After yesterday’s look at the award winners from the Fresh 50, the older group gets their turn. The 2028 grad class was featured in this year’s New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series Underclass Premier, held for a second consecutive season at Dunkin’ Park, home of the Colorado Rockies Double-A affiliate, the Hartford Yard Goats.
This was, as it’s been since the inception of the event, a loaded weekend and these rosters were no different. Ultimately, the development and coaching staffs had some very difficult decisions to make on just who would be winning our Most Outstanding Hitter, Most Outstanding Pitcher and Most Valuable Player honors.
MOST OUTSTANDING HITTER — Soniel Nivar, SS/2B, 5-10, 170
A somewhat local product out of Massachusetts and the Boston Area Academy (BAA) Hammerheads program, Nivar delivered both at the plate as well as with the glove in the middle of the diamond for the Purple squad. He impressed the staff with his ability to drive the ball as well as his approach at the plate and emerged as an underdog winner of the prestigious honor.
“It’s amazing to be selected out of so many talented players,” Nivar said. ”
MOST OUTSTANDING PITCHER — Jackson Stewart, RHP/3B, 6-3, 195
The line speaks for itself, really: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K. The NorCal product, who earned his way to Hartford after an impressive showing in Houston at our Underclass Combine, is a legitimate two-way threat and brings an advanced physical presence for his age at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds. While he also provided some excitement with the bat, notably sending a hard hit ball to left field for a single, what he was able to do on the mound is what saw him truly stand out on this particular weekend.
“It was super competitive,” Stewart said. “When I was out there pitching, it was a great time. I was out there, confident. Since Houston, I’ve dialed in all my pitches and worked on filling up the zone, not dancing on people and just being competitive.”
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER — Kyndall Tausch, RHP/CF, 6-1, 185
Tausch earned MVP honors for the Underclass Premier with a strong two-way showing, but what he did on the mound likely swayed the voting the most. The FSS veteran, who we’ve seen dating back to a Tyler Spartans Scout Day back in 2023, turned in a dominant at times outing on Saturday afternoon, using a physical frame and three-pitch mix to keep the opposition off-balance through the majority of his innings.
“Shocked, excited,” Tausch said of winning the award. “I used to be more of a hitter, but now I’ve transitioned more to a pitcher.”
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
- Tausch, Stewart, Nivar take home Underclass Premier hardware - September 18, 2025
- Monterosso, Gregg, Turgeon earn Fresh 50 honors in Hartford - September 17, 2025
- Underclass Premier, Fresh 50 set to return to Hartford’s Dunkin’ Park this weekend - September 10, 2025
