Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

25 Players to Watch

Sam Balzano, Deering, senior, outfield: An outstanding defensive center fielder, Balzano also was 16 of 17 in steal attempts, batted .396 and scored 23 runs. He was 3-1 as a pitcher. 

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Caleb Fraser, just a sophomore, will be the top pitcher for Portland after a freshman season that included 30 strikeouts in 38 innings.

2010 Press Herald File/Derek Davis

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Scott Heath of Westbrook is returning for his senior season after being voted the most valuable player in the Telegram League a year ago. He hit .421, and also had a 7-2 pitching record with 85 strikeouts in 67 innings.

2010 Press Herald File/John Ewing

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Cam Brown, Cape Elizabeth, senior, shortstop: Brown turned in a strong season for the regional champs. He batted .440 with 18 RBI and eight stolen bases. Brown will bat leadoff. 

Steve Broy, Gorham, senior, shortstop: Broy was named to the All-Telegram League team. He finished the season second in batting average (.489), first in triples with six, second in total bases with 37 and third in hits with 23. 

Sam Canales, Thornton Academy, senior, shortstop: Canales batted .357 last season with 21 runs and 14 RBI. His runs scored ranked second in the Telegram League. Canales was a leading player for Thornton's Class A state hockey champion. 

Chris Cole, York, senior, pitcher: The Wildcats' No. 1 pitcher has good movement on his fastball and strong mechanics. The tall right-hander is healthy after breaking his foot in football, which forced him to miss basketball. He will play first base when not on the mound. 

Zach Collett, Westbrook, senior, second baseman: Collett was an All-Telegram second baseman last season after hitting .473 with six doubles and a team-leading 17 RBI. He will attend the University of New Haven on a scholarship. 

Nick Colucci, Deering, senior, shortstop: A smooth fielder, Colucci batted .345 and had 12 RBI. He was a second-team All-Telegram pick. Colucci is headed to Boston College on a baseball scholarship. 

Joe Cronin, Scarborough, junior, shortstop: One of the best fielders in the Telegram League, Cronin proved valuable on the mound as well with a 2-0 record and a 0.81 earned-run average. Cronin looks to improve his .250 batting average this season. He has verbally committed to play at Boston College. 

Luke Fernandes, Marshwood, junior, pitcher: Fernandes was a first-team All-Telegram selection at utility. He batted .396. Arguably the hardest thrower in the league, Fernandes was second in the league in strikeouts with 58. He had a 2-3 record with a 1.55 ERA 

Caleb Fraser, Portland, sophomore, pitcher: Fraser will be the Bulldogs' No. 1 pitcher. He had a 3-3 record as a freshman with 30 strikeouts in 38 innings. He had a .255 batting average. He will play second base when not pitching. 

Drew Gagnon, Windham, senior, outfield: Gagnon was an All-Telegram selection last season. He batted .417 and led the league in triples with eight. He was second in RBI with 16. 

Scott Heath, Westbrook, senior, pitcher: Heath was voted the most valuable player in the Telegram League. He batted .421 with 20 RBI, six doubles and two homers. On the mound he finished 7-2 with 85 strikeouts in 67 innings. 

Matt MacDowell, Falmouth, senior, catcher: MacDowell is arguably the top hitter in the Western Maine Conference. A year ago he batted .564 with seven doubles and 19 RBI. He will attend Dartmouth. 

Rob McDonald, Cape Elizabeth, senior, pitcher: McDonald had a 7-2 record a year ago. He had some big wins, including against Greely that clinched the No. 1 seed. He will also play center field and bat fourth. 

Paul McDonough, Wells, junior, shortstop: One of the top all-around players in the Western Maine Conference, McDonough hit .510 with three doubles, two triples, two homers and 16 RBI. He had a .962 fielding average and a 2-1 pitching record. 

Luke Morrill, Rockland, senior, shortstop: Morrill is one of the top players in the state and headed to the University of Maine. The 6-foot-3 standout also pitches. Last season Morrill batted .531 and had a 3-0 pitching record with a 1.98 ERA. 

Sean Murphy, Westbrook, senior, pitcher: Murphy, a tall right-hander, pitched only 82/3 innings last year because of a shoulder problem. He appears healthy and should give the Blue Blazes even more pitching depth. He batted .347 with six doubles and 14 RBI. A second-team all-league DH last year. 

Luke Pierce, Yarmouth, senior, shortstop: Pierce was selected first-team All Western Maine Conference. He batted .537 with 23 runs and 21 RBI. He had three doubles, five triples and two homers. 

Danny Place, Lake Region, senior, catcher: Place led the Western Maine Conference last season with a .588 batting average. He hit two home runs and 26 RBI. He was selected to the All-Western Maine Conference first team. 

Brandon Reilly, Lincoln Academy, senior, pitcher: Reilly, who also plays third base, batted .500 with 21 RBI last season. He had a 4-2 record and a 2.14 earned-run average. A four-year starter and two-year co-captain. 

Andrew Richards, South Portland, senior pitcher: Richards made the All-Telegram League team after going 5-2 with an 0.86 earned-run average for the Red Riots, who finished 11-5. He had the most pitching appearances in the league with 11. 

Jamie Ross, Deering, senior, pitcher: Ross figures to be one of the top pitchers in the Telegram League. He was limited to 27 innings last season because of shoulder problems, but is now healthy. A good hitter, he batted .306 and had six doubles. 

Joey Royer, Cheverus, senior, pitcher: A tall left-hander, Royer often pitched against the top teams. He comes off a strong American Legion season. He batted .358 as a junior and will play first base when not on the mound. 

Ben Shain, Greely, senior, pitcher: Shain has a year's experience after pitching against the best teams last season. He had 33 strikeouts in 22 innings with a 1.22 earned-run average. Shain also plays outfield and should provide a spark at the plate after batting .375 with 12 RBI. 

Ben Wessel, Scarborough, junior, pitcher: One of the top pitchers in the Telegram League, Wessel had a 4-2 record and a 2.87 earned-run average. He had a .326 batting average. Wessel has verbally committed to play at the University of Rhode Island.