Raider’ Morin named Miss Maine Softball

AUGUSTA – Ask Winslow catcher Brittany Morin who her inspiration has been this season and there’s no hestitation in her answer. It’s her father, Dick Morin, who fell out of a treestand and was paralyzed from the chest down in an accident last year.

Most game days at Winslow High, Dick Morin had a special place reserved for his specially equipped van so he could have a good view of the Black Raiders’ games, which this year included a Class B state championship.

On Thursday, he watched from the stands as Morin was named Miss Maine Softball by the Maine Softball Coaches’ Association in between the two senior all-star games at Cony Park.

“He’s always been my backbone,” Brittany Morin said, holding her Miss Softball trophy. “He’s always been the one to push me. … He’s been my inspiration to work my hardest.”

Morin was selected from the eight players of the year, one in each classification and from each region.

The Eastern Maine Class A Player of the Year was Chelsea Blais of Brunswick. Morin won the Class B award, Dani Graves of Penquis of Milo was the EM Class C Player of the Year, and Shelby Pickering of Lee was Class D’s top player.

In Western Maine, the players of the year were Ashley Anderson of Portland in Class A, Michelle Robb of Greely of Cumberland Center in Class B, Bree Loon of Jay in Class C, and Sarah Coonradt of Richmond in Class D. Coonradt pitched the Bobcats to the Class D state title against Lee last weekend.

Dick Morin had a lot to watch during his daughter’s senior year. She was the striker on the Black Raiders’ soccer team, the point guard on the basketball team, and the catcher on the softball squad.

Dick Morin was a baseball player at Winslow, but he introduced his daughter to softball.

“He played in men’s leagues, so I grew up around it,” she said. “So I always loved softball. It’s my favorite sport.”

Morin, who plans to play all three sports at Thomas College in Waterville next year, will leave high school with state titles in softball and basketball, plus a regional crown in soccer. And that’s just her senior year. The Black Raiders also won states in softball last year and another EM soccer title in 2001.

With Morin at the helm, Winslow went 17-3 in softball, 19-3 in basketball, and 14-2-2 in soccer.

Morin, who batted about .420 this year, was behind the plate last Saturday as the Black Raiders beat Gorham 4-0 in the state final at Standish. She was confident Winslow could go far this season.

“I knew that we had younger players on the team, but we worked really well together as a team,” Morin said. “Our defense was our strong point. Our offense always came at the end of the game and our defense would pull through for us.”