On the heels of the biggest event the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series puts on, a new one that’s set to start the process for one day advancing to it is set to begin.
A fresh start, if you will.
The Fresh 50, which features some of the top amateur talent from the 2025 and 2026 grad class with a handful of 2027 standouts mixed in, is set to debut on October 6 at the University of Arizona with two sets of team workouts, and continues the following two days with a total of three, nine-inning games that will provide scouts in attendance the proper opportunity to see some of these players for the very first time.
“When we were reaching out to big league clubs and our advisory board in looking at expanding our list of signature events, one thing we kept consistently hearing was a way to provide more access both for and to our younger group of players, their families and partner programs,” said Program 15 Sports CEO and president, Jeremy Booth.
“This event is squarely focused on shining the spotlight on the abilities of these incredible young athletes while furthering their development and making this experience an important stepping stone on their path to success in life through the game of baseball.”
It also allows for the FSS development and scouting staff — both of whom recommended this group for this event after regional combines, scout days, the national tournaments and Underclass Combines — another opportunity to teach and evaluate a group that will one day help make up the rosters of the Main Event, major college programs and minor and major-league rosters.
For now, however, it’s an opportunity for players to play games on a Power 5 campus — tours will be available on Friday as well — and continue to learn from a staff with decades of big league time and multiple World Series rings.
After the Friday workouts are complete, the games are set to get underway starting Saturday at 11:15 AM with a doubleheader on the docket.
Keeping in mind that pitching decisions are always subject to change at this time, Julian Aleman is set to get the start in Game 1 for the Red Team, followed by Andrew Ferguson, Ethan Barnes and Karson Trichel. They’ll be opposed by Bode Allan, Michael Nicolini, Zavier Garcia and Dylan Wood.
Game 2, set to begin no less than 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener, will have Austin Falkenborg taking the ball for Red, followed by Adam Plascencia, Cody Palacios and intriguing 2027 grad class member Devyn Downs. They’re currently set to be matched by Blue team starter Benjamin Dominguez and a trio of relievers; Ryder DeJournett, Landon Cochran and Cade Segura.
The doubleheader will be followed by another must-see talk from guest speaker Stephen Mackey before the teams report to campus one more time on Sunday afternoon for the finale, which is also set for an 11:15 AM first pitch under the Arizona sun.
Scouts will certainly be pleased with the scheduled trio of arms for the Red team on Sunday, with Watson Storey slated to be followed by Ajonte Bullock and Devin Simonton. Additionally, Rowen Smith is in line to find some work on the mound during the event as well. The Blue Team’s quartet of arms will also attract some eyes; Javier Garcia will work the first two or three frames, followed by Joaquin Renteria, Trey Rangel and Marco Jones.
Furthermore, this event also continues the landmark partnership between the Future Stars Series and DAZN; Booth and Jason Bristol, who host the extremely popular KHOU-TV podcast, Extra Bases, are set to have the call for all three games, which will be seen on the digital leader in sports media after an extremely successful first two broadcasts of both the Underclass Elite and Main Event.
Bristol, a 32-time regional EMMY® Award-winner for both sports anchoring and reporting who also earned three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, will be joined by Booth, who, in addition to his duties with the Future Stars Series, also serves as baseball analyst for CBS-TV KHOU-11 in Houston, for whom he has covered the World Series, MLB Draft, MLB All-Star Game and other major events as a popular media personality, relying on an impressive background as a former big-league scout with the Minnesota Twins, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Seattle Mariners after a lengthy playing and coaching career.
