Browsing: scouting

Gavin McKenna headlines top NHL Draft prospects on Central Scouting list

Penn State freshman Gavin McKenna is one of 27 players to get an A rating from NHL Central Scouting in the preliminary players to watch list for next year’s draft.

The list, released Monday, gives an A rating to players considered first-round candidates.

McKenna, who moved to the NCAA from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers this season after a rule change by the U.S. college sports governing body, has one goal and five assists in six games for Penn State to start the season.

The Whitehorse native is playing against older competition than in the CHL, where he led the Tigers to the Memorial Cup final last season and was named the top player in the country.

Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino had McKenna ranked No. 1 in his October rankings for the draft.

All players in Cosentino’s top five also got A ratings — Frolunda winger Ivar Stenberg, North Dakota defenceman Keaton Verhoeff, Windsor Spitfires winger Ethan Belchetz and Niagara IceDogs centre Ryan Roobroeck.

Other notable players to get A grades include WHL scoring leader JP Hurlbert of the Kamloops Blazers, QMJHL defence scoring leader Xavier Villeneuve of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armanda and WHL defence scoring leader Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants.

The OHL leads the way with eight A prospects.

Here’s a list of all players to receive an A grade:

LW Ethan Belchetz (Windsor Spitfires, OHL)
D Carson Carels (Prince George Cougars, WHL)
C Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting, OHL)
D Malte Gustafsson (HV71 Jr., Sweden)
LW Oscar Hemming (Espoo, Finland)
RW Elton Hermansson (Modo, Sweden)
LW JP Hurlbert (Kamloops Blazers, WHL)
RW Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit, OHL)
C Tynan Lawrence (Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL)
D Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants, WHL)
C Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs, OHL)
LW Gavin McKenna (Penn State, NCAA)
LW Marcus Nordmark (Djurgarden, Sweden)
LW Adam Novotny (Peterborough Petes, OHL)
D Juho Piiparinen (Tappara, Finland)
RW Mathis Preston (Spokane Chiefs, WHL)
D Chase Reid (Soo Greyhounds, OHL)
C Brooks Rogowski (Oshawa Generals, OHL)
LW Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs, OHL)
D Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL)
D Luke Schairer (U.S. national development team, USHL)
C Egor Shilov (Victoriaville Tigres, QMJHL)
D Alberts Smits (Jukurit, Finland)
LW Ivar Stenberg (Frolunda, Sweden)
C Oliver Suvanto (Tappara, Finland)
D Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota, NCAA)
D Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)

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Basketball

Dolphins GM, Staff Scouting John Mateer, Oklahoma vs. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

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The Miami Dolphins are taking an interest in an SEC matchup on Saturday featuring two talented quarterback prospects.

Per ESPN’s Jordan Reid, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and other representatives from Miami are in attendance for the Oklahoma vs. South Carolina game, where Sooners quarterback John Mateer will battle Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

Mateer and Sellers have had mixed results through the first half of the season, though injuries have been a factor for both.

Mateer, who spent three years at Washington State before joining the Sooners this offseason, has thrown for 1,417 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions, adding 195 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.

He suffered a hand injury that required surgery in a win over Auburn in September, though that injury sidelined him for just one game.

Sellers, who was widely projected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft coming into the year, hasn’t performed the way some scouts perhaps thought he would.

The redshirt sophomore has thrown for 1,010 yards, four touchdowns and a pair of interceptions, collecting 117 yards and a score on the ground. He has played all six of the Gamecocks’ contests, though he missed most of their loss to Vanderbilt after a first-half injury.

While neither Mateer nor Sellers has been among the top quarterbacks in their conference this season, the Dolphins, and likely other teams, seem to have interest, perhaps due to their potential.

Miami’s potential interest in the two quarterbacks comes amid individual struggles from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and struggles as a whole. Tagovailoa, who still has three years left on his four-year, $212.4 million contract, has thrown for 1,213 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions through six games as the Dolphins have gone 1-5.

He also called out his teammates and the team’s leadership following last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Whether the Dolphins are on the lookout for Tagovailoa’s possible replacement or just a backup is unclear, but their presence at Saturday’s game is notable.

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Best Players & Scouting Tools

Absolute cinema.

No two words better capture the drama of the 2025 Triple-A National Championship finale on Saturday night at Las Vegas Ballpark

In a game that saw the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp blow a five-run lead over the final two innings, it all came down to one final swing. Jacob Berry delivered the moment of the night: a towering two-run walk-off homer that stunningly sealed the title with a 8-6 win.

From collapse to coronation, Berryâ€s clutch blast was a storybook ending written in real time.

Although most of the action came in the later portion of the game, there were plenty of players who stood out. Here are our superlatives as the 2025 MiLB season comes to an end.

Best Player: Jacob Berry, OF, Marlins

Talk about redemption. Berry has yet to live up to his draft status as the sixth pick in the 2022 draft and fell out of the Marlins’ Top 30 Prospects earlier this year. Yet he delivered one of the most clutch performances of the season for the organization. Down a run in the ninth with a runner on first, Berry launched a two-run walk-off homer on the first pitch he saw. He finished the night 2-for-4 with three RBIs—a statement performance on the biggest stage.

Best Hitter: Jack Winkler, OF, Marlins

Getting production from the No. 9 spot in the lineup is always a bonus and Winkler delivered in a big way. After an error by Ryan Lasko extended the inning, Winkler made the Aâ€s pay by crushing a two-run homer to give Jacksonville a 2-1 lead in the third inning. He stayed hot in the fifth, ripping a double off Anthony Maldonado and scoring on a Victor Mesa Jr. double. A timely, all-around offensive performance against his former organization for the Athletics’ 10th-round pick in 2021.

Best Power: Joe Mack, C, Marlins

Baseball Americaâ€s No. 42 prospect capped his breakout season with authority. Mack unloaded on a 414-foot, two-run shot in the third inning that splashed into the Las Vegas Ballpark pool at 103.8 mph off the bat. He also cut down Ryan Lasko on a steal attempt the next inning, flashing his all-around value.

Best Batting Practice: Daniel Susac, C, Athletics

Batting practice at high elevation is always a show, but Susac took it to another level. With Aâ€s legend Dave Stewart looking on from behind the cage, the 2022 first-rounder launched multiple balls off the scoreboard and even into the netting near the adjacent City National Arena. It was a reminder that Susacâ€s bat has big-league power.

Best Defensive Play: Luke Mann, 3B, Athletics

Even in an offense-heavy contest, Mann flashed the leather. Entering as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, Mann was immediately tested defensively, making a diving grab at third base to rob Berry of an opposite-field hit and potentially extra bases. It was an instant impact and one of the defensive highlights of the night.

Best Pitcher: William Kempner, RHP, Marlins

Kempner turned in a lights-out relief outing for Jacksonville, keeping the heart of Las Vegas†order off balance through two scoreless innings. Mixing five pitches, including a nasty cutter, Kempner struck out three batters and generated five whiffs, which was the second-most of any pitcher on the night. His calm presence and effectiveness in a high-leverage spot made all the difference.

Worst Moment: Ryan Lasko, OF, Athletics

Rough night might be putting it lightly. Lasko had a pair of defensive miscues that proved costly and one will likely live on highlight reels for the wrong reasons. In the third inning, he misjudged a routine flyball off the bat of Nathan Martorella, which bounced off his head and allowed Martorella to reach. Jack Winkler followed with a go-ahead homer, and Joe Mack added another two-run blast later in the frame. Lasko later dropped another flyball in the sixth, capping a forgettable night in the outfield.

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