Last year’s champs prep for another spring season

Hollow thuds and the slap of ball meeting mitt resounded in gymnasiums throughout the state Monday, marking the first full day of high school baseball and softball practice.

Track and field teams and tennis teams could also begin practicing Monday for the spring season.

Coaches walked around gyms, ducking errant throws and mishandled catches, judging this year’s crop of newcomers against the seasoned veterans from last year’s campaign.

Bangor High School coach Bob Kelley will have to weed through some 70 hopefuls to fill the five open slots on his scorecard. On the other hand, he has four starters back from the 1994 Class A state championship team.

Pitcher Matt Kinney returns to the mound for a last season with the Rams before heading north to play for Coach John Winkin’s Black Bears. The senior racked up a 10-1 record, a 1.03 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 75 innings last year, boosting Bangor to an 18-2 season and Kelley’s fifth state championship.

Also returning are fellow seniors Mark McEwen who will be behind the plate this season, center fielder Josh Jamieson, and junior shortstop Mike Pelkey.

“We’ve got a good nucleus returning,” Kelley understated. “And I think Matt Kinney is the best pitcher in the state this season.”

Battles for starting jobs at second and third base and two outfield positions are expected before Bangor’s first home game, April 27, against Hampden Academy, Kelley said.

“I don’t like to give our weaknesses away to other coaches,” Kelley said when asked about possible troubles. “The key for us this year is to have the new starters come along (with the veterans.)”

Further up the Penobscot River, defending Class B state champion Orono is hoping for rapidly developing young players after losing four All-Penobscot Valley Conference starters to graduation, including pitcher Mark Thibodeau, the player of the year.

“We lost seven out of nine players last year,” said Coach Leo Pelleriti. “We have a very young team this year, and we have to see how long it takes them to develop.

“If they come along quickly, we’ll be a contender,” he continued. “We’ll just have to be patient and wait through their young mistakes, and they have every right to make those mistakes.”

For experience, Pelleriti will rely on senior pitcher Chris Bagley, who pitched for the Red Riots last season and threw American Legion ball. Senior Tim LePage, “a fine BIG catcher who has a great arm” and is working on his throws, will be behind the plate, Pelleriti said.

While baseball pitchers and catchers warmed up last week, softball players were counting the days until their first official practices Monday.

A youth movement probably will overtake the diamond for the Eastern Maine Class B softball champion Hawks, according to Hermon coach Vince Marzilli.

The Hawks, who finished 14-6 last season, experienced more losses to moving vans than graduation. The team’s Rookie of the Year, Hillary Bogan, a freshman right fielder, and utility outfielder Wendy Davis, moved away.

Things look a little thin on the pitching staff, with Amy Reynolds as the only fireballer with league experience, Marzilli said.

The team, that will be dominated by freshmen and sophomores, will be led by senior twins – second baseman Heather Pace and catcher Heidi Pace.

With so many gaps, will the Hawks be back?

“Anything’s possible,” Marzilli replied. “Our goal, and what I’ve told the kids, is to make it into the playoffs. The object is to win but to have fun.”