Amsterdam Mohawks
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The Amsterdam Mohawks are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Amsterdam, New York and play in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
After 30+ years in the New York Collegiate Baseball League, the Amsterdam Mohawks, as of 2011, are members of a newly formed league. The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League combined some of the better summer baseball franchises in the nation and partnered them with Perfect Game USA, the world's utmost leader in scouting and reporting services. The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League is a ten team summer league played throughout upstate New York. In addition to Amsterdam, the PGCBL consists of teams located in Albany, Boonville, Cooperstown, Elmira, Geneva, Glens Falls, Jamestown, Little Falls, Newark, Oneonta, Onondaga, Saugerties, Utica, Victor and Watertown. The PGCBL is one of the elite wood bat summer leagues in America. To be eligible to play in the PGCBL, a player must have completed at least one year of college and must still have at least one year of playing eligibility remaining. Each team is allowed two exceptions to that rule where graduating seniors are eligible to play. The players must first be approved by Perfect Game USA. They must also be enrolled full-time at a college or university. Beginning in early June, each team in the league will play a 50 game schedule, which will wind down in early August.
The Mohawks, who were located in Schenectady prior to 2003, have won the championship in 1988 under then head coach, and former team owner/president Bob Bellizzi. The first year in Amsterdam, the Mohawks captured the title in 2003 under Bill Consiglio, and again in 2004 under Nicholas Enriquez. In 2009 current head coach Keith Griffin took over and won the championship in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
In 2002, Dave Fields, led the team to a regular season title but lost the deciding game of the championship series to the Hornell Dodgers. Again in 2005, John Thomson guided the Mohawks to a regular season crown but were eliminated in the playoffs, and in 2011 Griffin led the team to a deciding Game 3 in the Championship series but lost to the Newark Pilots.
In addition, there have been over 100 former Mohawks who have signed professional baseball contracts, including San Francisco Giants star Hunter Pence (Texas-Arlington) who played for the Mohawks in 2002, Luke Maile (University of Kentucky), Logan Darnell (University of Kentucky), Cord Phelps (Stanford), Brendan Harris (William and Mary), Glen Barker (Saint Rose College), Valentino Pascucci (University Of Oklahoma), Tim Christman (Siena College) and Chandler Shepherd (University of Kentucky). In 2010's Major League Draft, the Mohawks had nine players selected including four picks in the top 200. They followed that up with another 9 former players being selected in the 2011 draft and currently have 30 former players playing professional baseball.
The Mohawks have grown into one of the top places to play summer baseball in America. The players will note that the game atmosphere at Shuttleworth Park is one of the best in the country and with large enthusiastic crowds and getting the kids involved, after seeing a game, you would see their point.
League awards
Player of the Year
2013 John Nogowski, Florida State University
2014 Josh Gardiner, Radford University
2016 Joe Genord, University of South Florida
Pitcher of the Year
2012 Chandler Shepherd, University of Kentucky
2015 Zach Logue University of Kentucky
Coach of the Year
2009 Keith Griffin
2012 Keith Griffin
Team single season records
Hits
Zach Shank, Marist College (2011) - 58
Doubles
Zak Colby, Faulkner University (2012) - 19
Triples
Kirt Zimniewicz, University at Albany (2003) - 5
Cody Reine, LSU (2008) - 5
Home Runs
Handsome Monica, University of Arizona (2015) - 9
RBI
Joe Genord, University of South Florida (2016) - 45
Runs
Josh Gardiner, Radford University (2013) - 40
Walks
Matt Colantonio, Brown University (2010) - 34
Stolen Bases
John Razzino, Franklin Pierce University (2014) - 23
Wins
Craig Soja, Le Moyne College (2003) - 7
Chandler Shepherd, University of Kentucky (2012) - 7
Ryan Tatlock, College of Saint Rose (2003) - 7
Tommy Warner, University of Kentucky (2005) - 7
Zach Logue, University of Kentucky (2005) - 7
Saves
Mike Puckli, Marist College (2004) - 11
Abram Williams, Radford University (2010) - 11
Strikeouts
Mark Leiter Jr., NJIT (2011) - 74
ERA (Min 1 IP per Team Game Played)
Ryan Tatlock, College of Saint Rose (2003) - 1.29
Team all-time records
Hits
Vince Riggi, University of Richmond - 107
Doubles
Vince Riggi, University of Richmond - 26
Triples
Kirt Zimniewicz, University at Albany - 5
Cody Reine, LSU - 5
Home Runs
Ed Charlton, NJIT - 13
RBI
Ed Charlton, NJIT - 63
Runs
Josh Gardiner, Radford University - 66
Walks
Brendan Tracy, Fairfield University - 57
Stolen Bases
Josh Gardiner, Radford University - 31
Games Played
Vince Riggi, University of Richmond - 117
Wins
Sean Bouthilette, University of Kentucky - 9
Ryan Tatlock, College of Saint Rose - 9
Saves
Abram Williams, Radford University - 21
Strikeouts
Mark Leiter Jr., NJIT - 106
Innings Pitched
Sean Bouthilette, University of Kentucky - 93.2