Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League
The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2010. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility. Each team plays an eight-week, 48 game schedule from June to August with playoffs in early August.
History
The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League was founded in the fall of 2010 by eight summer baseball teams located across upstate New York in conjunction with Perfect Game USA, baseball's largest scouting service. The eight founding members of the PGCBL were the Albany Dutchmen, Amsterdam Mohawks, Cooperstown Hawkeyes, Elmira Pioneers, Glens Falls Golden Eagles, Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs, Newark Pilots and Watertown Wizards. The league's first season was completed in the summer of 2011.The eight teams were broken down into two divisions, PGCBL East and PGCBL West. The East comprised Albany, Amsterdam, Glens Falls and Mohawk Valley. The West was made up of Cooperstown, Elmira, Newark and Watertown. Glens Falls and Cooperstown were the regular season division champions in the PGCBL East and West respectively. Glens Falls, Cooperstown, Amsterdam and Newark qualified for the league playoffs. Newark defeated Amsterdam, two games to one, to win the very first PGCBL championship.
In 2012, the league expanded to nine teams with the addition of the Oneonta Outlaws. The two-division format was replaced by a single nine-team division with the top four teams in the league regular season standings qualifying for the playoffs. Amsterdam won 35 of 47 regular season games and captured the regular season championship. Amsterdam, Glens Falls, Newark and Mohawk Valley qualified for the postseason. Amsterdam swept Glens Falls to win its first league title. The Mohawks finished the summer ranked third nationally in Perfect Game's Summer Top 30 poll.
The Adirondack Trail Blazers and the Utica Brewers joined the PGCBL in the fall of 2012 while the Oneonta Outlaws were granted a one year Voluntary Suspension of operations. The 2013 season saw a return of the two-division format as 10 teams were broken into East and West divisions. Albany, Cooperstown, Glens Falls, Mohawk Valley and defending champion Amsterdam formed the East while newcomers Adirondack and Utica joined Elmira, Newark and Watertown in the West. A new playoff format featuring six teams was instituted as the first and second-place finishers in each division were joined for the first time by the third-place finishing team - this led to a down-to-wire playoff chase where the sixth and final playoff spot was not decided until the final night of the regular season. Amsterdam and Watertown overcame slow starts to win division titles; each team captured its first division title in the PGCBL. Albany, Mohawk Valley, Elmira and Newark rounded out the playoff field. Three seeds Albany and Elmira each won opening round playoff games over second-seeded Mohawk Valley and Newark respectively to advance to the divisional finals against Amsterdam and Watertown. Amsterdam edged out Albany and Elmira in back-to-back Game 3's to become the first repeat champion in league history.
The Cooperstown Hawkeyes were placed on Voluntary Suspension for the 2014 season, leaving four teams in the East Division. The Amsterdam Mohawks again finished with the best record in the league at 36-11- winning the East by nine games over the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs. The West Division was a little tighter with the division coming down to the final days of the regular season. Newark came out on top, winning the division by a game and a half over Elmira with a 27-19 record. In the postseason, Mohawk Valley defeated the Albany Dutchmen in the one-game playoff in the East while Elmira beat the Watertown Rams in Elmira in the West. In the East Division Championship Series, Amsterdam swept Mohawk Valley en route to a fourth consecutive PGCBL Championship Series appearance. In the West, Newark escaped against Elmira to set up a rematch of the 2011 Championship Series. Amsterdam came back from an early deficit to win Game One in Amsterdam and traveled to Newark the following night, where the Mohawks capped off a record-breaking season with the franchise’s third straight PGCBL championship.
In July 2014, the league announced a franchise will be placed in Saugerties, New York and play in the East Division-effective for the 2015 season. In January 2015, the league announced the addition of a franchise in Victor for the 2015 season. The league also decided to play a 50-game schedule, compared to the previous length of a 48-game schedule. The Cooperstown Hawkeyes remained on voluntary suspension and were joined by the Watertown Rams.
In 2015, the Amsterdam Mohawks won the East Division with a record 40 wins in the regular season. The Elmira Pioneers won the West Division, with a team record 33 wins. Both teams were upset in the divisional round of playoffs as Mohawk Valley upended the defending champions in three games, while the first year Victor RailRiders swept the Pioneers. The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs then swept the RailRiders to capture the 2015 PGCBL Championship, the first in team history.
At the PGCBL owners meeting in October 2015, the league announced the addition of three teams to the league roster. Former NYCBL members Geneva and Oneonta jumped to the PGCBL for 2016. The Jamestown Jammers also decided to move to the PGCBL after having played in the Prospect League in 2015. In April 2016, the Utica Brewers changed their name to the Utica Blue Sox.
The 2016 season featured a 50-game regular season for the second straight year. A year after setting a PGCBL record with 40 wins in the regular season, the Amsterdam Mohawks again finished with the best regular season record at 34-15, winning the East Division. In the West, the Elmira Pioneers won their second straight division title with a 33-15 record.
A new eight-team playoff format saw the top two seeds in both divisions advance to the division finals, with Amsterdam meeting Albany and Elmira facing Utica. Amsterdam went back to the PGCBL Finals to meet Utica, who was making their first trip in franchise history. Both series went the full three games. Amsterdam then swept the PGCBL finals with two decisive victories to earn their fourth title in five years.
Before the 2017 season, the PGCBL announced the addition of the Onondaga Flames for the coming season, and awarded a franchise to Watertown, which would begin play in 2018.
Three teams earned playoff berths for the first time during the 2017 season. Saugerties earned the number four seed in the East, while Geneva bounced back from a 9-40 season to get a home playoff game in the West. Onondaga also qualified for the first time, picking up the number four seed in the West.
In the playoffs, Amsterdam and Mohawk Valley got through in the West, while Elmira and Jamestown matched up in the West Finals. Mohawk Valley then dethroned Amsterdam for the second time in three seasons to set up a PGCBL Finals with the Jamestown Jammers. The DiamondDawgs swept the PGCBL Finals to earn their second title.
With the addition of Watertown and the voluntary suspension of Onondaga, the PGCBL moved to a three division format, creating a West, Central, and an East Division before the 2018 season.
In March 2018, the PGCBL announced a new President and Vice President to guide the league into the future. Former New York Penn League President Robert Julian was named President, and longtime right-hand man and Utica College baseball coach Joe Milazzo was named Vice President.
In October 2018, the defending champion Jamestown Jammers abruptly announced they were ceasing operations after the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based ownership group pulled out of the league in favor of setting up an American Association of Independent Professional Baseball team in its home city. The city's PGCBL rights were suspended for 2019 with the intent to return in 2020; originally announced to be retaining the Jammers name and brand, the team unexpectedly announced in October 2019 that the new team would not use the Jammers name. The new name, Jamestown Tarp Skunks, was revealed in January 2020.
Past Champions
2011- Newark Pilots2012- Amsterdam Mohawks
2013- Amsterdam Mohawks
2014- Amsterdam Mohawks
2015- Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs
2016- Amsterdam Mohawks
2017- Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs
2018- Jamestown Jammers
2019- Amsterdam Mohawks
2020-Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
Player of the Year
2011- Erick Gaylord, Watertown2012- Ross Kivett, Glens Falls
2013- John Nogowski, Amsterdam
2014- Josh Gardiner, Amsterdam
2015- Christian Santisteban, Elmira
2016- Joe Genord, Amsterdam
2017- Christ Conley, Jamestown
2018- Ryan Toohers, Mohawk Valley
2019- Max Costes, Amsterdam
Pitcher of the Year
2011- Dominick Ruscitti, Newark2012- Chandler Shepherd, Amsterdam
2013- Eann Cox, Cooperstown
2014- Jayson Yano, Newark
2015- Zach Logue, Amsterdam; Kyano Cummings, Elmira
2016- Joe DeSarro, Mohawk Valley; Brennen Smith, Victor
2017- Matt Pierce, Albany
2018- Mason Hazelwood, Elmira
2019- Lane Miller, Saugerties
Coach of the Year
2011- Eric Coleman, Cooperstown2012- Keith Griffin, Amsterdam
2013- Nick Davey, Albany
2014- Mike Armstrong, Newark
2015- Dan Shwam, Victor
2016- Blake Nation, Mohawk Valley
2017- Anthony Barone, Jamestown
2018- Anthony Barone, Jamestown
2019- Mickey Fauvelle, Adirondack
Top Professional Prospect
2011- Erick Gaylord, Watertown2011- Josh Anderson, Glens Falls
2012- Rocky McCord, Amsterdam
2012- Chandler Shepherd, Amsterdam
2013- Mike Urbanski, Amsterdam
2013- Trey Wingenter, Amsterdam
2014- Jon Escobar, Watertown
2015- Kyle Smith, Amsterdam
2016- Jeff Belge, Amsterdam
2017 - T.J. Collett, Amsterdam
2017 - T.J. Collett, Amsterdam
All-Star Game MVP
2011- Cullen Wacker, Mohawk Valley2012- Giuseppe Papaccio, Amsterdam
2013- Mike Fisher, Mohawk Valley
2014- Kevin Cowan, Glens Falls
2015- Scott Manea, Amsterdam
2016- Robbie Knightes, Glens Falls
2017- Anthony Vaglica, Glens Falls
2018- Alex O'Donnell, Jamestown
2019- John Rhodes, Oneonta
All-Star Game Results
2011- East 7 West 42012- Team Griffin 4 Team Ebright 0
2013- East 7 West 3
2014- East 3 West 1
2015- East 18 West 2
2016- East 9 West 1
2017- East 10, West 8
2018- West 8, East 5
2019- East 5, West 5