8-560: The Niagara Falls Americans is a collegiate summer baseball franchise which competes in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League , a league designed to give college-eligible players an opportunity to compete while furthering their development and being scouted for professional consideration. Their home games are played at Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls, New York . The Niagara Power
16-540: The United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball , which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats , players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence the common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players
24-567: The College of Hospitality, Sport & Tourism Management at Niagara University . Under the direction of Dr. Patrick Tutka, who assumed the role of team president, Niagara University ran the team with a model by which students handled almost all facets of game-day operations. The Power returned to the NYCBL in 2018, winning the league's championship in the 2019 season. After the COVID pandemic forced
32-584: The ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions. To find a collegiate summer team, players work with their college coaches and prospective teams' general managers. They report to summer leagues after completing their spring collegiate season with their NCAA , NAIA , NJCAA , CCCAA , and NWAC teams. Some players arrive late due to their college team's postseason play, which sometimes runs into early June. In some cases, players are drafted during
40-458: The cancellation of the 2020 baseball season, the Power returned in 2021 but had switched leagues, leaving the NYCBL to join the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League . Following the 2021 season, Dr. Tutka stepped down from the team. Niagara University continued to operate the team in 2022 under the direction of the College of Hospitality, Sport & Tourism Management's dean, Bridget Niland. Upon
48-496: The collegiate summer season. These draftees can remain with their collegiate summer team until they sign a professional contract. During the season, players are housed by volunteer host families and bussed to and from road games. The leagues vary greatly in their attendances, quality of play, and ability to attract scouts. The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) and the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) are considered
56-610: The conclusion of the 2022 season, local businessman John DiCarlo assumed ownership of the Power. On December 15, 2023, the City of Niagara Falls and CAN-USA owner Robbie Nichols announced that the latter would assume ownership of the PGCBL's Niagara Falls franchise, rebranding the team as the Niagara Falls Americans. Collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in
64-561: Was established in 2007 by its first president and owner, Cal Kern , who operated the team in affiliation with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes . The Power, upon its inception, entered and competed in the New York Collegiate Baseball League . The team remained in the league until the conclusion of the 2015 season, after which Kern ceased operations. The team was restored in 2018 under new ownership,
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