Connolly/Vetter/Desmarais/Kay Named in HCBL Weekly Awards for Week 4
Getting into the homestretch of the 2026 HCBL season, four student-athletes had impressive showings on the field and were recognized in the HCBL Weekly Awards for Week 4.
Westhampton’s Brett Connolly (High Point) and Sag Harbor’s Aaron Vetter (Palm Beach Atlantic) were named as the Pepsi Co-Players of the Week while Sag Harbor’s Derek Desmarais (Tufts) and Southampton’s Evan Kay (Stony Brook) were recognized as the ACE Hardware Co-Pitchers of the Week.
Connolly in Week 4 for Westhampton hit .562 for the week going 9-for-16 with a home run and eight RBI. On July 3rd against Riverhead, Connolly went 3-for-3 at the plate for the Aviators with a home run and four RBI in a 6-4 Westhampton victory at Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton. Two days later against Riverhead, Connolly would drive in a pair of RBI in a 9-2 Aviators win.
As of July 13th, Connolly is currently batting .429 in the HCBL which is ranked second among league leaders.
Vetter helped set the Sag Harbor offense in Week 4 batting .500 for the week hitting 10-for-20 at the plate. Vetter had three consecutive games with a home run for Sag Harbor on July 5th against North Fork, July 7th against Westhampton and July 8th against North Fork. Vetter had his best offensive showing of Week 4 on July 7th where he went 3-for-4 in a 6-4 win over Westhampton.
Desmarais, a two-way player for Sag Harbor has shown to be very effective as a reliever for the Whalers this season. He recorded a save tossing a scoreless seventh inning against Southampton on July 3rd. On July 8th against the North Fork Ospreys in Peconic, Desmarais went three innings of scoreless relief allowing just one hit with seven strikeouts in a 5-4 extra-inning win for the Whalers on the road.
Desmarais currently leads all HCBL pitchers in ERA as of July 13th at 0.96 in 18.2 innings pitched.
Kay had possibly his best game of the season so far for Southampton going six innings against the Shelter Island Bucks on July 5th allowing a run on three hits with nine strikeouts and a walk. It is the second time this season Kay has been named as ACE Hardware Pitcher of the Week having received the award back on Opening Weekend.
The HCBL weekly awards are voted on by the league’s six head coaches each weekend.
Pepsi Player of the Week
Opening Weekend (6/12 to 6/14): David Swift, INF, Bates/Shelter Island
Week 1 (6/12 to 6/18): Nick Slogik, INF, Rowan College at Gloucester/Southampton
Week 2 (6/19 to 6/25): Manny Carreras, INF, Pace/North Fork
Week 3 (6/26 to 7/2): Nick Koch, OF, Merrimiack/Westhampton
ACE Hardware Pitcher of the Week
Opening Weekend (6/12 to 6/14): Evan Kay, RHP, Stony Brook/Southampton
Week 1 (6/12 to 6/18): Eric Ressegger, LHP, Adelphi/Riverhead
Week 2 (6/19 to 6/25): Joseph Hiller, RHP, Quinnipiac/Westhampton
Week 3 (6/26 to 7/2): Joe Gaspari, RHP, Hartford/Shelter Island