The 2013 season saw a new beginning for Hamptons Collegiate Baseball as it began its first season as an independent operation. The seven existing HCB teams broke away from the ACBL to start the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League. The brand new league didn't change any of the fun and excitement that people in the Hamptons have expected over the last several years.
The Sag Harbor Whalers and Westhampton Aviators were engaged in a tight battle for the No. 1 seed. Sag Harbor clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs defeating Westhampton at Aviator Field on the regular season's final day. The North Fork Ospreys got the No. 3 seed, the Ospreys who were 10-16 on July 7 won 12 of their final 14 games down the stretch to finish at 21-18. Center Moriches took the No. 4 seed fending off Riverhead and Shelter Island for the last playoff spot at 20-20.
Both semifinal playoff rounds provided some great moments. Sag Harbor and Center Moriches were engaged in two tightly contested extra inning contests. Game 1 was scoreless for 12 innings, until the Battlecats scored three runs off Sag Harbor closer Jacob Bodner (Xavier) for a 3-0 win the 13th inning. Game 2 was tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the 10th when Zach Persky (Rollins) drove home the winning run for the Battlecats to upset the Whalers and advance Center Moriches to the HCBL Championship.
In the other semifinal, Westhampton and North Fork went the maximum three games. Game 1 saw a classic pitcher's duel between North Fork's David Jesch (Hofstra) and Westhampton's Preston Brown (Mississippi State). Game 1 in the series was decided early by an unearned run in favor of the Ospreys in the 1st who took a 1-0 victory. Westhampton evened the series at 1-1 on the strength of three hits and four RBI from the bat of Cole Miller (Georgia Tech) in a 4-2 Aviators victory. The third and deciding game saw both teams deadlocked at 2-2 through 11 innings. In the 12th inning, Ryan Solberg (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) drove home the deciding run for the Ospreys as North Fork advanced to its fourth HCBL Championship Series in five years.
In the Championship Series between North Fork and Center Moriches, the Ospreys struck the first blow. Led by a six-RBI performance from Mike Hayden (Saint Anselm), North Fork would take Game 1 by a final score of 12-5. In Game 2, Center Moriches took control scoring five runs in the 5th inning. The highlight of the Battlecats' big inning came from a three-run home run off the bat of Paschal Petrongolo (Jacksonville State).
In the final game of the series North Fork got the first run early on an error that scored Nick Heath (Northwestern State). The score stood at 1-0 until the 8th when the Battlecats tied the score, Center Moriches had the bases loaded but a double play got the Ospreys out of a jam to keep the game tied at 1-1. In the bottom of the 8th, Heath delivered a two-out single. After stealing second, Heath later scored on a double from Austin Miller (Butler) to give the Ospreys a 2-1 lead. Center Moriches would put the tying run at third in the ninth, but North Fork held on to take its second HCBL Championship in four seasons. Appropriately it was the Championship Series MVP, Heath, who caught the last out. Heath earned MVP honors by going 5 for 11 with five runs scored, three stolen bases and two RBI.
The first-ever HCBL MVP award went to Westhampton's JC Brandmaier (Dowling). Brandmaier was the standout player in the HCBL leading the league in batting average (.375) with 54 hits along with six home runs and 28 RBI.
HCBL fans also witnessed outstanding speed on the basepaths from two talented players – Heath and Riverhead's Jack Sundberg (Connecticut). Sundberg led the league in steals during the 2013 season with 35 steals in 43 attempts. Heath, the number one prospect in the HCBL according to Baseball America and Perfect Game USA, wasn't far behind, he had 34 SBs in 40 attempts.
In Sag Harbor, a pair of talented pitchers was key to the Whalers finishing in first place during the regular season. Jonathon Mulford (Adelphi) went a perfect 6-0 in nine appearances for the Whalers with a 1.68 ERA in 53.1 innings pitched. Mulford struck out 26 batters while walking only six. Mulford would take home the HCBL pitcher of the year award at season's end for his mastery on the mound. Meanwhile, Bodner provided frustration for many HCBL batters. In 18 appearances, he broke the HCBL single-season saves record with 14. Bodner's 2013 season was made more impressive by virtue of not allowing a single earned run during the regular season.
It was a successful year for HCBL alumni as 20 past HCBL players were selected in the 2013 MLB Draft. Among some of the notables taken in the early rounds were Stuart Turner (3rd Round/Southampton '11), Jordan Patterson (4th Round/Westhampton '11), Aaron Slegers (5th Round/Riverhead '11) and Kyle McGowin (5th Round/Sag Harbor ’11, ’12).
Mid-season, a massive crowd turned out to North Fork's Cochran Park in Mid-July for the Inaugural HCBL All-Star Game. The North HCBL All-Stars picked up a 4-1 win over the South as Joe Burns (St. John's) of Shelter Island took home MVP accolades.
