The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) announced that the Olean Oilers will officially join the league as its 16th member beginning with the Summer 2026 season, marking a major new chapter for one of Western New York’s most recognizable baseball entities.
The Oilers will compete in the PGCBL’s Western Division, entering the league just one year after the addition of the Niagara Ironbacks, PGCBL’s first Canadian franchise.
The move expands the league to its largest size since its creation in 2010, when it launched with just eight teams.
The PGCBL is one of the most highly regarded summer collegiate leagues in the country, ranked among the best here and here.
“We are excited to bring a new standard of baseball and fan experience to historic Bradner Stadium,” said Matt Fidurko, president of the Olean Oilers. “This move takes us back to our New York-Penn League roots, competing against many of the same cities and in many of the same ballparks that the original Oilers did.”
The Oilers make the jump to the PGCBL after spending 13 seasons in the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL). Last season, Olean went 22-16-3 and reached the West Division postseason, continuing a stretch of competitive success that has made them one of the NYCBL’s premier franchises.
PGCBL president Joe Millazzo praised the Oilers’ addition, calling the franchise “one of the pillars of summer baseball in New York for more than a century.”
A Storied Baseball History in the Southern Tier
The Olean Oilers’ history stretches back to 1939, when the team began competing in the New York-Penn League, then known as the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (PONY) League.
Over the next three decades, the Oilers established themselves as one of the region’s top minor league programs, winning four league championships in 1939, 1940, 1950, and 1961.
Throughout those years, Olean served as a minor league affiliate for several Major League Baseball organizations. The team played under names such as the Olean Yankees, Olean Giants, Olean A’s, and Olean Red Sox, depending on their MLB affiliate at the time.
The franchise aligned with clubs including the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns, New York Yankees, New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Athletics, and Boston Red Sox.
After the New York-Penn League era ended in 1966, Olean’s modern baseball chapter began in 2012 when the Oilers joined the NYCBL.
They quickly became one of the league’s most successful teams, winning back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015 and posting a record-setting 24-game winning streak in 2015.
The team has also seen several alumni drafted into Major League Baseball, including Shawn Dubin, now pitching in the Baltimore Orioles organization.
The PGCBL Opponents Awaiting Olean
With their move into the PGCBL, the Oilers will join a highly competitive 16-team league featuring programs across Upstate New York and Ontario.
The opponents for the Oilers, who are part of the Western Division, will include:
Western Division Foes
- Auburn Doubledays
- Batavia Muckdogs
- Elmira Pioneers
- Geneva Red Wings
- Jamestown Tarp Skunks
- Newark Pilots
- Niagara Falls Americans
- Niagara Ironbacks
Eastern Division Teams
- Amsterdam Mohawks
- Boonville Lumberjacks
- Glens Falls Dragons
- Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs
- Oneonta Outlaws
- Saugerties Stallions
- Utica Blue Sox
The league’s 2026 schedule, including Olean’s full slate of opponents, will be released at a later date.
The Oilers’ arrival in the PGCBL marks a return to high-level collegiate summer baseball at Bradner Stadium and signals a new era for both the franchise and its passionate fan base.
As preparations begin for the 2026 season, excitement is already building for what promises to be an electrifying summer of Olean baseball.
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