PLAYER OF THE WEEK

David Murphy – Cortland Crush

Massachusetts-Boston

5 GP | 9-22 | 2B | 2 HR | 7 R |

| 8 RBI | .409 AVG | .727 SLG | 1.162 OPS

Cortland is off to its best start in franchise history, and Murphy (Massachusetts-Boston) leads the charge. The Crush infielder plated seven runs in his first two games and has a hit in each of the five games in which he’s appeared. Murphy is tied for the league lead in hits and home runs. 

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Aaron Phillips – Olean Oilers

St. Bonaventure University

2 GS (2-0) | 13 IP | 0 ER | 9 H | 10 SO |

5 BB | 0.00 ERA | 1.04 WHIP |

.191 BAA | OOBP .280

Holding opposing batters under the Mendoza line, Phillips (St. Bonaventure) paces an Olean staff off to an eye-popping start to the NYCBL season. The 6-5 righty has already already established a 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio and opposing hitters have an on-base percentage under .300 when the workhorse takes the mound. The Buffalo, New York native is part of a staff posting an ERA of 0.64. 

Player of the Week 

Aaron Phillips – Olean

St. Bonaventure

7 GP | .393 | 3B | 4 BB | 9 R |

| 12 RBI | .409 AVG | .571 SLG | .500 OBP

1 GS | 1W | 9 IP | 3H | 0R | 1BB | 4K | 0.44 WHIP

Phillips continues to lead the charge for a streaking Oilers team both on the mound and with his bat. The righty held the opposing team’s average just over .100, and established a 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio. At the plate, the Buffalo, New York batted just under .400 with a home run and 10 RBI.

Pitcher of the Week 

Dylan Leahy - Cortland

Keystone College

2 GS (2-0) | 11.2 IP | 2 ER | 8 H | 8 SO |

5 BB | 1.54 ERA | 1.11 WHIP |

.211 BAA | OOBP .304

Leahy (Keystone) started the week with five shutout innings against the second-place Syracuse Salt Cats. He finished with a win over Rome. The lefty did his best impersonation of Clayton Kershaw, posting a 1.54 ERA. The Maybrook, New York native led a staff that pitched to a 2.40 ERA during the course of the week. 

Player of the Week

Harry Montero Jr. – Wellsville Nitros

Bloomfield

7 G | 15-25 | 18 RBI | 9 R | 3 HR | 7 2B | 1 BB | .600 AVG | .615 OBP | 1.240 SLG

Montero was instrumental in the Nitros victory over the Dodgers last Monday, hitting a three-run bomb in the sixth to give his team some insurance. Montero Jr. highlighted an 11-run eighth on Wednesday against the Dodgers with a grand slam, but his team would come up short. The Millville, New Jersey native currently leads the league hitting .400. 

Pitcher of the Week

Stephen Witkowski – Cortland Crush

UMass-Boston

1 GS (1-0) | 7 IP | 3 H | 0 R | 9 SO | 1 BB | 0.00 ERA | 0.57 WHIP | .125 AVG |

.222 OOBP

Witkowski made the most of his one outing for the week. The righty posted a 9:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and threw 65 of his 97 pitches for strikes. The Pittsfield, Massachusetts native’s ERA remains untouched at 0.00.

Player of the Week

David Yanni – Olean 

University of Pittsburgh

7 G | 12-25 | 8 RBI | 4 R | 2 HR | 2B

3 BB | .480 AVG | .536 OBP | .760 SLG

Yanni highlighted a four-run top of the first last Monday against Hornell with a three-run blast, which plated home the first three runs. Yanni also highlighted another four-run inning on Friday against the same time with a two-run bomb, that time in the bottom of the first. 

Pitcher of the Week

Richard Edwards – Rome 

Edward Waters College

2 GS (1-0) | 13 IP | 9 H | R | BB | 5 SO

0.69 ERA | 0.77 WHIP | .200 AVG | .213 OOBP

Edwards (Edward Waters) gave up one run in the top of the first against the Syracuse JR Chiefs last Monday, but since then has not given up a run in 12 innings. The righty cooled down a Genesee team riding a four-game winning streak his last time out, and retired 11 straight batters from the first inning to the fifth. The Orange Park, Florida native’s ERA is currently 1.66 on the season.

Pitcher of the Week

Austin Bizzle – Olean Oilers

1 GS (1-0) | 9 IP | 1 H | 0 R | BB | 2 SO | 0.00 ERA | 0.22 WHIP | .040 AVG | .074 OOBP

Bizzle pitched only one game this week, but it was an absolute gem. The righty allowed a hit in the bottom of the second on Saturday against the J-Chiefs, but then went on to retire 22 of the next 23 batters (11 straight to end the game). Bizzle cooled off a team that had won six out of their last eight and had closed in on the East lead. The Panama City, Florida native lowered his ERA to 1.90 on the season.

Player of the Week

Ethan Luna – Rochester Ridgemen

Southwestern University

7 G | 15-27 | 4 RBI | 8 R | 2 2B | BB |

.556 AVG | .567 OBP | .630 SLG

Luna had four straight three hit games last week, and in that stretch, Rochester went 3-1. Luna contributed to a five-run bottom of the second with an RBI double against the Salt Cats on Thursday. With last week’s performance, Luna raised his batting average to .381 on the season. 

Pitcher of the Week

Tim Curtis – Rome Generals

Union College

2 GS (1-0) | 14 IP | 12 H | 4 R | 3 BB

6 SO | 2.57 ERA | 1.07 WHIP | .245 AVG

.288 OOBP

Curtis (Union) completely shut down the JR Chiefs on the 4th of July, tossing eight shutout innings. The righty retired 17 of the first 18 batters, and 24 of 27 in the entire game. Curtis faced the same team on July 9th,and gave the Generals a quality start with six innings pitched. The Manhasset, New York native picked up his first win this season in his first start made.

Player of the Week

Harry Montero Jr. – Wellsville Nitros

Bloomfield College

7 G | 12-28 | 17 RBI | 11 R | 5 HR | 3 2B

2 BB | .429 AVG | .467 OBP | 1.071 SLG

Montero helped break things open on Friday against Genesee with a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth. The Nitros have scored 74 combined runs during their current five-game winning streak, and Montero is responsible for driving in 14 of those runs. The Millville, New Jersey native established an NYCBL record for extra base hits (27) in a season.   

Pitcher of the Week

Jimmy Skiff – Syracuse Jr. Chiefs

Purdue-Calumet

1W | 8IP | 0R | 4H | 11K | 2BB

Last time the Wellsville Nitros were shut out it happened on the road, in the second game of a doubleheader during the first week of the season. Skiff handcuffed a lineup averaging 13 runs over its last eight home games. He did not allow a hit for the first two innings and retired the last seven batters he faced.  

Player of the Week

Ryan Coulon – Sherrill Silversmiths

St. Thomas Aquinas College

.632 (12-19) | 12 RBI | 2 HR | 3 2B | 4R

Coulon finished with four multi-hits game this week, drove in at least one run in four of five contests and has put together a seven-game hitting streak. The Lindenhurst, New York went 6-for-8 with two home runs and nine RBI against the NYCBL’s top two teams (Olean and Cortland). He capped his week with a monstrous two-run shot to deep left center field at Olean’s Bradner Stadium.

Pitcher of the Week

Matthew McCuen – Cortland Crush

Niagara University

2 G (1-0) | SV | 4 IP | 2 H | 0 R | BB | 5 K

0.00 ERA | 0.75 WHIP | .167 AVG 

McCuen came on in the third against the Salt Cats on Friday, and dazzled in three innings. The righty faced the minimum, and struck out five of the nine batters he faced in a winning effort, as the Crush went on to claim their first division title in team history. The Amherst, New York native also picked up the save against Sherrill a day earlier.

Player of the Week

Joseph Anselmi – Syracuse Salt Cats

Manhattanville College

5 G | 7-17 | 5 RBI | 7 R | HR | 2B | BB

5 SB | .412 AVG | .500 OBP | .647 SLG

On the bases and at the plate, Anselmi did a little bit of everything last week. He connected for a two-run shot against the Crush on Friday. Earlier that game, Anselmi cleared the bases with a two-bagger to give the ‘Cats a 4-2 lead in the third. Anselmi also stole five bases in the week without getting caught, including two of home.