Baseball Player Magazine

A Hamptons Collegiate Baseball front office member approached Westhampton Aviators manager Dave Walker shortly after his squad had hoisted the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League championship trophy. It had come time to round up awards nominees. Walker wanted no part of it. To call this hitter or pitcher more important than the next would be unjust. 

In the inaugural season for the team, one of five under the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball umbrella, seven Westhampton regulars hit over .300 but none higher than .336. The starters, the relievers, the righties, the lefties, even the occasional position player, they all pitched in. It aptly summed up how the organization came together – its players, coaches, front offices and fans combined to make 2009 quite a memorable summer on the East End. 

“We were successful in that the expansion took place in a recessionary economy, proving that the idea is on the right track,” Hamptons Collegiate Baseball President Rusty Leaver said. “It filled a real need in the communities. Secondly, the grassroots, hands-on support we received in the form of host family housing, meals and part-time jobs for players, and overall support at the games reinforced the same thing.” 

The Aviators’ 7-5 win over the Jersey Pilots in the ACBL title game punctuated a standout season on the East End. Between an All-Star Game shutout of the Wolff Division, a successful MLB Scout Day and the delivery of top-flight summer ball to the Hamptons, the organization has developed into a must-see stop in Major League scouts’ summer circuit. If its progress in the last two years is any indication, it won’t be long before it rivals the best of what’s around. 

“One of the huge benefits of this year was the baseball credibility that we established,” Leaver said. “Every time we raise our game, it’s acknowledged by the world of Major League Baseball and collegiate baseball. What’s critical to our success is that we’re able to convey our commitment to becoming one of the elite collegiate programs in the nation.” 

From start to finish, thousands of fans plopped themselves down in bleachers, beach blankets and lawn chairs in Sag Harbor, Southampton, Westhampton, Riverhead and the North Fork for the second season of Hamptons Collegiate Baseball, its first as a five-team venture. The standout players reaped postseason accolades. Right-hander Nick Tropeano (Stony Brook/West Islip, N.Y.) was named Most Valuable Pitcher, accumulating an astounding 77 strikeouts in 50 innings while compiling seven wins and a 1.61 earned run average. His success earned him the No. 1 spot on the ACBL’s prospect list according to Baseball America. Rounding out the top five were Nick Ahmed (Connecticut/East Longmeadow, Mass.), Gardner Leaver (Rhode Island/Montauk, N.Y.), Pete Greskoff (Brown/Paoli, Pa.) and Justin Bradley (UNC-Wilmington/Carolina Beach, N.C.) all HCB products. Alex Pracher (Stanford/Marlton, N.J.) was sixth on that list after a dominant season on the mound for Westhampton. Greskoff shared Most Valuable Player honors with Jersey’s Ken Gregory after hitting .397 and belting 10 home runs and driving in 37. 

At the All-Star Game, Tropeano went two shutout innings before giving way to seven relievers; together, they limited the Wolff Division to four hits and no runs. Stealing the show was Brandon Boykin (Rutgers/Teaneck, N.J.), whose three-run blast in the fourth inning all but put the Wolff away. Boykin’s blast helped earn him Most Valuable Player honors for the game. 

Less than two weeks later, HCB had another first – its first Major League scout day. More than 100 players were tested in the 60-yard dash, making various throws from the outfield and infield, at the plate and on the mound. Scouts from several clubs, including both 2008 World Series representatives – the Devil Rays and Phillies – as well as the New York Mets attended and left with several players to follow in the fall and spring seasons. 

“The first annual scout day that the HCB organization ran was very thorough and I know that the scouts who were there left with a lot more knowledge of the players that we brought out to the Island from all over the country," said Dan Gallagher, director of baseball operations. 

It’s just one year however. There will be many more. HCB’s key components took a few days to reflect on a job well done before hitting the recruiting trail for 2010. There’s always room to improve. There’s always next year, to which the East End most certainly looks forward.