Plenty of Utica-Area Talent Scattered Throughout Utica Blue Sox 2021 Roster
You'll see plenty of local names playing for the Utica Blue Sox at Murnane Field this summer.
A half-dozen members of the 2021 Blue Sox are locals, including ballplayers from New York Mills, Oriskany and Sherrill, NY. Utica is one of 16 teams competing in this summer's Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, an expansion from 12 teams when the PGCBL last played, pre-pandemic, in 2019.
In alphabetical order, here are the Utica and Syracuse-area players on the Blue Sox 2021 roster:
- Zach Brush - 2B - Sophomore at Le Moyne, from New York Mills
- Sam DiGeorge - P - Sophomore at Le Moyne, from Canastota
- Ryan Enos - 2B - Senior at Oswego, from Oriskany
- Davey Moffett - Junior at Manhattan, from Oneida
- Scottie O'Bryan - OF - Sophomore at Niagara/VCU, from Jamesville-Dewitt
- Dewey Roden - P/Util - Junior at Le Moyne, from Sherrill
The PGCBL season runs through June and July, with most teams playing almost every night. The beauty of the league for its players is the opportunity to continue playing competitive baseball and developing in the college-ball offseason. Meanwhile, fans get to see young talent with the potential of someday making it to the big leagues.
Utica will kick-off its season on Friday night at home, hosting the Auburn Doubledays, with first pitch set for 6:45PM. The Blue Sox are also home on Sunday (5:15PM) against the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs, and Monday (6:45PM) against the Watertown Rapids.
A former Utica collegiate-league pitcher whose name may ring a bell is the Tampa Rays' Ryan Yarbrough, who started and tossed a complete-game against the New York Yankees on Thursday afternoon. Yarbrough, of Austin, TX, is in his fourth MLB season after having spent the summer of 2011 in Utica, playing for the team which at that time was nicknamed the Utica Brewers, playing in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.
Also, Cedric Mullins, the centerfielder for the Baltimore Orioles - whose bat has done some damage to the Yankees this season, is also a former Utica Brewer who played locally in 2014.
And, there are several more tied to Utica's recent collegiate-league teams who are currently making their way through the Major League Baseball's farm system.
ALSO: Former Minnesota Twins All-Star's Home for Sale - Complete With Brewery
LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history