The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League recently announced its 2013 Rising Stars Team.
The 30-player “all-star” squad, compiled by the league office, is limited to players who were listed as collegiate freshmen, redshirt freshman and high school seniors in 2013.
Only redshirt freshmen no more than two years removed from their high school graduation were considered.
Divisional finals participants Albany, Amsterdam, Watertown and Elmira combined to account for 22 of the 30 selections. The Albany Dutchmen, winners of a franchise record 26 games, topped all 10 league teams with eight players named to the Rising Stars Team. Albany’s selections included infielders Zach Remillard (Coastal Carolina), Tyler Orris (Millersville) and Matthew Dacey (Richmond 2013-14), designated hitter Joe Purritano (Dartmouth), outfielder Anthony Marks (Coastal Carolina) and pitchers Dylan Collett (Keene State), James Davitt (Bryant) and Thomas Belcher (Indiana).
The league champion Amsterdam Mohawks boasted six selections to the Rising Stars squad. Outfielders Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) and Jordan Ebert (Auburn), infielder John Sansone (Florida State), designated hitter Dylan Smith (Auburn) and starting pitchers Matt Snyder (Temple 2013-14) and Trey Wingenter (Auburn) were all tapped for the Rising Stars Team.
Snyder (Temple 2013-14) was a finalist for the PGCBL Pitcher of the Year award. Snyder, a two-year PGCBL veteran who pitched for Albany in 2012, was Amsterdam’s ace during the regular season. The Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduate went 5-0 with a 1.35 earned run average in nine regular-season starts. The miserly southpaw conceded just seven earned runs in 46.2 innings and he struck out 43. Snyder was Amsterdam’s MVP during the league playoffs. He beat Albany in Game 1 of the divisional finals and then carried a shutout into the ninth in a Game 3 win over Elmira in the PGCBL Championship Series. Snyder yielded just one earned run in 15.0 postseason innings. He finished the summer with a 1.17 ERA and seven overall victories.
Wingenter (Auburn) placed second among all PGCBL pitchers with 55 strikeouts during the regular season. Wingenter, a converted catcher in his third summer of pitching, averaged 10.51 strikeouts per nine innings in 10 regular-season starts. He did not allow an earned run over six innings pitched in wins over playoff participants Newark and Elmira. Wingenter started Game 3 of Amsterdam’s divisional playoff series with Albany and pitched six strong innings to lift the Mohawks to a 9-4 victory.
Smith (Auburn) was one of the top rmashers in the PGCBL. Smith tied for the league lead in RBI (34) and he slugged six home runs which tied for first among the Mohawks and second in the PGCBL. The 10.0 Perfect Game-rated prospect appeared in 35 regular season games for the Tribe. He batted .323 with 40 hits and 24 runs scored. Smith belted out 17 extra-base hits to compile a .556 slugging percentage.
The Pinson, Ala., native homered twice in one game against the Cooperstown Hawkeyes on June 26 and then set a new PGCBL record with eight RBI in a single game against the Adirondack Trail Blazers on July 30.
Barrett (Kentucky) was Kentucky’s starting center fielder and lead-off hitter during the spring; he topped the ‘Cats in batting average and earned Southeastern Conference All-Freshman laurels. This summer, Barrett topped the Tribe line-up card and the team with 18 stolen bases. He finished second among all Amsterdam regulars with a .343 batting average and 47 hits. Barrett’s best regular season performance came in a 7-6 win over rival Glens Falls on July 17. The Douglasville, Ga., native reached base safely five times in five plate appearances. He went 4-for-4 with one walk, one RBI and one run scored. Defensively, Barrett was flawless in both center field and right field with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 51 total chances.
Ebert (Auburn), like teammate Kyle Barrett, was a Southeastern Conference starter as a true freshman during the spring. Ebert was Amsterdam’s starting left fielder. The Auburn product clubbed five home runs, drove in 27 runs total and batted .318 in 37 games. Ebert registered 41 hits, 29 runs, six doubles, six walks, six HBP, seven stolen bases, two sacrifice hits, two sacrifice flies and a .851 OPS rating. The Foley, Ala., native was one of Amsterdam’s key components in the divisional finals against Albany as he drove in four runs during the three-game series.
Sansone (Florida State) was one of the top hitting shortstops in the league this summer behind Albany’s Tyler Orris (Millersville). Sansone, a 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates draft pick, batted .288 over 38 games with 36 hits, 23 RBI, 20 runs scored and three home runs. Twelve of Sansone’s 36 hits went for extra bases which translated to a .432 slugging percentage. The rising sophomore from Florida State compiled five RBI in the PGCBL Championship Series.
2013 PGCBL Rising Stars Team
Pos.PlayerTeamSchool2013 Class
CCollin TherouxWatertownNevadaFreshman
CDominic FazioAdirondackHigh PointFreshman
CBobby SlagleAdirondackVillanovaFreshman
1BMatthew DaceyAlbanyMichigan*Freshman
2BBryan RamirezGlens FallsUTPAFreshman
SSJohn SansoneAmsterdamFlorida StateFreshman
SSTyler OrrisAlbanyMillersvilleFreshman
3BJ.J. WagnerWatertownPacific Freshman
3BZach RemillardAlbanyCoastal CarolinaFreshman
OFKyle BarrettAmsterdamKentuckyFreshman
OFAnthony MarksAlbanyCoastal CarolinaFreshman
OFJordan EbertAmsterdamAuburnFreshman
OFRyan ValdesUticaFlorida StateFreshman
DHJoe PurritanoAlbanyDartmouthFreshman
DHDylan SmithAmsterdamAuburnFreshman
DHLuke EmlingAdirondackVillanovaFreshman
UTSpencer HendersonElmiraUC DavisFreshman
UTParker CurryElmiraSamfordFreshman
SPMatt SnyderAmsterdamFulton-Montgomery C.C.^RS Freshman
SPDylan CollettAlbanyKeene StateFreshman
SPJoe AdelWatertownSouth FloridaRS Freshman
SPTrey WingenterAmsterdamAuburnFreshman
SPKeegan LongMohawk ValleySaint Joseph’s (Ind.)Freshman
SPTommy AlexanderElmiraOld DominionFreshman
SPJames DavittAlbanyBryantFreshman
RPDonald FrewNewarkYoung HarrisFreshman
RPMatt EckelmanGlens FallsSaint LouisFreshman
RPLogan GrantWatertownCreighton%Freshman
RPThomas BelcherAlbanyIndianaFreshman
RPCody CulpWatertownBellevueFreshman
*Has signed with the University of Richmond for the 2013-14 academic year
^Has signed with Temple University for the 2013-14 academic year
%Has signed with Millersville University for the 2013-14 academic year
