New baseball coach Mike Bowles brings a wealth of varsity coaching experience to Wiscasset High School. He replaces long time coach Todd Souza, who led the Wolverines to a 5-11 record last season.
Bowles coached at Lewiston High School, St. Dom’s, where he won a couple of state championships, and at St. Joseph’s College. He coached at a baseball camp in upstate New York, and played college ball in Arizona.
With only 13 players coming out for the team, Bowles said he has his work cut out for him. There will be no junior varsity program again this season. “It is a shame. It hurts the younger guys. I will try to give them as many innings as I can,” Bowles said.
Wiscasset will be fairly young this spring, with just three seniors, including Chandler Longfellow, Cas Carr, and Nate Howard.
“The upper classmen are pretty patient,” Bowles said. “They understand that I am new, and are good about getting across to the new guys. Change is never easy, and I do things a little different, as far as hitting and things. It is a work in progress, but I think the final product will be worth the wait. The players are buying into my model. I think it will be a good year.”
Bowles said he will not set the starting line-up until the first game of the season because he believes in giving everyone a shot at proving themselves and welcomes the competition for a position. He expects Daren Wood will earn the starting catcher’s position.
“Keys on the hill are Chandler Longfellow, Dylan McMahon, Daren Wood, and Matt Craig,” Bowles said. “We will rely on them most of the time. Other guys filling in along the way will be Tyler Flavin, Tyler Bailey, and Nate Howard.”
Junior players include Flavin, McMahon, and Craig; sophomores Wood, Bailey, Brycson Grover, and Chayse Reed; and freshmen Conlon Ranta, Grant Hefler, and Logan Orr.
