History of HVCBL

The Hudson Valley Collegiate Baseball League (HVCBL) was formed in the Spring of 1996 (then known as The Collegiate Baseball League) by two residents of Orange County, NY; Tim Croker and Jim Bisaccia. Their intention being to provide collegiate, and some of the better high school aged ballplayers the opportunity to improve their game and showcase their talents in a league designed to attract college coaches, as well as local professional scouts.

The HVCBL is unique in that it has only allowed the use of wood bats since it’s inception. Ballplayers with professional aspirations can considerably enhance their chances of being drafted by a professional organization by demonstrating the ability to successfully hit with wood. It has also been a common practice for college coaches to send their better players to “wood bat only” summer leagues, where they can hone their skills by playing against better competition. Learning how to hit with wood, putting the sweet spot of the barrel on the ball, usually results in these same players improving their overall batting statistics upon returning to the lighter metal alloy bats used in the collegiate ranks. 

The HVCBL is comprised of teams from the Hudson Valley area of New York, Southern CT and PA. Games are played from June through the first week of August.