Bryce Afthim, Windham senior, pitcher/shortstop: Afthim led the SMAA in the regular-season with 67 strikeouts while posting a 1.67 ERA in 46 innings pitched. He also hit .361 with five doubles and 12 RBI and committed just one error in the field. He plans to play next season at the University of Southern Maine.

Matt Burnett, Ellsworth senior, pitcher: A finalist for the Mr. Maine Baseball Award, Burnett hit .447 with six doubles and a triple while going 6-0 with a 0.68 ERA, striking out 57 in 30 2/3 innings in the regular season. In the playoffs, he shut out Medomak Valley on two hits and beat Freeport to win the Class B title with a three-hit shutout.

Colton Carson, Oxford Hills senior, pitcher: A finalist for Mr. Maine Baseball and the KVAC player of the year, Carson completed his three-sport career with a 3-1 win in the Class A North final against Edward Little after no-hitting Skowhegan in the playoff opener to finish the season with a 9-0 record. The 6-foot-5 right-hander will pitch for the University of Maine next season.

Connor Caverly, Marshwood junior, catcher: A 6-foot-5 catcher with an elite glove and throwing arm, Caverly hit .380 with five doubles, a triple and a home run in the regular season. He also hit a home run off South Portland star Hunter Owen in the playoffs. Pitching for the first time since he was 12, Caverly became a key reliever for the Hawks in the second half of the season. He has verbally committed to play for the UMaine.

Trejyn Fletcher, Deering senior, outfield/pitcher: Our Player of the Year gave Maine a display of the talents that made him the second-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB amateur draft. Fletcher hit .455 with three home runs and five doubles, was 17 of 17 in stolen base attempts and also used his low-90s fastball to strike out 41 hitters in 20 innings. He was named Mr. Maine Baseball.

Lucas Francis, Lisbon senior, pitcher/third base: Francis led Lisbon to a 20-0 record and the Class C title. In the regular season, the Mr. Maine finalist hit .415 with 22 runs and 22 RBI and was 5-0 with 33 strikeouts (against five walks) and a 1.07 ERA. He pitched two complete-game wins in the South regional. Francis play next season for Southern Maine.

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Ike Kiely, Falmouth junior, catcher: The first-team all-SMAA choice at catcher, Kiely hit .424 with five doubles, three triples and three home runs, including a game-winning blast in the Class A South quarterfinal at No. 2 Thornton Academy. He drove in 16 runs and scored 15.

Noah Lewis, South Portland junior, pitcher/shortstop: A shut-down pitcher with impeccable control, Lewis was also the Red Riots’ top offensive threat and shortstop. He hit .340 with 17 RBI. In 49 1/3 innings, Lewis posted a 6-0 record with a 0.43 ERA, walking only seven batters while striking out 53. He has verbally committed to play for the UMaine.

Riley Linn, York junior, shortstop: The Western Maine Conference Class B Player of the Year, Linn impressed with his range and strong arm defensively while hitting .449 (.525 on-base percentage) as the Wildcats’ leadoff hitter, scoring 28 runs with 12 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Quinn McDaniel, Marshwood junior, shortstop: The SMAA’s leading hitter with a strong combination of power and speed, he hit .588 (.627 on-base) with nine doubles, a triple and a home run, scored 21 runs, drove in 16 and stole nine bases. He has verbally committed to play at UMaine.

Will Neleski, Greely senior, pitcher/first base: The WMC Pitcher of the Year, Neleski faced Greely’s top opponents and went 5-0 with a 0.54 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings. The Mr. Maine Baseball finalist also hit .359. Neleski will play next season for Southern Maine.

Hunter Owen, South Portland junior, pitcher: The 6-foot-5 left-hander with a high-80s fastball and big-breaking curve showed why he’s committed to play at Vanderbilt University. He struck out 73 batters (11 walks) in 40 2/3 innings, allowing just 16 hits and one earned run.

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Jack Romano, Yarmouth senior, center field: A three-time first-team WMC choice, hit .490 and his one home run was a grand slam. He did not make an error and also posted three saves as the Clippers’ closer. A career .479 hitter, Romano will attend Bucknell and try to make the baseball team as a walk-on.

Nick Thompson, Scarborough, pitcher/first base: Thompson was the ace for the Class A champions, going 4-1 with a 1.11 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. He led Scarborough in batting average (.333) and on-base percentage (.440) and hit the game-winning, eighth-inning home run in the championship game against Oxford Hills.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mike D’Andrea, Scarborough: In his fourth season at Scarborough, D’Andrea molded a team that won six games a year ago (with several close losses) into the school’s first Class A championship squad, because it won close games. Scarborough knocked off both the state’s top-ranked teams, beating South Portland in 11 innings in the South final and previously unbeaten Oxford Hills in eight innings in the state championship game.


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