Bishop Gorman High of Las Vegas has been a hot topic in high school baseball the last few years thanks to a strong core of players that contributed to four straight Nevada 4-A state titles. Recently the Gaels have reloaded instead of rebuilding, but losing stars like first baseman Jeff Malm to graduation will always make others wonder when they will finally slip and miss out on another title.

That time nearly came last week. Bishop Gorman was up against Galena High (Reno, Nev.) on Friday. The tournament was double elimination and both teams were 1-0. Bishop Gorman was on the ropes right away, down 10-1 going into the bottom of the second inning. But the Gaels made it 10-7 after two. Galena scored seven more in the third and one in the fourth. After four innings Galena was up 18-10. Four more for Galena in the fifth made it 22-10 and Bishop Gorman was facing a mercy rule defeat. But the Gaels answered with 10 runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to seal a 24-22 victory. [...] Continue Reading »

With playoffs starting around the country, this is the time to get one last look at players in a game before the draft. Seasons can come to an abrupt end and after that teams would have to resort to pre-draft workouts.

Ty Linton's Charlotte Christian School was the favorite to win the NCISAA 3-A state title and went up against Forsyth Country Day School (Lewisville, N.C.) in the semi-finals on Friday. Forsyth started righthander Adam Griffin on the mound, a 2011 prospect with arm strength. He doesn't have the typical frame with projection, but his fastball ranges from 88-91 mph. He also mixes in a 70-72 slurve. He doesn't have great command, but his stuff is enough to get plenty of outs in high school. [...] Continue Reading »

The draft is less than a month away, which means I'm swamped with calls and reports. This week's Varsity Vignette is going to be short and sweet. Here are some quick hits with links about recent happenings in high school baseball. Enjoy.

• Last season, lefthander Patrick Schuster was getting national attention after throwing four consecutive no-hitters. His bid for a fifth aired on ESPNews, but he was unsuccessful. This year it's John Kukuruda, a righthander for East Nicolaus High in Trowbridge, Calif. He's thrown four straight no-hitters to break the state record and puts himself on the list with seven others in the country that have done the same. [...] Continue Reading »

USA Baseball has announced that the third annual Breakthrough Series will move to the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., this summer. The first two installments of the event were held at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif.

"Major League Baseball is excited to showcase the Breakthrough Series at USA Baseball’s state-of-the art National Training Complex and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park as an important part of our continuing efforts to strengthen amateur baseball," said Jimmie Lee Solomon, Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations, Major League Baseball. "Expanding the academic and athletic opportunities available to our game's promising young players through the exposure of the Breakthrough Series remains a priority of Major League Baseball." [...] Continue Reading »

Minooka (Ill.) High righthander Mike Foltynewicz came into the season ranked as the No. 63 high school prospect in the country, but has steadily been gaining momentum as his fastball has gone from the 90-92 mph range it was in the summer to 93-95 this spring, even touching a little higher.

Baseball America's Conor Glassey caught up with Foltynewicz on April 29. Listen to the interview to hear "Folty" talk about what it's like to be a pitcher in a cold-weather state, his experience as a fan at the College World Series and his dream car. . .

[...] Continue Reading »