Monday, August 31, 2009
Mohawks Finished Ranked 13th Nationally by PGCrosschecker ; Kapteyn Listed as #6 Best Summer Season in America

The Amsterdam Mohawks were recently honored by PerfectGame Crosschecker as the 13th best team in America after their strong 2009 season. The Mohawks won both the Eastern Division Regular Season title and the NYCBL Playoff Championship. They finished with a record of 36-12 and won 26 of their last 29 games and their last 14 in a row. They also broke their own attendance record by drawing just over 30,000 fans for the summer. This was an accomplishment as 2009 was the wettest in the history of New York State. Also, on July 5, they broke their single game record, packing 5035 fans into Shuttleworth Park.

In addition, the Mohawks dominated both the NYCBL Post-Season Awards as well as Perfect Game's and Baseball America's Top Pro Prospect list. The Mohawks had 8 players named to Perfect Games Top 25 League Prospects. Also, RHP/1B Braden Kapteyn, was named League MVP as well as the Top Pro Prospect by both publications. Kapteyn was also recognized by PGCrosschecker as having the sixth best summer in America.

Below are the listings:

Rank Team League #Record
1 Forest City (N.C.) Owls (1) Coastal Plain 51-9 / League champion
Owls complete fairy-tale season; dispensing Peninsula 5-1 in both games of CPL?s best-of-3 Petitt Cup final.
2 Bourne Braves (2) Cape Cod 29-17-2 / League champion
Streaking Braves roll unbeaten through Cape Cod playoffs, win first title in league history.
3 Newport (R.I.) Gulls (4) New England 37-12 / League champion
Prospect-rich Gulls post NECBL?s best regular-season record, then storm to first league title since 2005.
4 Rochester (Minn.) Honkers (7) Northwoods 46-27 / League champion
Honkers go on late-season charge; post NWL?s best record before winning fifth league title in playoffs.
5 El Dorado (Kan.) Broncos (8) Jayhawk 40-9 / NBC World Series champion
Broncos run the table in Wichita, beat Anchorage Glacier Pilots 2-1 in 11-inning final for third NBC World Series title.
6 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (6) Cape Cod 29-17-1
Red Sox assemble best regular-season mark in Cape, but abruptly eliminated from playoffs in semifinals by Cotuit.
7 Santa Barbara Foresters (5) California Collegiate 38-12 / League champion
Favored Foresters are upset in bid for second straight NBC World Series title, eliminated in 14-inning loss.
8 Corvallis (Ore.) Knights (3) West Coast 49-13
Heavily-favored Knights upset in WCL playoffs, lose two straight in final to fast-charging Wenatchee.
9 Bethesda (Md.) Big Train (9) Cal Ripken Sr. 34-10 / League champion
Big Train feature top four hitters in Ripken league, overtake prospect-rich Youse?s Maryland O?s for league crown.
10 Mat-Su Miners (11) Alaska 31-17 / League champion
Anchorage Glacier Pilots finish third in Alaska, second in NBC World Series; puts Mat-Su?s season in perspective.

11 Cotuit Kettleers (10) Cape Cod 23-21-6
12 Orleans Firebirds (12) Cape Cod 24-17-2
13 Amsterdam Mohawks (13) New York Collegiate 36-12 / League champion
14 Wenatchee (Wash.) AppleSox (25) West Coast 38-14 / League champion
15 Vienna (Va.) Senators (15) Clark Griffith 30-11 / League champion
16 Quincy (Ill.) Gems (19) Prospect 38-20 / League champion
17 San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Blues (17) Independent 40-12
18 Anchorage Glacier Pilots (NR) Alaska 35-26
19 Peninsula (Va.) Pilots (14) Coastal Plain 38-24
20 La Crosse (Wis.) Loggers (18) Northwoods 41-27
21 Cincinnati Steam (20) Great Lakes 26-13 / League champion
22 Victoria Generals (16) Texas Collegiate 34-16
23 Anchorage Bucs (22) Alaska 31-21
24 Carney (Va.) Pirates (23) Clark Griffith 30-12
25 Westhampton (N.Y.) Aviators (24) Atlantic Collegiate 28-17 / League champion





Here?s our take on the 25 best performers of the 2009 summer college league season, with players in more high-profile summer leagues given greater consideration:


Rank Player Pos. 2010 School (Year) Summer Team (League)
1 Kyle Roller 1B East Carolina (Sr.) Bourne Braves (Cape Cod)
Roller shook off his draft-day disappointment by making a huge impact on Bourne?s run to a Cape Cod League title.
2 Gerrit Cole RHP UCLA (So.) Team USA
An unsigned first-rounder of the Yankees in 2008, Cole hit triple-digits this summer as Team USA?s unquestioned ace.
3 Kevin Jacob RHP Georgia Tech (Jr.) Anchorage Bucs (Alaska)
Huge summer in closing role (2-1, 0.34, 12 SV, 27 IP/9 H/4 BB/45 SO) could give G-Tech a third first-rounder in 2010.
4 Christian Colon SS Cal State Fullerton (Jr.) Team USA
Colon was Team USA?s unquestioned offensive star (.362-5-37) before his season ended abruptly with a broken leg.
5 Robbie Andrews RHP Va. Commonwealth (Sr.) Forest City Owls (Coastal Plain)
Andrews not only went unscored on in 21 appearances for CPL champs, but walked no one in 19 regular-season IP.
6 Braden Kapteyn RHP/1B Kentucky (So.) Amsterdam Mohawks (New York Collegiate)
Kapteyn led Mohawks to NYCBL title, hitting .316-6-34 overall while going 4-1, 2.47 with league-best 72 K?s in 47 innings.
7 Drew Heid OF Gonzaga (Sr.) Anchorage Glacier Pilots (Alaska)
Undrafted in June, Heid hit a resounding .405 to easily top Alaska League; he chipped in with 56 runs, 91 hits, 44 RBIs.
8 Spencer Patton RHP SIU-Edwardsville (Sr.) Forest City Owls (Coastal Plain)
More than made up for a disappointing college season with CPL season-record 110 K?s, along with 11-0, 1.72 W-L mark.
9 Kolbrin Vitek 3B/2B Ball State (Jr.) Lake Erie Monarchs (Great Lakes)
Vitek earned top-prospect honors in Great Lakes by winning triple crown; hit .400-6-38 with .741 slugging average.
10 Drew Pomeranz LHP Mississippi (Jr.) Team USA
Projected 2010 first-rounder was dominant as starter for Team USA, posting 48 K?s in 26 IP along with 4-1, 1.75 record.
11 Corey Jones SS Cal State Fullerton (Jr.) Rochester Honkers (Northwoods)
Jones sat out college season with an injury, but shook off the rust to top Northwoods with 13 HRs, earn league MVP.
12 Ryan Arrowood RHP Appalachian State (So.) Forest City Owls (Coastal Plain)
The third Forest City arm to crack this list, Arrowood was perfect on the summer with a 12-0 record, posted 1.78 ERA.
13 Tyler Burgoon RHP Michigan (Jr.) Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (Cape Cod)
Despite his slender frame, Burgoon stood tall on Cape (1-1, 1.69, 12 SV, 21 IP/34 SO) as league?s premier closer.
14 Todd Cunningham OF Jacksonville State (Jr.) Falmouth Commodores (Cape Cod)
Cunningham (.378-3-22) joins Conor Gillespie, A.J. Pollock to give Falmouth three straight bat champs, a league first.
15 Rob Brantly C UC Riverside (So.) La Crosse Loggers (Northwoods)
Northwoods League batting champ (.346-6-34), No. 1 prospect moves among elite catching prospects for 2010 draft.
16 Chris Sale LHP Florida Gulf Coast (Jr.) Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (Cape Cod)
Despite only 4-3 record on summer, 6-6 lefty was dominant arm on the Cape with 1.43 ERA, league-best 67 strikeouts.
17 Adam Conley LHP Washington State (So.) Keene Swamp Bats (New England Collegiate)
Perfect during the NECBL regular season with 34 straight scoreless innings, Conley gave up four runs in a playoff start.
18 Tyler Bullock C Southern Illinois (Sr.) Richmond River Rats (Prospect)
Befitting powerful 275-pound frame, Bullock (.312-14-47) topped league in homers, put on a long-ball show in HR Derby.
19 Steve McQuail 3B Canisius (Jr.) Front Royal Cardinals (Valley)
Valley League?s No. 2-ranked prospect hit .309-16-42, topped all summer-league players in home runs.
20 Taylor Ard 1B Oregon State (So.) Corvallis Knights (West Coast)
Ard (.387-4-30) topped West Coast League in average, RBIs; was offensive force for pitching-rich Knights.
21 Arik Sikula RHP Marshall (Jr.) Rochester Honkers (Northwoods)
Sikula (3-1, 1.85, 39 IP/51 SO) played prominent end-of-game role for champion Honkers, topped league with 20 saves.
22 A.J. Griffin RHP San Diego (Sr.) Santa Barbara Foresters (California Collegiate)
A highly-acclaimed closer at USD, Griffin (6-1, 1.37, 63 IP/10 BB/65 SO) shone as a summer starter for the Foresters.
23 Mike Tropeano RHP Stony Brook (So.) Riverhead Tomcats (Atlantic Collegiate)
Tropeano earned pitching equivalent of a triple crown by topping ACBL in wins (7), ERA (1.61) and K?s (77, in 50 IP).
24 Ryan Strousborger OF Indiana State (Sr.) Cincinnati Steam (Great Lakes)
Strousberger (.384-4-21, 41 R, 22 SB) was force at top of lineup, as center-field defender for league champion Steam.
25 Jack Leathersich LHP Massachusetts-Lowell (So.) Haymarket Senators (Valley)
Lefty closer clocked at 93, went 2-0 with 6 SV, 64 SO in 37 IP, named Valley?s top prospect, led team to league title.


More News