Prep Baseball Report

Future Games 'A True One-Stop-Shop' For Recruiting (Team CT)


Bruce Hefflinger
PBR New England Senior Writer

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The 12th annual Future Games took place on July 26-29 at LakePoint in Emerson, Georgia. Top uncommitted prospects in the classes of 2025 and 2026 participated in one of the most popular events of the year.

There were 32 teams, including Team Connecticut, with players representing 44 states plus Canadian prospects. Each team played three games the final three days of the event after all position players were put through a showcase workout on Wednesday. More than 375 college coaches from across the country were looking on as approximately 500 players participated in this year’s event.

Connecticut went 2-1, defeating Team New York on Friday, Team Massachusetts on Saturday, while losing to Team Canada on Thursday.

Future Games ‘A True One-Stop-Shop’ For Recruiting

***To view all the stats/articles related to the 2023 Future Games, click here.

EMERSON, Ga. - The Future Games just keep getting better and better.

The Prep Baseball Report event that initially began in 2011 continues to draw more interest from college coaches, with a record 375 in attendance this year to watch 32 teams with players from 44 states and four Canadian provinces.

“The coaches are what stood out to me, 375 college coaches paid a visit to see the finest uncommitted underclassmen in the country,” related Shooter Hunt, vice president of scouting for PBR. “With the NCAA rule changes in effect, it was astounding seeing some of the premier programs in the country bringing FOUR coaches to cover the event. I think that more than quantifies the significance and importance of the event from the recruiting side. It was a true one-stop-shop.”

For the second year in a row, the schedules for each team featured different opponents from previous years at the Future Games.

“We are constantly reevaluating the process and trying to keep things fresh,” explained Hunt. “A significant amount of time goes into cultivating the scheduling of workout day and game schedule, and I don't think anything is off the table for 2024 including a potential lottery ball drawing … but I also understand the importance of rivalry games and wouldn't be surprised to see rivalries like the Ohio-Michigan battle back on the board for ’24.”

Connecticut fell to Canada in its opener before winning the last two games over New York and Massachusetts to finish with the best record in the pool at 2-1.

“I thought Team Connecticut had very good pitching, the infielders were good, the squad was athletic and we could defend,” explained PBR Connecticut director of scouting Trevor Brown.

As for how Team Connecticut showed at the event, Brown was more than pleased with what he saw.

“I spoke to a bunch of schools and they had interest in multiple players on this year's club,” Brown stated. “I thought this year's talent from the Northeast schools was tremendous, with tons of athletes and hard-throwing pitchers.”

Hunt saw a lot to like in the team from Connecticut.

“The two New England squads, Connecticut and Massachusetts, fielded some of their best squads of all time,” Hunt pointed out. “They really set the tone for the event in the first time slot during the workout day, and had a lot of college coaches trying to sneak over for looks without giving away how much they liked certain guys.”

The new rule regarding contact between college coaches and players not being permitted until Aug. 1 was seen as a positive.

“I like the idea of the rule a lot,” Hunt explained. “Allowing the coaches to evaluate over a longer period will hopefully lead to better decisions and less need for the Transfer Portal. You cannot blame the coaches for the ‘arms race’ that the recruiting world had become where recruiting quantity held a quality on its own. However, now, with the luxury of time to evaluate, look for the process to be slowed down a bit. I see the Future Games playing an even more pivotal part in the process given its massive number of uncommitted players who have been evaluated by trusted PBR state directors and scouts.”

The Junior Future Games, featuring mostly 2027 and 2028 players, is also affected by the new rule which does not permit coaches to talk with players until Aug. 1 heading into junior year of high school.

“As for the Junior Future Games, the ability to get more looks in front of college coaches, or their trusted PBR sources, is of massive importance because while the recruiting process has been slowed down, the need for recruiters to ‘hit the ground running’ has sped up,” Hunt said. “Being added to a list as a follow helps college programs once they turn the page to each new class.”

The rule change is beneficial in the eyes of Brown.

“I think the new rule is great,” Brown said. “It gives the college coaches more time to follow and really watch the players.”

A PBR thank you to all that participated and a special thanks to the players on Team Connecticut that gave their thoughts about the event (including what schools have been in contact with them since Aug. 1):

***** If you were on Team Connecticut and did not share your thoughts, feel free to email us and we will get them included within this article.

The Arms

Fayz Baig LHP / 1B / RHAM, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
My Future Games highlights were being able to pitch in front of many Division I schools throughout the country.  

PBR: Assess your performance.
My performance was two innings, one run with 3 Ks, so it was overall not a bad day. 

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
I was honored to be selected to be part of Team Connecticut and something that stood out to me was the bonding between all the players.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
I pitched against Team Mass which is a solid team with many good prospects.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games can help you with getting lots of schools to see you all at once. 

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
I was talking to many schools prior to the rule happening and since the event have had some schools reach out for calls.

Teagan Beames RHP / SS / New Fairfield, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
I had two hitless innings pitched with two strikeouts

PBR: Assess your performance.
I feel like I could’ve done better with locating my breaking ball as well as my fastball.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
The incredible talent on Team Connecticut definitely allowed me to get more perspectives on the game and what other players my age think about and what they pick up on during the game.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
Team New York is very talented which made me really think about my pitching approach to them and really try to stay on the corners of the plate.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the PBR Future Games helped me get in front of college coaches and show them what I can bring to their programs.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
I've been in contact with Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, Texas, Alabama, and Notre Dame. I have also received text messages/emails from UConn, Purdue, Bucknell and Ohio State.

Harrison Engle RHP / Kingswood Oxford, CT / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

Michael Poole RHP / 1B / Westerly, RI / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
Some of the highlights of playing in the Future Games was that I got to compete at a high level and have fun with some friends and some players I had just met and also start to get my name out while working together to win our games.

PBR: Assess your performance.
I thought that I performed very well given the stage that I was playing against some of the top players in Canada. 

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
Being able to play for Team Connecticut was an honor because the rest of the players and I were playing baseball for more than just our travel ball team. We were playing and representing the region that we are from and showed what kind of baseball we play. 

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Playing in the Future Games definitely benefited me because you get to play the top competition, and you get to face new people you may have never seen before.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
The Future Games has helped me get in contact with many coaches since I finished the Games.

Cole Raymond RHP / 3B / Avon Old Farms, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
My highlights were when I pitched the first two innings against Team Massachusetts. I got myself into a jam, and got a big double play ball in the first inning.

PBR: Assess your performance.
My performance was solid, but could’ve been better.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
I loved Team Connecticut. I thought there was a lot of talent throughout the team, and all of them were great kids.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
I only pitched against Team Massachusetts, and they were very solid hitters. They were putting lots of balls in play and testing our fielders.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games can hopefully get my name out there a bit more, and show coaches what I have to offer.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
I have been in contact with Duke, Notre Dame, Maryland, Iowa, Northeastern and Old Dominion as well as with Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Rice, WVU.

Brandon Rovinelli RHP / OF / St Joseph, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
I would say the highlights of my Future Games was throwing two shutout innings and striking out two.

PBR: Assess your performance.
Overall I’d say I had a successful outing throwing two scoreless innings, striking out two while only allowing one hit. My stuff felt very good. My velo was pretty much consistently 87-88 and I had a really good feel with my slider throwing it for strikes and spinning it really well. The one thing I would’ve liked to do better is my first inning four-pitch walk. Besides that, I would say it was a successful outing.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
Being part of Team CT was a great experience for me. We all got along quickly and were playing as a team even though we had only known each other for three days. It felt like we were a team that’s what really stood out to me.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
The competition I faced was very good. The hitters I faced during my outing put up good at-bats and I had to work to get them out mixing up speeds and locations. They weren’t easy outs.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games can help you in your future because there were 375 college coaches you were playing in front of there every day, showcasing your abilities to them. All it takes is one of the 375 coaches to reach out and offer you, changing your life and baseball career.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
Colleges that have reached out to me since the Future Games are Yale, Villanova, George Washington, Maine, Delaware, St. John’s, Columbia and UMBC.

Matthew Shea RHP / SS / Haddam- Killingworth, CT / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

Garrett Snyder RHP / 1B / Cheshire Academy, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
I think my highlight from the events was definitely my slider. I used it in almost any count, and used it effectively to work ahead and win counts. It was all about sticking to my game plan. Walking in I told myself to work ahead and stay ahead. I think I certainly did that in my two innings of work.

PBR: Assess your performance.
I think I had a good performance, no walks, no runs, and one hit in two innings was pretty successful against a strong Canada team. Even though the velocity I am used to was not quite there, I used my command and off speed to still work ahead and beat hitters.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
Being a part of Team CT was great and I got to reunite with a lot of guys I had played with in the past. It was a great way to show what we all had while still having a great time and experience at one of the best events of the year.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
The competition is the best of the best. Even though everybody that attends this event is uncommitted, it is the best of the best players that the state or region has to offer. An attribute you may have, such as hitting the ball hard or throwing the ball hard, is something now that every team possessed at the event.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games will most certainly help in the future. Again, you’re facing the best of the best from each and every state. Everybody at this event is a future athlete at the collegiate level, every at-bat is tough. It helped me specifically as a pitcher to work even harder to hit the spot I wanted or work backwards in counts to keep the hitter off balance. This is exactly what will happen in collegiate baseball, so this is only helping our preparation for the next level.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
On Aug. 1, I had around 20 phone calls. Each coach was very passionate and excited about their program this year and in the future. Attending the Future Games gave me an opportunity to get in contact with some outstanding coaches.

Tyler Stone RHP / SS / Cheshire Academy, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
My Future Games highlights came in the second inning of my outing where I struck out two batters.

PBR: Assess your performance.
I don’t believe I did bad during my outing, but I definitely could have performed better by getting ahead of batters and not throwing so many balls.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
I very much enjoyed playing for Team CT. There was a better sense of community because we are such a small state competing against bigger states that are more known for producing big talent.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
We definitely played good competition and rarely saw a pitcher throwing under 86. All the hitters looked experienced and had competitive at-bats.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Competing in the Future Games can for sure help your future because of all the coaches watching you perform. There were more coaches than parents walking around scouting out the talent. Competing in the Future Games definitely helped give me the opportunity to perform in front of a wider range of coaches.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
More P5 coaches have been in contact with me since the event.

The Two-Way Prospects

Cooper Maher SS / RHP / Bishop Hendricken, RI / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

David Pengel OF / SS / Avon, CT / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

Logan Rembish RHP / SS / St. Paul Catholic, CT / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

The Catchers

Will Bartoli C / 3B / Frederick Gunn School, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
My Future Games highlight was definitely just the overall environment. Being around so many talented players makes you rise to that level and play your best, especially when so many college coaches are watching.

PBR: Assess your performance.
I’m happy with my performance. I had competitive at-bats and did my job in the field. I also had good BP rounds and good throwdowns.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
Being part of Team Connecticut was a blast. Everyone was super talented and worked well together to create a fun atmosphere.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
The competition was elite. It’s always fun to face really good arms so you’re able to see where you stack up.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games can help your future in many ways. A big way it can help is by giving you the opportunity to play in front of hundreds of college coaches. It also prepares you for the pressure of being watched by so many coaches.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
Since Futures I’ve received interest from multiple D-I’s such as George Washington, Farfield, UNC, St. John’s, Fordham, Miami and Bucknell.

Logan Martel C / 1B / Canterbury School, CT / 2026

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
My Future Games highlights were definitely just meeting a bunch of new guys and playing against some really good competition and winning.

PBR: Assess your performance.
I caught very well, but my batting could’ve been better. I still thought I played well regardless.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
I enjoyed all the kids on Team CT and I wouldn’t have rather played for any other state. The kids I met were unreal and their talent was also unreal which made the experience so much better.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
The competition was very good. I don't think the competition could’ve gotten any better. That was also a big factor of this tournament/showcase which made me love it.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games taught me to not get nervous no matter who’s watching or who you're playing, and just to have fun. Playing in the Future Games will prepare me for higher-level baseball whether it’s college or prep school etc.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
I cannot be in contact with any coaches due to me being a 2026.

Easton Masse C / 3B / Westminster Prep School, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
My highlights of the Future Games were being able to represent my state and play and compete against the best kids in the northeast region.

PBR: Assess your performance.
My performance behind the plate was very good all three games that I caught. My at-bats were good, I forced a lot of walks and the at-bats I did get a pitch to swing at I put good swings on the ball.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
The coaching staff and their style of just letting us play and have fun for our state was great. They made sure we were comfortable at the plate and in the field along with our BP and showcase.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
The competition was great. I got to catch kids throwing upper-80s everyday along with facing it.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games gave me a ton of exposure to colleges. Almost every college was there to watch and it’s a challenge showing them what you’ve got.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
Since the event, on Aug 1, I had multiple calls with Northeastern, Oklahoma St, USF and Boston College along with emails from Ohio State and UConn.

The Infielders

Paul Calandrelli C / SS / Daniel Hand, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
My Future Games highlights are being around the high level of competition and competing with some of the best athletes in the state.

PBR: Assess your performance.
My personal performance, I thought, was very good. I am happy with the way that I played and the intensity that I brought consistently throughout the games.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
The thing that stood out the most to me was the immediate bond that was formed between the players. Since the first game, everyone got along very well and we were all having a lot of fun playing during the games.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
The competition at the event was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. Every player was high level with high intensity and driven to be the best they can be. 

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
The Future Games will help me in the future by exposing me to high-pressure situations and being comfortable with many college coaches watching you play.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
Northeastern University, St. John’s, Wofford College.

Ethan DiVito 1B / C / Wachusett, MA / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

Bobby Herzman 1B / 3B / HC Wilcox, CT / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

Ryan Paine SS / Trumbull, CT / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

Owen Rich SS / OF / Lyman Hall, CT / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

The Outfielders

Connor Jones CF / OF / Brunswick School, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
I think my Future Games highlights were definitely in the field. I felt I played very good defensively in the outfield. I held runners to only a single if the ball was hit into the gap or made a sliding/diving play in the field to give our pitcher an out!

PBR: Assess your performance.
I think my performance overall was pretty good. I wish I could have had at least one more hit on the tournament, but I was pretty satisfied with what I produced this week!

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
I absolutely loved being a part of Team CT! The team itself was full of amazing guys who were all eager to win and very welcoming. Coach Brown was a great coach to have helped you through the ups and downs and also how to handle your emotions when playing in front of so many scouts and schools. The team chemistry really stood out to me. The team was able to gel pretty quickly which led to us being able to perform well with each other.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
The competition doesn’t get much better than the Future Games. For kids who are uncommitted, it’s a necessity to come here. We were consistently seeing pitchers hitting lows-90s to high-80s with great off-speed pitches. The position players were very fluid and fundamentally sound. Overall the competition level that you find here is only found here.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
If your goal is to play college baseball you need to come to the PBR Future Games. The amount of college coaches and scouts attending games is staggering. You have coaches from the top programs of the SEC to schools from the NEC. It is the best place to get exposure that isn’t a complete waste of money.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
Before the event I was in contact with a couple of schools including: Brown, Boston College and Princeton. Leaving here I now realized that I am on Penn State, UConn, Rutgers, College of Charleston and Richmond’s radar, so the exposure definitely does help you a ton. Overall a great event, great people, and great coaches. I felt so blessed to have the opportunity to showcase my talents in front of all those coaches!!

Tyler Kisling OF / RHP / Canterbury, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
My personal highlight of this event was getting to play on great fields in front of so many coaches. Being able to do what I love in front of so many qualified people really was a great experience for me and definitely opened my eyes to how baseball is played across the nation.

PBR: Assess your performance.
Despite not being able to hit due to a hand injury I had before the Games, I felt that I performed as well as I could dealing with the circumstances. I was glad I could contribute what I could defensively to the team and made the most I could of what in-game opportunities I had.

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
Being a part of a team with as talented players as we had was a great experience for me. It felt good to go out and represent CT and show the coaches and other teams what us northern ball players are all about.

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
The competition from the other PBR teams was impressive and the pitching we were facing was very competitive. Playing against a team like Canada was unique because we don’t get to see ball players like them in really any of our tournaments. Overall from playing and watching the Games, there was immense talent throughout the entire event.

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games not only helped with the recruiting process, but helped open my eyes to see where I stand amongst other players in my class across the country. It also gave me insight on things I can improve on, just from picking things up from other players.

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
Ohio State reached out after the event with a camp invite saying they saw me play at the Games.

Kacin Robinson OF / SS / Avon Old Farms, CT / 2025

PBR: What were your Future Games highlights?
I think my highlights were getting a hit in every game and showing off my speed when I got on base. 

PBR: Assess your performance.
I think my performance was good. I feel good about it.  

PBR: Give your thoughts on being part of Team Connecticut and what stood out.
Being part of the team was amazing. It means a lot to be a part of such a talented team. 

PBR: Touch on the competition you faced at the event.
I think the competition was good as well which helped give me a glimpse of what it’s like at the next level. 

PBR: How can participating in the Future Games help you in the future?
Participating in the Future Games has really helped me get my name out there and helped my recruiting process. 

PBR: What, if any, college coaches have you been in contact with since the event ended and the Aug. 1 deadline has been reached?
Thanks to the Future Games I’ve had some colleges contact me right when Aug. 1 hit, example being Northeastern, Maine and Ohio State.

Michael Spadaccino OF / 2B / Shelton, CT / 2025

***Waiting to hear back

***To view all the stats/articles related to the 2023 Future Games, click here.

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