The
2015 college baseball season wrapped up last Wednesday night in
Omaha, and the Virginia Cavaliers defied the odds by winning their
first College World Series title in school history. The 2015
Cavaliers’ team will always be a part of college baseball history,
and three Cavalier players have also managed to make Perfect Game
Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) history as well.
With
three former PGCBL standouts on the roster, Virginia’s Matt Thaiss,
Ernie Clement, and Jack Gerstenmaier all became part of PGCBL history
by becoming the first players to win a College World Series title
after appearing in the PGCBL in years prior.
While
the entire Virginia team was battle tested throughout 2015, catcher
Matt Thaiss acknowledges that the PGCBL, “was a great decision that
helped me prepare to play college baseball at a high level.”
Thaiss
played with Watertown in 2013, Clement with Albany and Gerstenmaier
with Newark last summer.
As
the 2015 postseason concluded at TD Ameritrade Park, second baseman
Ernie Clement was the first to receive postseason hardware that was
not the national championship trophy. After delivering a clutch
two-out, two-run single during Tuesday night’s win-or-go-home game
two, Clement cemented himself as a sure pick for the All World Series
team, going 3-for-4 in game two and 3-for-7 in the championship
series overall.
Clement
may have received extra postseason hardware, but the work of Matt
Thaiss behind the plate was nothing short of sensational throughout
the year. Splitting time between catcher and designate hitter
throughout the regular season, Thaiss batted .323 in the middle of
the Cavs' order and in the postseason also took over as the full-time
man behind the dish. As Virginia’s pitching staff began to dominate
in their late run for a title, Thaiss became the battery mate for an
explosive staff that was constantly delivering throughout May and
June.
“We
have a very talented pitching staff and team,” Thaiss said. “We
shut the door when we needed to, and I believe that’s a testament
to the understanding our team has all together.”
As
Thaiss locked down the staff from behind the plate, Jack Gerstenmaier
did the same in the Cavalier outfield. With an unquestioned ability
to work the outfield day in and day out, Gerstenmaier became one of
the defensive leaders for a club that needed quality defensive play
while the Cavalier bats struggled at times at the plate. With a
primary focus on the defensive side of the ball, Gerstenmaier managed
to use his versatility as a key factor for a Cavaliers team that was
in the middle of a magical run for a championship.
“All
of our guys played a huge role,” Thaiss stated. “We were a team
that needed different guys to step up in different situations and
they did.”
In
the middle of the season, the Cavaliers began to get healthy, and as
Matt Thaiss states, “that’s when things started to click.” As
health returned to the club, the Cavaliers new they had what it took
to win in Omaha.
“If
we played our style of ball, we knew we could make a run at a title,”
Thaiss said. And just like that, Virginia found themselves right back
in the mix after sweeping their Regional and Super Regional on the
way to a College World Series appearance that ended in a
championship.
Over
the years the PGCBL has delivered its fair share of special talent
that has flocked to bigger and better heights. While these three men
accomplished that goal last Wednesday, Thaiss agrees that the time he
spent in the PGCBL was also a learning experience that helped him
prepare for the grind of college baseball.
“It
taught me how to play away from home, and go up against top
competition day in and day out,” Thaiss said. “I believe the
PGCBL is the best summer league in the country, and I wouldn’t
change my decision to play there for anything.”
With
the PGCBL continuing to grow to new heights in 2015 by adding the
Saugerties Stallions and Victor RailRiders, competition has
strengthened within the league’s core. As one of the top collegiate
summer leagues in the country, the winning ways of past performers
like Thaiss, Clement, and Gerstenmaier seem to be opening the door
for more talented college prospects to take their talents to New York
in the summer months.
“I
would absolutely encourage guys to play in Upstate New York,”
Thaiss added. “I was there as a senior in high school and it really
taught to how to grow and mature as a person and a player.”
With
new facilities, talent, and superb coaching on hand, The PGCBL has
proven itself as a top spot for college talent. Now, as the league
continues to grow bigger and better, the question becomes how big the
PGCBL can be as it continues to impress with its upward trending
league.