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East Coast Super Sophomore Games: Team NC & Select Game Notes

August 8, 2026
Brandon Hall
NC / Mid-ATL Director of Scouting

2026 East Coast Super Sophomore Games: Rewinding a Premier Weekend for the Class of 2029

From Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2, Columbia, South Carolina, played host to the 2026 East Coast Super Sophomore Games. Rivaling the format and prestige of the legendary Future Games, this premier event served as a marquee showcase for the top high school baseball talent along the East Coast.

Over the three-day weekend, Founders Park (home of the University of South Carolina) and Lexington County Ballpark (home of the Coastal Plain League's Columbia Blowfish) transformed into the epicenter of amateur baseball. The tournament featured 10 regional teams representing nine different states, including dedicated rosters for Team NC and Team Select that highlighted top-tier regional talent.

For the players—all premier prospects from the Class of 2029—the event offered a massive opportunity to go head-to-head with their highest-ranked peers. For collegiate coaching staffs in attendance, and watching from their campus, the weekend marked the official starting line to initiate and build out their 2029 recruiting boards, backed by both advanced analytics and live in-game evaluations.

The action kicked off Friday at Founders Park with an intensive data-collection and player workout session. Following the showcase portion, teams transitioned to live game play, battling through three a three game schedule that concluded on Sunday.

Now that the dust has settled, we are diving deep into the data and the tape. Read on as we break down the standout performers, metric leaders, and defining scouting insights from a weekend loaded with future college and professional talent!

GAME RECAPS

Team NC Rolls to 9–3 Win Over Team PA

Team NC launched their schedule at Founders Park with an authoritative 9–3 victory over Team Pennsylvania. Advanced at-bats and hard-contact barrels set the tone early, while four high-end North Carolina arms combined to dominate the strike zone.

Position Players

  • Ryder Sheffield (SS/OF | North Stanly HS): Jump-started the offense in his first AB, crushing a triple into the right-center gap. Showed elite hand strength, a direct barrel path, and game-breaking speed (4.15s home-to-first on a hard grounder to short).
  • Owen Duncan (SS | Metrolina Christian Academy): Reached base three times (two singles, walk). Unloaded on an elevated fastball for a 95 mph exit velocity line drive to center, and later fought off a tough two-strike pitch inside for an RBI single. Smooth backhand actions and easy carry across the diamond on defense.
  • Sam Piscorik (INF/RHP | Wakefield HS): Drove an early fastball into the opposite-field gap for a double in the 1st inning. Continues to display high-grade bat speed, loose rhythm, and elite barrel consistency.

Pitching Staff

  • CJ Nixon (LHP | Grace Christian Academy): Tossed two clean innings with a polished 3-pitch mix, moving his fastball in and out while landing a sweeping breaking ball with sharp depth and tilt.
  • Cooper Long (RHP | Terry Sanford HS): Worked two controlled innings of relief, attacking aggressively with a fastball sitting 84–86 mph out of a broad-shouldered frame, complemented by a fading changeup at 76 mph.
  • Owen Todd (LHP | Pro5 Baseball Academy): Generated high swing-and-miss rates from a low slot. Fastball sat 82–85 mph with up to 18 inches of horizontal run, paired with a sweeping breaking ball (69–72 mph, 2300 RPM).
  • Logan Grainger (RHP | Hoggard HS): Located all around the zone with a simple, repeatable delivery. Fastball sat 83–85 mph, set up by a late-fading changeup (73–74 mph, 1650 RPM) and a tight breaking ball (72–73 mph, 2300 RPM).

GAME 2 RECAPS

Team NC Rallies Past Team VA (6–3)

In a rain-shortened affair at Lexington County Ballpark, Team NC overcame an early deficit to capture their second straight victory, topping Team Virginia in six innings.

Position Players

  • Ryder Sheffield (SS/OF | North Stanly HS): Ripped a two-strike breaking ball off the right-field wall for a double, demonstrating superb pitch recognition and body control.
  • Kingston Rupert (OF | Wilmington Christian Academy): Blazed down the line with a 4.25s home-to-first time on a hard grounder in his first AB. In the 5th, hit a go-ahead RBI single off the 1B bag, outrunning the defense to extend the inning.
  • Cooper Long (INF | Terry Sanford HS): Turned in a 2-for-2 performance, blistering an opposite-field double into the right-center gap followed by a hard-hit single to left.
  • Owen Duncan (SS | Metrolina Christian Academy): Continued his extra-base streak with a hard double to right-center field.
  • Cole Christian (C/RHP | South Mecklenburg HS): Crushed a deep triple over the center fielder’s head to extend Team NC's lead. Defensively, showed flexible mobility, smooth receiving, and a strong arm with true carry to second base.

Pitching Staff

  • Noah Rumley (LHP | Revolution Academy): Driven by an explosive high 3/4 slot, the physical lefty flashed massive potential, driving his fastball up to 90 mph.
  • Sam Piscorik (INF/RHP | Wakefield HS): Came on in relief, pumping fastballs in the 85–87 mph range from a 3/4 slot to generate soft contact.
  • Colton Pettinato (INF/RHP | Metrolina Christian Academy): Flooded the strike zone in a clean inning prior to the rain delay, displaying an athletic arm path and easy movement down the mound.

Team Select Live-AB Evaluation vs. Team Massachusetts

Saturday night rain in Columbia rendered parts of the field unplayable, preventing a traditional game format. Instead, Team Select pitchers faced off against live hitters from Massachusetts, and vice versa.

  • Aiden Kirkland (RHP | High Point Christian Academy)
    • Scouting Notes: Started the session and missed bats consistently with an electric fastball (84–86 mph) that featured elite vertical movement—registering up to 24 inches of Induced Vertical Break (IVB). He mixed in a curveball (69–70 mph, 1900 RPM) and a cutter at 78 mph. An athletic mover with an "effectively wild" presence that kept hitters uncomfortable throughout.
  • Jacob Frangipane (SS | Home School)
    • Scouting Notes: Continued to turn in quality plate appearances. Made in-at-bat adjustments to stay on the barrel, capping off one AB with a line-drive single to right field off a flat, strong-handed swing.
  • Max Liriano (SS | Eastern Carolina Academy)
    • Scouting Notes: Provided the loudest swing of the live session, launching a 91 mph exit-velocity home run into the left-field seats at Founders Park, displaying high-end power potential as his athletic frame matures.

GAME 3 FINALE: TEAM NC WALKS OFF TEAM SELECT

The final game of the showcase featured an all-North Carolina battle as Team NC took on Team Select. Carrying an intensity that rivaled "Rivalry Sunday" from the Future Games, the matchup lived up to the hype.

Team NC built an early lead, scoring in each of the first four innings. Team Select showed resilience, battling back to tie the game in the top of the 7th. In the bottom of the 7th with the bases loaded, Team NC plated the winning run on a clutch, pressure-packed ground ball to secure the walk-off win.

With the victory, Team NC finished the event undefeated at 3–0, while Team Select finished 1–1 with an impressive showing in live game settings.

Game 3 Pitching Breakdown

  • Landen McElhinny (RHP | Corvian HS) — Team NC
    • Set a dominant early tone in Innings 1–2, retiring every batter he faced. Pounded the zone at 83–86 mph with heavy sink metrics that generated consistent soft contact while missing bats with both his fastball and breaking ball.
  • Dennis Andrison (RHP | Topsail HS) — Team NC
    • Worked Innings 3–4 with his fastball topping out at 85 mph with carry. Featured a sharp breaking ball (68–71 mph, 2200 RPM) with depth. His raw stuff played well above the radar readings, disrupting hitters' timing.
  • Karsen Dodd (SS/RHP | Providence HS) — Team NC
    • Took the 5th inning, moving easily down the mound at 83–86 mph and spinning a breaking ball up to 2337 RPM (74 mph).
  • Cole Christian (C/RHP | South Mecklenburg HS) — Team NC
    • Pitched the 6th inning with impressive power metrics. Fastball reached 86 mph with elite carry (23.5 inches of IVB), paired with a 12/6 breaking ball (68–75 mph, 2100 RPM). Generated multiple swing-and-misses in the zone.
  • Owen Duncan (SS/RHP | Metrolina Christian Academy) — Team NC
    • Showcased high-end dual-prospect capability in a clean 7th inning. Worked effortlessly down his line, pumping fastballs at 86–89 mph with carry and run, paired with an advanced breaking ball (74–78 mph, 2500 RPM).
  • Jacob Frangipane (SS/RHP | Home School) — Team Select
    • Kept Team Select in striking distance with two strong innings of relief (5th & 6th). Working from a low-3/4 slot with long limbs, he fired a heavy sinker (81–84 mph, averaging 14 inches of horizontal movement) and a sweeping slider (71–72 mph, 2350 RPM).
  • Keaton Larsen (SS/RHP | Pro5 Baseball ) – Team NC
    • Worked a bullpen in prior the game. Due to the rain on Saturday, Larsen was pushed to a bullpen where he impressed with his ability to spin the baseball. Fastball ranged 83-85 at 2061rpm. The breaking ball is what caught the attention of scouts with a peak spin rate of 3,000rpm, averaging 2937rpm. Hard action with heavier sweep than depth but still with 10/4 tilt, ranging 72-74.

Game 3 Offensive Highlights

Team NC