THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,031 MLB PLAYERS | 14,466 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,031 MLB PLAYERS | 14,466 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Championship | 10/13/2020

WWBA Freshman belongs to Canes FL 2024

Jerry Miller
Photo: Canes FL 2024 (Perfect Game)
Before the championship contest of the 2020 WWBA Freshman World Series began on Monday afternoon at the 5-Plex in Ft. Myers, every parent, fan, scout, umpire, and PG event staff member knew that The Canes were going to walk away with the championship trophy from the annual crown jewel of PG tournaments. The aforementioned is truly easy to explain. Playing on Field 2 in front of a very energetic crowd of supporters were two undefeated teams - the designated visiting team, the Canes National club, based in Fredericksburg, VA, and the designated home club the Canes FL 2024 out of Boca Raton. After falling behind early by a score of 2-1, the Canes FL 2024 club mounted a furious, almost unrelenting rally in the 5th and 6th innings when they plated four and two runs respectively, to take a seemingly comfortable, 7-2 lead. The winning Canes FL team had some anxious moments in the top of the 7th when they had to hold off a hard charging Canes National nine. The Virginia club scored one and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs. A ground out to shortstop, however, set off a jubilant celebration in the Canes FL dugout. The comeback was not to be, as Canes FL 2024 held on to defeat Canes National 7-3.

The championship game, after the long grind of five brutal and exhausting days of competition, pitted two outstanding clubs against each other. Both had manipulated their way through the gauntlet of pool play and two grueling days of playoff baseball. Both Canes teams had to win two tense playoff games on Sunday and two more anxiety filled games on Monday to even earn the right to play in the final contest.



The gritty, physically talented Canes FL 2024 club is a regionally based south Florida group. According to their skipper, Sam Luppino, “all of our kids know each other and are true friends. They live within two hours of each other. To say we are a TRUE team would be an understatement”. The first thing any baseball fan would take note of regarding the Canes FL bunch is their baseball savvy. These young players approach their craft with a veteran player’s purpose. They understand the game. They pay attention to detail. They make the routine plays without duress and the tough plays with a calmness usually reserved for players much their senior.

Case in point, Rivers Kurland (2025, Tampa, FL) is in the 8th grade. He was playing above his usual age group. All the young southpaw did was limit one of the top hitting clubs in the entire tournament, to three runs on eight hits. Holding down the vaunted Canes National offense would have been tough for a high school senior with experience. Rivers is in the 8th grade. He is still in junior high, and he pitched like a veteran hurler with years of experience against one of the best collections of offensive talent in the WWBA. He threw a gutsy 6 2/3 innings and was only pulled after he had reached the PG mandated daily pitch count limit. From his body language, the competitive lefty didn’t want to leave the hill. Luppino said, “What can I say about Rivers? His performance was GINORMOUS”. “We don’t win without his effort. We had one pitcher after Rivers and he had 20 pitches left. If Rivers doesn’t do what he did, we probably are in bad shape.”

This tight knit south Florida group gets obviously outstanding support from their family and friends. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the individual and team disposition starts at home and is further built by Sam Luppino and his staff. The Canes FL 2024 is a team that hit the ground running on Thursday and never looked back. Their enthusiasm and energy was palpable. Although each individual would undoubtedly speak highly of the entire club, there were some individual performances that must be noted.

The Canes FL lead-off hitter is a long time veteran with the organization. Rylan Lujo (Coconut Creek, FL) had a monster tournament that was emphatically highlighted by his performance in the championship game. The 6-foot-1, 170 pound high school freshman went 2-for-4 on the day. He scored a run and drove in another. His outstanding day was completed when he stepped in to calmly close the ball game out on the mound. The long and lean righty threw six pitches and walked off the bump with possibly his biggest career save to date.

Another big contributor for Canes FL is a relative newcomer to the organization. Their three-hole hitter, Mateo Gray (2024, Weston, FL) was a force at the plate, on the infield and the mound. Although Mateo just joined the club this year, he fit right in with the culture that the Canes have created. He is a solid infielder and has the quick feet and the strong arm that is needed to play the hot corner. He threw nine, much needed quality innings on the mound during the tournament when depth of a pitching staff is tested continually. His bat plays and plays big. Hitting in the third spot in any line-up, at any level, is a prime spot for managers to place, usually, one of their more reliable hitters. Mateo filled that bill all weekend.

The Most Valuable pitcher award in the WWBA Freshman World Series went to Evangelical Christian HS freshman, Maddix Simpson (2024, Lehigh Acres, FL). All the 6-foot-1, 175 pound right-hander did was appear in four games on the hill and dominate each time he was out there. He closed out the Canes 4-2 quarterfinal win over 5 Star 15U White. He worked an inning and a third, allowing only one hit, while striking out two. Already heated from closing the quarterfinal game, Maddix started the semi-finals against a very talented USA Prime club and went four gritty innings, giving up only one run on four hits. He struck out five and only walked one. As if his mound performances weren’t enough, Simpson also played second base and centerfield almost flawlessly. When asked about the many noticeable attributes that Maddix brings to field, Canes skipper, Sam Luppino, said,” I don’t have enough words. Maddix was simply outstanding all weekend.”

The tournament's Most Valuable Player was Canes catcher extraordinaire, Niko Benestad (2024, Coconut Creek, FL). The sturdy backstop, who is a freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS was, without question the offensive star of the tournament. To list all the hits, extra base hits, and RBI's the obviously gifted Benestad had during his run to the MVP trophy would fill a book. He can flat out hit the ball. He has a great feel for the barrel and when he triggers his swing he does so with force. He makes consistently loud contact. Niko’s coach, Sam Luppino said that Niko “is a great young man who is emblematic of who we are as an organization” and that he was “clutch” all weekend.

When the dust finally settled on the many fields that hosted the 2020 WWBA Freshman World Series in Fort Myers, the well-coached, fundamentally sound, and highly enthusiastic Canes FL 2024 club walked away with the big silver cup, emblematic of their well-earned championship. Kudos to all the teams who participated in this year’s event. Congratulations to all the clubs who battled through pool play and made the playoffs, a feat that is reserved for only the very best teams in the country. A big tip of the cap to this year’s runner-up team, Canes National. A hearty congratulations to the 2020 WWBA Freshman World Series Champions, The Canes FL 2024. You played the toughest and beat the best!

Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 9/27/2023

Midwest Invitational Scout Notes
Tyler Kotila
Article Image
Creighton Tuzzio (2024, Clarinda, Iowa) took the ball in the semi-final game and was able to get on the bump and carve for his team. Tuzzio is a taller 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame with plenty to like in the operation. The right-handed pitcher has a slower and more controlled operation as he works through the delivery. He lifts the leg up around the belt and then works through a three-quarters release with good whip through it. The fastball worked up to 86 mph on the fastball and held in the low- to mid-80s. He creates some angle on it with the taller & projectable frame. It runs arm-side and can be a problem for right-handed hitters. He also showed a low-70s curveball with a bigger 11/5 tilt to it and good depth to miss some bats. The Iowa Western commit threw 5.0 innings, allowing just 1 run, with 4 walks and 6 strikeouts to his credit.   There’s no surprise here, but...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2023

WWBA World Championship Pool Preview

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Pool A Team Top Pos. Player RK Class Top Pitcher RK Class Location Boston Red Sox Scout Connor Lane 500 2024 Tague Davis 59 2024 Boston, MA Cangelosi Sparks Tyler Bell  122 2024 Brady Chambers 500 2024 Lockport, IL Dirtbags National 2024 Dalton Wentz 74 2024 Riley Leatherman 251 2024 Sedalia, NC Florida Burn Colton Schwarz 214 2025 Presley Woodson 500 2025 Sarasota, FL Projected Pool Winner: Dirtbags National 2024 With one of the deepest and most physical lineups in the nation, the Dirtbags National 2024 club have been putting up runs in bunches. No hitter is hotter than Austin Irby, as the ECU commit is While sluggers Dalton Wentz, Will Craddock and Palmer Hornick won’t be in attendance, Lee Sowers, Will Brooks, Jon Young Jr. and spark plug Carter Richardson lead an offense that averages over 7 runs per game. They can cover ground on...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2023

Coastal Soph. Fall Invite Scout Notes

Todd Coffey
Article Image
Michael Flores (2026, NC) looking great through 4 innings pitched with 11 k’s. Great command and completely missing barrels. #2023WWBACoastalSophmoreFallInvatational pic.twitter.com/Oqd3WD0E05 — PG Coastal Scouting (@PG_Coastal) September 24, 2023 Michael Flores (2026, Mooresville, NC) put on an electric performance to watch for the SBA Futures 2026 in their matchup versus the Carolina Reds. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound, RHP did his job for his team today to keep them in the game. Flores throws with a high leg lift and creates some good motions towards the plate with his whippy action. Flores has a great feel for the zone and pounded strikes at a 66% rate. Flores generated swing and miss after swing and miss and it was clear he was in control out there on the mound. He sat in the 70-mph range to 79-mph range with his fastball with the ability to pinpoint it wherever he pleased....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2023

Fall Frenzy Scout Notes

Jason Phillips
Article Image
James Sherry (’26, Aiken, S.C.)- the 6-foot-1, 155-pound right-handed pitcher tossed a complete game for Xtreme Xposure Baseball-Bennett in an 8-1 win over 2 Way Athletics 16U. A primary outfielder, Sherry finished with 15 strikeouts and just one walk while controlling the zone at a 65% strike rate. Appearing in only his second PG tournament, Sherry turned in another great pitching performance after being selected to the All-Tournament Team at the 2023 16U PG Southeast Labor Day Classic. Aidan Petrocco (‘24 GA)- singles here into LF to load the bases for @643DPAthletics Primary MIF 2-for-4 w/ run scored on the day. #FallFrenzy @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/Ly7zEuRwyg — Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) September 24, 2023 Aidan Petrocco (’24, Johns Creek, Ga.)- the 5-foot-9, 160-pound right-handed hitter for 643 DP Cougars 18U led the 18U Southeast Fall Frenzy...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/27/2023

Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Day 3-5

Kyler Peterson
Article Image
A high speed look at this 2B from Keon Johnson... #WWBAWorlds @PG_Georgia https://t.co/Ejl8GirIgk pic.twitter.com/ate7ro35cp — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) September 24, 2023 Keon Johnson (2026, Macon, Ga.) started off the morning loud, going down to get a pitch down and smoking a double that split the opposite field gap at a 92 mph exit velocity. The shortstop has one of the best hit tools in the class and has tremendous feel for the barrel. The swing is quiet and simple, staying loose through the zone. The ball jumps and the parts really work. At short, Johnson looked silky with good actions, range, and plenty of arm strength across. The game comes easy for the Georgia native, and still just 15, the all-around game is very well-refined for the age.  Jaxson Wood (2026, Hoover, Ala.) finished batting .500 over the tournament, including three extra-base hits. The primary...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/25/2023

Deep South Fall Invitational Scout Notes

Alex Dorso
Article Image
Patrick Kovacs (2026 Knoxville TN) was dominant in his outing in game two of pool play for Exposure National. The southpaw tossed three scoreless innings allowing two hits while striking out eight. He showed plus command of the fastball dotting it to both sides of the plate while working off the corners at times. Patrick sat 75-78 topping at 79 multiple times throughout. He mixed in a tight breaking ball with two plane movement that he had no problem mixing in any count keeping the opposing hitters off balanced in the box. Coming from a mid 3/4s slot there was some deception within the operation making it tough to pick the fastball up out of the hand. The frame has plenty of athleticism within with plenty of more room for additional strength as he continues to mature. Kovacs should be a fun follow as he continues to progress through high school. Ryan Riojas (‘26 TN) drives this...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/24/2023

Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Day 3

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Extended look at Gunnar Garrison... 7 IP, 1 H, OER, 13 K, 1 BB (70% K) #WWBAWorlds @PG_FourCorners https://t.co/V89oASpD8r pic.twitter.com/tsP1mWCoNz — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) September 21, 2023 Colorado right-hander Gunnar Garrison (2026, Eaton, Colo.) was magnificent in his start for Slammers Anderson 2026’s. The big and physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound arm threw a complete game, seven inning, one-hit shutout, striking out 13 and walking one. The fastball had downhill life to it, sitting in the 85-88 range for the entirety of the game. Garrison held the velocity and reached back for his fastest bullet of the game, at 89, in the seventh inning. Finishing the outing with 70% strikes, he filled up the zone and went right at hitters. He also induced swing-and-miss on a curveball, featuring late...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/22/2023

Northeast Qualifier Scout Notes

John McAdams
Article Image
Jack Harley (2024, Mendham, NJ) put together a dominant performance at the plate in the WWBA NEQ, leading his team to a coveted Jupiter bid while also earning MVP-honors. The 6-foot-1 left-handed hitter showcased his advanced bat-to-ball skills on several occasions. He batted .643 with two doubles, a home run and six stolen bases. Harley utilizes a repeatable, synced-up stroke with clean separation into launch. He has a great feel for the barrel and creates good strength at impact to all parts of the diamond. The future Hokie recorded a hit in all six of his games and proved to be a reliable bat at the top-of-the-order for Clubhouse 2024 EvoShield. Harley’s build offers a good balance of strength and athleticism, making him a well-rounded prospect with intriguing upside moving forward.  .#VandyBoys commit Aiden O’Connell (‘24, NH) is back on the bump in the #NEQ...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/23/2023

Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Nathan Caldwell (2026, Columbia, S.C.) looked the part in the batter’s box as the Team Elite three-hole hitter had one of the hardest hit balls of the day. There’s really impressive bat speed and the ability to create violence and rotational acceleration through contact. He missiled a single during the game and there looks like there’s going to be pretty significant impact potential long term. He’s a strong kid with good indicators and offensive tools to like. Drew Borkowski (2026, Huntley, Ill.) showed plenty to like in the arm as he got the start in game one on the day for GRB. At 6-foot-1, 170-pounds he’s got a lanky frame with long limbs and plenty of room for physical projection. It’s a quick arm with solid arm speed throughout and he opened up sitting 85-87 mph with the fastball. The fastball showed good sinking life and he used it to get a lot...
Read More
College | Story | 9/22/2023

Cape Cod Top 2025 Prospect List

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Earlier this week we debuted our Cape Cod Top 100 Prospect List and mixed amongst the 100 names were some 2025 graduates who will be eligible for the upcoming 2024 MLB Draft. Below, each of the 50 names are eligible in 2025 and those listed with an "^" are continuing their careers at a new school this fall.  Name Pos. Team School Hometown State Adonys Guzman^ C Bourne Arizona Valley Cottage NY Aidan Jimenez RHP Chatham Oregon State Elk Grove CA Anthony Martinez 1B YD UC Irvine Fairfield CA Ben Jacobs LHP Bourne UCLA Huntington Beach CA Bradley Hodges LHP Hyannis Virginia Fleming Island FL Brady Neal C YD LSU Tallahassee FL Brody Donay^ C/1B Hyannis Florida Lakeland FL Caden Bodine C Bourne Coastal Carolina Haddon Heights NJ Cam Leiter^ RHP Orleans Florida State Island Heights FL Cannon Peebles^ C Cotuit Tennessee Mechanicsville VA Drew Faurot^ SS Orleans Florida State Tallahassee FL...
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.