Evan Bess, Madison/Carrabec senior, utility: A finalist for the John Winkin Award, Bess helped his team reach the regional semifinals. He batted .480 with 18 RBI and 28 runs. As a pitcher, he was 4-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. He will attend the University of Maine.
Colton Carson, Oxford Hills junior, pitcher/outfield: Dominating at times, the 6-foot-6 right-hander went 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 33 innings. He threw three complete games and two shutouts.
Cam Cousins, Wells senior, pitcher/first base: A finalist for the John Winkin Award, Cousins was also the Western Maine Conference co-player of the year. He was 10-0 as a pitcher with one save and a 1.30 ERA, and struck out 42 in 69 innings. At the plate he hit .373 with one home run, seven doubles and 18 RBI.
Grant Hartley, Edward Little senior, pitcher/first base: A finalist for the John Winkin Award, Hartley helped the Red Eddies reach the Class A North quarterfinals. He hit .461 with 12 runs and 11 RBI, two home runs and five stolen bases. As a pitcher he went 4-2 with a 1.75 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 32 innings. He will attend UMaine to play football.
Riley Hasson, South Portland senior, shortstop/relief pitcher: A first-team all-SMAA selection as a shortstop, Hasson played a key role in the Red Riots’ success. He batted .483 with 16 RBI and 15 runs. As a relief pitcher he had five saves and didn’t allow a run.
Titus Kaewthong, Oceanside senior, center field: Kaewthong batted .515, setting a school record with 33 hits. He had four home runs and a school-record 26 RBI, and was 11 of 11 in stolen bases. He moved from catcher, and had three outfield assists and didn’t make an error. He will play next at American International College.
Nick Merrill, Mt. Ararat senior, shortstop: A first-team all-KVAC selection, Merrill was one of the top defensive players at his position, committing only four errors. He also batted .500 with seven doubles, two triples, 20 RBI and 17 runs. He will play next at Bowdoin College.
Ben Nelson, Gorham senior, shortstop: A three-time first-team SMAA selection, Nelson helped the Rams reach the Class A state championship game. A flawless defensive player, he batted .332 with 10 RBI and 15 runs. As a relief pitcher he was 2-0 with two saves and a 2.17 ERA. He will play next at Merrimack College.
Hunter Owen, South Portland sophomore, pitcher: The SMAA’s most valuable player and most valuable pitcher, Owen helped the Red Riots to the top seed in Class A South. A 6-foot-5 lefty, he was 6-1 with a 1.25 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 39 innings. He also batted .375.
Tyler Parke, Bangor senior, catcher: Parke was the leader on the field for the five-time Class A champion. He kept Bangor pitchers composed and was a big factor in the offense, hitting a walk-off grand slam to win the Class A North title game. He hit .491 with four doubles, seven triples, 16 RBI, 20 runs and eight stolen bases. He will play next at USM.
Kobe Rogerson, Brewer senior, shortstop/relief pitcher: An outstanding defensive player, Rogerson was the leadoff batter for the Class B state champion. He hit .397 and scored a team-high 24 runs, was 10 of 10 in stolen bases and struck out only twice. In relief he had one win and three saves with a 0.49 ERA. He will attend Husson.
Brendan Tinsman, Cape Elizabeth senior, catcher: Our Player of the Year, as well as the winner of the Gatorade Maine player of the year and the John Winkin Award, Tinsman had an outstanding four-year career as Cape’s starting catcher, hitting .413 with 14 home runs. This year he hit .510 with three home runs. He will next play at Wake Forest.
Donnie Tocci, Portland junior, right field/pitcher: A first-team all-SMAA selection as an outfielder, Tocci hit .365 and led the Bulldogs with 24 RBI. As a pitcher, he was 7-1 with a 1.40 ERA. A strong defensive player in the outfield, he is considered one of the state’s top junior prospects.
Griffin Watson, Cheverus senior, utility: A first-team all-SMAA selection, Watson started the season at shortstop, then moved to catcher and helped the Stags reach the Class A South final. He hit .431 with 25 runs as the leadoff hitter and was 17 of 17 in stolen bases. He will attend Fairfield University.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Dana Corey, Brewer: With only one starter returning from 2017, the Witches weren’t expected to be title contenders. But Corey, in his ninth year as head coach, found a way to take this young team to the Class B state title. He moved the underclassmen to new positions, worked constantly on situational hitting and got the players believing they could win.
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