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By Greg Williams
PA Director of Scouting

Details on the inaugural Pennsylvania Travel Baseball State Championships were released in mid-November and in less than two months the field of 16 teams is nearing completion. Iron Horse Sports will play host to the three day event bringing together many of the top travel teams from Pennsylvania as well as from bordering states.

While teams will play for unofficial state and region bragging rights the focus will be on gathering the top uncommitted prospects in the region at one location. This format will offer college coaches an opportunity to evaluate and compare the top uncommitted prospects in the region side-by-side in a competitive environment.

Prep Baseball Report will provide in depth coverage of the tournament with preview articles, in game live-tweeting and post-tournament analysis. Top prospects in the region not participating for a team in the tournament will also have an opportunity to participate as a member of Team PBR. Although no team from West Virginia is currently scheduled to participate, a number of the top prospects in the state are likely to be invited to participate as member of Team PBR.

The 16 team field will be divided into four-team pools for three preliminary games on August 19 and 20 prior to being bracketed for championship play on August 21. A total of 36 games will be played on two neighboring fields at the Iron Horse Sports complex with 12 games being played each day. Additionally, Prep Baseball Report will be conducting the Western PA College Prospect Showcase on August 19 at the same location as a kickoff to the weekend.

Tournament Field

With over seven months until the first pitch is thrown the tournament field already has 15 confirmed entrants hailing from three states. Prep Baseball Report staff have extended invitations to many of the top travel programs in the region and will continue to field requests for invites until the full 16 team field is finalized. Following is a look at the 15 teams that have already secured a spot.

Baseball U of Pennsylvania

Baseball U of PA has had considerable recent success in assisting its players in moving on to the college ranks. The program has seen 29 players in the class of 2015 and 2016 head off to college programs.

The Class of 2017 which will make up a portion of the roster that will participate in August has already seen RHP Zach McCambly (Coastal Carolina) and RHP/SS Cole Stetzar announce commitments. The pair are ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively in the current PA Class of 2017.

Following is a small sampling of players that could appear in a Baseball U uniform come tournament time.

RHP Chase Nowak (James M. Coughlin), #78 in PA Class of 2017
RHP Aaron Husson (Wallenpaupack Area), #102 in PA Class of 2017
SS/2B Kyle O'Fier (Pittston Area), #110 in PA Class of 2017
RHP Jake Decker (Blue Ridge), #111 in PA Class of 2017

Black Sox Elite

The Black Sox Elite will play at the 16U age group during the summer of the 2016. A talented roster of 2017 and 2018 prospects had a great deal of success in 2015 during a 12 tournament schedule that took them to five states. Following are a handful of prospects likely to stand out in August. Click Here to view the current Black Sox roster.

RHP/OF Adam Schwartz (Ephrata), #25 in PA Class of 2018
2018 RHP/OF James Balogh (Pocono Mountain East)
2017 LHP Nate Kitchell (Conestoga)
2018 OF/RHP Owen Evans (Archbishop John Carroll)
2018 1B/OF Trevor Leamer (Berks Catholic)

Bloomsburg Storm

The Storm promise to field a very competitive roster of college bound prospects come August. The Northeastern PA outfit saw LHP Tevin Murray (Rutgers), infielder Randy Pineda (Maryland Eastern Shore), RHP/OF Evan Steele (Bloomsburg) and C/OF Brandon Stokes (Bucknell) make commitments this past fall. Steele is currently ranked No. 36 in the PA Class of 2016 and Murray checks in at No. 57.

Several class of 2017 prospects that dawned a Storm uniform in 2015 should be on the roster come August including LHP Andrew Malone (Loyolsock Township), No. 56 in the PA Class of 2017.

Blue Chips Baseball (Bel Air, MD)

The lone entry from the state of Maryland at this point, Blue Chips Baseball has established itself as one of the premier programs in the state. All nine members of the Blue Chips Class of 2015 moved on to play college baseball highlighted by LHP AJ Korczynski (Salisbury) - No. 61, RHP Kevin McHugh (Washington & Lee) - No. 83 and 3B Luke Schaffer (Harford CC) - No. 97 respectively in the Maryland Class of 2015 rankings.

The Blue Chips have yet to finalize their roster for this tournament. A pair of ranked players likely to impress will be C/1B Hunter Spalt (Loyola Blakefield), #80 in the MD Class of 2017 and 1B/3B Arri Stakias (John Carroll), #81 in the MD Class of 2017.

Flood City Elite

The Iron Horse Sports complex also happens to be the home base for the Flood City Elite. One of the top programs in West Central PA, Flood City sends a host of players on to the college ranks annually. The 2015 17U Flood City roster was highlighted by 3B//RHP Isaiah Kearns, a West Virginia commit, ranked No. 5 in PA and No. 113 in the PBR combined Class of 2016 rankings.

Flood City has yet to finalize its 17U roster for the summer of 2016 but have an impressive list of prospects that donned an Elite uniform in 2015. Some of that list likely to participate in August follows:

RHP/1B Riley Christner (Meyersdale Area), #6 in PA Class of 2017
OF/RHP John Servello (Hollidaysburg Area), #37 in PA Class of 2017
RHP/IF Cory Storm (Hollidaysburg Area), #46 in PA Class of 2017

Indian Valley Storm

The Storm won the 16U Perfect Game Super 25 Staten Island Showdown last summer. While there roster is yet to be determined for August among the talented prospects likely to be in uniform is 2017 OF/LHP Jack DeSpain (Souderton Area). The two-way prospect stood showed well at a recent PBR event in December. DeSpain flashed a solid right-handed swing and athletic defensive actions with an 84 mph arm from the outfield. He topped at 80 mph off the mound with a feel for three pitches.

To view the current 17U roster for the 2016 Storm - CLICK HERE.

Keystone State Bombers

The Bombers have had considerable success in placing prospects in the college ranks over the past three summers with Zach Minnick (Campbell), Zach Guth (Maryland), Billy Phillips (Maryland), Tyler Walters (Slippery Rock), Collin Liberatore (Pittsburgh), Connor Yoder (Virginia Tech), Nico Popa (Pittsburgh), Casey Vincent (St. Bonaventure) and Danny Long (Monmouth) heading the list. While the Bombers 17U roster for the summer of 2016 has yet to be finalized a list of some top Bombers prospects likely to participate in August follows:

SS/OF Kris Kremer (Hershey), #19 in PA Class of 2017
LHP/OF Curtis Robison (Northern York), #25 in PA Class of 2017
RHP Scott Leitholf (Northern York), #29 in PA Class of 2017

MSI/Bubba Baseball

MSI has had considerable success in preparing prospects to play at the next level. With the hiring of Kevin Schneider as Director of Baseball operations, MSI will combine forces with Bubba Baseball for the summer of 2016. Schneider has quickly built the Bubba program into a nationally recognizable name in just two short years.

Some notable player to have played in an MSI uniform over the past several years include Mark Osis (George Washington), Tommy Richter (College of Charleston), Ben Faso (La Salle), Charlie Concannon (St. Joseph's), Bret Clarke (Stony Brook), C.J. Pruitt (La Salle), and Nick Falso (Ohio).

The combined roster that will represent MSI/Bubba will likely not be determined until later in the summer as many of the Bubba roster from the summer of 2015 have made, or will likely be making, commitments prior to August.

Some names of note that have played in the Bubba uniform the past two summers include:

C/RHP Shane Muntz (Malvern Prep), #1 in the PA Class of 2017
RHP Brady Devereux (Malvern Prep), #3 in the PA Class of 2018

Northeast Pride

The Northeast Pride program began in 2011 with one team and has quickly blossomed to more than a dozen teams from three states: Pennyslvania, New York and New Jersey. A total of 13 Pride players from the Class of 2016 have made college commitments and 2017 LHP Nicholas Insognia (Niskayuna HS, NY) has made a verbal commitment to Stony Brook. The junior is ranked No. 17 in the New York Class of 2017.

2018 C/RHP Zach Klapak (Delaware Valley HS) will be among a solid roster come tournament time. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder is currently ranked No. 29 in the PA Class of 2018 and has shown well at several PBR events.

Pittsburgh Outlaws

The Pittsburgh Outlaws train out of the C-Side Sports training facility and have 14 teams program wide. Former Outlaw IF Chris Santucci showed well at several PBR events while playing at Shadyside Academy. Santucci, ranked No. 301 in the PA Class of 2015, is now at Kenyon College. Outlaws teammates C/OF Drew Wuenstel (Waynesburg) and RHP/1B Clay Martin (Washington & Jefferson) also moved on to the college ranks this year. 2016 3B Adam Jaworski (Peters Township) recently got this year's Outlaws' senior class started by announcing his commitment to Washington & Jefferson.

The Outlaws roster for the tournament will take shape as August draws closer. To view current members of their 17U & 16U teams click on the appropriate links. Check the state tournament page on the Prep Baseball Report website frequently for updated rosters for all teams that will be participating.

Pittsburgh Spikes

The Spikes compete in the West Penn Elite Baseball Leauge and have had a great deal of success over the past seven years finishing first or second in all but one season. Last year's team went 16-0 in regular season play before falling 1-0 in the deciding game of the WPEBL championship series.

A developmental philosophy has allowed the Spikes program to not only compete at a high level, but to also produce a long list of players that have moved on to the college ranks.

Some of the most notable Spikes almuni follows:

RHP Jake Potock (West Virginia), #33 in the PA Class of 2015
1B Patrick Ferguson (West Virginia), #34 in the PA Class of 2016
RHP Collin Liberatore (Pittsburgh), #10 in the PA Class of 2015
LHP Jon Dignazio (Maryland), #7 in the PA Class of 2016 

South Troy Dodgers (Troy, NY)

The Dodgers are the first, but likely not the only, out of state entry in the inaugural tournament. Eleven former Dodgers have gone on to careers as professional players, including Atlanta Brave RHP Jason Grilli. 

Following is a look at notable prospects who have recently worn a Dodgers uniform:

RHP Ryan Lambert (St. John's), #5 in NY Class of 2017
3B Frankie Pizzo (Monroe CC), #58 in NY Class of 2016
LHP Nick Chiseri (Connecticut), #14 in NY Class of 2016
MIF Matt Hamel (Siena)

Team All*American

Team All*American trains out of the All*American Baseball Center in Trafford, PA. All*American has had a steady stream of talented prospects moving on to college programs in recent years including Will Kengor (Slippery Rock University), a 2014 28th round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers.

The list of college commitments made recently by players in the program is lengthy. Following is a small sampling of a few players to have worn an All*American uniform in recent years.

C Domenic DeRenzo (Oklahoma), #6 in PA Class of 2015

• Drafted by Chicago Cubs in the 40th round

C/RHP Jake Jessell (Pittsburgh), #6 in PA Class of 2016
RHP/SS John Matthews (Kent State), #18 in PA Class of 2016
SS Matt Tarabek (Fordham), #28 in PA Class of 2016

Team All*American has yet to finalize its 17U roster for the summer of 2016 but have an impressive list of prospects that donned a uniform in 2015. Some of that list likely to participate in August follows:

OF/RHP Jordan Fiedor (Hempfield Area HS), #20 in the PA Class of 2017
RHP Jacob Rife (Hempfield Area HS), #53 in the PA Class of 2017
C Jordan Zilka (Belle Vernon Area HS), #76 in the PA Class of 2017
3B/OF Charlie Varriano (Hemfield Area HS), #84 in the PA Class of 2017
C/OF Josh Kieffer (Fox Chapel Area HS), #100 in the PA Class of 2017

Team PBR Pennsylvania

Prep Baseball Report Pennsylvania will be entering a minimum of one and a maximum of four teams into the 16 team field. Rosters for each team wearing the PBR logo will be made up of top uncommitted prospects from the tri-state region on an invitation only basis. These players will come from travel programs not participating in the tournament and will be coached by PBR staff. Invitations to participate for Team PBR will be handed out in an ongoing basis and prospects will also have an opportunity to request an invite on their own. 

Lakeland High School OF/RHP Jordan Art, #121 in the PA Class of 2017, is the initial member of the Team PBR Pennsylvania roster. The 6-foot, 165-pound two-way prospect has shown well at previous PBR events and is coming off an impressive sophomore season for the Chiefs. Art hit .370 with a team leading 20 hits in 2015 and went 1-1 with a save on the mound.

Tri-City Bombers (Troy, NY)

The Tri-City Bombers will be competing in the Eastern New York Travel Baseball League Elite division for the 2016 season. After winning a berth to the ECTB World Series in Pennsylvania in 2015, and winning the 15U Northeast Super Regionals Championship in Connecticut in 2014. Following is a look at a portion of the Bombers roster that is still being constructed for next summer.

2017 1B/RHP Noah Bagnardi (Watervliet)
2017 SS Nate Cotton (Columbia) 
2017 C Evan Crumb (Long Trail) 
2018 RHP/2B Joseph Kosowsky (Lansingburgh) 
2017 C Joseph VonHolten (Shaker) 

Western NY Renegades (Buffalo, NY)

The Renegades are one of two New York teams currently scheduled to participate. Unlike most teams in the tournament field, the Renegades are not part of a program. The core of the roster put together a highly successful 2015 season as a 16U team and have added a few additional players to the roster for the coming 2016 campaign.

Coach Larry Welnowski's club played an aggressive schedule a year ago including tournaments in three states. Click here for a current look at the 2016 Renegades roster.