Photo Credit: Erin Blank
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- As the 2026 regular season comes to a close and the postseason begins, the performance by these six players stood out across the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL). These players earned Player and Pitcher of the Week Awards for Week 8 of the 2026 season, taking into account all of the stats for the games from July 20th through July 26th.
East Division
Pitcher of the Week: Kyle McDermott, Saugerties (Manhattan College)
Co-Players of the Week: James Haughton, Amsterdam (Rhode Island) & Jordan Perry, Amsterdam (St. John Fisher)
Kyle McDermott pitched a complete game on Thursday in a 13-1 victory for the Saugerties Stallions over the Glens Falls Dragons. McDermott allowed just 1 run to score on a sac-fly as he went all 7 innings, surrendering 3 hits and 5 walks while racking up 10 strikeouts in a game that allowed the Stallions to preserve their arms as they enter postseason play looking to repeat as champions.
The Amsterdam Mohawks wrapped up the #1 seed in the league with a 5-0 week and finished the regular season on a 9-game winning streak. That happened in large part by the play of infielder James Haughton and outfielder Jordan Perry this week.
Haughton hit .636 this past week, with 2 home runs, a double, a triple, 7 RBI and 8 runs scored. Last Monday, with the Mohawks trailing the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs 8-6, Haughton hit the game-tying 2-run double and the Mohawks went on to a 16-9 victory.
Perry hit .583 this past week with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, a triple, drove in 7 runs and scored 9. On Friday, the Utica Blue Sox built up a 9-2 lead against Amsterdam. As the Mohawks chipped away, Perry delivered the go-ahead 2-run home run in the sixth inning as the Mohawks rallied for a 17-9 victory.
Amsterdam will host Oneontoa tonight at 6:45 PM, while Saugerties will entertain #3 Utica at 6:30 in the semifinals of the Eastern Division playoffs.
West Division
Pitcher of the Week: Greg Orcutt, Niagara Falls (D'Youville University)
Co-Players of the Week: Manny Castro, Elmira (Georgia State) & Tysan Gingerich Elmira (Frederick Community College)
Greg Orcutt pitched a masterful 8 innings against the Niagara Ironbacks on Friday. Orcutt went 8 shutout innings earning the win, allowing just 2 hits and 3 walks while recording 8 strikeouts as the Americans won 4-1.
On the brink of elimination, the Elmira Pioneers went 3-1 in the final week and after trailing 2-0 in the eighth inning on the final day of the season yesterday, they rallied for an 8-2 victory and clinched a playoff birth that would not have been possible without the play of Manny Castro and Tysan Gingerich this past week.
Castro hit .500 with a double, a triple, 3 RBI and scored 7 runs. He had 3 hits in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Geneva Red Wings, with an RBI and a run scored.
Gingerich hit .500 with a double, 6 RBI and 7 runs scored. It was Gingerich who hit the go-ahead 2-run double in the eighth inning against the Auburn Doubledays on Sunday, punching the Pioneers' ticket into postseason play. He also had 3 hits and 3 RBI in Friday's 19-2 win over the Geneva Red Wings.
On the West side of the bracket, top-seeded Batavia welcomes in the Auburn Doubledays tonight for a 6:30 PM game, and at the same time second-seeded Jamestown hosts the Pioneers for the right to move on to the West Finals.
Previous Award Winners:
Week 7
East Player of the Week: Nick Croce, Saugerties (New Orleans)
East Pitcher of the Week: Will Howard, Oneonta (Presbyterian College)
West Player of the Week: David Harris, Niagara Falls (Clarkson University)
West Pitcher of the Week: Henry Kite, Olean (The College of William & Mary)
Week 6
East Player of the Week: Nolan Stark, Oneonta (UNC Wilmington)
East Pitchers of the Week: Drake Aycock, Utica (Hope International University)
Saxon Roberts, Amsterdam (East Carolina University)
West Player of the Week: Caleb Delaney, Elmira (Rowan College)
West Pitcher of the Week: Camp Churchill, Jamestown (McMurry University)
Week 5
East Player of the Week: Kyle Coleman, Mohawk Valley (Belmont University)
East Pitcher of the Week: Brandon Peterson, Utica (New Jersey Institute of Technology)
West Player of the Week: Brett Baker, Elmira (UMass Dartmouth)
West Pitcher of the Week: Brenden Hayes, Elmira (Barry University)
Week 4
East Player of the Week: Aiden Dill, Amsterdam (Seton Hall University)
East Pitchers 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)