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South Portland

SOUTH PORTLAND, Me. - When you have the number one junior in New England, it is certainly a good starting point for the season. What South Portland can put with Hunter Owen will determine the success of the 2019 squad.

“We have our pitching back which is why a lot of people are talking about us,” noted South Portland head coach Mike Owens, who is entering his ninth season in charge of the Red Riots.

It all starts with Owen, a 6-5 200-pound left-hander committed to Vanderbilt. The Player of the Year in the Southwestern Maine Activities Association a year ago, Owen was 6-1 with a 1.25 ERA, striking out 65 in 39 innings while allowing just 12 hits.

Owen also provides a strong stick for South Portland, which was the top seed heading into the playoffs a year ago before being upset in the second round of the playoffs. A right fielder when not pitching last year, Owen could see more time at first base in 2019.

Number two pitcher Noah Lewis is also back after an impressive sophomore campaign. The Maine commit was 3-1 with a 1.10 ERA, fanning 24 in 25.1 innings of work.

Strength up the middle comes in the form of catcher Caden Horton and center fielder Anthony Perron. A senior headed to Southern Maine next year, Horton will be starting his third year for South Portland coming off a .308 season that included 14 RBIs for a team that was 14-3 on the season. Just a junior, Perron batted .250 as a starter a year ago.

Two other juniors are being looked at to contribute in a big way this season for a program that has not won a state title since 1952. Former outfielder Anthony Poole, a quarterback on the football team who missed all of last year with an injury, is the likely shortstop while Dillan Ray-Bolduc, a starter half of last season, will open in left field this year.

“We only have one senior this year,” noted Owens, who has taken the Red Riots to three conference titles and one state final appearance. “After that, there are so many question marks.”

Pitching depth is one area that Owens hopes provides strength to the 2019 team. Junior Garen Kelley, a right-hander who pitched as a freshman, is being counted to be the number three pitcher.

“He’s a guy that can compete and keep us in games,” Owens said.

It would help make pitching the cornerstone of this year’s team.

“With Hunter and Noah at the top of the pitching staff, we’ll be in most games just on that,” Owens said. “Hunter is as dominant of a pitcher as I’ve seen in this league for awhile. If he can throw strikes, he’s almost unbeatable. If we can find a way to scratch across some runs, we should be in most games.”

But the lack of experience elsewhere in the lineup is a concern.

“We have a lot of talent but not a ton of varsity innings,” Owens said about the Red Riots. “We hope a lot of guys can step up. Offensively, we have the potential to be good but nobody has done it at this level yet.”

Playing in the SMAA will bring a big test this year.

“Our conference is the strongest in the state,” Owens said. “Out of 16 teams, 12 or 13 can beat anybody any given time. Whoever comes out of the conference has earned it and will be one of the better teams in the state.”

A dozen teams come out to make the playoffs with the top four earning a bye.

“Our program is heading in the right direction,” Owens said. “We have a successful summer program and they’ve seen the older kids succeed.

“Our expectations are high with two top-end starters that allow us to compete. Our goal is always to be a top-four seed to get a bye in the first round to rest our pitchers.

“If we can have a couple players step in elsewhere, we’ll be okay,” Owens continued. “I’m primarily concerned defensively (with the infield). But if our two arms stay healthy I don’t see why we’re not one of the top teams. If we can throw strikes and play defense until the warmer weather comes .. hopefully our bats will warm up then.”