The Southwestern Maine Activities Association handed out its baseball awards last week in conjunction with naming its all-league team.
Ben Greenberg of Scarborough was named the league’s most valuable player for the second straight year. He also was selected first-team pitcher and third baseman for the second straight year.
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Nate Huot of Biddeford was named the winner of the Edson Hadlock Award as the league’s most valuable pitcher. The award is named after the former Portland High coach who pitched for the Portland Pilots in the New England League in 1947 and 1948. Hadlock was the Bulldogs’ coach from 1950 to 1978.
Keith LeBlanc of Biddeford was named coach of the year after guiding the Tigers to a 14-2 record and the third seed in the Western Class A playoffs.
Kyle Heath of Westbrook won the Fred Harlow Award which goes to a player in Cumberland County who demonstrates all-around dedication and attitude. Harlow was Deering’s coach for 20 years, winning Class A state titles in 1972 and 1973. He was the Westbrook coach before moving to Deering in the mid-1950s.
Corey Halliday of Noble won the Freddy Parent Award which has the same criteria as the Harlow Award and goes to a player in York County. Parent, a shortstop, played for Boston in the first World Series in 1903.
Jensen LaPoint of Cheverus won the league batting title with a .500 average.
Greenberg ALSO is among six finalists for the Dr. John Winkin “Mr. Baseball” Award, which will be presented on June 27 at Husson University in Bangor. The award goes to the top senior player in the state.
Greenberg is joined by Kyle Fletcher a pitcher/outfielder from Monmouth Academy, Falmouth shortstop/pitcher Will D’Agostino, Sacopee Valley pitcher/third baseman Anthony Haskell, Valley catcher Dylan Belanger, Messalonskee outfielder Devin Warren and Bangor Christian second baseman/pitcher Cody Collins.
The winner will be announced between the Maine senior all-star games at Husson’s John Winkin Sports Complex. The Class C/D West vs. East game will start at 3 p.m. The award announcement will be made at about 6:30, before the first pitch of the Class A/B game.
Maine’s best track and field athletes have another opportunity to draw attention this weekend at national and New England meets.
Lake Region junior Kate Hall, who finished second nationally in the long jump indoors earlier this year, will vie against the nation’s best Friday through Sunday at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Hall will compete in the long jump and the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
The meet also will feature Ellsworth senior and Class B state 800 champion Aleta Looker in the half mile and Class B state 3,200 champion Kirstin Sandreuter of Greely competing in the 5,000.
Maine might stand to bring home the most medals in the racewalk.
With just seven entered in the boys’ 1-mile racewalk, Class A runner-up Drew York of Gorham stands a good chance of collecting All-American honors, which go to the top six finishers.
York is joined in the event by Gorham teammates Spencer Linscott and Sean Pratt, as well as Spencer Dunn of Auburn, who was third at the Class A meet, and Joonatan Patomo of Bangor.
Gorham’s Laura Turner, the Class A state runner-up in the girls’ mile walk, also will race.
“Maine is one of the few states that competes at the racewalk at the high-school level. While you don’t see as many in the event, those that enter will be good,” said Gorham Coach Jason Tanguay, who’s coached two All-American racewalkers.
“It’s unusual for me to have this many boys racing so well. Since their freshman year, they’ve all been really committed to this event. Coach (John) Caterina and I joke that the racewalkers are the hardest workers on the track team. But it’s true.”
Meanwhile, the 69th Annual New England Interscholastic Track and Field Championships will be held Saturday at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. More than a dozen Class A state champions will compete against the best track and field athletes from New England high schools.
– Staff Writers Deirdre Fleming and Mike Lowe contributed to this report.
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