The fifth season of the MLB Draft League kicked off Wednesday, June 4, with all six teams in action and plenty of the game’s future stars being put on center stage outside of the collegiate season. With weather impacting several games, this year’s prospect group were still able to showcase their talents with their new squads. Records were set on the mound, the defending champs started off hot, there were offensive explosions and more in the first weekly roundup of the season.
Week Standings
(Team, W/L, PCT, GB, STRK)
Williamsport, 3-0, 1.000, -, W3
West Virginia, 2-2, .500, 1.5, L1
Mahoning Valley, 1-1, .500, 1.5, L1
Frederick, 2-3, .400, 2.0, L2
Trenton, 2-3, .400, 2.0, W2
State College, 1-2, .333, 2.0, W1
Wednesday
Williamsport (13) @ Trenton (4) - BOX SCORE - The first pitch of the 2024 championship rematch brought league-record heat as Trenton’s Miguel Sime’s four-seamer hit 100.8 mph, breaking the fastest pitch in league history set last year by Ryan Lambert (100.7). The incoming LSU freshman then followed up eight pitches later by breaking the record again at 100.9 mph. However the defending champs took an early lead in the first and never looked back after Matthew Bardowell took a 99-mph heater 104.9 mph the other way for a two-run homer, ending the night going 1-for-2 with four RBI and three walks. On the mound for Williamsport, Cade Davis set the tone going five innings with one strikeout with two unearned runs scoring.
West Virginia (19) @ Frederick (4) - BOX SCORE - The Black Bears showed complete control throughout the game putting a run across in six of the nine innings that was highlighted by an 11-run sixth. Jonny McGill started the inning with a 104.1-mph double to center that drove in Koby Kropf who ended the night with both hits being doubles, four RBI, four runs and two walks. Pitching for West Virginia saw Cannon Pickell close out the final two innings with high velocity in the eight as his four-seamer peaked at 99.2 mph and sat comfortably in the 94-96 range, striking out three and allowing only one baserunner via walk.
Mahoning Valley (10) vs State College (2) - BOX SCORE - After a run scored in the top of the first, Chase Frey settled into a groove for the win going five innings with two strikeouts. At the plate for the Scrappers, Trey Fenderson drove in two runs with two doubles, one a ground-rule and another using speed on a ball deflected in the infield. Mitch Dye came in relief for Frey and earned a hold after three innings striking out three with one earned run but not allowing a hit.
Thursday
Williamsport (3) @ Trenton (2) - BOX SCORE - The Crosscutters became the only team to advance to 2-0 on the season after a combined pitching effort by Bailey Matela (W, 5 IP, 7 K, 4 H, 2 ER), Denton Biller (HLD, 2 IP, 2 K, 1 H, 0 R), Dakota Stone (HLD, 1 IP, 1 K, 0 H) and Brad Rudis (SV, 1 IP, 1 K, 0 H). After the Thunder scored the first run in the first, Williamsport capitalized on Trenton mistakes in the field, an RBI single by Taeg Gollert tied the game followed by two runs scoring to take the lead on a wild pitch and throwing error from the catcher. The first home run of the year for Trenton was slugged by Carsten Sabathia III, son of Baseball Hall of Famer CC, with a tattooed ball to left at 102.4 mph off the bat at a distance of 382 feet.
Frederick (10) vs West Virginia (3) - BOX SCORE - The Keys bounced back after their Opening Night loss with an eight inning rally of all 10 runs after being down 3-0 entering the frame. With five batters reaching safely and tying the game before the first out recorded, Bruin Agbayani drove in the game-winning run on a two-RBI single that was recorded at a single-season leading 108.3 mph exit velocity, his second 100+ mph hit.
Mahoning Valley vs State College Suspended after three innings - In a rain shortened game, both starting pitchers were making their way through lineups as the Scrappers’ Terry Hayes Jr. faced the minimum nine batters with three strikeouts and State College’s Roman Kimball retiring three via strikeout as well. The lone hit that appeared was a bunt single by Max Hartman of Mahoning Valley, advancing a runner to third but Kimball worked out of the inning without allowing him to cross the plate.
Friday
West Virginia (11) @ State College (3) - BOX SCORE - The first three innings of the game saw minimal action at the plate due to the pitching efforts of Wyatt Evans (3 IP, K, 2 H, R, 0 ER, BB) for the Spikes and Will Rogers (3 IP, 4 K, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB) for the Black Bears. The first run came across before Evans’ ended his final frame with a 102.4-mph single from Tyler Pettorini that scored a runner who reached on error. For West Virginia, between Rogers, Scott Rienguette (2 IP, 3 K, 0 H, 0 BB), David Leslie (W, 3 IP, 4 K, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB) and Aidan Moffett (1 IP, 2 K, 0 H, 0 BB), the Spikes’ offense was shutout for eight of the nine innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Stat College poised a threat and tied the game at three after RBI singles to right from Javon Hernandez and Matt Evans. Coming down to the ninth inning, the first three batters loaded the bases for Koby Kropf to record his league-leading fifth and sixth RBI. Up 7-3, Connor Hicks would record his first hit of the night after walking in his three prior plate appearances with a 377 foot three-run homer.
Frederick (2) @ Trenton (1) - BOX SCORE - A pitchers duel throughout as Trenton’s Gavin King (3.2 IP, 4 K, ER, 2 H, 3 BB) and Frederick’s Jake Hunter (4.2 IP, 7 K, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB) kept the offenses quiet to start. The first run scored by each team would knock their respective starters out of the game and the bullpens made light work as well. Both runs scored by the Keys resulted in batted outs in the fourth and fifth inning. To close for the Keys, Luke Delongchamp got the three inning save as he struck out one while allowing three hits. The save came with a flare for the dramatic as the Thunder put themselves in a position to tie and take the lead with the bases loaded with one out after a Cole Leach double, JuJu Stevens walk and Aaron Graeber infield single, but a 6-4-3 the following the following batter would close the game out and move Frederick to 2-1 through the first three games.
Saturday
Trenton (17) vs Frederick (3) - BOX SCORE - Capitalizing on errors, walks and hit by pitches gave the Thunder their first win of the season as 17 runs were scored off 11 hits and four errors made by the Keys’ defense. JuJu Stevens filled the scorecard again for Trenton as he captured the lead in the fourth with a bases clearing double as he went to end the night going 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBI and scoring three runs himself. For Frederick, their first lead of the day came from Eddie Hacopian (3-for-5, RBI, 3B, SB) who singled to right, followed up in the next inning by Lance Trippel’s first home run of the season before Stevens’ double. Out of Taiwan, Chieh-Han Huang (3 IP, 4 K, ER, 2 H, 0 BB) got the start for the Keys where he showed promising stuff with his splitter and breaking ball that ranged from 939 to 3244 RPMs in spin.
Williamsport (7) vs Mahoning Valley (4) - BOX SCORE - Williamsport catcher Matthew Graveline made his presence known in the game, throwing out a perfect 3-for-3 of would-be base stealers before launching a three-run home run in the eight inning to widen the lead. Rounding out the opening battery for the Crosscutters, Jake Moss worked four strong innings with four strikeouts and allowing only one hit. In the ninth, Mahoning Valley was putting together a late rally by putting across two runs before Sam Swygert struck out Seth Farni on three straight pitches, getting all outs via strikeout in his one inning out of the bullpen.
State College (5) vs West Virginia (4) - BOX SCORE - The Spikes’ first win of the season came in walk-off fashion as Ryan Rivera smoked a ground ball 97.8 mph that ate up the second baseman for an error and scored the tying and winning run. The first to come out of the bullpen for West Virginia, Jorge DeCardenas went four innings with four strikeouts and allowed one hit, run and walk. Earning the win, Rodney Shultz over two innings did a solid job in keeping the ball on the ground to keep State College in striking distance before the walk-off.
Sunday
Trenton (6) vs Frederick (5) - BOX SCORE - Closing out the weekend, the Thunder ended the week in a better place than started as they took the series in walk-off fashion. JuJu Stevens had himself another game of two doubles, both with exit velocities of over 100 mph. The first being hit the opposite way that scored Trenton’s first run of the game. Despite only having one hit in the game, Frederick’s Trey Lipsey was hard to keep still on the bases with three in the game, twice of second and once of third. After the Keys went up 4-1 in the fifth inning, the Thunder put together meaningful plate appearances as sac flies from Carsten Sabathia II and Aaron Whitley plus a walk from Rowan Masse tied the game back up. Trenton then took the league in the eight after Jakob Poturnak singled up the middle with a 108-mph exit velocity. With runners on the corners in the top of the ninth and one out, Bruin Agbayani beat out the double play chance to tie the game at five. In the bottom half, a single from Whitley, hit by pitch to Michael Whooley, and intentional walk to Stevens loaded the bases with one out to Poturnak who would be hit in the elbow on the second pitch to bring in the winning run and give Trenton the series win.
Latest News
MLB Pipeline: The first pitch of the 2025 season from the Trenton Thunder set an MLB Draft League record at 100.8 mph from 18-year-old and LSU commit, Miguel Sime Jr. Eight pitches later, he set the record again at 100.9. Now ranked No. 91 on MLB Pipeline’s draft board, Sime Jr. is getting himself ready for his next step in baseball with the Thunder. More>>
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Roster Additions
Since Opening Day, June 4
Frederick: 6.4 - SS Jordan Peyton (Towson), RHP Declan Lavelle (Elon). 6.5 - RHP Luke Delongchamp (Bryant). 6.6 - LHP Alton Davis (Georgia), LHP Jack Bowery (Northeastern), RF Tervell Johnson (Seattle)
Mahoning Valley: 6.6 - RHP Brady Fuller (Houston), RHP Nathan Williams (Mississippi State). 6.7 - RHP Zion Theophilus (Moeller HS, LSU commit)
State College: 6.4 - LHP Chase Horst (Cincinnati), RHP Rodney Shultz (Cincinnati). 6.6 - RHP Brett Dunham (Northeastern)
Trenton: 6.6 RHP Cooper McGrath (Northeastern). 6.8 - C Justin Fogel (Memphis)
West Virginia: 6.6 - RHP Jaxon Grossman (Salt Lake CC). 6.7 - LHP Trystan Levesque (Rhode Island)
Williamsport: 6.8 - C Christian Reyes (Desert Oasis HS)
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