The Mineola Mavericks (the Mineola Athletic Association's 13-year-old baseball team), sponsored by Windsor Fuel Oil, completed a very successful 2001 spring/summer season with a fourth place finish in the Glen Cove Baseball & Softball Association Mayors Trophy Tournament.

The Mavericks squeezed into the final playoff spot with a 2-2 tie game late in the season and opened playoff play against the undefeated Glen Cove Red team. Glen Cove had totally dominated tournament play to that point having scored 10 runs or more in every game played and only giving up two or more runs once, to the Mavericks in their first meeting.

The 1st playoff game was a great pitching dual with the Mavericks' Anthony Plomitallo and G.C. Red pitchers matching goose eggs for 4 innings. The Mavericks were helped by several fine defensive plays in right field by John Rovegno, which led to four key outs. Mineola had several scoring chances in the first five innings but they could not get beyond third base each time. Red finally broke the ice with a run in the bottom of the 5th on a perfectly executed squeeze play. The next inning saw Red score three more times. In their final at bat the Mavericks continued to push Glen Cove to the limit by loading the bases with two outs but could not bring a run home, losing 4-0. The Mavericks coaching staff earmarked this as one of the best played games of the season, with every player earning praise for their performance.

Two days later the Mavericks returned to Glen Cove Stadium to face 2nd place finisher Glen Cove Green, who had a surprise loss earlier in the week. Mineola opened the scoring with 4 runs in the first inning, but Green answered with 3 in their half of the inning and 4 more in the second. Unlike game one, this proved to be a game filled with hitting. Chris Harnett, Pete Diglio, Nelson Lopes, John Cloghessy, Joe Bittner & Steve Dekanchuk led the Mineola offense on this day of the hitter. By game's end, every player on both teams had reached base safely at least once. Going into their final at-bat Mineola trailed by six runs, but the "never say die" Mavericks scratched out three more runs as three of the first four hitters came around to score. With two outs and runners on the corners, the Mavericks season ended on a line drive caught in right-center field. Final score: Glen Cove Green - 12, Mineola Mavericks - 9.

This was the first season these young men played games under professional league rules and on 90 foot diamonds. Earlier in the season the team participated in the District 29 Junior Little League Spring League and the HBA Mid-Island Baseball Tournament. Congratulations to the players - Max Bankin, Joseph Bittner, John Cloghessy, Steven Dekanchuk, Peter Diglio, Mike Donato, Chris Harnett, Nelson Lopes, Robert McPartlan, John Rovegno, Craig Strein, Luke Amiratti, Brian Abrams, Chris Lopes, Joseph Werther, Anthony Orsano, Anthony Plomitallo and Tiago Rodrigues on their very successful season.

The team wishes to thank their families for their tremendous support through thick and thin. And finally, a special thanks to team sponsor - Windsor Fuel Oil for their continued support of the team and the Mineola Athletic Association.