southern Boone County Eagles. They have depth at first base in Colin Vaughan and Ryan Sapp with quality players littered up the middle. The majority of the offense and position players are experienced seniors so look for the primary position players to set the tone early.
Pitching
Junior Daniel Smith will lead the pitching staff with a lot of quality secondary arms backing him up. Sapp, Clay Jeffrey, and Sam Salmons will all see time on the mound and the pitching staff will be a good indicator of the success the Eagles will have.
Synopsis
The Missouri natives enter the Classic with an unknown quality of talent with this being the first event that a majority of the players are participating in. It will be interesting and intriguing to see how they come out and compete and how well they will play heading into the weekend.
Thompson Warriors (Alabaster, Ala.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank)
- J.D. Kytle (LHP, 2017, N/A)
- Chris Lewis (1B, 2017, N/A)
- Bryson Miller (SS/CF, 2017, N/A)
- Drew Williams (RHP, 2017, N/A)
- Myles Brown (OF, 2018, N/A)
- James Parker (RHP, 2018, Top 1000)
- Caleb Ragland (SS, 2019, High Follow)
- Breydon Edmondson (C, 2019, N/A)
Hitting
The best spot to begin with the Warriors’ offense is with three-year starter Chris Lewis. He already has six extra base hits on the season and he will be joined by fellow senior and versatile defender Bryson Miller. Talented sophomores Breydon Edmondson and Caleb Ragland enter the event each hitting well above the .350 mark with Edmondson already collecting seven extra base hits on the year. Myles Brown is arguably the top hitter on the team and is hitting a clean .400 to start off the year.
Pitching
Second Team All-State righthander J.C. Parker leads the pitching staff after finishing last season with a 9-1 record and a miniscule 0.71 ERA. Seniors Drew Williamson and J.D. Kytle will also be very important pieces for a pitching staff that has been extremely impressive throughout the season thus far.
Synopsis
Both the offense and pitching staff have been clicking throughout the season and will look to build on that heading into this weekend. The Classic features a lineup of some top teams and the Warriors will need to perform to the best of their abilities if they want to make it deep into the playoffs on Saturday.
Walker Vikings (Jasper, Ala.)
Top Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank)
- Taylor Whitley (C, 2017, Top 1000)
- Chase Cross (RHP/OF, 2018, N/A)
- Dalton Turnbow (1B, 2018, N/A)
- Zac Durham (OF, 2019, N/A)
- Slade Harbin (2B, 2019, N/A)
- Kaden Shelton (3B, 2020, N/A)
Hitting
The senior presence of Taylor Whitley will be a stabilizing force in the middle of the lineup for the Vikings and, keeping with the theme, a lot of underclassmen will be playing important roles. Both Zac Durham and Slade Harbin are talented sophomores who have been starters for multiple years in the Viking lineup and junior Dalton Turnbow will be an important presence in the middle of the lineup.
Pitching
Chase Cross is the name to watch on the mound this weekend, he is a knowledgeable pitcher with a very projectable frame to add velocity upon physical maturity. Senior righthander Luke Ferrell will get the ball in game one of the event and he will be able to get some early momentum going for the Vikings.
Synopsis
With a very deep lineup, two names stand out as freshmen who could be poised to make a big impact in third baseman Kaden Shelton and lefthander Seth Davidson. Look for Whitley at the plate as well, he is arguably the most important hitter in the lineup with a chance to takeover a game given the opportunity at the plate.