Henry Bibeau, Portland, junior shortstop/relief pitcher: A first-team SMAA selection at shortstop, the hard-working Bibeau was one of the top hitters in the league, batting .480 with a home run and 23 RBI. He also had a hand in seven wins as a relief pitcher, going 3-1 with four saves.

 

 

 

Cody Bowker, Thornton Academy, senior pitcher/center fielder: The Varsity Maine Player of the Year led Class A South with a .500 batting average with plenty of pop (11 doubles, two triples, four homers) and was equally dominant on the mound, where he went 9-0 with a 0.47 ERA while fanning 97 against eight walks over 60 innings. A repeat Varsity Maine All-State pick and the Gatorade Maine and SMAA Player of the Year, Bowker will continue his career at Georgetown.

 

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Hunter Brissette, Lisbon senior, infield/pitcher: Brissette led the Greyhounds to the C South title, hitting .620 with eight doubles, two triples, a home run, 22 RBI, 37 runs and 19 steals. The Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year was 6-1 as a pitcher with a 0.64 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 43 2/3 innings. He will play at the University of Southern Maine.

 

 

Blaine Cockburn, Freeport, senior pitcher/outfielder: A repeat Varsity Maine All-Stater, Cockburn was 9-0 with one save and won three playoff games, including beating top-seeded Greely, 2-1, in the Class B South final. He had a 0.27 ERA over 52 1/3 innings, striking out 89 while allowing just 13 hits. He also hit .346 with six doubles, two homers, 10 RBI and 15 runs. Cockburn will play at the University of Maine.

 

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Hunter Curtis, Ellsworth, senior center fielder/pitcher: Curtis hit .400 and reached base via walk or hit by a pitch another 26 times for the Class B champions, scoring 23 runs with 11 RBI. He also was 4-0 with a 0.55 ERA as a pitcher during the regular season. Curtis will continue his career at Husson University.

 

 

Ty Giberson, Bucksport, senior pitcher/shortstop: Giberson led the Golden Bucks to the Class C championship. The John Winkin Award finalist was 7-1 with a 0.27 ERA, allowing 19 hits and 19 walks while striking out 88 over 52 1/3 innings. He also hit .475 with 22 RBI, nine doubles, two triples and a home run and drew 20 walks and stole 13 bases.

 

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Gabe Gifford, Old Town, junior pitcher/center fielder: A hard-throwing left-hander who has committed to the University of Maine, Gifford was the Penobscot Valley Class B Player and Pitcher of the Year. He batted .493 with nine doubles, three triples, two homers and drove in 24 runs while scoring 25. He went 6-1 on the mound, striking out 116 in 59 innings with a 1.06 ERA.

 

 

Andrew Heffernan, South Portland, junior pitcher/third base: Heffernan allowed one earned run in the regular season to earn SMAA Pitcher of the Year honors. Overall, he was 6-2 with a 0.65 ERA, 58 strikeouts and five walks over 53 2/3 innings. He also hit .328 with a .421 on-base percentage, driving in 13 runs and scoring 15 with a double, two triples and eight stolen bases.

 

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Zach Johnston, Greely, senior pitcher: A repeat Varsity Maine All-State selection, the 6-foot-4 left-hander who will next pitch for Wake Forest dominated the competition this season. He made 10 starts and went 10-0 with a 0.00 ERA, giving up just three unearned runs. He struck out 119 batters in 60 innings while walking only 10.

 

 

Ryan Kolben, Greely, senior catcher/pitcher: The John Winkin Award winner and Western Maine Conference Player of the Year hit .509 with 21 RBI, 27 runs, 12 doubles and four homers. In his first season as a pitcher, he went 6-2 with a 0.77 ERA and 83 strikeouts and threw two no-hitters. He was on the mound or behind the plate for every pitch in Greely’s 54-inning scoreless streak. After a gap year, Kolben will continue his career at the University of Massachusetts.

 

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TJ Liponis, Scarborough, senior shortstop: A first-team all-SMAA pick as an infielder, Liponis excelled at shortstop with his glove and arm. A starter since his freshman season, Liponis had a strong offensive season, hitting .408 with multiple extra-base hits, 14 runs scored, 14 RBI and 13 steals. He will continue his career at Endicott College.

 

 

Quinn MacDonald, Kennebunk, junior pitcher/first base: A 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher, MacDonald impressed Class A South coaches as he went 5-1 with five complete games and three shutouts. He had a 0.96 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings. He also hit .273 with 11 RBI.

 

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Andrew Merrill, Oxford Hills, senior catcher: The fourth repeat All-State selection on this year’s team, Merrill upped his batting average to .500 with 24 runs, 25 RBI, seven doubles, two triples and three home runs. The Vikings’ team MVP, he will continue his career at Eastern Connecticut State University, the 2022 Division III national champions.

 

 

Colton Trisch, Bangor, senior pitcher/designated hitter: A powerful left-handed pitcher, Trisch was 7-0 with a 0.79 ERA in the regular season and then threw 12 scoreless innings in the playoffs, allowing a total of four hits against 18 strikeouts, to beat Skowhegan, 10-0, and then Edward Little, 1-0, in the Class A North final. Trisch hit .500 with 25 runs and 16 RBI in the leadoff spot. He will continue his baseball career at George Washington University.

 

 

COACH OF THE YEAR

Jason Lariviere, Thornton Academy: In his fifth year (fourth season) at Thornton, the former Biddeford High and USM standout molded a core of talented players into a cohesive group that posted four playoff shutouts, avenged a tough regional final upset loss in 2021 to South Portland, and finished off the school’s first Class A championship with a 1-0 win against Bangor to complete a 20-1 season.

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