Plans for the latest Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League club have been unveiled, as the Watertown Rapids are joining the circuit for 2018. Led by S&V Baseball Management, the upstart Rapids will play their home games at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds stadium.
The Rapids are joining the 14-team PGCBL, which features teams throughout New York State.
“We look forward to welcoming our friends and neighbors back to baseball at the historic Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds,” says Rapids owner Mike Schell, “Our hometown team will provide many days and nights and many summers of exciting family entertainment.”
The Rapids 2018 season will begin in early June. The regular season will run until the end of July, with possible playoffs in early August.
“In addition to a successful and fun baseball season, a few of our biggest goals are to be community-minded, family-friendly, and charitable,” Rapids General Manager Andrew Sagarin says, “We look forward to being a part of local events, visiting schools, working with non-profits and youth leagues, and forming mutually-beneficial partnerships with local businesses.”
Making a strong commitment to creating a sustainable baseball franchise in Watertown, S&V Baseball Management has committed to a three-year lease of the stadium for the Rapids with the City of Watertown.
Rapids owners Mike Schell and Paul Velte have a combined 30+ years of successful minor league baseball team ownership. Schell won the New York-Penn League Executive of the Year Award and Velte is one of only two executives in the New York-Penn League Hall of Fame. Owner Dan Velte is the Senior Director of League Development and Regional Operations for Little League International. General Manager Andrew Sagarin began his career in baseball as an intern with the Syracuse Chiefs (Class AAA; International League) while earning a degree in Sport Management from Syracuse University. Sagarin has since worked in baseball at the Los Angeles Angels Spring Training complex, the Arizona Fall League, the Auburn Doubledays (Short Season A; NY-Penn League), and the Frederick Keys (High A; Carolina League) before joining the Rapids.