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League
Strength: **
Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League top 30 prospects (list)
Seven
of the eight teams that played during the inaugural season of the
Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League this summer broke away from
the New York Collegiate Baseball League. The eighth team, the
expansion Newark Pilots, won the first-ever PGCBL championship.
The
Amsterdam Mohawks, who won NYCBL championships in 2009 and 2010 and
lost out to Newark in the league final, boasted most of the league's
best talent, with 11 players listed among the league's top 30
prospects. That talent enabled Amsterdam to post the second-best
regular-season record (30-17) and advance to the championship series
before falling to a surging Newark team, two games to one.
Glens
Falls (31-17) had the best regular-season record, but fell to
Amsterdam in the first round of the playoffs. The Golden Eagles had
three prospects among the top 10, and five overall in the top 30, led
by Yavapai (Ariz.) JC third baseman Josh Anderson, who led the league
in slugging percentage (.676) and was a solid choice as the league's
second-best prospect.
The
top prospect was Campbell senior outfielder Erick Gaylord, who made
the most of his expanded playing time this summer by being named the
league's Player of the Year.
Gaylord
played sparingly in the spring at Campbell, but finished first in the
PGCBL in home runs (10), RBIs (42) and total bases (100); was second
in hits (58) runs (42) and stolen bases (21); and fourth in batting
(.360). Much of his power production came in the days leading up to
the All-Star Game, when he slammed four home runs in one game, six
homers over the course of two days and added another in the all-star
contest.
Newark
claimed the championship on the strength of one of the better
starting staffs in the league, with three pitchers listed on the
league's top prospect list. Righthander Dominick Ruscitti, who was
named the PGCBL's pitcher of the year, led the circuit in wins (6)
and ERA (1.82). Fellow righthander Carson Beauchaine finished second
in strikeouts (60) and third in ERA (2.00), while lefthander Justin
D'Amato finished fourth in strikeouts (52). All three pitched well,
despite coming from NCAA Division II or III programs.
As
good as that trio was for the Pilots, the overall the pitching in the
PGCBL’s inaugural season was considered down across the league, at
least relative to what coaches and scouts had seen while still a part
of the New York Collegiate Baseball League in 2010.
FAST
FACTS
Year
League Established: 2011.
States
Represented in League: New
York.
No.
of Teams in League:
8.
Regular-Season
Champion / best overall record:
Glens Falls Golden Eagles (31-17).
Post-Season
Champion: Newark
Pilots.
Teams,
PG CrossChecker Summer 50/Final Ranking:
No. 29 Newark Pilots, No. 37 Amsterdam Mohawks, No. 49 Glens Falls
Golden Eagles.
Player
of the Year:
Erick Gaylord, of, Watertown Wizards.
Pitcher
of the Year:
Dominick Ruscitti, rhp, Newark Pilots.
BATTING
LEADERS (League games only)
Batting
Average:
Bryan Aanderud, 3b, Cooperstown Hawkeyes (.379).
Slugging
Percentage:
Josh Anderson, 3b, Glens Falls Golden Eagles (.676).
On-Base
Average:
Danny Nelson, of, Cooperstown Hawkeyes (.455).
Home
Runs:
Erick Gaylord, of, Watertown Wizards (10).
RBIs:
Erick Gaylord, of, Watertown Wizards (42).
Stolen
Bases:
Michael Bolling, of, Newark Pilots (22).
PITCHING
LEADERS (League games only)
Wins:
Dominick Ruscitti, rhp, Newark Pilots (6).
ERA:
Dominick Ruscitti, rhp, Newark Pilots (1.82).
Saves:
Mark Scott, rhp, Newark Pilots (11).
Strikeouts:
Mark Leiter, rhp, Amsterdam Mohawks (74).
BEST
TOOLS
Best
Athlete: Erick
Gaylord, of, Watertown Wizards.
Best
Hitter:
Josh Anderson, 3b, Glens Falls Golden Eagles.
Best
Power:
Josh Anderson, 3b, Glens Falls Golden Eagles.
Fastest
Base Runner:
Erick Gaylord, of, Watertown Wizards.
Best
Defensive Player:
DeMarcus Henderson, 2b, Amsterdam Mohawks.
Best
Velocity:
Jimmy Dykstra, rhp, Amsterdam Mohawks.
Best
Breaking Ball: Parker
Ray, rhp, Cooperstown Hawkeyes.
Best
Command: Dominick
Ruscitti, rhp, Newark Pilots.
TOP
30 PROSPECTS
1.
ERICK GAYLORD, of, Watertown Wizards (Campbell/SR in 2012)
SCOUTING
PROFILE: Gaylord
was a near-unanimous choice among coaches as the league’s No. 1
prospect after hitting a resounding .360-10-42 for the Wizards. His
fourth-place finish in the batting race kept him from winning a
league triple crown. Gaylord hit just .177 in 62 at-bats as a junior
at Campbell, and obviously made the most of his opportunity to play
every day this summer. Not only did he sting the ball at a steady
clip, but he was somewhat of a revelation in center field. He had
played third base more than the outfield prior to this summer, and
yet displayed plus range, solid instincts and a very strong arm in
center. While Gaylord is somewhat small in stature at 5-foot-10 and
175-pounds, he is unusually strong and his tools play much bigger
than his size. With quick hands and a compact swing, he had very good
bat speed that enabled him to lead the league in home runs. He also
showed the ability to make adjustments at the plate from one at-bat
to the next, and improved dramatically over the course of the summer
in his overall plate approach, though still struggles to recognize
off-speed stuff. His superior speed also enabled him to steal 21
bases, one off the league lead. Gaylord’s status as a legit
prospect remains somewhat up in the air as he begins his senior year
at Campbell. He doesn’t have a track record of success at the
college level or the prototypical big-league body type, but he should
go a long way to improving his draft standing for 2012 if he can
carry over his success from this summer into next spring.