Day One of 15U Champs NC set the stage for a highly competitive tournament, with pitchers across the board making an early statement. From dominant starts to clutch relief appearances, the mound was the centerpiece of several tightly contested matchups. Precision, poise, and power were on full display as hurlers navigated tough lineups and kept hitters off balance. As the tournament unfolds, these early performances have already raised the bar and hinted at the high level of talent taking the field this week.

Lito Diaz, Canes National

The East Cobb Astros 15U struggled to find its offensive rhythm through six innings, as Lito Diaz dominated the mind with a lights-out performance for the Canes National 2028 15U.From the opening frame, Diaz set the tone, striking out the side in the first and keeping the Astros hitless. Despite a few base runners slipping through the cracks via walks and a stolen base by Preston Bottoms in the sixth, East Cobb could not find its footing.

Griffin Gowens’ popout stranded Bottoms at second, capping yet another scoreless inning. In total, Diaz notched 10 strikeouts in five innings, including five consecutive Ks spanning across the fourth and fifth.

Chase Gockenbach, Atlanta Braves Scout Team STB

Behind a stellar outing from right-hander Chase Gockenbach, the Atlanta Braves Scout Team 15U shut down ZT Elite 15U with four scoreless innings to stay in command from start to finish. Gockenbach was electric on the mound, striking out six batters, including four looking, and allowing just one hit and one walk in five shutout innings of work.

Gockenbach worked efficiently, using a mix of sharp breaking balls and well-placed fastballs to keep hitters off balance. He struck out the side in the second inning and showed poise under pressure, getting out of a jam in the third by picking off a runner at first and fanning two more. ZT Elite’s offense never found a rhythm as Gockenbach set the tone early and kept it there. His presence was also felt at the plate, reaching base multiple times and helping to extend innings. ZT Alliance never advanced a runner past second base during his time on the mound, a testament to both his dominance and the Braves' clean defensive work behind him.

Gockenbach’s final line: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K—a complete performance from the Braves’ ace that paved the way for a composed, shutout effort.

Isaiah Nunez, Bengals Baseball

Isaiah Nunez was electric on the mound for Bengals Baseball in its 2-0 win over PRD in the early morning round. After yielding a single in the opening at-bat, Nunez honed in and forced three-straight outs in only five pitches. Nunez fanned five PRD batters over the course of 6.1 innings, nearly notching a complete game. In his performance, Nunez only gave up four hits and a walk to keep PRD scoreless throughout his outing. With tensions rising and emotions high, Nunez was calm and collected on the mound, helping his team stay ahead throughout the contest to secure his side the victory.

Garrett Harper, Scorpions Scout Purple

Scorpion’s flamethrower, Garrett Harper, had a fantastic day on the mound in the second slate of games on opening day at 15U Champs NC. The lefty notched eight strikeouts in 4.1 scoreless innings of work in a 3-2 loss to Canes National. Despite the loss. Harper was eerily effective, only allowing two walks and a single hit that came in the third frame. In his dazzling performance, Harper started hot with two early punchouts in the top of the first frame and he would later rake in three strikeouts in the top of the third. In total, Harper threw 56 percent of his pitches for strikeouts while fanning 8-of-16 batters.