CEDAR
RAPIDS, Iowa – With over 1,300 people inside Veterans Memorial Park
in Little Falls, N.Y., on Monday night, the fifth annual Perfect Game
Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) All-Star festivities proved once
again a major success.
The
night kicked off with several players from around the league
partaking in the home run derby – won by Saugerties' Clint Hardy –
and then headed into a high atmosphere All-Star Game that took center
stage shortly thereafter. Although the East picked up an 18-2 victory
over the West, Mohawk Valley Owner/General Manager Travis Heiser
believed many fans and scouts alike got to watch top PGCBL talent
perform in a grand setting.
“It
was a great event that generated a lot of buzz around the park,”
Heiser said. “From players looking to show off their skills in
front of scouts, to a game that was full excitement throughout.”
The
game was held at the home of Mohawk Valley, where two DiamondDawgs
players received the honor of performing in front of their home
crowd. Troy Scocca, an outfielder for the DiamondDawgs, could have
easily been the All-Star Game MVP, going 3-for-3 with three RBI,
while Mohawk Valley infielder Sam Machonis went 1-for-3 with an RBI
as well. As Scocca and Machonis made the home crowd proud, Scocca
reflected on the opportunity the two received on Monday evening.
“It
was great to play in front of our home crowd and MLB scouts from
several teams,” Scocca said. “Playing at home gave us an
incentive to go out there and try to win a game for the fans and
Little Falls.”
2015
has been a year to remember for the Mohawk Valley organization.
Playing host to the All-Star festivities while also pushing towards a
playoff berth, Scocca believes the 2015 club could make it even more
memorable if they keep making strides to improve on a 23-17 record
that places them second in the East Division.
“Our
goal is to win a championship,” Scocca added. “We have hit some
rough spots, but I feel like we have played our best baseball in the
last two weeks.”
Scocca
and Machonis not surprisingly are providing a large bulk of the
offense for the DiamondDawgs this season. Heading into Thursday's
action Scocca was hitting .340 with 18 extra-base hits and 35 driven
in. Machonis was just behind him with a .336 average, 12 extra-base
hits and 13 stolen bases. Scocca believes he, Machonis and the rest
of his teammate will have to to stay hot if they want to make a deep
run in the playoffs that start in a week.
“We
have to keep giving our pitchers a lot of support,” Scocca said.
“We have been hitting the ball very well which will help our
bullpen and give us an advantage coming down the stretch.”
Playing
in one of the top collegiate summer leagues in the country, scoring
runs is always at a premium, and giving pitchers rest is what will
also prove to be key as Scocca mentioned. While Mohawk Valley has
given their pitchers plenty of run support this far, Scocca and
company will have to continue to do so as the PGCBL’s top teams
start to make headway towards the top.
Holding
the best record in the league in their last 10 games, Mohawk Valley
has hit their stride at the right time. Going 8-2 over that stretch,
Machonis believes the late success should be credited to the
DiamondDawgs chemistry as a whole and the leadership within their
ranks.
“We
have great team chemistry and our coaches have confidence in us to go
out there and get the job done. Situational hitting and staying on
the same routine have been a big part of our team. If we continue to
stay within ourselves everything will work out.”
As
the regular season nears an end, the DiamondDawgs have one goal in
mind, to win a championship. From Owner and General Manager Travis
Heiser on down to the coaching staff and players, Machonis says
everyone has the same mindset as the regular season draws to a close.
“We
knew coming here the goal was to win a championship and that’s what
we’re planning to do to close out the season.”