Maryland Power 25 Countdown: #20 Saint Michaels

February 20, 2019
Kyle Campbell
Maryland Scouting Director

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It's hard to believe but the start of the 2019 Maryland high school baseball season is almost here. Every week throughout the season we will release our Power 25, ranking the top twenty-five teams from across the Old Line State. Today we continue our Preseason Power 25 countdown by taking a look at our #20 team, the Saint Michaels Saints from Talbot County. Be sure to stay tuned as we release one team each weekday leading up to the release of our 2019 #1 Preseason Power 25 team on March 19th. Then, on March 20th our PBR Maryland staff will release our final preseason predictions for the upcoming 2019 season.

Saint Michaels 2019 SEASON PREVIEW

Head Coach: Brian Femi (28th Season)
Mascot: Saints
County: Talbot
Conference: Bayside
MPSSAA Classification: 1A East Section II
2018 Record: 21-3
2018 MPSSAA Playoff Run: Lost in the MPSSAA 1A State Championship to Boonsboro (12-9)
CLICK HERE to view the Saint Michaels Baseball Website
CLICK HERE to view the Saint Michaels Baseball Schedule

2019 PBR MD POWER 25 PRESEASON RANK: #20

Returning Starters: 7

Grant Labelle RHP/OF
Jock Luthy C
Nick Newnam 1B/LHP/OF
Nolan Sawatski 3B
Ryan Smith OF
Jack Vener RHP

Returning Pitchers: 3

Grant Labelle (Jr.) RHP/OF
Nick Newnam (Sr.) 1B/LHP/OF
Jack Vener (Sr.) RHP

Returning Players with Post-Season / Pre-Season Honors

Nick Newnam - 2018 PBR Maryland All-State Honorable Mention / 2019 MSABC Preseason All-State

Key Loses

Matt Grogan (Salisbury University)
Nathan Howeth
Andrew Risher
Trent Saunders
Brodie Steen

Top Newcomers

Owen Baum INF
Austin Glenner INF
Christian Glessner INF
Harrison Hoover INF

2019 Key Players

Grant Labelle RHP/OF
Nick Newnam 1B/LHP/OF
Nolan Sawatski 3B
Jack Vener RHP

Players Signed / Committed to College

Nick Newnam (2019) - Harford CC
Jack Vener (2019) - McDaniel College

Season Snapshot

Saint Michaels enters 2019 with aspirations of making back to Ripken Stadium to avenge last season's 12-9 loss to Boonsboro in the 1A State Championship. Under 28th year head coach Brian Femi's watch, the Saints have experienced incredible heights with five state championships in 2001, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2017 to show for it. Saint Michaels has also made five other separate trips to the State Final Four since 2000 including last year's State Finalist run.

With a solid group of returners, Saint Michaels looks poised to contend once again for a 1A State Championship in 2019. Harford CC commit 1B/LHP/OF Nick Newnam is back a year after hitting .500 and going 7-0 for the Saints on the mound. He will be joined by 3B Nolan Sawatski (.428 AVG), RHP/OF Grant Labelle (.380 AVG / 4-1 W-L record), and McDaniel College commit Jack Vener (5-1 W-L record / 1.68 ERA) as leaders of this year's team. The trio of Newnam, Labelle, and Vener accounted for 16 of the team's 21 wins on the mound last year and will anchor the staff again in 2019. Look for Owen Baum, Austin Glenner, Christian Glessner, and Harrison Hoover to also fill some holes left behind from graduating seniors Matt Grogan (Salisbury University), Nathan Howeth, Andrew Risher, Trent Saunders and Brodie Steen.

The MPSSAA 1A East region is one of the toughest across the board from top to bottom so the road won't be easy for the Saints but it never is in the postseason. Expect Coach Femi's leadership and a tough Bayside Conference schedule to help however prepare this year's group for another strong playoff run.