Sports

Baseball: First Hamptons League player reaches big leagues

Nick Tropeano, who pitched for the Riverhead Tomcats in 2009, appears to be the next Hamptons player bound for the majors. (Credit: Garret Meade, file)
Nick Tropeano, who pitched for the Riverhead Tomcats in 2009, appears to be the next Hamptons player bound for the majors. (Credit: Garret Meade, file)

The summer can be a crucial time in a player’s development. And in a wooden bat league like HCBL, scouts can get a glimpse for how a prospect handles the switch from aluminum.

“You put wood in their hands and you find out what they’re really made of,” Mauser said.

Tropeano figures to be the next in line for a call-up to the majors. Tropeano dominated on the mound in 2009 for the Riverhead Tomcats fresh off his first year at Stony Brook University. The West Islip native led the league in wins (seven), strikeouts (77) and ERA (1.61).

In an interview with the News-Review that summer, Tropeano said: “My goal in life — and this might sound corny — is to become legendary, to be all I can be. I was born with some ability and I should fulfill my dream.”

Tropeano was a fifth-round draft pick by the Houston Astros in 2011. So far this summer, Tropeano has a 2.38 ERA in Triple-A with a .954 WHIP.

“Obviously, I haven’t got to experience it yet,” Tropeano said in a Newsday story published Sunday. “But I can tell you it’s going to be a little surreal and a dream come true.”

Those involved in the HCBL hope this is just the beginning of a growing pipeline of players into the majors. Randy Caden, manager of the Tomcats, said one of the best prospects he’s seen played for him last year — Andre Jernigan, who attends Xavier University. He was a redshirt freshman at Xavier before joining the Tomcats last summer.

“I said he was my best prospect,” Caden said.

In his first full season at Xavier this past spring, Jernigan led the team with 41 RBIs and 6 home runs while playing shortstop.

Mauser pointed out a few players currently in the league he thinks will get drafted. Mike Donadio of St. John’s University is batting .394 for the Tomcats.

“He’s someone to watch in the 2016 draft,” Mauser said.

Ricky Surum of Virginia Tech, who plays for Southampton, is another top prospect. The slick-fielding shortstop is batting .439.

“The kid just makes every play at shortstop,” Mauser said.

For many of the top prospects who join the HCBL after their freshman season in college, the next step is joining a league like the Cape Cod, which is a premier destination for elite players coming off their sophomore season.

In many ways, the Cape Cod League is what HCBL hopes to emulate.

“You listen to the Major League Baseball draft telecast on MLB network and they’re referring to their summer in the Cape Cod League all the time,” Mauser said. “It’s a really important aspect to a player’s development.”