2015 PGCBL Website
CEDAR
RAPIDS, Iowa – With the college baseball season coming to a close,
many collegiate players are looking to hone their skills in summer
leagues all across the country. One of the top summer leagues in the
nation, The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, is a league that
attracts premier talent to play in upstate New York every summer.
The
2015 season will get underway on June 2 with a trio of games
beginning with the Adirondack Trail Blazers taking on the Mohawk
Valley DiamondDawgs. Following the opener, the Utica Brewers will
visit the Saugerties Stallions, and in the nightcap, the Elmira
Pioneers will take on the Albany Dutchmen. With the start of the
league's fifth season now upon us, it’s only a matter of time
before the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) is ready
to kick things off in New York once again.
Since
its inaugural season in 2011, the PGCBL has grown tremendously over
the past four years and has achieved popularity throughout the
country. With the addition of two new teams this year, the Saugerties
Stallions and the Victor Rail Riders, college players will continue
to flock towards the PGCBL for exposure and the chance to play
against top collegiate competition.
Vice
President of the league Justin Mattingly believes the addition of the
two new teams will, “help the league grow and bring competition to
an even higher level.”
“The
RailRiders and Stallions both bring a lot to the table,” Mattingly
further stated. “With cutting edge facilities and great ownership,
we feel the league is taking another step in the right direction by
bringing both teams on board.”
Victor
Rail Riders owner Jim Ludwig also feels confident the fit will be a
great one.
“Our
area has a strong history of good collegiate baseball,” Ludwig
state. “The RailRiders are looking to continue that by bringing a
high level of the college game to the upstate New York region for
fans and players alike.”
Returning
stars like Mike Carter, who batted .430 last summer with 58 hits for
the Adirondack Trail Blazers, and Sean Aspinall of the Albany
Dutchmen, who batted a respectable .336 with 12 doubles, will also
help boost league competition as they will be back in the fold for
their respected teams as well.
New
and upcoming talents will also be on display in New York, as freshman
like LSU’s Grayson Byrd and Florida State's Drew Carlton will be
two of many looking to play large roles over the summer.
Over
the course of the league's history, the PGCBL has also adopted the
rule of allowing each team two spots for graduating high school
seniors who believe they have conquered the high school game and are
declared eligible by Perfect Game to participate in the PGCBL.
This
season, there are four high school seniors who believe they have what
it takes to compete in the PGCBL. They include Dominic DiCaprio, a
product of Coral Springs, FL who is headed to Rice University in the
fall, but first has found a summer home in Albany playing for the
Dutchman.
Following
in his footsteps are Miguel Presno of Plantation, Fla., and John
Stewart of Grenville, N.Y., who will also take full advantage of
their opportunity this summer by filling the two high school spots
for the Glen Falls Dragons. Frankie Gregorie of Simsbury, Conn., will
round out the group of youngsters taking his talents to Newark to
play for the Pilots.
“These
young guys are high powered athletes who are ready to compete at this
level,” Vice President Justin Mattingly added.
Will
such a diverse and highly competitive group of players entering in,
the league looks as if it will be more competitive than ever before
in 2015.
Although
major talent is always coming into the PGCBL, no one has had the long
haul of success the Amsterdam Mohawks have endured since the league
began in 2011. The Mohawks will look to repeat as champions for the
fourth straight season this summer. With a 36-11 record to end last
season, Amsterdam has been the cream of the crop in the PGCBL over
the last four years, winning the last three titles after losing in
the title game in 2011.
“We
have a great baseball community up here,” Coach Keith Griffin
stated. “I’ve been fortunate enough to coach very good players
who have competed at a very high level year in and year out.”
A
young but deep roster will be led by league veteran Brendan Tracy who
batted .277 in Amsterdam last season. Tracy will be a major key to
the Mohawks success this summer as he is the leading returner for the
club. With the loss of their top two pitchers and the league MVP,
Josh Gardiner, who batted a staggering .415 and led the league with a
.543 on-base percentage, the Mohawks will have to adapt quickly.
“A
lot of teams have gotten better,” Coach Griffin said. “It’s
very rare to get players back after one season, so when you do you
have to count on them to be leaders and tell the newcomers about the
credibility the team and organization have garnered over the past
seasons.”
Another
team looking to improve on a successful 2014 campaign is the Elmira
Pioneers. With improving records in each of the last three seasons,
the Pioneers are set to challenge for a playoff berth in 2015. With
offensive firepower returning in Chris Santisteban, who was tied for
the league lead in doubles last season with 13, the Pioneers should
have enough strength to battle for a playoff spot.
With
the PGCBL and Perfect Game being one of the best ways to showcase
your talent as a collegiate player or a high school prospect, many
players have taken their talents to showcases and/or tournaments that
led them directly to the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
This is exactly the case for Lincoln Trial College teammates Eli
Boggess and Jack Hranec this season, as the duo will now play for the
Saugerties Stallions this summer in the PGCBL.
With
the official start of the 2015 season now just days away, we are
closing in on a season that will determine the 2015 Perfect Game
Collegiate Baseball league champion. With two new teams added to the
mix, 10 teams will now battle for the postseason hardware.
Although
only one team will come out on top, Vice President Justin Mattingly
believes these players will gain valuable experience they can take
with them on their next journey.
“At
the end of the day we hope all the players enjoy their time here and
get better as individuals on and off the field.”