Pair of Pioneers Among Week 5 Players of the Week
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- As the calendar flips to July, the temperatures are heating up and so is the play on the field. These four players in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) stood out for their top performances and earned Player and Pitcher of the Week Awards for Week 5 of the 2026 season. These awards take into account the stats for games played between June 29th and July 5th.
East Division
Pitcher of the Week: Brandon Peterson, Utica (New Jersey Institute of Technology)
Player of the Week: Kyle Coleman, Mohawk Valley (Belmont University)
Brandon Peterson fired 6 scoreless innings in a 9-0 shutout win for the Utica Blue Sox on Friday. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Peterson got better as the game went along, as he retired the final 7 batters he faced in a row.
Kyle Coleman appeared in 2 of the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs' 3 games this past week and went on an offensive tear in those games with a .556 average, 3 home runs, a double, 5 runs scored and 7 RBI.
On Thursday, Coleman went 3-for-5 against the Saugerties Stallions with a double and a home run. He finished the week a pair of 3-run home runs on Sunday in a 12-4 win over the Boonville Lumberjacks. In addition to his six RBIs, Coleman went 2-4 and reached base two additional times on walks. and a total of 6 RBI and reached base another 2 times with a pair of walks. For the week, he got on base at a .636t clip and slugged 1.667.
West Division
Pitcher of the Week: Brenden Hayes, Elmira (Barry University)
Player of the Week: Brett Baker, Elmira (UMass Dartmouth)
The Elmira Pioneers swept this week's awards with two standout performers. Brenden Hayes went 2-0 in 2 starts this past week. In 12 innings, he allowed just 1 run which translates to a 0.75 ERA and struck out 18 batters. On Tuesday, Hayes pitched 5 innings in the Pioneers 17-7 victory over Newark and recorded 8 strikeouts while surrendering 1 run on 4 hits and 4 walks.
On Saturday, Hayes was even better as he pitched a complete game 5-0 shutout in the second game of a doubleheader against the Pilots. In those 7 innings, Hayes accumulated 10 strikeouts while allowing 5 hits and 3 walks.
On the offensive side, Brett Baker hit .474 in 6 games played. He had 3 doubles, 1 triple and 1 home run with 5 RBI and 6 runs scored. He recorded hits in all 6 games he played and had 3 multi-hit games.
Previous Award Winners:
Week 4
East Player of the Week: Aiden Dill, Amsterdam (Seton Hall University)
East Pitcher of the Week: Colin Richardson, Glens Falls (Adelphi University)
Tyson Harmon, Boonville (Young Harris University)
West Player of the Week: Darek Staudt, Olean (Mercyhurst University)
West Pitcher of the Week: Luke Richards, Elmira (Alfred State University)
Week 3
East Player of the Week: Gabriel Rivera, Amsterdam (Rutgers University)
East Pitcher of the Week: Matt Murtaugh, Saugerties (Siena College)
West Player of the Week: Jackson Inman, Batavia (Salisbury University)
West Pitcher of the Week: Caden Breault, Geneva (Susquehanna University)
Week 2
East Player of the Week: Aiden Dill, Amsterdam (Seton Hall University)
East Pitcher of the Week: John Rigas, Utica (Caldwell University)
West Player of the Week: Eric Weeks, Jamestown (Canisius University)
West Pitcher of the Week: Jake Szlis, Batavia (Alfred State University)
Week 1
East Player of the Week: Joe Crenshaw, Mohawk Valley (University of Richmond)
East Pitcher of the Week: Asa Dugan, Oneonta (Russell Sage College)
West Player of the Week: Teddy Monahan, Auburn (University of Rochester)
West Pitcher of the Week: Larsen Burch, Elmira (Wabash Valley Community College)