This is the 2024 look at the teams participating in the summer league known s the Hampton Collegiate Baseball League The HCBL is a summer baseball organization located in The Hamptons in the U.S. state of New York. It is a six-team league consisting of the Sag Harbor Whalers, Southampton Breakers, Westhampton Aviators, North Fork Ospreys, Shelter Island Bucks and most recently, the South Shore Clippers. The HCBL is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball and is sanctioned by Major League Baseball.
Last summer, the South Shore Clippers were the league champions. Let’s look at each team in a general way.
South Shore Clippers-The South Shore Clippers play their home games at Bellport High School in Bellport, New York, as part of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League. Their roster is comprised of only players that have a residence in the State of New York.
Head Coach Kevin Huber recently completed his sixth season at Yale in 2015. He has over a decade’s worth of collegiate, high school and club coaching experience. Prior to joining the Yale staff, Huber spent four seasons as the defensive and hitting coach at Fairfield. He also coached at the University of New Haven, where he helped guide the Chargers to a 2004 NYCAC Championship.
Pitching coach CJ Owings is a coach at Hagerstown Community College and former pitcher in the HCBL.
Sag Harbor Whales- This team formerly played under the umbrella of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball Leagueist now is part of the HCBL. The roster for this team is mostly from New Tork and Rhode Island with a sprinkling of players from Ohio. Home contests are played at Mashashimuet Park.
Pitching Coach Kyle Hansen-was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 40th round of the 2009 draft. Foregoing the MLB, Kyle decided to go to St John’s University. While at St John’s, he was coached by two time NCAA Championship pitching coach Scott Brown (Vanderbilt). After his junior year, he was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 6th round of the 2012 draft.Kyle played with the White Sox’s organization until 2016, reaching as high as AA. After his stint with the White Sox, he decided to re-pursue a degree in sports management while continuing to play independent baseball with the Long Island Ducks. Kyle played Independent baseball until the 2020 season. In the spring of 2019, he became the pitching coach for Tamalpais High School and have had 2 players move on to 4 year schools for baseball and 3 more committed to play in 2020 and 2021. Kyle currently resides in Mill Valley, California.
Celebrating Opening Day
The 16th Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League season gets started with a first. Opening Day in the HCBL will be marked as a two-day event as the defending HCBL champion South Shore Clippers travel to Southampton High School to face the Southampton Breakers on June 13th at 5:00 PM.
The following day June 14th the second part of Opening Day opens with a rematch of last year’s HCBL Championship Series as the Westhampton Aviators play the Clippers at Aviator Field in Westhampton Beach.
The Whalers open their 2024 season at Mashashimuet Park when they play the Southampton Breakers. Both the Westhampton and Southampton games will take place at 5:00 PM.
June 14th’s action wraps up with a night game at Cochran Park in Peconic between the North Fork Ospreys and the Shelter Island Bucks at 7:00 PM.
Coming up soon I will have reviews of the following teams:
Westhampton Aviators
Southampton Breakers-
Shelter Island Bucks-
North Fork Ospreys-
Some of the HCBL and ACBL alumni include:
Nick Ahmed, infielder
Garvin Alston, pitcher
Scott Arnold, pitcher
Mike Avilés, infielder
Kevin Baez, infielder
Kevin Barry, pitcher
Kevin Bearse, pitcher
Jason Bergmann, pitcher
Craig Biggio, infielder (AS, HOF)
Frank Brooks, pitcher
Terry Bross, pitcher
Kirk Bullinger, pitcher
Nate Bump, pitcher
Fred Cambria, pitcher
Cody Carroll, pitcher
Kevin Cash, catcher
Rick Cerone, catcher
Vinnie Chulk, pitcher
Mark Ciardi, pitcher
Frank Cimorelli, pitcher
Jeff Datz, catcher
Doug Davis, infielder
Jason Dellaero, infielder
Rich DeLucia, pitcher
Mark DiFelice, pitcher
Benny Distefano, player
John Doherty, pitcher
Angel Echevarria, outfielder
Brad Eldred, infielder
Frank Eufemia, pitcher
Steve Falteisek, pitcher
John Flaherty, catcher
Scott Forster, pitcher
Willie Fraser, pitcher
Danny Garcia, outfielder
Ray Giannelli, infielder
Keith Glauber, pitcher
Zack Godley, pitcher
Don Gordon, pitcher
Reid Gorecki, outfielder
Tom Gregorio, catcher
Kevin Gryboski, pitcher
John Halama, pitcher
Craig Hansen, pitcher
Pete Harnisch, pitcher (AS)
Joel Johnston, pitcher
Skip Jutze, catcher
Pat Kelly, infielder
Matt Kinzer, pitcher
Phil Klein, pitcher
Mike Koplove, pitcher
Kyle Kubitza, infielder
Jeff Kunkel, infielder
Al Lachowicz, pitcher
Rick Lancellotti, infielder
John Lannan, pitcher
Gene Larkin, player
Dennis Leonard, pitcher
Brian Lesher, outfielder
Brian Looney, pitcher
Mike Loynd, pitcher
Rob Lukachyk, pinch hitter
Zach Lutz, infielder
Joe Martinez, pitcher
Jim Mecir, pitcher
Frank Menechino, infielder
Ray Montgomery, outfielder
Dan Morogiello, pitcher
Matt Morris, pitcher (AS)
Jamie Moyer, pitcher (AS)
Terry Mulholland, pitcher (AS)
Sean Nolin, pitcher
Keith Osik, catcher
Charlie Puleo, pitcher
Steve Ratzer, pitcher
Chris Reed, pitcher
C. J. Riefenhauser, pitcher
Wayne Rosenthal, pitcher
Mo Sanford, pitcher
Jeff Schaefer, infielder
Rich Scheid, pitcher
Davis Schneider, infielder
Frank Schwindel, infielder
Frank Seminara, pitcher
Jim Stoops, pitcher
Drew Sutton, outfielder
Nick Tropeano, pitcher
Bob Tufts, pitcher
John Valentin, infielder
Anthony Varvaro, pitcher
Frank Viola, pitcher (AS, CY)
Ryan Vogelsong, pitcher (AS)
Pete Walker, pitcher
Allen Watson, pitcher
Walt Weiss, infielder (AS)
Ed Whited, infielder
Darrin Winston, pitcher
Ron Witmeyer, infielder
Eric Young, infielder (AS)
Pete Zoccolillo, outfielder