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Hunter Finck entered the 2026 baseball season with high expectations.

He and his Gorham High teammates exceeded them.

Finck, a junior, committed to the University of Alabama as a right-handed pitching prospect during the winter. That elevated his status immediately. Then he went 6-0 with a 0.38 ERA. In the regular season, Finck earned wins against eventual No. 2 seed South Portland, No. 3 Cheverus and No. 4 Thornton Academy. He did not allow an earned run until the sixth inning of a complete-game 7-2 win over Noble in the Class A South final.

“The minute he committed to a program in the SEC, you’re naturally going to catch a lot of attention from that. Some of that’s good. Some of that leaves you open for criticism, and it doesn’t leave a ton of margin for error,” said Gorham coach Ed Smith.

The case could be made that Finck was even better as a hitter. In the regular season, competing in what is generally regarded as the state’s toughest league with the deepest pitching, Finck batted .569 to win the SMAA batting title. He had two doubles, five triples and a home run.

In four playoff games, Finck batted .500, going 7 for 11 over the final three games. He scored four runs, hit two doubles and drove in two runs. He lashed an opposite field game-winning, two-out RBI single in the top of the 11th inning in Gorham’s 3-2 championship game win against Bangor.

Finck’s individual success, combined with Gorham’s Class A title, make him the Varsity Maine Baseball Player of the Year. Finck was also the Maine Gatorade Player of the year.

Finck, 17, said he did feel pressure during the season but not because of “the Alabama commit” label. It was internal pressure to perform, and for Gorham to make a deep playoff run.

“I’m just super blessed and super proud that we faced adversity, were in tight situations, and we won states,” Finck said. “To have it happen after a down year like last year was a dream come true and is what I’m most proud of, by far.”

One part of Gorham’s playoff run was the game that didn’t count. For the only time all season, Finck struggled on the mound and the Rams trailed Falmouth 6-0 in a regional quarterfinal. A thunderstorm in the fourth inning wiped out all those stats and forced game to be replayed for the start, per MPA rules and to the disgust of Falmouth fans.

“Obviously, I have to pitch better. I shouldn’t be looking like that on the mound,” Finck said. “Falmouth, that’s a really good team. They did their job. I can’t make any excuses.”

The next day, Gorham beat Falmouth 3-0. A day after that, the Rams edged Thornton Academy, 4-3, in the semifinals.

This summer, Finck is traveling the country competing for Team Elite, a club team based in Atlanta, and attending high-level showcase tournaments. His four-seam fastball, which was comfortably around 90 mph with a high of 92 or 93 during the high school season, has gotten a bit quicker, he said. Finck also was adept with his curveball and changeup, two pitches he featured frequently to keep hitters from sitting on his fastball.

“I’ve done really good, thrown in front of some good scouts,” Finck said. “I’ve tried to throw strikes again and I’ve gotten my (velocity). From last year, I’ve gained like two miles per hour, which is good.”

In the coming weeks, Finck will attend two premier events, the East Coast Pro (July 31-Aug. 3) in Hoover, Alabama, and the Area Code Games (Aug. 5-10) in Long Beach, California. The East Coast Pro is run by Major League Baseball scouts and designed for players in the eastern half of the United States. The Area Code Games feature the top 240 or so players in the 2027 and 2028 graduating classes, with scouts from all 30 MLB teams and most top NCAA programs.

“My goals are next year I want to win another state championship,” Finck said. “For personal goals, it’s to get better with my off-speed pitches. I need to get my changeup better and work on adding a slider, a cutter, to get another pitch.”

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