HODGDON, Maine — Coach Seth Dorr has high hopes for his third varsity season at the helm of the Hodgdon baseball team.
And with a bundle of returning, talented players, it is easy to see why that is the case. Hodgdon finished the regular season with an 8-6 record last year, earning the Hawks a home preliminary playoff game. Hodgdon fell 8-3 to No. 12 Schneck, something that coach Dorr and many of the Hawks remember all too well as many of those on last year’s squad are returning players this year.
“Our hopes are to clinch a home playoff game again this year,” Dorr said. “We have a good group of players who are working hard to make it as far as they possibly can in the playoffs.”
The Hawks roster includes three seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen. Members of the Hawk squad include seniors Blake Woods, Sam Horton and Jimmy Buzzell; juniors Dillon Buzzell, Daden Palmer, Ethan Henderson, Jordyn Merritt, Danny Gillotti, Ben Tuttle; sophomores Matt Tuttle, Matt Horton and Wyatt Foster; and freshmen Frank Dorr and Andrew Tuttle.
The Hawks have three sets of brothers on this year’s team — Sam and Matt Horton, Jimmy and Dillon Buzzell and Matt and Andrew Tuttle.
“We lost four players to graduation and they will be missed in terms of their leadership and their ability to get the most out of their teammates,” Dorr said. “I am hopeful that new players this year will continue to step up to fill the voids left.”
The Hawks’ strength should be the team’s balance throughout the lineup both at the plate and in the field.
“Some teams have to hide players in their lineup due to inexperience, but we have a lot of players who can play multiple positions and who are comfortable hitting anywhere in the lineup,” Dorr said. “As the season progresses we hope to improve on our defense and limiting errors, due to the fact that some things are hard to simulate in the gym such as bad hops, the first week or two outside can be a little shaky. Since in northern Maine we basically start playing games as soon as the field is OK those first few games can be error-filled.”
The coach expects big things from Sam Horton (second baseman/pitcher); Woods (pitcher/infielder) and Jimmy Buzzell (catcher).
“All three are excited and know the potential this team has to be successful,” Dorr said. “I expect the three of them to be leaders on the field, but I would not be surprised if we had different names in the paper nearly every game.”
Hodgdon is slated to open its season Friday, hosting Woodland at 4 p.m. if field conditions allow.
