BRUNSWICK — As the snow melts and the fields dry, high school pitches and catchers took to the gyms this week to start loosening those arms from the winter hibernation.

At both Morse and Freeport High Schools, a pair of new faces will rule the roost this spring. While both took quite different paths to their respective dugouts, both bring energy and passion to the game.

Niko Ruiz will begin his first season for the Shipbuilders, while longtime jayvee coach Kyle Goodrich takes over in Freeport.

Ruiz

Having been in Maine for almost five years, Ruiz is relatively new to the area, moving to the northeast with his wife Angela, who is originally from Brunswick, in August of 2014. The couple lives in Brunswick with their 3-year old daughter, Harper.

The California native grew up and played high school ball in southern Cal at Linfield Christain High School and attended Long Beach City College briefly before persuing a baseball career. He attended an independent league showcase in Houston and was signed from there.

Ruiz has had many stops in independent pro ball, including a pair of stops in now since

folded leagues in Michigan (Adrian Pioneers in 2014) and Mount Rainier. He has also had workouts with both the Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks in between stops.

Ruiz spent time in the California Winter League in Palm Springs, where aspiring players have been signed to pro contracts. However he did not receive an offer, but acknowledged it was a great experience none-the-less.

The following summer he was a member of the Old Orchard Beach Sullivan Explorers of the Empire Professional Baseball League, winning the title in the league’s first year in 2016.

Now, the former catcher is focusing on passing along his experiences. Before coaching in Bath, Ruiz has been working with local baseball players at Coastal Performance in Brunswick. At the center, he offers one-on-one training as well as other field house activities for groups/teams.

“I know most of the older guys from either giving them lessons or seeing them come into Coastal,” said Ruiz, head coaching for the first time. “These older guys have made it pretty easy. They know my coaching style and expectations so they help with the younger kids, they take charge.

“They know I’m not super hard on them, but know that I have expectations of them and as high school student’s they’re young men and need to figure that out.”

While his coaching resume may seem thin, with positions at his old high school and a California travel team, Ruiz has a ton to offer from a coaching standpoint.

“I came here wanting to change the culture and have an impact on the community. Baseball has been good to me and I wanted to give back, pass along my experiences and knowledge of the game,” Ruiz said. “Obviously outside of winning and developing players, I’m here to build relationships. Ten-fifteen years later, I still talk to my coaches. I think high school coaches are so important in building those relationships.

Ruiz has plenty to teach, but more importantly, he wants to show his players to get the most out of their ability.

“A lot of these kids have the drive that I either had or in some cases didn’t have in high school, so I want them to understand to know what it’s like to want to do something and go do it,” Ruiz said. “These kids are hungry and excited to get going. They know it’s one step at a time and each day is it’s own day as they really need to trust the process.

“It’s really something I’ve been trying to teach them. You work hard and you do the right things, the right things will fall into place.”

While the buzz with these guys during the first week is through the roof according to Ruiz, they first players to come through this week are excited and ready to get going.

“As long as they’re ready to put in the work, I’ll be right there with them. They do all the work, I’m just here to put the stepping stones in and put them in the best position to succeed as I can.,” said the first-year coach.

Goodrich

Unlike Ruiz, Goodrich was born and raised in Maine, but like the Morse skipper, the 2004 Freeport High School graduate has plenty of knowledge and love for the game.

Goodrich brings a lot of energy to the scene. Once a basketball player for Athletic Director Craig Sickles, Sickles remembers him as someone he wished he “had 10 of him on the team” because of his enthusiasm.

“I hope to bring my experiences and add my energy and enthusiasm to the team. We have a really good staff and our communication is fantastic,” Goodrich said.

The first-year coach has coached in the community for 10 years now, starting as a volunteer in T-Ball and other various positions within Freeport. His former baseball coach at FHS, Hank Oglive offered him the JV job a few years back and has worked under previous coach Bill Ridge the past several years.

“Years ago, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I wanted to give back and I fell in love with the kids and realized I wanted to work with them,” Goodrich, who also coaches eighth grade boys basketball, middle school cross country and indoor track said. “My rapport with the players is phenomenal. I’m a good communicator and being personable with them. I make sure I’m good about communication and motivating them and that’s a big thing with this group.”

Also an education technician at the middle school, Goodrich has known a lot of his players for many years, and his message to them is loud and clear.

“I have a player I’ve known since he was in the second grade,” said Goodrich. “My whole thing is to shape these guys into young men. I’ve known these guys for so long, I follow them in their other sports too and it’s great to see them grow, almost like a big brother kind of thing.

Of course, now at the same time, big brother is now the leader and we have to set an example a certain way, and it’s something I’m figuring out.”

But as Goodrich realizes, he is fortunate to have a strong core of leaders on the team.

“We have good group of seniors, not just on the field, but off the field. We have kids that can lead, they don’t necessarily always do it with the ‘rah rah’, which is good. So I have some rah-rah guys, and some guys that lead by example, it’s a good mix of both,” Goodrich added. “It’s been huge for me coming in this first year as the head coach knowing I have these kids I already have trust in.

Goodrich can coach and pass along all of his baseball knowledge, but the young skipper also sees the other side of coaching and what he wants his players to learn.

“To look at the big picture,” Goodrich quickly mentions when asked what he wants to teach his young players. “One thing we’ve been talking about is if you have ‘zero talent, what can you bring to the party?’ So like with your attitude, your energy and now bring in the zero talent, you take that a step further, it’s obviously not just baseball, it’s life. Representing their community in any way they can.”

And a message Goodrich repeats over and over in many different ways.

“I said to the guys, baseball is a lot about confidence. Yes there are mechanical skills that make you better, but if you’re not feeling good, you’re not playing good,” he added. “We try to keep it loose, obviously not too loose, but baseball is kids game, that’s how I feel. You got to love playing it, if you don’t love it, why play it?”

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