SANFORD – It’s hard to believe, but after a long winter and a wet spring, the Sanford Mainers season is right around the corner. On Thursday, June 8, the boys of summer will return for another year, hitting the green grass at Goodall Park in search for their third league title in the team’s 16 seasons.

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. 

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.”

At Foster High School, Keener was a first-team all-state, first-team all-region, and first-team all-Houston catcher. In eleven games At Michigan, the 6’1”, 200-pound junior holds a .429 batting average and a .950 fielding percentage.

“I’ve been blessed with great teammates who were very welcoming to me joining the team and helping me adapt as I transferred into Michigan,” Keener said. “I hope our season brings us all the way to Omaha, but when I’m done here I am beyond excited to head up to Maine for what should be a great summer.”

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. The 6’4”, 217-pound infielder was ranked seventh amongst recruits in Kentucky according to Perfect Game, and fifth by Prep Baseball Report. 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. At Louisville, the young freshman has recorded three hits and four RBI in 18 plate appearances.

“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 6’1”, 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.