WWBA FALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Jupiter, Fla., Oct. 25-29

Perfect Game’s David Rawnsley takes a look at some of the top teams at the WWBA Fall Championship in Jupiter, Fla., which begins Wednesday and will attract about 80 of the nation’s top 100 rising seniors among close to 2,000 players that will be in attendance. The 80-team tournament runs through Monday.

BUILT TO WIN

Braves Scout Team

The talent on this roster is really pretty absurd; there are eight Aflac All-Americans among the 2008 prospects and there are a number of 2009 prospects who will definitely be given consideration for next year’s team. If all the pitchers listed on the Braves roster are in the dugout this weekend, everyone could be looking at 2-3 innings a piece of showcase style 90-plus mph fastballs. How well will they play as a team? That will be the question.

Top Players: 1B Eric Hosmer, C Kyle Skipworth, SS Chris Amezquita, 3B Zach Cox, C/RHP Jordan Swagerty, OF Brent Warren, RHP Gerrit Cole, LHP Austin Wright, OF Peter Verdin, RHP Jared Cosart, RHP Miles Reagan, LHP Brett Mooneyham, SS Devin Marrero, C Tucker Barnhart.

East Cobb (Ga. ) Astros

Guerry Baldwin’s team, a two-time champion, expects to win every tournament it enters and often does; this doesn’t look to be an exception. The Astros have a huge advantage over the top teams in Jupiter because they play together much of the year instead of being an assembled all-star team.  One factor that could work against this edition of the Astros is a number of their top players (3B Ethan Martin, OF Xavier Avery, 1B Chase Davidson) are top football players and how this will affect their participation and level of play is unknown. The Astros pitching staff is typically deep and it will be set up to have LHP Brett DeVall and RHP Zeke Spruill, and perhaps RHP Michael Palazzone, ready for the Monday playoff games.

Top Players: 3B Ethan Martin, OF Xavier Avery, LHP Brett DeVall, RHP Michael Palazzone, RHP Zeke Spruill, SS Michael Broad, 1B Miles Head, C Taylor Hightower.

St. Louis Scout Team

The St. Louis Cardinals Scout team is actually a kicked-up version of Mike Adams’ All American Prospects summer team that has been working with Cardinals scout Charlie Gonzalez. If all the pitchers on the roster are healthy and available, this team will be a definite threat to take the title, as it has both experience and the talent.

Top Players: SS Harold Martinez, C Adrian Nieto, RHP/1B Jack Armstrong, RHP Greg Conver, LHP Anthony Ferrara, RHP Ryan Webb, OF L.J. Hoes, OF J.P. Ramirez, OF Joey Belviso, LHP R.J. Fondon, LHP Steven Rodriguez.

Texas Scout Team

When professional scouts put together a team, you get a team of prospects, that’s for sure. This team combines many of the best Texas prospects with a sprinkling of top players from the western states. On paper, it doesn’t have the pitching depth like the other teams in the Built to Win category, but it measures up well one-on-one with the other top three teams thru the first 15 players.

Top Players: RHP Kyle Winkler, RHP Matt Graham, OF Robbie Grossman, RHP/OF Ross Seaton, SS Andy Burns, IF Cutter Dykstra, OF Jeff Decker, C Kyle Buchanan, 3B Shane Kroker.

TOO GOOD TO BE A SURPRISE

ABD Bulldogs (Calif. )

California ’s ABD club is an annual top contender in Jupiter and should be again this year. Hitting and defense shouldn’t be a problem and ABD will be one of the most-scouted teams as well as one of the most fun to watch play. But, as usual, pitching depth will come into play. Mike Spiers’ top two pitchers, Ryan O’Sullivan and Matt Sisto, are also two of his top hitters/defenders.

Top Players: SS/RHP Ryan O’Sullivan, 1B/RHP Matt Sisto, SS Matt Harrison, 1B/OF Clark Murphy, SS David Nick, 3B Jason Hanson, OF Tyler Chatwood.

Chet Lemon’s Juice (Fla. )

Those who thought that Chet Lemon’s program would start breaking up when his son, Marcus, left for pro ball were mistaken. The 2005 Jupiter co-champions have a deep and talented roster of multiple-threat prospects from Florida .

Top Players: OF Wes Freeman, 3B Corey Thomas, 1B D.J. Hicks, OF Ronnie Richardson, OF Daniel Pigott, RHP/SS Brent Zimmerman.

Ohio Warhawks

“Ohio” is in Ron Slusher’s team name because that’s where he lives; none of his roster actually is from Ohio but is spread out over 10 different states. The Warhawks have come close to winning the title many times and have the core group of players to contend again this year. High velocity pitchers are in abundance.

Top Players: RHP Trey Haley, RHP Michael Tonkin, 1B Nick Ramirez, SS Niko Vasquez, LHP Hunter Cervenka, LHP Jarrett Martin.

San Gabriel Valley (Calif. ) Arsenal

The Arsenal might not have the pitching depth to really be considered a favorite, unless its roster expands significantly in the week before the event. But boy, will this team be fun to watch play until the arms run out. The scouts will be lined up deep behind the backstops.

Top Players: OF/RHP Aaron Hicks, OF/LHP Anthony Gose, SS Tyler Rahmatulla, SS/RHP Dmitri DelaFuente, C Kyle Higashiaka.

CAN PLAY WITH ANYONE

Dallas Panthers

Cecil Espy’s team has as many players from Florida as it does from Texas , and many of them are very talented 2009 prospects. The Panthers will be fun to watch and could surprise if the young pitchers come through.

Top Players: OF Ruben Sierra Jr., OF/RHP Ray Delphey, LHP David Rollins, RHP Colton Farrar, RHP Dane Williams.

Dirtbags (N.C.)

The Dirtbags have been almost a given to reach the semi-finals of any event they’ve entered the past 2-3 years, but this might be their greatest challenge. Andy Partin’s team finished runner-up in the WWBA World Underclass earlier in the month and will have to rely on some of the same young players in Jupiter.

Top Players: 2B Tyler Hanover, 1B Michael Roth, C John Hicks, OF Brian Goodwin, OF Brian Litwin, RHP Chad O’Connor.

Houston Heat

The Heat does not have the same depth of talent as they had in 2004 when they won the championship behind such talents as OF Jay Bruce and RHP Kyle Drabek, but they are still an experienced, talented group.

Top Players: RHP Austin Dicchary, IF Nino Leyja, 1B/LHP Bobby Stone, RHP Keifer Nuncio, 3B Richard Teague.

International Select Team

The International Scout team boasts talents from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Cuba, along with some very talented players from the United States . This team is sure to be very well scouted throughout the event, as the international prospects are unknown to most evaluators.  Top Players: SS Jason Esposito, RHP Jason Knapp, C Jacob Stallings, OF Michael Vargas.

Puerto Rican Baseball Academy/Team Puerto Rico

It is difficult to separate the two Puerto Rican teams before seeing them on the field, as each boast many of the top 2008 prospects from the island. Catcher Antonio Jimenez from Team Puerto Rico is likely the best present prospect of the group. Both teams play an exciting, high-energy style of baseball..

Top Players (Puerto Rico Baseball Academy ): SS Alexis Llanos, SS Bengie Gonzalez, OF Javier Rodriguez, RHP Julio Rodriguez.

Top Players (Team Puerto Rico): C Antonio Jimenez, OF Danny Ortiz, RHP Ryan Gonzalez, SS Luis Montanez.

Tri-State Arsenal/Cust Diamond Jacks (N.J.)

The Arsenal/Diamond Jacks have some of the best young pitchers in the tournament on their roster and could surprise if they find a couple of hot hitters.

Top Players: RHP Chris Jenkins, RHP Quinton Miller, OF Matt Marquis, RHP Anthony Desclafani, RHP Eric Buckland.

DEFINITELY WORTH WATCHING

Atlanta Blue Jays 

The Blue Jays don’t look to have the pitching depth to make a deep run, but they should have a large crowd of scouts to watch all their games due to SS Tim Beckham, one of the top prospects in the country. OF Jay Austin is faster than Beckham and also throws 90 off the mound.

Top Players: SS Tim Beckham, OF/LHP Jay Austin, C C.J. Lusted.

Diamond Devils (S.C.)

The Diamond Devils have a very young team with lots of talented 2009 and 2010 prospects, so this might be a year early for John Rhodes’ team to make an impact. But the Devils are always one of the most fundamentally-sound teams in any tournament and don’t beat themselves.

Top Players: RHP/3B Greg Harrison, OF Daniel Aldrich, LHP/OF Marty Gantt.

Florida Bombers

The Bombers don’t appear to have the pitching to go deep into the playoffs, but they are excellent up the middle athletically and their history as an organization says that they will be playing to win.

Top Players: SS Tyler Pastornicky, OF Jay Laurienzo, OF Tyler Thompson, SS Raiko Alfonso.

Midwest Blazers (Wis. )

The Blazers frequently look good on paper before an event but find a way to have an off-game early in bracket play each year. They have the talent to do far better than that this year if they can avoid a one-game letdown.

Top Players: RHP Tyler Wilson, RHP/1B Chris Wakefield, RHP Phil Schreiber, OF Jake Hermsen, OF/RHP David Richardson, C Jeff Jackson.

Ontario Blue Jays

The Canadians have put together an impressive record this fall playing against U.S. college teams throughout the Midwest and East. No team is as used to life on the road as coach Dan Bleiwas’ group. The Jays lack high-ceiling, impact prospects, although 2010 LHP Evan Grills could eventually reach that level. But they have a deep pitching staff, play good defense and have the intangibles.

Top Players: LHP Evan Grills, LHP Nick Fogarty, 2B James Kottaras, OF Marcus Knecht, SS Trent Copeland.

Orioles Scout Team

This scout team doesn’t pull from a national recruiting base like some of the other scout teams at Jupiter. For the most part, it features players from the Northern Virginia/Maryland/Delaware area. But there are some national-level type players on the roster.

Top Players: SS Derrick Gibson, OF Austin Stadler, OF Isaac Ballou, SS Alfred Rodriguez.

Orlando Scorpions

Sal Lombardo’s Scorpions rarely fail to advance deep into major championship events and 2007 could be no exception.

Top Players:  SS Matt Richardson, SS/RHP Nick Franklin, RHP Jordan Rasinski, RHP Greg Larson, 3B/RHP Anthony Figliola, C Ben McMahan.

Perfect Game Black

It would be unprecedented for a Perfect Game-assembled team to make a deep run into the playoffs, but PG Black is worth a special look because of two of the best 2009’s in the country, C/RHP Austin Maddox and RHP Ryan Sadler.

Top Players: C/RHP Austin Maddox, RHP Ryan Sadler.

Team Louisiana

This looks to be sort of a Lousiana all-star collection, with a couple of wild card international players mixed into the roster. It could prove to be a very interesting and athletic mix.

Top Players: LHP T.J. House, OF Rodarrick Jones, 1B Jaime Bruno, SS Austin Nola.