PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Under first year head coach Roger Stinson, the 2018 University of Maine at Presque Isle baseball team is looking to come together behind its senior leadership to improve on a 4-29 record from last season.
“Our team motto is ‘family’ and we will continue to build on this concept throughout the year,” Stinson said. “We are together on this and our plan is to make this season one to remember. With a solid returning roster, led by our three senior captains (Matt Curry of Caribou, Matt Cauchon of Kingston, Massachusetts, and Saul Nunez of Mapleton), the energy is high, the drive to win is there and now it’s time to get out on the field and play.”
Assistant coach Tyler Smith, in his first year with the Owls, has stepped up to steer the team in the right direction.
“Coach Smith has been a very large part of our preseason,” Stinson said. “He’s able to run practices and has established his strengths as a pitching coach while bringing some experience to the team. He will be very instrumental in managing our pitching throughout the season.”
Nunez pitched in 23 of the 33 games last year, with an earned run average of 6.92 and 25 strikeouts. Curry pitched eight games last year while playing in all 33. He led the pitching staff in strikeouts with 29. At the plate, Curry also led the team in RBIs (23) and stolen bases (seven). Cauchon, an infielder, held a batting average of .301 with six stolen bases.
Also returning for the Owls, senior Jesus Garcia of Jewett City, Conn. finished with a .232 batting average with 11 RBIs and 23 hits last year. Junior Ryan Sanderson of Cow Bay, Nova Scotia, led the Owls in batting average last year (.316) with 12 RBIs. Sophomore catcher William Stinson of Skowhegan finished 2017 with 24 hits and a .365 on base percentage as a freshman. Sophomore Bradley Patterson of Harker Heights, Texas, ended his freshman year with a .230 batting average.
Senior Tyler McLaughlin of Fremont, California, rounds out the returning pitchers for UMPI. Last year, he led the team in innings pitched with 50 and ended the season with 26 strikeouts. Angel Morales of Windsor, Connecticut, returns as a sophomore, batting .207 on the year with 18 hits. Justin Mason of Stamford, Connecticut., a junior outfielder, batted .190.
Grant Bridges of Presque Isle and Jordan Hanscom of Lincoln are accompanied by five out-of-state freshmen — Austin Coulston of Bullhead City, Arizona; Keanu Vincente of Pawtucket, Rhode Island; Colby Spencer of Fairfield, North Carolina, Sora Tijima of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Chris Pace of New Salem, Massachusetts.
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- Angel Morales gets ready for the pitch during an at-bat in his UMPI Owls’ game against Lehman College in the Bronx, New York, on March 16. (Courtesy of UMPI Athletics)
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- Tyler McLaughlin prepares to throw a pitch during the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s game against City College of New York played March 17. (Courtesy of UMPI)
