ALBANY, N.Y. – Six Albany Dutchmen have been selected to the 2019 PGCBL All-Star Game. Catcher Aaron Roose (Azusa Pacific) and shortstop Justin Bench (Ole Miss) have been named starters for the PGCBL East Division. The two are joined by pitcher Blake Bales (Virginia), pitcher Nick Grabek (Fairfield), catcher Mitchell Henshaw (Albany), and infielder Tommy Pellis (Seton Hill),
The PGCBL All-Star Game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 16th at Cantine Field in Saugerties, New York. Albany’s six selections to the All-Star Game is tied for second in the league with the Saugerties Stallions for most in the PGCBL East Division. The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs led the way with seven players named to the All-Star Game.
Aaron Roose is the starting catcher for the PGCBL East All-Stars. The Lancaster, California native is batting .288/.422/.455 this season in 19 games this season for the Dutchmen. His 20 RBIs lead Albany this season, seven more than any other Dutchmen. Roose also has two home runs this season, both of which are grand slams that gave Albany the lead in two separate games they were trailing by at least two runs. The catcher just finished his sophomore year at Azusa Pacific.
Justin Bench is the starting shortstop for the PGCBL East All-Stars. The Redington Beach, Florida native is batting .370/.508/.630 this season in 15 games this season for the Dutchmen. His three home runs are tied with Pellis for most on the Dutchmen. All three home runs came within his last four games. Bench just finished his freshman season with Ole Miss and was on the Rebels roster for the NCAA Tournament. He appeared in three games during the NCAA Tournament for Ole Miss.
Blake Bales is one of two reserve pitchers for the PGCBL East All-Stars. The Schoolcraft, Michigan native has a 1.31 ERA in seven relief appearances this season for the Dutchmen. He is tied with Aaron Dona (St. Thomas Aquinas) this season with four wins. Bales is also second on the team in strikeouts with 26. He has two appearances this season with at least six strikeouts. The right-hander just finished his sophomore season with Virginia after his freshman year with Kellogg CC.
Nick Grabek is the second reserve pitcher from Albany on the PGCBL East All-Star roster. The Guilderland High School graduate and the Schenectady, New York native has a 1.48 ERA in five starts this season for the Dutchmen. He is third on the team in strikeouts with 25. Grabek is in his second season with the Dutchmen. He pitched in 12 games for Albany last year as reliever and recorded 27 strikeouts. The right-hander just finished his sophomore season with Fairfield, where he led the Stags with nine saves this past season.
Mitchell Henshaw is the reserve catcher for the PGCBL East All-Stars. The Brockport, New York native is batting .340/.448/.396 in 18 games this season for the Dutchmen. Henshaw has recorded two separate six-game hitting streaks this season. The catcher just finished his junior year with St. John’s after spending his first two college seasons playing for Potomac State College.
Tommy Pellis is a reserve infielder for the PGCBL East All-Stars. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania native is batting .272/.404/.407 this season for the Dutchmen. Pellis is tied with Bench for the team lead in home runs with three. He has 11 RBIs and is one of five Albany batters with double-digit RBIs this season. The infielder just finished his junior year with Seton Hill after spending his first two college seasons player for the University of Pennsylvania.
Albany is 16-10 this season in the PGCBL and is third in the PGCBL East Division, five games behind the Amsterdam Mohawks for first.
