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.”