With the 2017 summer league season days away, players from across the country will make their way to upstate New York to spend a summer in one of the nation’s premier collegiate summer leagues — the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
Founded in 2010, the PGCBL is home to 13 teams surrounding the Albany, New York area. The teams are divided into an eastern division — Albany Dutchmen, Amsterdam Mohawks, Glens Falls Dragons, Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs, Oneonta Outlaws, Saugerties Stallions and Utica Blue Sox — and western division — Adirondack Trail Blazers, Elmira Pioneers, Geneva Red Wings, Jamestown Jammers, Newark Pilots and Onondaga Flames.
Some notable storylines to follow throughout the two-month season begin with the reigning PGCBL champions, the Amsterdam Mohawks, who will host the league’s All-Star Game on July 18, 2017. Amsterdam will still be the team to beat, as they are coming off their fourth PGCBL title, especially impressive considering the league began in 2011.
Exciting additions to the 325-game slate for the PGCBL are 14 exhibition games for eight of the teams. They will face talent from Capital City Reds (Canada U-22), The Cages Baseball Club (Massachusetts U-22), Albany Senators and Athletics of the Twilight League, Syracuse Salt Cats (NYCBL) and Houston Astros’ Class-A short season affiliate Tri-City Valley Cats.
With 2017 NCAA Regionals beginning Friday, the PGCBL will host players from 17 notable postseason contenders. Kentucky, Louisville, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, Dallas Baptist, Virginia, St. Johns, Auburn, Maryland, Rice, NC State, Sacramento State, Indiana, Iowa, Baylor, South Florida and UMBC will be represented on the rosters for Amsterdam, Albany, Elmira, Newark, Saugerties, Jamestown, Utica and Mohawk Valley for the 2017 summer season.
Jumping ahead to the PGCBL postseason, the 50-game regular season will come to a close at the end of July. The new playoff format allows the top four teams in each division to face off in a one-game playoff. The Nos. 1 and 4 seeds will play each other, as the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds square off to determine the teams that will advance to the East Division Championship and the West Division Championship. The divisional championship will be a best of three, with the top-seeded teams hosting games one and three. Once in the PGCBL Championship, the higher seeded is based on regular season record, and will host games two and three.
Schedules for all teams and PGCBL events can be found at pgcbl.com.