Talented Terriers ready for regional

When Greg King began the Thomas College baseball program seven years ago, he didn’t even have a field.

But he was optimistic that he could build a winner if he could successfully recruit some of the best high school players “within 45 minutes of the college.”

That is exactly what he has done and the result has been two conference championships over the past three seasons and a berth in the NAIA Region 10 best-of-three series against Wilmington College (Del.) today.

Host Thomas is 18-18 but has won 17 of its last 26. Wilmington is 28-17-1.

They will play at noon with a second game to follow. If they split, a Saturday championship game will start at noon.

“This is, by far, the most talented team I’ve ever had here,” said the 33-year-old King. “We’re deeper than we’ve been in the past. In the past, we’ve had a strong starting nine but not much after that.”

The Terriers feature the Brawn brothers from Augusta, Scott and Sean. Sophomore Scott, the Sunrise Conference Player of the Year, is hitting .450 with nine homers and 42 RBIs, and freshman Sean is hitting .403 with nine homers and 40 RBIs.

King said they came to Thomas “as dead-pull hitters,” but they have learned to drive the outside pitch up the middle or to the opposite field.

“They are very coachable,” said King.

The Brawn’s were first-team All-Sunrise Conference selections.

Thomas is hitting .313 as a team and has also been led by Jordan McDonald (.342), Aaron Bonenfant (.341, 33 runs), and Ryan O’Connor (.328, 6 homers, 21 RBIs).

Like the Brawn brothers, Gardiner’s Bonenfant and Bowdoin’s O’Connor also live within 45 minutes of Waterville.

The pitching has also been solid. The team’s 5.07 ERA, according to King, is two earned runs per game lower than usual.

And ace righty Travis Hotham was lost to the team with an early-season injury.

Westbrook freshman Ryan Rulman (4-0, 3.00 ERA) and sophomore Chris Tetreault (6-1, 3.32) will pitch today with Gardiner freshman Jordan Stebbins (2-2, 3.38) pitching the if-necessary game Saturday.

“The other key is we’re getting athletes who are extremely competitive,” said King, who is admired by his players.

“He has done a hell of a job,” said Bonenfant. “I’ve learned more from him than any other coach in my life.”

“He started the program seven years ago and now he has two championships under his belt. That’s impressive,” said Scott Brawn.

Wilmington is led by Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Year Aaron Lewis (.389-6 homers-42 RBIs, 22 stolen bases), Tom Gallagher (.386-9-48), and Jim Murphy (.377-2-35). Lefty Chris Cannatelli (6-1, 3.17) and Gallagher (4-3, 4.08) head up the pitching staff.