After a long wait, the premier youth event of the Spring in the Central region is finally here, ladies and gentleman it is KC Youth World Series week. The Youth World Series will include over 140 teams spanning across 11 divisions all looking for the same result: bring home a world series banner. The World Series will be played across 6 different venues including PBKC's Creekside and Homefield complexes as well as The University of Saint Mary, Macken Park, and Bonner Springs High School. The Bash is set to include 51 teams from outside of the MOKAN area representing their respective states of Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Before we break into the teams making their way into the PBKC circuit to take on the World Series, let's take a peak into last year's champions as well as the players who will be joining us this weekend with a history of success here in Kansas City. 

Last year's champions: 

14u D1: Cedar Rapids Reds - Red turned in a +24 run differential in the bracket to take home the title. 

14u D2: The Blue Jays earned their banner in a 12-11 barn burner in the title bout. 

14u D3: KC Blues dominated their division with a +53 run differential on the weekend. 

13u D1: Nebraska Sodbusters upset the #1 overall seed and ran the gauntlet to earn their banner. 

13u D2: MMW Missouri Capitol earned their rings with an offensive explosion of 14 runs in the title game. 

13u D3: 36 HWY Aces won their division after finishing pool play 0-2 and climbing all the way back to upset the #1 seed in the title game.

12u D1/D2: Building Champions - Hernandez plated over 13 runs a game in their two bracket play bouts to bring home a title. 

12u D3: Building Champions - Gryszowka won their division to sweep 12u for Building Champions. 

11u D1: STL Klutch - McClellan plated 35 runs in two bracket play games to sweep their division.

11u D2/D3: Rebels Select averaged over 10 runs per game in the bracket to claim their championship win.

10u D1/D2: STL Klutch - Jungermann allowed just two runs in the bracket on their way to a World Series win. 

10u D3: The Wichita Blueclaws finished the weekend with a +22 run differential on their way to a banner in the World Series. 

Before we dive into the teams to watch as the Bash kicks off, let's take a look at the standouts making their way back out to the fields this weekend: 

Catchers:

2030 Taylan Egly (US Nationals Mid South)

2030 Ryker Graverson (Staley Sluggers)

2030 Leo Guastello (Old School Ducks - Williams)

2030 Joseph Mulcahy (Engaged Athletics - Paine)

2030 Blake Samson (Inside Edge - Asher)

2030 Jarrett Schroeger (Team KC - Major)

Infielders:

2030 Casey Beck (Engaged Athletics - Black)

2030 Baylor Huppert (MBA Top Dogg - Black)

2030 Eli McDaniel (Inside Edge - Asher) 

2030 Rawley Mihlfeld (Old School Ducks - Williams) 

2030 Sean Mills (MMW Missouri National) 

2030 James Racker (Millard National - Centeno)

2031 Kash Scalf (Canes MW National)

2030 Zaye Truett (Indians)

2030 Jacoby VanWinkle (Old School Ducks - Williams) 

Outfielders:

2030 Vedder Arrington (MMW Missouri National)

2030 Chaseton Brown (Prime 27:17 Black)

2030 Landon Dean (Engaged Athletics - Black)

2030 Hudson Findlay (Inside Edge - Asher) 

2030 Brady French (Old School Ducks - Williams) 

2030 Couper Gear (Patriot Sports Club)

2030 Jude Johnson (Engaged Athletics)

2030 Creighton Lutt (Prime 27:17 Black) 

2030 Mateo Lopez (Team KC - Major)

2030 Brady Willis (Patriots Sports Club)

Utility:

2030 Avery Box (Inside Edge - Elliott)

2031 Jody Crosby (Wow Factor OK)

2030 Jayce Howell (Inside Edge - Elliott) 

2030 JJ Lundell (Prime 27:17)

2030 Fabien Palomarez (Staley Sluggers)

2030 Jax Thompson (Canes MW National)

Arms:

2030 Brayson Cox (Old School Ducks - Williams)

2030 Drake Miner (Engaged Athletics)

Two-Ways: 

2030 Cam Agness (Old School Ducks - Williams)

2030 Kaysen Barber (Inside Edge - Asher)

2030 Boston Briggs (Indians)

2030 Drake Bush (Prime 27:17 Black)

2030 AJ Gutierrez (Prime 27:17 - Black)

2030 Carter Hutfles (Millard National - Centeno)

2030 Kooper Long (US Nationals Mid South) 

2030 Kolt Neilson (Patriots Sports Club)

2030 Kellan Rozgay (Millard National - Centeno)

2030 Izer Scott (Patriots Sports Club)

2030 Greyson Wilson (Prime 27:17 - Black)

Now for the teams to watch coming into this weekend: 

14u 

MOKAN:

Old School Ducks - Williams Is undoubtedly the highest ceiling 14u squad in the KC area. With 2 PBKC title already under their belt this Spring, look for the Ducks offense to dominate as they cruise their way into a top seed in the bracket this weekend. Players to watch following the Bash include Leo Guastello, Jacoby VanWinkle, Brady French, and Ben Savaiinaea.

Prime 27:17 Black is after their 4th title of the year again this weekend and with players like Drake Bush and JJ Lundell continuing to trend upward expect them to be right back in the mix on Sunday in the bash. 

Patriots Sport Club will be amped and ready to get back to their winning ways in the World Series after an early exit in the Bash on Sunday. Look for Brady Willis and company to make a deep run this weekend in an effort to claim their 2nd PBKC title of the Spring. 

Staley Sluggers: Fresh off a title in the Bash, the Sluggers are back to prove they're a dominant force in the 14u ranks. With guys like Fabian Palomarez, Jacob Hollandsworth and Ryker Graverson fresh off huge weekends at the plate, look for the Sluggers to ride a red hot offense deep into a World Series run. 

Traveling Teams 

5 Star Great Lakes National: 5 Star baseball has been one of the premier travel baseball organizations since its inception nation wide, with MLB playing experience filling up a long list of alumni who were proud to wear the Star. Look for the Great Lakes National squad to bring some of the top young talent in the Great Lakes region and be playing deep into the bracket this weekend. 

Canes Midwest National: This squad is a mix of some of the best 13/14u players from Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma looking to come back and take their first PBKC title of the year after a finalist finish in the KC Challenge earlier on in the Spring. Look for players like Kash Scalf, Jax Thompson, and Fielder Grebert to lead the charge in the World Series this weekend. 

Iowa Sticks 2030 - McCool: The Iowa Sticks are another program that is no stranger to their share of success in development. In their storied 19 years as a program they've accumilated over 300 college and pro alumni. Look for this next generation of top end talent to not only find themselves deep into a World Series run this weekend, but for the rest of their careers as they continue to grow under the Sticks brand. 

Millard National - Centeno: If there was a team with a target on their backs coming into this weekend, it would be last year's Super 13 champion in Coach Centeno's Millard National squad. With one title already in the PBKC circuit in a strong Super Select earlier this Spring, look for the two-way 1-2 punch of Carter Hutfles and Kellan Rozgay to lead their team deep into a World Series run this weekend. 

Arkansas Prospects 2030: Last but certainly not least in this teams to watch portion are the Arkansas Prospects. Their program is another that has turned out hundreds of college commitments leading in development in the Midsouth region and with a talented 2030 roster they seem to be trending in the right direction. Look for players like Paxton Lynch and Kallen Horn to stoke the engine on a deep playoff run this weekend. 

13u and under (By State)

Arkansas: Upper Deck (13u D2), Legacy - Craft (11u D1/D2)

Illinois: Wow Factor 217 (13u D2), Canes CI - Krause (12u D1), Illinois Tigers - Black (12u D1, 10u D1/D2), Top Tier Springfield - Red (12u D1), 

Iowa: 3T's Gold (13u D1, 11u D1/D2), Legacy Scout (13u D2), Flash (11u D3), Canes Iowa - Arter (10u D1/D2)

Nebraska: Millard Elite (13u D1), Columbus Mariners (13u D2), Omaha Gladiators (13u D2), Papillion Storm Chasers Gold (13u D2), Kearney Titans (12u D1), Nebraska Prospects 2032 (12u D1), Omaha Pacesetters (12u D1), MBA Cyclones - White (11u D3), Stormchasers - White (11u D1/D2), Stormchasers - Gold (11u D1/D2), Tigers - Black (11u D1/D2), 

Oklahoma: OK Warbirds (13u D2), Sandlot - Taylor (12u D1)

Texas: Texas Monarchs (13u D2)