CARIBOU, Maine — The Vikings are coming off a dream season in which they captured the school’s first Eastern Maine baseball championship.
Caribou lost plenty of talent from that team to graduation, including the top two pitchers (Matt Curry and Sean Sadler), starting shortstop (Matt Milliard), starting catcher (Cody Herbert) and designated hitter (Matt Manter), and the Vikings have struggled at times in 2015.
Despite being just 6-9, Caribou still has a chance to reach the post-season. Currently, the team is in 13th place and holding on to the final playoff spot in Eastern Maine Class B. A win over Presque Isle tonight in the regular season finale would all but guarantee a berth.
Caribou had lost six of its last seven games before beating Fort Kent Monday. The Vikings own two wins over Fort Kent and single victories over Presque Isle, Houlton, John Bapst and Mount Desert Island.
Jimmie Thibodeau, the team’s 14-year coach, has four players back who had starting roles on last year’s squad. Junior Michael Hunter made the move from second base to shortstop, while senior Dustin Bouchard is the center fielder, senior Mason Huck patrols left field and junior Tyler Dombroski retains the first base job and also does some pitching.
Also back is senior Dylan Conroy, a reserve player in 2014 who has taken over as the starting catcher.
Other Viking starters are junior pitcher/first baseman Gunnar Bondeson, junior pitcher/third baseman Justin Ouellette, junior pitcher/right fielder Jacob Burby and freshman second baseman Noah Frost.
Rounding out the roster are freshmen Camden Huck and Spencer McDuffie, sophomore Zack Wright, junior Kevin Bither and senior Jared Fox.
Dan Umphrey continues as Thibodeau’s longtime assistant coach, while Emma Jandreau and Julia Harris are the managers.
