When Rockland High School three-sport star Wade Oliver was deciding among colleges, he said “I was looking at USM [University of Southern Maine] pretty hard.”

Then he visited Saint Joseph’s College in Standish.

“I talked to [baseball] coach [Will] Sanborn, I met a few baseball players and liked what I heard and I loved the campus. That sold me right there,” said Owls Head native Oliver.

Sanborn and the Monks are glad he chose St. Joseph’s.

Oliver, who has played both left and right field, was chosen the North Atlantic Conference’s Rookie of the Year and followed that by being named the NAC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player last weekend as he led the Monks to their second straight league title.

Oliver, the Monks’ leadoff man, went 5-for-8 with six runs batted in while playing in two of his team’s three tournament games, the 11-9 (10 innings) and 17-6 wins over Bangor’s Husson College. He also scored a pair of runs, drew a walk and hit a sacrifice fly.

He raised his average to .364 with two homers, 19 runs batted in and 25 runs scored. He stole seven bases in nine attempts.

“I didn’t expect [the MVP award] at all. I just went up there and tried to help out the team. Fortunately, I got the job done,” said Oliver who credited his teammates for making the award possible.

Husson senior shortstop Jason Harvey wasn’t surprised.

“He had a helluva’ tournament,” said Harvey. “It seemed like every time he was up against us, he did the job and drove somebody in. He had a great season overall and an exceptional tournament. He did a great job leading off for them. He deserved the Rookie of the Year [honor].”

Husson coach John Winkin said they recruited him for football and baseball.

“He’s an excellent athlete. He deserved the MVP,” said Winkin who considered him a “catalyst.”

Oliver said he never expected to be the Rookie of the Year when the season began.

“I was surprised. It was a great honor. I came here just trying to get a shot at making the team. That was my first thought. I figured I’d play here and there and I’d just contribute any way I could,” said Oliver.

He said he has worked hard on “every part of my game, especially this winter in the gym. I worked on hitting the ball the other way. I worked on my fielding, I just worked on everything.

“I had a good spring trip down in Florida and that definitely gave me a lot of confidence,” added Oliver.

Oliver hits the ball to all fields. Three of his hits in the tourney were to the opposite field (right). One went to center field and the other to left.

“I try to hit it wherever it’s pitched,” said the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Oliver.

Sanborn pointed out that Oliver played in the tournament despite a tender ankle.

“He’s a tough kid. He always seems to come up with a clutch hit. He’s a sparkplug,” said Sanborn.

Oliver, a two-time All-Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference choice in baseball who was chosen to the Frozen Ropes underclassman all-star and Maine Senior all-star games, has no regrets about his decision to attend St. Joseph’s.

“I’m having a great time. We do all the little things right and we have great team chemistry. We all get along great. This team is a lot of fun to be around,” said Oliver.

Maine native shines at Hartwick

Mount Desert Island native Ellen Sevigny is preparing to compete in the NCAA tournament this spring.

The sophomore is a member of the Hartwick College (N.Y.) water polo team that has advanced to the Elite 8, which will be held Friday through Sunday at the University of California-Davis.

Sevigny transferred to Hartwick in January after spending her freshman season at the University of Southern California.

“USC was a real culture shock for me,” Sevigny said. “It’s much more like home here, a lot of nature. It’s beautiful.”

Sevigny, a high school All-American at Suffield Academy in Connecticut, has contributed 34 goals and 21 assists on an offense that ranks second in the nation. She was named to the Collegiate Water Polo Association Northern All-Conference team and the CWPA Eastern Championship All-Tournament team.

“I was a third-string player at USC,” Sevigny said. “I wanted to come somewhere that I could keep playing polo and make a difference.”