With one week left in the New Hampshire high school baseball season, and less than two in Maine, teams are in the home stretch of the regular-season schedule and jockeying for playoff positioning.
More: Here are 18 surprise standout players for Seacoast high school baseball in 2024
Newmarket was the lone Seacoast team to win a state championship last spring, beating Littleton, 5-4 in the Division IV title game.
More: Crazy ending secures Newmarket's third Division IV championship in four years
The Mules will look to repeat this season, and we feel there are four other Seacoast teams with legitimate chances to make a deep tournament run, and potentially win a state championship.
New Hampshire baseball tournaments for all divisions are scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 30, with Maine baseball prelims set to start Tuesday, June 4.
Here are five teams that can contend for a championship, and the case for each to be the last one standing in their divisions:
NEW HAMPSHIRE
DIVISION I
Exeter (15-1)
Games remaining: 3
The case: The tournament is a one-and-done scenario, and perhaps no team in all of Division I has three aces it can turn to in those scenarios like the Blue Hawks.
Senior southpaw Cam Keaveney and junior righties Cam Piwnicki and Hayden Schimoler headline a dominant pitching staff that has a team ERA of under 2.00. Exeter has thrown three shutouts, has allowed one run in four games, two runs in five games, and three runs in two games.
Offensively, the Blue Hawks aren't a pushover either with players like the aforementioned three, as well as Shea LaFleur, Finn Adams, Mike Caron and Brennan Schimoler, among others.
The Blue Hawks saw last season end in the first round to Concord, and the drive and motivation can certainly be seen and felt from Exeter this spring.
Exeter hasn't lost a game since April 22 — an 11-1 loss to Goffstown. It has been 12 straight tallies in the "W" column since, winning 10 of those by at least two runs.
Key wins: at Londonderry (3-2), Keene (3-1), Dover (5-1)
DIVISION II
St. Thomas Aquinas (13-3)
Games remaining: 3
The case: Teams are required to play 16 games a year, with the option to play up to 20. What did the Saints do? They added two matchups against Division I teams — Bedford (11-9 loss) and Timberlane (11-8 win). Adding those games shows the mission and the bigger goal head coach Carson Cross and the Saints have.
The Saints boast a complete lineup led by players like Timmy Avery and younger brother, Kenny, as well as Cade Murphy, Graham Willerer and Charlie Covert.
St. Thomas Aquinas has had scoring outbursts of 22 against Sanborn, 18 against both Oyster River and Kennett, 17 against Coe-Brown, 16 against both Milford and Kennett, and five more games with at least 10 runs.
Pitching, led by Sam Grondin and Jeffrey Luchsinger, is also a strong suit for STA to make a lengthy stay in the Division II tournament.
Key wins: Souhegan (10-0), Pelham (4-2)
DIVISION IV
Newmarket (13-1)
Games remaining: 2
The case: Can Newmarket make it six straight appearances in the Division IV state championship game? Aside from the no tournament in 2020, the Mules have played in the last five, winning in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
The only unfortunate trend is that it's been alternating years of wins and losses. Newmarket certainly has what it takes to reverse the trend if it were to make it six straight appearances next month, and win back-to-back titles for the first time since 1971 and 1972.
The Mules started this year 4-0, then lost to Derryfield (4-0). Since then, it's been nine straight wins, including six shutouts in the past eight games.
The saying is that teams want to be playing its best ball heading into the tournament, and it certainly looks like Newmarket is on that trajectory.
Offensively, seniors Cam Moran and Parker Sweitzer lead the way, with freshmen Jack Ferrelli and Evan Sheehan producing as well.
More: Home run for dad: Newmarket baseball captain crushes one for his father battling cancer
Key wins: Derryfield (9-8), Portsmouth Christian (3-2)
Portsmouth Christian Academy (10-3)
Games remaining: 3
The case: The Eagles can pretty much score runs with the best of teams in the division, scoring 25 in the season opener at home against Farmington, 23 in a win at Pittsfield, 19 against Franklin, and 18 against Pittsfield.
PCA has a good mix of players from senior Isaac Kohl down to freshman slugger Grady Howe. Junior Kian Littlefield and sophomores Cai Summers and Andrew Earwood have also been steady presences in the lineup.
The Eagles, which started the season 5-0, have lost three games by a total of four runs, and has only allowed one team (Franklin) to score more than three.
It was a first-round exit loss to Woodsville a season ago, but with hot bats, PCA will be tough to slow down this year.
"Our three losses were to good teams in competitive games," PCA head coach Derek Summers said. "I anticipate us being able to host in the first round, but we have some tough games remaining on our schedule that could change that. Our pitching and defense has been good all season, and that will need to continue if we plan to go far in the playoffs. The key for us will be having the proper approach and mindset at the plate. If our whole line up can battle tough in their at bats, I like our chances to make a deep run."
Key wins: Epping (13-3), Concord Christian (11-2)
MAINE
CLASS A SOUTH
Marshwood (9-4)
Games remaining : 3
The case: On the heels of a regional semifinal trip a season ago, the Hawks are back flying in 2024, currently sitting third in Class A South. Marshwood won its first six games of the season, and held each opponent to three or fewer runs in each of those games.
Marshwood did take a big loss when star pitcher/center fielder/leadoff hitter Noah Fitzgerald suffered a hand injury and was lost for the season, but head coach Eric Wells is confident the Hawks can keep the train rolling.
"It took us a few weeks to start finding ourselves after (Fitzgerald's) injury," Wells said. "This team and our coaching staff have been through a lot the last few years. We're starting to look like the team we knew we could be. Our offense has stuck with a great approach all year and our pitching and defense is getting back to form."
Players like Ty Hussey, Charlie Hudson, Ronan Garrett and Ronan Casey, and Riley Parnham have continued to play big roles for the Hawks, both offensively and in the field.
"Moving forward, we just need to trust our ability as baseball players," Wells said of heading into the tournament. "These kids have worked hard over the last three years to be in a state championsship-contending conversation. If we stay within ourselves and play our game, we'll be in the thick of things as the playoffs start. When it’s a one-and-done scenario, it’s not always about the most talent, it’s about the teams that are brothers and family; our family is ready for whatever anyone throws at us."
Key wins: at Massabesic (7-1), Falmouth (4-2)
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 5 Seacoast baseball teams with best chance to win state titles in 2024
Most Popular
Comments / 0