As the 2022 season is now in the books, the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) had several exciting and memorable moments to look back on throughout the summer.
The 16-team league began the summer with Opening Night on Friday, June 3rd under a new, two-Division format, with an East and West. The 2022 season also saw the implementation of a brand new playoff format, with each Division sending its top four teams into postseason play.
The East sent #1 seeded Amsterdam Mohawks (39-6), #2 Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs (28-18), #3 Saugerties Stallions (27-19), and #4 Oneonta Outlaws (23-23). The West was represented by #1 Batavia (30-15), #2 Utica Blue Sox (27-19), #3 Auburn Doubledays (25-21), and #4 Elmira Pioneers (24-21).
The top seeds from each Division held form and both advanced the PGCBL Championship, as Amsterdam and Batavia squared off in a best-of-three series. Amsterdam won the opening game, 9-5, before Batavia stormed back in game two with a decisive 8-1 victory. Amsterdam went on to win the rubber match, 7-2, taking home the hardware for its league-leading sixth championship.
The dominance of each division’s top two teams carried over into the league’s end-of-year recognitions. Yearly awards were presented to Coach of the Year, Keith Griffin (Amsterdam), Reliever of the Year, Santhosh Gotham (Amsterdam), Pitcher of the Year, Nolan Sparks (Batavia), and Player of the Year, Gage Miller (Amsterdam).
The season saw a new league record set, as David Silva Jr. (Albany) posted the all-time PGCBL stolen base record, swiping 43 bases. Notable stat leaders included a pair of hitters that both reached the .400 milestone on the season. PGCBL Player of the Year, Gage Miller (Amsterdam), hit .400 (54/145) and Aaron Whitley (Newark) hit .402 (47/117).
On the mound, there were two pitchers that each held their ERA under 1.0 while also throwing over 40 innings. PGCBL Pitcher of the Year, Nolan Sparks (Batavia), went 41.2 IP while allowing only one earned run for a 0.22 ERA. Ryan Bailey (Auburn) went 40.2 IP with a 0.89 ERA.
Garrett Musey (Mohawk Valley) led the league in home runs with 11, while Tyree Bradley (Watertown) tallied 47 RBI. Christian Coombes (Oneonta) recorded a league best 59 strikeouts.
The 2022 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, conducted with a reduced 20 rounds in mid-July, saw 16 former PGCBL players get their names called. Former Albany infielder, Luke Gold, was the league’s top selection with his 5th round pick by the Detroit Tigers. Since the league’s inception in 2011, over 300 players have been drafted that have worn PGCBL uniforms. Full PGCBL 2022 MLB Draft results can be found HERE.
The 2022 season wrapped with the announcement of the All-League First and Second Teams. Full All-Team honors can be found HERE.