Deering’s John Bechard, left, Jackson Forrest and Avery Lawrence meet at the Hadlock Field mound during a May 28 game against Westbrook. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
Their paths and stories are different, but the Deering and Massabesic high school baseball teams shared similar positive vibes this Class A South season.
The resurgent programs took great pride in their regular-season accomplishments.
No. 10 Deering (6-10), the only team to beat A South top seed Scarborough this spring, qualified for its first non-open tournament since 2018. In 2021, all baseball teams were eligible for the playoffs because of disparate “pod” schedules that were part of COVID-related regulations.
Deering, a once-dominant program, enjoyed a significant bounce-back season after a dreadful 2023. A year ago the Rams finished 0-16, were outscored 183-26, and were beaten by 10 or more runs 12 times.
“We’ve made a big jump. We’re not a joke anymore,” said senior first baseman Jackson Forrest.
Deering travels to Wainwright Athletic Complex on Tuesday to take on No. 7 South Portland (10-6), the defending state champion, in a preliminary-round game.
While Deering can look back to a proud history, the No. 6 Mustangs (9-7) have never been a factor in Class A baseball. According to Coach Tom Crews, it is the Mustangs’ first winning record since 1989 – 35 years ago.
Massabesic will host No. 11 Noble in a Tuesday prelim. Crews figures it’s probably the program’s first home playoff game since that 1989 season, “maybe longer.”
Massabesic was 7-9 a year ago and Crews, now in his fifth season as the varsity coach, expected another step forward this year.
“We had high hopes coming into the season, knowing who we had as returners and the younger players coming in,” Crews said.
Massabesic’s season started with four straight losses. Since then it has cut down on errors and gone 9-3 with victories against No. 5 Kennebunk, South Portland, No. 8 Sanford and No. 9 Gorham. It lost 4-3 to Scarborough in walk-off fashion.
“This group of kids, they’re very coachable and they want to get better. That’s probably the biggest difference from previous years. They all want to get better,” said Crews, 36, a Bangor High grad and four-year baseball player at Husson University who teaches physical education at Massabesic Middle School.
Ace Brady Batson, a junior lefty with excellent accuracy and speed differential, is 5-0 with a 0.34 ERA, and five straight shutouts to end the season.
Sophomore Parker Soule-Parent has pitched well, going 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA. He no-hit Windham and threw a one-hitter in a 10-2 win against Deering.
Senior catcher Bryden Marcotte (.321 batting average) and senior third baseman Zeke Rand have provided strong offense, defense and leadership. Rand was injured in the preseason and missed the first four games.
“He came back against Gorham and helped get our offense going, and he’s made only one error defensively,” Crews said. “When he came back, you could see a spark in the team and sometimes that’s all it takes.”
Deering needed a major overhaul after the 2023 season, which came on the heels of 3-13, 2-14, and 4-12 records.
Deering, which won eight Class A titles in 11 seasons from 1999-2009, had become a baseball sideshow. The Rams were the one-season stop for future second-round Major League Baseball draft pick Trejyn Fletcher in 2019. They went 4-14. The year before, a parent angry that his son, Princehoward Barbecue Yee, was not being allowed to play, sued the school.
The rebuilding process started when Casey Lawrence, who played on the 1999 state championship team, took over as coach. He became the fifth person in charge of Deering’s varsity team in six seasons.
Deering’s Zade Smith, left, Tavian Lauture and Avery Lawrence meet at the Hadlock Field mound during a May 28 game. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
Lawrence had watched as a parent in 2023. His older son Avery is the team’s top pitcher and now a senior. Younger son Miles is the team’s catcher, also a strong infielder, and one of the Rams’ top hitters.
“The kids were down and they didn’t have energy all the time. Just the losses and the way they were losing, it was tough to watch,” Casey Lawrence said.
“The few goals I had at the beginning was really just to be a little more competitive because they got 10-run ruled so many times. And then discipline. … I just wanted to bring a little respect back to the program and the school. And for themselves, really.”
Avery Lawrence has keyed the Rams’ success. He struck out 14 in a win against Portland and 12 in a win against Bonny Eagle. He also earned a 3-0 complete-game win against Westbrook to end the regular season.
Gus Groh, one of several freshmen contributing, had the key sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run in the 8-7 win against Scarborough. In a 10-9 win against Kennebunk, Deering rallied from a 9-0 deficit behind Andrew Cook, who pitched scoreless relief innings, had four hits and drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the seventh inning.
Miles Lawrence and Tavian Lauture have been consistent offensive contributors. Overall, the team has found its competitive spirit, Avery Lawrence said.
“The huge thing is the attention and the culture that the coaches are putting in,” said Avery Lawrence. “I think last year it was, I don’t want to put everything on the coaching staff, but the discipline just wasn’t there. Kids were not showing up for practice and not wanting to get better.”
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