SCARBOROUGH – Ben Greenberg had a good season as a sophomore pitcher at Scarborough, but he wanted to get better. So he went to work in the offseason, refining his pitching and getting stronger.
The work paid off. Greenberg had a dominating season both on the mound and at the plate. He went from a .190 batting average as a sophomore to a .415 average this season. He was 6-0 as a pitcher in the regular season, sparking the Red Storm to a 14-2 record and the No. 1 ranking in Western Class A.
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He consistently threw in the mid-to-high 80s. He suffered his only loss in the regional semifinals against Portland despite hitting a long home run.
“The season was a lot of fun,” said Greenberg. “I wished it had turned out a little differently.”
His season was noteworthy. Greenberg gained dual honors as Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year from the Southern Maine Activities Association. He was named Maine’s Gatorade Player of the Year and is the Maine Sunday Telegram Player of the Year.
Greenberg will enter his senior year with one less concern — where he will attend college. He has verbally accepted a baseball scholarship from Fordham. He plans to study business in college and reasoned what better place to study business and the opportunities it can present after graduation than going to college in New York. He also liked the baseball program.
His pitching coach, Bob Agger, pitched for Fordham. Agger and Greenberg have been working together since Greenberg was in Little League.
Those who know Greenberg, particularly his coaches, are as impressed with his character as his baseball talent.
“Ben’s character is second to none,” said Agger.
Greenberg has gotten bigger and stronger through weight training. He worked on his pitching with Agger and his hitting with Nick Caiazzo of The Edge Baseball and Softball Training Center in Portland.
“I worked with Nick on my hitting,” said Greenberg. “He knows me pretty well. He told me last winter that I would be getting a lot of outside pitches. We worked on going the opposite way.”
Greenberg’s hitting approach was particularly evident in a game against Portland at Hadlock Field in which he went 4 for 4 with two doubles, all to right and right-center, and all hit like they were shot out of a cannon.
This summer Greenberg is playing for Legends Baseball, a travel team out of Middleton, Mass., that plays in showcase tournaments.
Next season Greenberg will lead a young Red Storm team.
“We were a senior team this year,” he said. “Next year will be a challenge.”
Greenberg plans to continue playing football in the fall and has a good chance to be the Red Storm’s starting quarterback.
“I feel playing football helps my competitiveness,” he said.
Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com
Twitter: TomChardPPH
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