SANFORD — It’s hard to believe, but after a long winter and a wet spring, the Sanford Mainers season begins tonight. 

As in previous years, this year’s home opener kicks off at 6:30 p.m., with gates opening an hour prior at 5:30 p.m. The summer is chock full of exciting events, so please be sure to stay tuned to what there is to come. Players from all over the country have signed their contracts to play in Sanford this summer, and the Moose have made their final additions.

After adding firepower to the pitching staff, the Mainers have signed on two infielders and a catcher from two of the top schools in the nation. Louisville first-years Justin Lavey (Kenosha, Wis.) and Logan Wyatt (Louisville, Ky.) will be joining Michigan’s junior catcher Brock Keener (Richmond, Texas) on the trip up to Maine for the upcoming summer season.

One of ten Mainers entering their senior year, Michigan backstop Brock Keener brings leadership and experience to the table this season. According to Next College Student Athlete, the Richmond, Texas native had originally signed with Louisiana-Lafayette before a coaching change led him to transfer to Alvin Community College.

 As Keener is the second Michigan player to sign with the Mainers, his attitude towards playing for Sanford this summer is overwhelmingly promising.

 “Some of my past teammates at Michigan have played in Sanford and they have loved it,” he said. “Jimmy Kerr is one of my best friends here at Michigan, so when I learned that we would be both playing summer ball together I was extremely happy.”

After strongly considering neighbor school Kentucky, Logan Wyatt chose his hometown Louisville Cardinals as the place to spend his next four years. A top-eight team entering the 2017 College Baseball World Series, Wyatt brings a hearty resume to Sanford. Batting .420 his senior year at North Bullitt Prep, Wyatt’s power at the plate was one of the biggest reasons for his hefty recruitment: 16 homeruns and 98 RBI in his last two high school seasons. 

“I’ve never been to Maine, so I’m really excited to be there for the summer,” Wyatt said. “Playing with and against guys from across the country will be an unforgettable experience.”

 After being drafted in the 39th round of the 2016 draft, Wisconsin native Justin Lavey chose Louisville as the school to help him prepare for a potential future in the majors. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound freshman turned down Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Missouri to become a Cardinal, and his .360 batting average proves for a promising future. An exercise science major, Lavey was a top five Wisconsin recruit in the class of 2016, according to Prep Baseball Report. At Kenosha Tremper Prep, he set the record for hits, stolen bases, RBI, triples and doubles. Batting .416 his senior year, he was a three-year letter winner at Kenosha Tremper.

“I’ve heard Maine is such a unique place to be,” said Lavey. “The NECBL is competitive and there’s a lot of great talent playing both with and against me. I am looking forward to meeting guys from all across the country and learning from one another, trying to better our games.”

Louisville, the seventh seed in the College Baseball World Series, finishing 47-10 on the season and will be taking on Radford in their regional bracket Friday at 6 p.m. Michigan, the “last team in,” was placed in North Carolina’s regional bracket and will be playing Florida Gulf Coast Friday at 1 p.m. As both teams have a legitimate chance at bringing their talents to Omaha, nearly one-third of the Mainers current roster will be playing in one of the regional tournaments this weekend.