Batter up! Bucks poised for summer of 2026

Two weeks before the Shelter Island Bucks play their opening game against the North Fork Ospreys, their general manager and coach are expressing optimism about the upcoming season.

“We’re due for a championship,” General Manager Brian Cass said.

“I’m going to really win it for Brian now,” said Coach Andy Concepcion. Following his first conversation with Mr. Cass, Coach Concepcion said he’s looking forward to returning to New York after years of coaching mostly in Las Vegas and Utah.

The team is still short an assistant coach since Louis Stallone, who had signed on for the role, made a late decision to spend the summer in a classroom pursuing an additional degree rather than on a baseball field.

The Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League is to identify another assistant for the Bucks, Mr. Cass said.

For awhile, Mr. Cass was trying to find a coach who would not need housing; that effort has not been realized, he said. He still needs housing for four players in June and four in July. He’s hoping he can get the additional host families, but failing that, will have to pay for housing.

“It’s never easy” finding enough housing, Mr. Cass said.

If he can’t find the additional housing, he aims to find rental space on the Island since housing them off-Island creates problems, he said. Although many host families offer more, they are asked to provide beds, a washing machine to clean uniforms and some space in the refrigerator for a player’s food. Many current and former host families invite their players to join in family meals on days when there aren’t special events for the players to gather together for meals.

In addition, a number of players arrive with vehicles, so they transport their fellow team members to various events. 

It’s not unusual for hosts to attend games and become loyal fans of the team. Many who have hosted develop ties with their players that are ongoing long after the baseball season ends.

The Bucks joined the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League in 2012 and played all but two summers — 2020 and 2021 — when the COVID pandemic was sweeping the world and host families were reluctant to house players and coaches.

Even for the summer of 2023, there was reluctance that made finding housing difficult, but the team could have lost its position in the league had it not fielded a team. Some of those who were involved with the team in its early days worried the Shelter Island community would prove too small to sustain a team for long.

If the search for housing appeared somewhat easier for this summer, Mr. Cass repeated that it’s never easy. Despite many hosts expressing pleasure with the experience, some former host families have to bypass the season because of family commitments. Nonetheless, there’s hope that families will step forward to host for at least one month if not two.

If there are people in the community who would like to be a part of what is always an important part of Shelter Island summers, Mr. Cass can be reached at 631-445-0084 or by email at [email protected]. He’s working with two assistants who are also hoping to hear from additional hosts. Frank Vecchio can be reached at 516-317-8687 or [email protected], and David Austin can be reached at 415-613-1991 or [email protected].