Freeport pitcher Blaine Cockburn throws during the Class B regional final against York on June 11, 2019. Cockburn is back to lead the Falcons this spring. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald
The coronavirus pandemic has altered the landscape of most, if not all, high school sports.
Baseball is certainly no exception, as several modifications will be on display between the lines this spring.
For example, umpires calling balls and strikes will do so from behind the pitcher’s mound instead of home plate.
“Let’s just say it’s going to be a challenge for both the umpires and the players,” said Mt. Ararat coach Brett Chase. “We’ve had two scrimmages this preseason and also saw it over the summer, and it presented some issues.”
Chase added it can be challenging for an umpire to call a consistent strike zone when standing 60 feet in front of the plate.
“I stress to the players that it goes both ways and they’ll just have to get used to it for hopefully just this season” said Chase. “We have other things to worry about.”
Indeed, the Eagles do as it will open the season without a home diamond thanks to an issue with the soil that was used for the new field.
“To my knowledge, it basically doesn’t drain properly and will be unavailable for the time being,” said Chase. “We found this out last week, and our athletic director has been scrambling to find a home field for us, which is still up in the air at the moment.”
It should be a competitive season in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference, as well as the Western Maine Conference, with teams returning several players from the 2019 season.
Freeport returns four players who played pivotal roles on a squad that won a 2019 regional title. The Falcons have a new coach in Steve Shukie, who comes over from the Kents Hill School.
“To say I’m excited to see our guys on the field would be an understatement,” said Shukie, who teaches at Saint Dominic High School in Auburn. “There are a few guys left from the regional championship in 2019, but a lot more that are playing in their first varsity action who are eager to get out there and get better.”
The Falcons were poised to make a run at another regional crown in 2020 before the pandemic shuttered the season.
“I feel for last year’s’ senior class; I know they had a lot of promise and were in large numbers,” said Shukie. “We still have a lot of potential but need to be consistent at the plate and in the field, to go with our solid pitching staff.”
In Bath, Niko Ruiz enters his third season as Morse head coach.
Richmond’s Wyatt Cassidy bunts during practice Wednesday in Richmond. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal Buy this Photo
“We have a good solid group of kids that genuinely care about this game and care about each other and this program,” said Ruiz, who has six players returning from the 2019 varsity roster. “They all have really bought into the culture that I wanted to bring to Morse when I took over a couple years ago. I can only hope that with the example they set for the younger kids that culture will speak for itself when we get on the field together.
In Class D, Richmond has several new faces on the roster, with only three players with previous varsity level experience.
“We only have 11 players, my lowest ever to start a season,” said Richmond head coach Ryan Gardner. “I still expect us to be a very strong team, which will be tested with the variety in our schedule.”
The Bobcats will play teams from Class B, C and D this season.
With an open playoff tournament at the end of the season, Gardner sees an opportunity to move things around during the regular season to find the best combinations.
“It allows me to be more free with adjustments and work players out at different positions,” said Gardner. “I may even break up games more on the mound to see what I have.”
With the modifications in place this season also comes regional scheduling.
Richmond’s Chance Taylor hits in the batting cage during practice Wednesday in Richmond. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal Buy this Photo
In B South, Morse will play some traditional opponents in Cape Elizabeth, Greely and Yarmouth, but also have games scheduled with Brunswick, Mt. Ararat and Mt. Blue of A North, as well as Spruce Mountain of C South.
In A North, the Eagles will play opponents from two different conferences in A North and B South. The same goes for Brunswick, which expects to be competitive in the KVAC this season.
“We’re going to be stronger this season compared to years past,” said Dragons head coach Craig Rogers. “We have solid pitching depth and the bats have been speeding up, the guys are ready for anything thrown their way.”
The Dragons are carrying 15 players on the roster, but have just three seniors, something Rogers alluded to as a “step in the right direction toward the future with the young talent we (Brunswick) have.”
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