About the Staff

Hamptons Baseball Camp believes athletics are an integral aspect of a childs education and features a staff of highly educated head coaches and a talented assortment of motivated high school and college baseball players who are dedicated youth coaches. Camp staff also features players from the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League.

Edward McCarthy, Director

Coach McCarthy holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from The George Washington University where he attended on a baseball scholarship. Prior to launching Hamptons Baseball Camp in 2004, he co-directed Home Run Baseball Camp for ten years. Coach McCarthy was the Gatorade Player of the Year in 1990 while at Wilson High School in Washington, DC.

A career educator in the realm of sports, reading, writing and peace studies, Coach McCarthy has coached youth baseball since age fifteen, taught in public and private schools in DC, NYC and the Hamptons, and served as a contributing coach for Béisbol y Libros in the Dominican Republic.

Away from the field, Coach McCarthy enjoys music, travel, surfing and chess.

Peter Miedema, Head Coach

Coach Miedema holds a Masters in Educational Psychology from the College of Saint Rose and a Bachelors in Secondary Education from SUNY New Paltz. Since 2002, he has been a certified New York State teacher and multi-sport coach for all experience levels. Currently teaching at Shelter Island UFSD, Coach Miedema has also taught at the Germantown Central School and the Charter School in East Hampton. His other interests include sports, history and power lifting.

Joseph Praino, Head Coach

Coach Praino holds a degree in journalism from Lehigh University, where he played on the university's baseball team. He has been a student of baseball nearly all his life and a teacher of the game for over 15 years. Coach Praino is an assistant varsity baseball coach at the Collegiate School in Manhattan and is also pursuing a career as a stand-up comic and actor. Coach Praino's hobbies include surfing, snowboarding and playing softball.

Ben Brewster

Ben is a left handed pitcher for the Sag Harbor Whalers of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League. He is entering his sophomore year at the University of Maryland where he is on the varsity baseball team and an academic standout studying kinesiology. Off the field Ben likes to read, hang out with friends and workout.

Sean Johnson, Head Rookie Coach

Sean has been the head rookie coach at HBC for the past seven seasons. He's currently a Junior at The College of Charlston where he's a business administration major with a double minor in Spanish and English.

Sean was s standout shortstop and pitcher at Southampton HS.

His father, Scott, is the Director of the Southampton Youth Services.

Conor Fitzgerald, Coach

Coach Fitzgerald has been coaching at HBC for more than four years. Currently a junior at Southampton High School, he plays on the Mariner's Varsity Baseball Team and has been a camp counselor for more than five years.

Vincent Abbate, Coach

An avid baseball player since little league, Coach Abbate is a center fielder on the Southampton Mariners Varsity Baseball Team. He coaches at HBC as well as Southampton Youth Services. Coach Abbate also enjoys football, drums, music and coaching sports.

Chris Pike

After winning MVP honors on the Southampton HS baseball team in 2010 and 2011 Chris was heavily recruited by top division I schools. He signed with Fordham where he is a general studies major and starting pitcher and first baseman. At HBC Chris serves as roving instructor.