Blue Sox, DiamondDawgs pursue playoff spots in final weeek of PGCBL regular season

The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League playoffs are a week away and two area teams appear comfortably positioned to extend their seasons.

The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs (20-14-3) defeated the Utica Blue Sox (19-16-1) for the fifth time in seven tries Friday with their final meeting Saturday at Murnane Field. Friday's 3-2 walk-off win in extra innings extended the DiamondDawgs' lead to 1 1/2 games in the race for third place in the East Division.

The 2024 playoff format is unbalanced like the league's alignment. Playoffs within the divisions start July 29 with thee rounds of single elimination play in the nine-team East Division, and two in the seven-team West.

The top six teams in the East advance to the playoffs while the West Division takes only its top four teams. The winners of the division playoffs will determine the league's championship with a best-of-three series.

Two-time defending champion Amsterdam (30-6) and Saugerties (25-9-2), the last team other than Amsterdam to win the title, are well positioned for the top two spots in the East, and byes to the division semifinals. The teams in third and fourth place host the fifth and sixth on the first day of postseason play, and the winners of those games visit Amsterdam and Saugerties the next day.

Friday's loss dropped Utica to one game ahead of fifth-place Watertown (19-17). Utica plays Sunday at Watertown's Duffy Fairgrounds and the teams meet again Tuesday in Utica.

Oneonta (14-16-2) leads Boonville (10-23-1) by 5 1/2 games for the final playoff spot in the East while Oneonta's Outlaws are now 1 1/2 games behind Watertown.

If their positions hold trough the final week, Utica and Mohawk Valley would play home games July 29, Utica against the next-highest finisher and Mohawk Valley against the final qualifier. The semifinal matchups will be determined by the quarterfinal results; the lowest remaining seed would travel to Amsterdam with the other winner playing at Saugerties.

In the West Division, Batavia's Muckdogs (26-7-1) enter weekend play with a 6 1/2-game lead over their nearest challengers, the Auburn Doubledays (20-14-1). The Elmira Pioneers (19-15) swept a doubleheader Friday and trail Auburn one game, but have a tight race for the fourth playoff spot to watch; Jamestown's Tarp Skunks (16-20) and Geneva's Red Wings (13-18-1) are separated by half a game.

The West playoffs start with the semifinals July 29 and the final the following day. The West Division winner gets one day off before the championship series starts Aug. 1.

Amsterdam has won seven of 12 championships since the PGCBL broke away from the New York Collegiate Baseball League for the 2011 season. Mohawk Valley, the 2015 and 2017 champion, is the only other franchise with multiple titles; Newark won in 2011, Jamestown won as the Jammers in 2018, and Saugerties won in 2021; there was no 2020 season.

New York Collegiate Baseball League

The NYCBL's playoffs start Monday with the last full day of regular season games Saturday. The Sherrill Silversmiths (21-13-1) are second in the East Division standings behind the Syrcuse Salt Cats (22-11-1), and finish the regular season with a home game Saturday afternoon against the Syracuse Spartans (12-19-2).

All 11 teams advance to the playoffs in the NYCBL with three division quarterfinal games Monday and all four semifinals Tuesday. Sherrill's likely opponent will be the Cortland Crush (15-19-1) with the Spartans and Rochester Ridgemen (13-21-1) playing the lone quarterfinal in the five-team East Division.

The Hornell Steamers (27-7-1) and Genesee Rapids (24-11) are the top two teams in the NYCBL West. The Olean Oilers, Dansville Gliders, Salamanca Lizards and Horseheads complete that six-team division.

The NYCBL's divisional finals are best-of-three series starting Wednesday, and the championship series is also best-of-three starting Friday. The upper seed hosts a possible doubleheader - the second game followed by a third, if necessary - on the second day of the best-of-three playoffs.

Rochester is the defending champion after Coortland won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. Amsterdam had won the last two championships before departing the league when the PGCBL formed. Oneonta won two NYCBL titles before switching leagues, and Niagara Falls won the 2019 title as the Power before departing for the PGCBL following the lost 2020 season.

Remaining PGCBL Regular Season Schedule

Saturday, July 20

Geneva at Jamestown, 6:30 p.m.

Auburn at Batavia, 6:35 p.m.

Mohawk Valley at Utica, 6:45 p.m.

Boonville at Oneonta, 7 p.m.

Elmira at Newark, 7:05 p.m.

Glens Falls at Saugerties, 7:05 p.m.

Sunday, July 21

Auburn at Niagara Falls, doubleheader, 2:05 p.m.

Jamestown at Elmira, doubleheader, 2:05 p.m.

Utica at Watertown, 5 p.m.

Batavia at Geneva, 5:05 p.m.

Albany at Glens Falls, 7 p.m.

Amsterdam at Saugerties, 7:05 p.m.

Monday, July 22

Niagara Falls at Batavia, doubleheader, 4:30 p.m.

Watertown at Albany, 4:30 p.m.

Boonville at Amsterdam, 6:45 p.m.

Mohawk Valley at Oneonta, 7 p.m.

Saugerties at Glens Falls, 7 p.m.

Geneva at Newark, 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday, July 23

Newark at Niagara Falls, 6:35 p.m.

Oneonta at Mohawk Valley, 6:35 p.m.

Saugerties at Amsterdam , 6:45 p.m.

Watertown at Utica, 6:45 p.m.

Batavia at Geneva, 7:05 p.m.

Elmira at Auburn, 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday, July 24

Mohawk Valley at Albany, 4:30 p.m.

Auburn at Elmira, 6:35 p.m.

Watertown at Boonville, 6:45 p.m.

Glens Falls at Oneonta, 7 p.m.

Batavia at Newark, 7:05 p.m.

Jamestown at Geneva, 7:05 p.m.

Thursday, July 25

Amsterdam at Mohawk Valley, 6:35 p.m.'

Geneva at Batavia, 6:35 p.m.

Jamestown at Niagara Falls, 6:35 p.m.

Oneonta at Utica, 6:45 p.m.

Elmira at Auburn, 7:05 p.m.

Elmira at Geneva, TBA

Friday, July 26

Glens Falls at Amsterdam, doubleheader, 4:15 p.m.

Albany at Saugerties, doubleheader, 5 p.m.

Batavia at Jamestown, 6:30 p.m.

Boonville at Watertown, 6:30 p.m.

Mohawk Valley at Oneonta, 7 p.m.

Auburn at Newark, 7:05 p.m.

Elmira at Geneva, doubleheader, TBA

Saturday, July 27

Boonville at Mohawk Valley, doubleheader, 5 p.m.

Amsterdam at Albany, 6:35 p.m.

Geneva at Elmira, 6:35 p.m.

Jamestown at Batavia, 6:35 p.m.

Oneonta at Glens Falls, 7 p.m.

Newark at Auburn, 7:05 p.m.

Utica at Saugerties, 7:05 p.m.

Sunday, July 28

Jamestown at Elmira, 4:05 p.m.

Newark at Batavia, 4:05 p.m.

Oneonta at Watertown, 5 p.m.

Niagara Falls at Auburn, 5:05 p.m.

Utica at Boonville, 6 p.m.

Saugerties at Glens Falls, 7 p.m.