The PGCBL All-Star day was held in Amsterdam on Tuesday July 17th. It was a spectacle as players from all around the PGCBL showcased their talents on the grand stage for the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. Some familiar faces were spotted participating in Tuesday’s festivities. The Stallions very own were there in strong numbers to show off their skills and to help the Saugerties Stallions name be better recognized within the league. Stallions Shortstop Luke Pettersen (Minnesota) and Pitcher John Clayton (Ualbany) participated in the All-Star game.
Stallions excelled in the All-Star game as Pettersen went 2-2 with a double and a run scored and Pitcher Clayton got the win, who laughed and said, “It was shocking, I didn’t even know I got the win until it came out.” When asked about how he felt about his personal performance in the game Clayton said, “I just went in there and did my job.”
Luke Pettersen was asked how it felt to be selected to play in the All-Star game. He replied, “ It felt really good. Its a lot of fun to be around players of that caliber and being able to play at that stage, it was fun to challenge myself and play with those guys.”
Andrew Taft (Lemoyne), First baseman Jack Gonzalez (Stetson), Right Fielder Matt Feinstein (Dartmouth), and Third Baseman Tyler Kelder (St. Bonaventure) were participants in the Prospects Game. When Jack Gonzalez was asked about the energy surrounding the All-Star day he stated, “ There was tons of energy, especially because there were scouts there and you’re just around guys you’re not normally around, you get to meet new faces. It was just high energy and very intense.”
Stallions Closer Matt Pushard (University of Maine) was part of the Homerun Derby. Pushard had nothing but gratitude about his participation especially as a pitcher. When asked how it felt to be a part of the homerun derby he replied, “ It feels awesome to be able to participate in something like that with a lot of good guys around the league. It was nice that someone noticed me and I just want to say thanks, and that it was a great experience.”
This was a fun day for fans as they got to see potential professional baseball players of the future. Since its start, the PGCBL has had 1,500 players get drafted into Major League Baseball. One such player who got drafted was San Francisco Giant, Hunter Pence, who played for the Schenectady Mohawks in 2002. Since then he is a three time MLB All-Star and even a World Series champion. Time will tell, but fans may have seen some of the best players of the future.
What does having all these players from the Stallions participating mean for the organization? Jack Gonzalez summed it up best when he said, “ Its awesome, it shows that this team has a lot of good, competitive, players and has a team that really wants to win.” You can visit Cantine Field in Saugerties this summer to see this amazing talent showcased on a nightly basis.