It was around the start of his junior year in high school that Brewer’s Joel Barrett started thinking about the possibility of playing Division I college baseball.

Naturally, his thoughts wandered toward Orono and what it would be like playing at the University of Maine’s Mahaney Diamond.

As fate would have it, UMaine baseball coach Paul Kostacopoulos was already interested in Barrett and would make his interest known just a few months later.

The 18-year-old recent high school graduate has done nothing his last two seasons to cause that interest to wane after batting .560 last year and .525 this year for the Witches.

So Barrett will take his game to Orono next year and test himself at the top level of collegiate ball.

“I’m not getting a scholarship, but it’s not a walk-on thing either,” Barrett said. “I’m already on the roster and I can earn a scholarship.

“I definitely just wanted to see how far I can go. I really think from Coach K’s track record, and what he’s said, me going to another college wouldn’t have gotten me to a higher level. It seemed like a good overall package for me.”

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Barrett, who also considered the University of Southern Maine as a finalist, drove in 28 RBIs and hit four home runs this season. The three-year starter for the Witches said Kostacopoulos sees him as a corner (first or third baseman) for the Bears.

“If it had been a walk-on situation, I might have gone to USM, but they really made it clear that they wanted me and that’s what sold me,” said Barrrett. “They contacted me and I was very happy about that.”

Barrett plans to study education at Maine, possibly for a teaching career.

Big league hopes

The Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau will conduct a tryout camp in Sanford at Goodall Park Monday, July 1.

The camp, which will be conducted by Len Merullo and other MLB scouts, is open to all players ages 16-25 and no fee is required.

Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and players are asked to appear in full uniform. American Legion players are asked to bring a letter of approval from either their Legion coach or commander.

Prospective players must sign a liability waiver to participate and those under age 21 must have a parent or legal guardians present to sign a waiver.

All 30 Major League Baseball teams will be represented at the tryouts, which are also being held June 26 (New Britain Stadium, New Britain, Conn.), June 27 (Scot Park, Chicopee, Mass.), June 28 (Holman Stadium, Nashua, N.H.), and June 29 (Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.).

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or aneff@bangordailynews.net.