THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
All American Game  | Story | 9/8/2025

Big-league wisdom is served at PGAAC

Jim Salisbury
Photo: Mike Sweeney (Perfect Game)
Big-league wisdom is served at PGAAC

SAN DIEGO – For Denard Span, it was a full-circle moment.

Before serving as a coach at the DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic last month, he had not participated in a PG event in 24 years, since he attended a showcase at Tropicana Field as a high school prospect from Tampa Catholic in 2001.



Back then, Span shared a field with future major-league talents Prince Fielder, B.J. Upton, Scott Kazmir and Zack Greinke.

Now, he was at Petco Park working with young phenoms such as Grady Emerson, Jacob Lombard, Malachi Washington and Aiden Ruiz.

“I’m amazed at what PG is doing here, amazed at how the whole operation has grown,” Span said after watching batting practice. “The talent here is incredible. These kids have it all. I’ve been away from the amateur game for a little bit so to come back and see the size of these young guys, the speed, the arm strength, the explosiveness, the athleticism, the ability to hit for power.

“They’re way more advanced than me 20-plus years ago. They’re on another level. These guys are low-key professionals already at 17 and 18 years old.”

Perfect Game brought its top 62 rated players, all 2026 draft eligibles, to San Diego for its 23rd annual Classic.

The guest list also included an All-Star roster of coaches, instructors and ambassadors, guys who had enjoyed successful major-league careers and were eager to help a new generation of talent follow its dreams. Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman managed the West club. Former World Series champ Ryan Klesko managed the East club. The West squad won the game, but competition was only part of the event. https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=23834&src=hmrep

Hitters benefitted from coaching tips provided by former American League MVP Mo Vaughn and All-Stars Mike Sweeney, Phil Nevin and Mark Loretta, as well as Jason Phillips and Span, a 2002 first-round draft pick who played 11 seasons in the majors. Pitchers were able to tap into the experiences of former All-Star Tom Gordon, 20-game winner Scott Erickson and longtime big-league reliever Todd Coffey.

Sweeney and Nevin were both in uniform for the first time at a PG event. Sweeney works in leadership development for the Kansas City Royals. Nevin works in player development and scouting for the Chicago White Sox. Both were impressed by the talent at the PGAAC.

“You see kids coming into minor-league baseball out of high school at such a young age and yet they’re so developed,” Sweeney said. “You think, ‘Man, how are these kids getting so big and so strong and so athletic so quickly?’ With PG, you get a taste of it right here. These kids are just starting their senior years in high school and they’re hitting the ball like big-leaguers. It’s incredible. The bodies, the skill sets, the bat to ball. PG is putting on a show.”

During batting practice, Sweeney enjoyed talking hitting with infielder Trey Ebel of Rancho Cucamonga, California.

“We talked about some of the life lessons I learned in the cage after games in Wilmington, Delaware, trying to figure it out till 1 in the morning,” Sweeney said. “Back then I was thinking, ‘Am I ever going to get out of A ball?’ Then you figure something out with your swing and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is a little golden nugget that no one ever told me.’ I got to share those golden nuggets with Trey and he’s taking it to the cage to see if it works for him. It’s great to share little nuggets with these guys.”

Nevin was the first overall pick in the 1992 draft out of Cal State Fullerton. He struggled to reach his potential early in his career before becoming one of the game’s top run producers with the San Diego Padres in the early 2000s. Later on, Nevin coached in the majors with the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels. He also managed the Angels. Clearly, he had a wealth of experience to share with the young players.

“Listen,” Nevin said when asked what advice he was most eager to share with players. “Use all the resources around you. It took me a while to realize that people were always there to try to help me. Thankfully, I got another chance to apply those teachings and learnings throughout my career and was able to put together some good years at the end, but it certainly didn’t start off right away like that for me. I wouldn’t want to see these kids not take advantage of the situation and be at their best when they should be.”

Nevin also addressed work habits with players.

“Make sure every rep you take, every swing you take, every throw you make is done with meaning and the purpose of getting better every day,” he said.

And on top of everything …

“Keep it fun,” he said.

That wasn’t a problem for the 62 young men in San Diego. Hoffman, who has a long affiliation with PG, both as an investor and Honorary Chairman of the Classic, renewed a tradition he started years ago when he invited all the players to his beach house for a couple of hours of fun in the sun. Players swam, surfed, tossed footballs and enjoyed a catered lunch from Hodad’s, the famous San Diego burger spot.

“Kids are coming from all over the country for this event, which is great,” Hoffman said. “They all bring a different experience to San Diego. And, so, it’s an opportunity for them to see something that I truly cherish and that’s living close to the water. To be able to give them that opportunity on a mid-summer August day to take their minds off the stresses that surrounds this game, even at their level -- I like to be able to do that.”

The memories stay with the young players forever. Years after participating in the 2015 PGAAC, major leaguer Josh Naylor approached Hoffman at Petco Park and said, “Hey, Mr. Hoffman, I had a blast at your house.”

Back at the ballpark, players ate up advice like they ate up those burgers at Trevor Hoffman’s beach house.

“Stay disciplined, be consistent and have the heart and the grit and the ability to persevere,” Span said. “It’s a difficult game. It can tear you down at times. But if you stay disciplined to the work and stay disciplined to your craft and keep your nose clean, I believe you will put yourself in a position to be successful.”
Give us your feedback
All American Game | Story | 9/15/2025

PG Athletes Raise Money For Charity
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME ATHLETES RAISE MORE THAN $130,000   FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITIES THROUGHOUT AUGUST    Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 15, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its athletes raised a combined $130,195 for children’s charities during its August 2025 showcase events throughout the country.    The fundraising efforts took place at Perfect Game’s Select Festivals and the DICK’S All-American Classic, with each age group rallying behind a cause that supports children in need. The 11U and 12U Select Fests each benefited Elite Development Academy out...
Read More
College | Rankings | 3/11/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 11

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
Allendale Doesn't Rhyme With Knoxville or Danville. The Baseball Does. Meet the Three Coaches Turning Small College Programs Into National Contenders. There's something happening in small college baseball right now that doesn't get nearly enough attention. Three programs — separated by hundreds of miles and spread across three different governing bodies — are in the middle of the kind of rebuilds that make you wonder why anyone ever counted them out in the first place. One is in a Michigan lakeside college town. Two are in places that end in 'ville. All three have coaches who looked at a program and saw something nobody else did. The Perfect Game small school rankings noticed. You should too. See where Grand Valley State, Johnson U, Centre and the rest of the schools are positioned in the latest Perfect Game Top 25 Small School Rankings. NCAA DII For a generation of DII...
Read More
College | Story | 3/10/2026

College Players of the Week: March 10

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
March 10 Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Lorenzo Carrier, OF, Pitt  The Pitt Panthers (12-2) are off to one of the best starts in recent program history and their offense has performed as one of the best in the country.  For the season, they are averaging almost 12-runs per game and on their recent trip to the West Coast, Lorenzo Carrier went on the kind of hot streak that is hard to comprehend.  The 6-5/215 senior from Bear, DE was a one-man wrecking crew in their 4-wins last week, starting with the fact that he reached base safely in 17 of his 19 trips to the plate.  He collected 13 hits in 14 official at-bats, scoring 10 runs, with 4 walks, 2 triples, 4 home runs and he drove in an insane 19-runs.  Carrier has refined his approach, simplified his bat path and is creating massive power that has him putting up career numbers.  For the season, he is...
Read More
College | Rankings | 3/9/2026

College Top 25: March 9

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Collegiate Player Report Database While there will not be any new faces in this weeks Top 25, there is quite a bit of shakeup as the season, somehow, becomes even more unpredictable.  There were several teams in the poll that dropped weekend series and, in some cases, registered losing records in the last seven days.  There is sure to be more chaos this week as virtually every conference starts league play and the race for regular season titles begins.  The UCLA Bruins (13-2) remain No. 1 as their sizzling hot bats led the way to a perfect (4-0) week and they swept their first Big Ten series of the year.  As one of only two remaining undefeated teams in the nation, the Texas Longhorns (15-0) jump to No. 2 before they open SEC play this weekend in Austin.  No. 3 Georgia Tech and No. 4 Mississippi State both (14-2) hold their spots in the poll after both dropped a...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 3/7/2026

Debut: Contreras YouTube Feature

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME DEBUTS NEW YOUTUBE FEATURE FOLLOWING JOSEPH CONTRERAS ON HISTORIC DAY BEFORE WBC   Behind-the-scenes access captures the youngest player in the World Baseball Classic preparing for the global stage   Sanford, Florida (Friday, March 6, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the debut of a new original YouTube feature spotlighting right-handed pitcher Joseph Contreras, as PG cameras followed him throughout the day of his final high school start before departing to join Team Brazil in the World Baseball Classic.   The feature provides exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to one...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 3/4/2026

Perfect Game Softball March Madness

Ashley Mears
Article Image
2026 Perfect Game March Madness February 27-March 1st Ashley Mears What a weekend at the Fun City Dome in Burlington, Iowa! The energy was electric from first pitch to final out towering home runs, edge-of-your-seat battles, dramatic comebacks, and extra-inning thrillers with some unpredictable endings, it was a great weekend all around. The Top Performers list welcomed some exciting new names, while seasoned seniors continued to cement their legacies, delivering standout performances week after week. For some, this may have been their final appearance on a Perfect Game stage, and they made sure it was unforgettable. In the 18u division a tough Nebraska Gold 319 Berning team outlasted the Southeast Iowa All Stars in the championship. In 16u the Top Gun 2028- Strange completed their weekend by beating the Iowa Aries 16U CE Fire Black. 18U The weekend’s Most Valuable Player award...
Read More
High School | General | 3/5/2026

High School Notebook: March 5

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Full BP & pregame I/O from ‘26 SS Keon Johnson. Whippy hands and lifted to the middle of the field throughout the rounds, athletic mover on the dirt & enough arm strength to stick on the left side. #4 in @PG_Georgia & #50 on the @PG_Draft Board. #PGHS @FPDVikingSports https://t.co/vYvReQKTVh pic.twitter.com/BksHJtA09X — Cam McElwaney (@CamMcElwaneyPG) February 20, 2026 Keon Johnson, SS, First Presbyterian Day Johnson has long been near the top of the 2026 rankings and it all culminated in being a PG All-American last August. He heads into the spring as one of the names to know in the upcoming MLB Draft and is drawing crowds to his high school in Macon. It’s a well-built 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame with good actions up the middle. The defensive acumen has continued to improve over the last few years and now looks comfortable at shortstop and even projects there...
Read More
College | Rankings | 3/4/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 4

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
The 2026 college baseball season is starting to reveal its early storylines, and across the Division II and Division III landscape a few programs have already forced their way into the spotlight. From the blistering start by the Pittsburg State Gorillas baseball that rocketed them to the top of the rankings, to the steadily rising championship ambitions of the Taylor Trojans baseball, the national picture is beginning to take shape. In Division III, heavyweight programs like the Trinity Tigers baseball and the Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks baseball have already traded blows in one of the season’s first statement series, while emerging challengers such as the Keene State Owls baseball are looking to turn early momentum into a breakout year. With many teams still just getting their seasons underway, the rankings remain fluid, but the early results are already giving us clues...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 3/4/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 4

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
Another week down as we get into conference play in parts of the nation. This week is led by Chipola at No. 1 with an impressive 24-1 record. Walters State drops to No. 2 at 16-3 and Florida SouthWestern State College (17-5) follows closely behind. Powerhouse programs  McLennan Community College (11-2) and Johnson County Community College (18-2) round out the top five, while one-loss teams Fresno City, Ohlone, and Cloud County are quickly climbing into the national conversation. With traditional Texas powers, West Coast contenders, and deep Florida Juco rosters all in the mix, the race for Grand Junction is already taking shape.   Rk. Team Record 1 Chipola (FL) 24-1 2 Walters State (TN) 16-3 3 Florida Southwestern (FL) 17-5 4 McLennan (TX) 11-2 5 Johnson County (KS) 18-2 6 Gaston (NC) 20-2 7 Blinn (TX) 12-6 8 Florence-Darlington (SC) 18-5 9 Northwest Florida (FL) 16-8 10...
Read More
High School | Rankings | 3/3/2026

High School Top 50 Update: March 3

Tyler Russo
Article Image
As we get rolling deeper into the spring here in the southern states, other states are only a few weeks away from their seasons beginning and some are even starting the day this will be posted. We’ve concluded the first major event on the high school schedule, the PG High School Showdown, and it was an epic weekend in Hoover. The event was littered with talent and these rankings reflect just that. St. John Bosco (CA) holds onto the first spot in this update and are being pushed by an IMG Academy (FL) team that’s 8-0 after winning the High School Showdown as well as beating two preseason top-10 teams in the first few weeks of the season. Orange Lutheran (CA) holds onto the No. 3 spot after a 1-0 start to the year and just a few weeks away from NHSI. A trio of Florida schools follow Olu in South Walton (FL), fresh off a win at the HS Showdown, Venice (FL), a surging team...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 3/3/2026

PG & RaceTrac Expand Partnership

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME AND RACETRAC ANNOUNCE EXPANDED PARTNERSHIP   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, March 3, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced an expanded partnership with RaceTrac, naming the convenience store brand the Official Convenience Store of Perfect Game in Georgia and Florida. The enhanced relationship significantly broadens RaceTrac’s presence across Perfect Game’s premier tournament venues and digital platforms, deepening its engagement with players, families, coaches and fans throughout two of the most active youth baseball markets in the country.   As part of the expanded agreement, RaceTrac will launch a robust...
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.