The 10th-seeded Rams score a run in the seventh to beat No. 7 Sanford.

Shipbuilders avenge two regular season losses to Eagles.

The Hawks, who outscored opponents 153-19 during a 16-0 regular season, enter the Class C playoffs as the state's only undefeated baseball team.

Senior pitcher/third baseman Andrew Heffernan is chosen as Maine's best baseball player.

Jameson Bryant drives in the winning run as the Capers win 1-0 to grab the top seed in the Class B South tournament.

York's Ben Brown pitches five innings for the win and goes 2 for 4 with a homer and two RBI.

In southern Maine and across the country, participation in an iconic baseball tradition – and a model for organized youth sports – has dropped significantly in recent decades.

Softball: Caitlin Seitz retires all 21 Lake Region batters in a 1-0 victory.

Junior pitcher Keith Ramsey retires 18 straight after a leadoff hit en route to a complete-game win.

Ayden Collins goes 3 for 4 with a double and drives in three runs for the Warriors.

Baseball: A seven-run third inning propels the three-time defending Class B South champs to an 8-5 win.

South Portland pitchers Nick Swain and Andrew Heffernan combine on a crisp 4-hitter without a walk.

Aiden MacFawn drives in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Baseball: A five-run second inning propels the Blue Blazes to their third win in the last four games.

Sam Lowenstein's strong pitching helps the Clippers notch their fourth consecutive win, while dealing Wells a third straight loss.

Sophomore Stanley Spooner shuts down Vikings in 1st varsity start.

Baseball: The Capers improve to 7-0 with a home win against the Warriors.

Baseball: Carson Black pitches a perfect game in the opener and Grady Cummings follows with a one-hitter as unbeaten Sacopee Valley wins twice against Maranacook, 10-0 and 11-1.

Baseball: Brennan Rumpf strikes out 14 as the Navigators win clash between teams in the Varsity Maine top 10.

The Red Storm swipe seven bases and improve to 4-0 atop Class A South.

The Navigators score three runs in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie, while Eli Cowperthwaite twirls a one-hit, 11-strikeout gem.

Gorham High's Wyatt Nadeau, a 6-foot-6 sophomore who throws nearly 90 mph, has attracted attention from several NCAA Division I baseball programs.

The Raiders score the winning run in the seventh inning on a throwing error.

Cam Marcello pitches a five-hitter and Trevor Perkins delivers at the plate and in the field, leading the Scots to a 6-1 victory at Hadlock Field.

Last year, the Rams lost 15-1 to Portland and finished with just one victory. This year, Deering is off to a 2-0 start that includes an 8-7 win over its rival.

Lisbon eyes return trip to Class C title game, while Morse, Mt. Ararat and Freeport look to make some noise.

Boys’ lacrosse: The Navigators fall behind 4-0 in the first quarter, than rally for a 12-8 victory.

Baseball: A four-run fourth inning propels the Golden Trojans to a 6-3 victory.

Boys' lacrosse: Lucas Mehlhorn scores twice in the fourth quarter for the Red Riots.

Boys' lacrosse: The Golden Trojans get balanced scoring in an 18-10 victory.

Girls’ lacrosse: The Bulldogs outscore the Trojans 6-2 in the second half to pull out an 8-7 victory.

Several all-conference players return this season to try to help their teams reach the top - or in some cases, stay there.

From defending champions to teams stacked with returning players, these squads have reason to believe they'll go far this spring.

Class A South, in particular, features several pitchers who have received scholarship offers from out-of-state schools.

Shea Farrell and Landen Chase set to compete at schools in Massachusetts.

The Rangers and Falcons lost fixtures in their rotations, but are confident in their ability to win with a new group.

Baillargeon is set to attend the University of Maine in the fall, where he will compete on the baseball team.

Artifacts include a satin and silk uniform worn by former Cony standout Dick Rand in a 1947 high school all-star baseball game in Boston.

The senior pitcher and outfielder was a dynamic difference-maker who led the Trojans to their first state title.

Four holdovers from the 2021 All-State team are among this year's selections.

The Eagles capitalize on three errors and get three runs in the top of the seventh to beat the Falcons, 3-2.

Cody Bowker scores the only run and gets the win with four innings of relief as the Trojans capture the Class A championship.

Bangor and Thornton Academy meet for the Class A title, and Freeport takes on Ellsworth in Class B.

Pitchers Blaine Cockburn and Gus Wing lift the Falcons back to the state final with a 2-1 victory.

Cody Bowker pitches a three-hitter as the Trojans avenge last year's loss to South Portland in the Class A South final.

Baseball: The 12th-seeded Hawks earn a second straight playoff win on the road, advancing to the Class A South semifinals.

Colin Smith pitches a three-hitter to help send the fifth-seeded Capers to the Class B South semifinals.

The Blue Blazes score early and Bronson Damon strikes out 10 in six gritty innings in a 6-3 victory.

With the open tournament eliminating first-round byes, however, anything could happen – as last year showed.

Bowker, a senior, has had a dominant season both on the mound and at the plate.