WASHBURN, Maine — The Beavers’ baseball team will rely on veteran leadership to guide the team this season, with 12 of the 15 players on the roster being upperclassmen.
Coach Ben Goodwin is confident in these players to step up and lead whenever necessary.
“We have a good core group that could all lead this team at any point throughout the season, whether it be on the mound throwing strikes, defensively making the big outs, or at the plate getting that big hit,” he said.
While the core group of veterans will be a big boost, having limited reserve players creates its own challenges. In order to combat this, each player needs to step up and do whatever is required of them.
“Having a small roster, my starting lineup will look different every game that we play. Certain players will have their main roles but with the short season and necessity of pitching, our defense and offensive lineups will look different,” Goodwin said.
Even with a limited roster, having a large amount of returning players should help make the transition into the season easier.
According to Goodwin, there are a few keys to doing well this season.
”I feel as though we could be a strong contender with the returning players and our new players, [but] it all depends on if we do the little things right to pick up the wins along with our pitching staff’s consistency,” he said.
If the Beavers can get those wins and find consistency on the mound, Goodwin sees no reason they can’t make the Eastern Maine championship game, but that success will only come with being mentally prepared for what lies ahead.
“Every game will be big for us this year,” the coach added. “We will take it one at a time and hopefully I can set up the right pitching rotation to help these boys come away with many victories.”
The Beavers roster consists of seniors Cameron Bragg, Alex Pelletier, Michael Ericson and Noah Farley; juniors Noah Caron, Jarrett Olson, Parker Thompson, Brandon Farley, Kevin Jordan, Keenan Jordan, Justin Davis and Carter Doak; sophomores Caleb Thompson and McCall Turner; and freshman Ethan Butler.
The squad’s manager is senior Mariena Bragg.
