STANDISH – When one of the top players on a reigning regional champion sacrifices a winter of skiing at Carrabassett Valley Academy to work on his pitching, it’s clear that committment won’t be a problem in the spring.

Rangeley junior Luke Hammond committed himself to getting stronger during the offseason, and now the Lakers are back playing for the State Class D championship (4 p.m., Mansfield Stadium in Bangor) against Katahdin and eager to finish what they started last season.

Hammond overcame some problems with the mound at St. Joseph’s College to hurl a complete-game three-hitter in a 3-0 victory over Richmond in the Western D final Wednesday. The fact that he and the Lakers were there was a testament to a winter spent in the gym rather than on the slopes.

“I just hit the gym like crazy,” Hammond said. “I found a good pitching workout, and five or six days a week after school I was just pounding the weights, trying to bulk up, not necessarily trying to add a lot of muscle, just trying to get stronger and strengthen my rotator cuff.”

The lefty spent his mornings in the gym too, throwing with teammate Cody Brooks starting at around 6 a.m.

“I had tendinitis in my shoulder last summer, so I was really just re-habbing and trying to get back to full strength,” Hammond said. “The biggest thing it did, I developed a much better curveball. When it’s good, it’s like a good 12-to-6 on the break. That’s definitely been the key to my success this year, being able to keep them off balance with that.”

Rangeley coach Mark Gordon said there were tangible and intangible benefits to an off-season focused on pitching.

“He’s had a little more velocity and towards the end of the year he’s kept his composure, which is something he’s been working on,” said Gordon.

The rules won’t allow Hammond to improve upon his 7-0 pitching record Saturday. Either Ben Bliss or Brooks will get the starting nod.

But the Lakers will still have the powerful junior in the middle of their batting order. Gordon originally batted Hammond lead off to take advantage of his speed, but when his knack for pulling the ball with power became apparent, the Lakers decided to move him down to the third spot in the order.

“In Rangeley, with that short porch out in right, and hitting in the lead-off spot, I hit five home runs and had six RBIs all season, so hitting third is kind of a more natural spot for me,” said Hammond.

Gordon expects his team to feel more natural in the state championship setting this year. Last year, he said, there was a bit of a happy to be there vibe once the Lakers knocked off rival Richmond to get to the state championship game. Deer Isle-Stonington took advantage and clubbed the Lakers, 11-2.

“They got to the state championship last year and I think, you know, that was good enough,” said Gordon. “It was a tough Deer Isle-Stonington team that we played there, but I don’t think they really wanted the state championship as much as they do this year because they’ve been there before but now they want to win it.”

With 13 players back from last year’s team, including all but two starters, Hammond believes Rangeley has the talent to go with the desire to finish the job this year.

“We lost some key players, but we also gained a couple of key players,” Hammond said. “Offensively, we’re probably a little stronger. Defensively, we’re about the same. Guys like Zac Abbott and Alex Rodway stepped in the infield and have played really well. So overall, I’d have to say yes, we’re a better team.”