Eastern Division
Player of the Week: Taylor Lewis (Maine), Amsterdam
Amsterdam outfielder Taylor Lewis is the third member of the defending league champion Mohawks to be selected as the Eastern Division Player of the Week. Lewis helped the Mohawks to four victories in five overall games last week following the NYCBL All-Star Game. The University of Maine product batted .400 (8-for-20) with four RBI, seven runs scored, four doubles, one triple and two stolen bases. Lewis had at least one hit in all five games and he scored multiple runs in the final three games of the week. The Tribe center fielder smashed an RBI double to drive in Amsterdam’s only run in a 1-0 win at Mohawk Valley on July 15. Two days later against Watertown, Lewis went 2-for-3 with a two-run triple and two runs scored in a rain-shortened win. The Montville, Conn., native closed out the week with three hits, including two doubles, and three runs scored in a lopsided win at Cooperstown. Lewis was a first team All-America East selection this spring.
Co-Pitcher of the Week: Kyle Hunter (Dartmouth), Amsterdam
Co-Pitcher of the Week: Jon Luke Jacobs (Auburn), Amsterdam
Amsterdam pitchers Kyle Hunter and Jon Luke Jacobs are the first set of teammates to share a the Eastern Division’s Pitcher of the Week award. Each pitched the Mohawks to a victory as the team took over first place in the division. Kyle Hunter fired a one-hit shutout over eight and two-thirds innings in Amsterdam’s 1-0 victory over Mohawk Valley on July 15. The Palm City, Fla., native carried a no-hitter into the ninth and lost it on a two-out single up the middle. Hunter walked two, struck out seven and allowed only four base runners. He retired 15-straight hitters between the fourth and ninth innings. Jon Luke Jacobs worked only seven frames however he struck out 12 in a 10-3 triumph at Cooperstown on July 18. Jacobs struck out the side in the first two innings and fanned eight of the first 10 batters he faced. Eleven of his 12 strikeouts were recorded in the first five frames. The 12 strikeouts are a single-game high in the NYCBL this season. The Gainestown, Ala., native allowed one unearned run on four hits and walked none in his second victory.
Western Division
Player of the Week: Dan Gliot (Oakland), Geneva
Second-year NYCBL veteran Dan Gliot has been selected as the Western Division Player of the Week. He is the first Red Wing to win a weekly award this season. Last week, Gliot batted .538 (14-for-26) and drove in nine runs over six games played. He recorded three straight multiple-hit and multiple-RBI games to begin the week and he posted at least one hit in five of six contests. The Oakland University product began the week with an 8-for-10, six-RBI performance in a doubleheader with Niagara on July 13. He tied the opening game with a two-run single in the seventh and then knocked in the eventual game-winning tally with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Gliot posted five hits in five at-bats during the night cap and he tied the game in the sixth with an RBI single. The next day, Gliot went 4-for-5 at home against Allegany County and he broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning with a three-run triple as Geneva triumphed 8-5.
Co-Pitcher of the Week: Justin James (Ave Maria), Allegany County
Co-Pitcher of the Week: Chad Simendinger (St. Joseph’s, Pa.), Elmira
The Western Division Pitcher of the Week award is split for just the second time this season with Allegany County’s Justin James and Elmira’s Chad Simendinger sharing the weekly honor. Justin James pitched a two-hitter over eight innings and struck out 10 as Allegany County defeated rival Hornell 8-2 on July 16 at Hornell’s Maple City Park. The only hits allowed by James were back-to-back singles to start the fifth inning. He allowed two runs, walked five and retired the side in order in five of his eight frames. James struck out five of the last eight Hornell batters he faced. Chad Simendinger whirled a complete game four-hitter in Elmira’s 15-2 triumph over the Webster Yankees at Dunn Field on July 15. Simendinger retired the first 18 batters he faced and held a no-hitter for seven and two-thirds innings. The Newark, Del., native allowed two ninth-inning scores, walked none and struck out four.