The Hampton Division took another gigantic step during the offseason, welcoming the Center Moriches Battlecats and Shelter Island Bucks to the fold, becoming a seven-team division. The Battlecats, led by president Anthony Eaderesto, general manager Ed Morris and manager Bill Batewell, began play at Paul Gibson Field, while the Bucks, headed by general manager Cori Cass and manager Joe Burke played to outstanding crowds at the high school.
Like in 2011, parity reigned, with the top five teams being separated by three games. It wasn't until the final day of the regular that the four-team playoff field was set. Shelter Island took home its first regular-season crown, and they were followed by North Fork, Southampton and Riverhead. Center Moriches dropped its final game against Westhampton to come up one game short.
Riverhead upset top-seeded Shelter Island by sweeping a doubleheader on the road, while Southampton was able to outlast North Fork in the other semifinal, winning a decisive game three behind starter Patrick Peterson (Temple). In the finals, Southampton took the series 2-0 behind its potent offense. Robb Scott (Bucknell, pictured above) drove in five of the team's runs in its 6-2 victory in game one. Back in Riverhead for game two, the Breakers banged out 16 hits, including three homers, to roll to a 12-4 victory. The division title was Southampton's first in four seasons; the prior three, they'd lost in the semifinal round, twice to the eventual ACBL champion.
The Breakers threw their ace, Paul Paez (Rio Hondo JC), in the league semifinal against North Jersey, but the Eagles chipped away against Southampton, winning 4-3 at SBU Southampton. North Jersey went on to win its first-ever ACBL championship the next day against the New York Atlantics.
It was a record-setting season at the plate as four teams surpassed the 2009 Westhampton squad's mark for runs in a season. Shelter Island led the way with 270, riding its catalyst, Thomas Roulis (Dartmouth), who set the single-season record for runs scored with 41. Individually, the story was Center Moriches catcher Joe Solomeno, who rose to the top of the charts in single-season batting average (.421), hits (61) and RBI (53). Scott, meanwhile, climbed to the No. 1 spot in six all-time offensive categories, including runs (61), hits (109), doubles (26) and walks (40).
On the mound, Paez more or less mirrored the efforts of 2009 Tomcat Nick Tropeano, surpassing him in strikeouts (82) while matching him single-season victories (7). The Center Moriches trio of Brendan Butler (Fairleigh Dickinson), Anthony Gatto (UMBC) and John Maloney (High Point) also threw the fourth no-hitter in HCB history, holding Shelter Island hitless on June 5.
Solomeno and Roulis split the vote for league Most Valuable Player honors, while Paez took home Most Valuable Pitcher accolades. He also was named the top prospect in the league according to Baseball America and Perfect Game USA.
