Many of the state’s top high school baseball players will cap off their careers Friday night at the annual Maine East-West Senior All-Star Game at Mahaney Diamond on the campus of the University of Maine in Orono.
But only one will end the night carrying an additional moniker – Mr. Baseball.
Collin Henry of George Stevens of Blue Hill, Ian Lee of Hampden Academy, Joey Martin of Portland and Mark Schmidt of Gorham are the four finalists for the 15th annual award symbolic of the state’s top senior baseball player.
The Mr. Baseball winner will be presented the John Winkin Award during a ceremony just before the 7 p.m. all-star contest.
Henry, a pitcher-first baseman, batted .477 with six home runs and 23 RBIs this spring for George Stevens. On the mound, the University of Southern Maine-bound lefthander had a 4-2 record with two saves, a 1.01 earned run average and 54 strikeouts in 35 innings.
That came on the heels of a junior season when he batted .500 with two homers, 28 RBIs, 28 runs scored and 17 stolen bases, along with a 7-0 pitching record with a 1.00 ERA.
Henry was a four-year starter at first base for coach Dan Kane’s club, helping GSA win three Eastern Maine Class C titles and the 2003 and 2004 state championships. He also was a three-year starting pitcher for the Eagles.
Lee was named the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A player of the year after hitting .609 for coach David Shapiro’s Broncos.
Lee had seven doubles, five triples and a home run among his 28 hits, and he also drew 11 walks. He finished the season with an on-base percentage of .789 and a slugging percentage of 1.043.
Lee also was a four-year starter on the Hampden Academy hockey team as well as a golf standout for the Broncos.
He will attempt to walk on to the University of Maine baseball team next season.
Martin led coach Mike Rutherford’s Portland club to an 18-1 record and the Western Maine Class A championship. The outfielder hit .439 during the regular season out of the leadoff spot in the Bulldogs’ batting order, second-best in the Southern Maine Activities Association. He ranked fourth in the conference with an on-base percentage of .558, and had a .561 slugging percentage.
He was named the first-team All-SMAA designated hitter.
Martin has accepted a scholarship offer to continue his baseball career at the University of Maine next season.
Schmidt compiled a 27-1 pitching record and batted better than .400 in four years at Gorham, and capped off his career by leading the Rams to the Western Maine championship game in their first year in Class A.
The University of Southern Maine-bound lefthander finished 8-1 overall this spring, including 7-0 with a 2.30 ERA during the regular season with 77 strikeouts, 19 walks and 29 hits allowed in 45 2/3 innings.
He also hit .365 for coach Rocky Myers’ club.
Schmidt was named the SMAA most valuable player, as well as a first-team All-SMAA pitcher.
As a junior, Schmidt went 11-0 in leading the Rams to the 2005 Class B state championship.
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