Winkin finalists honored, excited Bangor baseball team should contend in 2008 despite graduations

It took the four finalists for the 2007 Dr. John Winkin Award symbolic of the year’s Mr. Baseball to have a unified impact on the Monday’s Maine-New Hampshire Senior All-Star Game at Hadlock Field in Portland.

With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the first, Bangor catcher Gordon Webb called a pitch for pitcher Josh Jillson of Oak Hill of Sabattus. New Hampshire’s Kyle Davis grounded the pitch to shortstop Jarrett Lukas of Old Town, who scooped up the ball cleanly and threw to first baseman Joe Douglass of Poland for the final out of the inning.

And while Lukas emerged as the game’s standout, hitting a triple, double and single with three RBIs as Maine earned a 7-5 victory, all four were appreciative of the opportunity to play together – and to be finalists for the top individual honor in the state’s high school basketball ranks.

“It’s just an honor for with me,” said Webb, who led Bangor to a 37-3 record, two Eastern Maine Class A championships and the 2006 state title during his final two seasons with the Rams. “Josh, Joe and Jarrett are all very talented baseball players. I really didn’t think I deserved to be in there, but I’m very honored to be there. Whoever wins wins, but I’m just honored to be part of it.”

“It’s a privilege,” added Lukas, already selected as Maine’s 2007 Gatorade Player of the Year. “To be recognized as a finalist for Mr. Baseball as one of the best players throughout the state is a privilege. Mr. Baseball is a big thing in the state, it’s gone on for a while, so to be with Gordie, Josh Jillson and Douglass is a great honor.”

The 16th annual Winkin Award will be presented Friday evening, just before the Maine Senior All-Star Game to be held at Mahaney Diamond on the campus of Saint Joseph’s College in Standish. Game time is 7 p.m.

The game was rained out last year, but plans call for the game to be rotated in coming years between Mahaney Diamond at Saint Joseph’s and Mahaney Diamond at the University of Maine at Orono, where the game has been held since its inception, according to Mike Coutts, president of the Maine Baseball Coaches Association.

That move to rotating sites is designed to provide the game some additional exposure in southern Maine while staying true to the memory of its founder, Larry Mahaney, a noted Maine philanthropist and former board chairman and chief executive officier of Webber Energy Fuels, who died in 2006.

And Douglass, a pitcher-outfielder-first baseman who led Poland to the No. 1 seed in Western Maine Class B and a berth in the regional championship game, provides evidence that such a move might be needed.

“I actually didn’t even know there was an award,” said Douglass, who will play at Saint Joseph’s next season. “I knew they had one for basketball because I had heard about that, but I didn’t know they had one for baseball. I’m pretty excited about it, though.

“You think of some of the names that have won it like Mark Rogers and [Ryan] Flaherty, and just to be named with them is a big accomplishment for me, my family and friends. Even if I don’t win it’s good to have my name there. You’ve got to be doing something right to have it there.”

Rams set for strong ’08 season

Much has been made of the sophomore sensations who led Deering High School to the 2007 Class A state championship, and the notion that those Portland-based Rams will rank among the favorites in the large-school ranks for the next two years.

But don’t think Bangor High School is going to stray far from the elite ranks.

Coach Jeff Fahey’s club has graduated just five players from this year’s team, which finished 19-1 after falling to Deering 11-4 in last Saturday’s state final.

Three of those seniors were starters: pitcher-outfielder Alex Gallant, catcher Webb and center fielder Tom Crews, who batted 4-5-6 in the Bangor batting order. Webb and Gallant each hit well over .500, while Crews hit approximately .475.

Classmates Jimmy Batchelder and Matt Boehmer also were valuable members of the roster, which had 30 straight wins before Saturday’s loss and went 50-9 over the last three years.

“These guys have had a great career,” said Fahey. “As freshman they won our JV invitational tournament, and since we lost to Oxford Hills in the [Eastern A] semifinals three years ago, they’ve won 37 games and lost three. They’ve had great careers. We have five seniors, and they’re going to be missed.”

There is considerable reason for continued optimism in the Bangor camp. The top three hitters in the order, right fielder Kyle Vanidestine, third baseman Shane Walton and pitcher-shortstop Ian Edwards will be back for their senior seasons, as will first baseman Tyler McDade – who may shift to catcher – and shortstop John Cox.

Also returning as starters will be second baseman Chad Kelley and outfielder Ryan Larochelle, who hit well over .400 out of the No. 9 spot in the order this spring as a sophomore and figures to bat much higher in the lineup next spring.

Edwards (7-1) and fellow righthander Jordan Clarke (8-0) will again anchor the pitching staff, and lefthander Zane Gray elevated his stock with a solid relief performance against Deering.

“We’ll miss the guys who are graduating,” said Fahey, “but we’ll have somebody step up and try to take their place, and get back after it.”