Apr. 14—1. Cheverus: The defending state champions are back and loaded as ever. The key piece is 2024 Varsity Maine Player of the Year Addison DeRoche, who was untouchable last year while going 12-1 with a 0.08 ERA, six no-hitters and 212 strikeouts — 21 of which came in the state final victory over Oxford Hills. But that’s just the beginning. Eight of nine starters are back, a group that includes All-State selection Hailey Lamontagne (.517 average) in center field and quality hitters Ashley Connor, Bella Napolitano Aberle and Delia Tremble. The one hole left by graduation, shortstop, gets plugged by Kylie Lamson, who transferred from Thornton Academy and will replace Kelsey Cassidy. The Stags shot to the top of Class A last year, and they have everything they need to stay there.
2. Windham: Even after losing Miss Maine Softball winner Brooke Gerry, the Eagles are still an SMAA power. After sharing pitching duties with Gerry last year, Kennedy Kimball has the job to herself now, and she’ll be pitching to the reigning conference defensive player of the year in catcher Stella Jarvais. Oakley McLeod, Addie Caiazzo and Chloe Edwards are back at second base, shortstop and third base, respectively, Kyla Harvie and Nola Bryant started in the outfield last year, and Lydia Marden returns to a utility role. This team will hit the way it always has and should still be very difficult to score against. Coach Darcey Gardiner said the Eagles have a chip on their shoulder after falling to Cheverus in the regional final last June, so motivation is in ample supply.
3. York: Three-time WMC player of the year McKayla Kortes is gone, but the Wildcats are built to weather her departure and remain the favorite in Class B South. Sophomore Sarah Orso, who batted over .500 as a freshman, and senior Maren Robinson are a formidable 1-2 pitching punch, first baseman Maddie Fitzgerald hit over .600 last year, and senior catcher Lindsay Rivers and junior outfielders Bella Santini, Nya Avery and Hannah Cleary all started last season. And while York lost a star in Kortes, they gain another in shortstop Piper Catanese, who transferred from Marshwood after hitting .561 and slugging .789 in the SMAA. York has reached two straight Class B finals, and it will be hard to keep the Wildcats from a third.
4. Camden Hills: Pitching is key, and the Windjammers have a luxury in that department. Maya Stone is back after notching a 0.62 ERA and leading Camden Hills to a 10-6 record, but the team gets a boost in junior transfer Charlotte McGreevy, who has experience pitching and also batted .481 for Oxford Hills last season en route to first-team all-KVAC status. A pair of sophomores, shortstop Thea Laukka and third baseman and catcher Adrianna Pedro, batted .286 and .318, respectively, and can hit for power in addition to playing smooth defense on the left side of the infield. The Windjammers should be able to hit and field with anyone in the KVAC, and they’ll be a great pitching team, perhaps good enough to play for the Class A North title.
5. Kennebunk: The Rams have a top-three pitcher in the SMAA, Julia Pike, who struck out 135 batters in 70 1/3 innings with a 2.19 ERA, and who also hit .549 with four home runs. This year, though, she should have more help around her, as a young team with no seniors last season gained a year of experience that should prove helpful. Maggie Canniff, a new catcher last year, is back and more prepared to handle Pike’s velocity and movement behind the plate, and Paige Williams, Talia Kellum, Melody Rousselle, Chloe Rousselle and Skylar Holder are returning top- and middle-of-the-order bats in the lineup. There are some question marks — Williams moves to a new position, going from center field to second base, and left field is open — but with Pike leading the way, this should be a playoff team.
6. Scarborough: The Red Storm don’t return many players, with only pitcher Gabby Pelletier, first baseman Laine Niles and catcher and third baseman Vera DiSotto back from last year’s lineup, but Scarborough has a strong crop of freshmen — shortstop and pitcher Scarlett Floyd, pitcher Asa Howe, catcher Cassie Niles and outfielder Emma Rice — who should be able to step in right away and contribute. Sophia Nelson, Bridget Dunfee and Piper Floyd are back as well and look to succeed in bigger roles. An X-factor could be Natalie Moynihan, who missed last year because of an injury after impressing as a freshman and sophomore and could return late in the season. There are unknowns, but this program tends to figure them out.
7. Gorham: A lot of players graduated from last year’s 13-4 team, but some promising pieces return and look to lead the Rams back to the top four of Class A South. Sawyer VonderHaar, the team’s best power bat, is back at shortstop after being injured during soccer season. First baseman Winnie Dubail hit .400 last year while stealing nine bases and scoring 19 runs, and catcher Lucy Dubail is another tough out. Sophomore Tatum Wing and senior Lily Tukey should step into bigger roles as well. The Rams also have a replacement for ace Amber Bretton, as Bella McBrady transferred in after striking out 100 in 73 innings and batting .441 for Deering last year. She needs to stay healthy; if she does, Gorham could be strong.
8. Massabesic: After going 9-7 last year and reaching the Class A South quarterfinals, the Mustangs could be looking at a better record and higher finish. Felicia Proctor is back in the circle after going 6-3 with 44 strikeouts in 57 innings, and holding eventual champion Cheverus to three runs in the quarterfinals. Candice Daigle, a Utica College commit, is a top hitter who can catch and play shortstop. Third baseman and shortstop Emelia Theriault and outfielder Ella Gerrish return to starting spots, and sophomores Baylee Wright and Ada Tassanari are looking to thrive in new lineup spots. Kendall Pelletier, a junior, should help share the pitching load with Proctor. Expect this to be a strong defensive team that challenges for one of the SMAA’s top four places.
9. Wells: It starts with the battery, and the Warriors have a good one with pitcher Delani Brown and catcher Savannah Tardiff. Brown was second-team all-WMC last year, while Tardiff was a first-team pick for the third straight year after finishing with a .518 average, 23 RBI and 12 extra-base hits among her 29 hits altogether. Wells also returns junior shortstop and leadoff speedster Payton Fazzina, who batted .574 with a .644 on-base percentage and was a first-team all-conference pick, and senior second baseman Kylie Corbett, a second-team choice. First baseman Jada Pullen, center fielder Hailey Adams and third baseman Lila Sprague, after moving from the outfield, are also back in the lineup. York is the Class B South favorite, but expect the Warriors to challenge.
10. Freeport: A team that rose all the way to the Class B South final has some key parts back as it looks to put together another strong season. The Falcons bring back their battery of pitcher Izzy George and catcher Vanessa St. Pierre, both seniors, while left fielder Celia Cobb, center fielder Lilliana Larochelle, first baseman Ciara Daly, right fielder Eydie Kaplan and third baseman Alison Brown are also back. The Falcons will need to fill a leadership void left by graduated shortstop Rosie Panenka, but this is a competitive team that learned how to win last year. With a proven commodity in George leading the way, Freeport should expect to be a contender again.
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1. Cheverus: The defending state champions are back and loaded as ever. The key piece is 2024 Varsity Maine Player of the Year Addison DeRoche, who was untouchable last year while going 12-1 with a 0.08 ERA, six no-hitters and 212 strikeouts — 21 of which came in the state final victory over Oxford Hills. But that’s just the beginning. Eight of nine starters are back, a group that includes All-State selection Hailey Lamontagne (.517 average) in center field and quality hitters Ashley Connor, Bella Napolitano Aberle and Delia Tremble. The one hole left by graduation, shortstop, gets plugged by Kylie Lamson, who transferred from Thornton Academy and will replace Kelsey Cassidy. The Stags shot to the top of Class A last year, and they have everything they need to stay there.
2. Windham: Even after losing Miss Maine Softball winner Brooke Gerry, the Eagles are still an SMAA power. After sharing pitching duties with Gerry last year, Kennedy Kimball has the job to herself now, and she’ll be pitching to the reigning conference defensive player of the year in catcher Stella Jarvais. Oakley McLeod, Addie Caiazzo and Chloe Edwards are back at second base, shortstop and third base, respectively, Kyla Harvie and Nola Bryant started in the outfield last year, and Lydia Marden returns to a utility role. This team will hit the way it always has and should still be very difficult to score against. Coach Darcey Gardiner said the Eagles have a chip on their shoulder after falling to Cheverus in the regional final last June, so motivation is in ample supply.
3. York: Three-time WMC player of the year McKayla Kortes is gone, but the Wildcats are built to weather her departure and remain the favorite in Class B South. Sophomore Sarah Orso, who batted over .500 as a freshman, and senior Maren Robinson are a formidable 1-2 pitching punch, first baseman Maddie Fitzgerald hit over .600 last year, and senior catcher Lindsay Rivers and junior outfielders Bella Santini, Nya Avery and Hannah Cleary all started last season. And while York lost a star in Kortes, they gain another in shortstop Piper Catanese, who transferred from Marshwood after hitting .561 and slugging .789 in the SMAA. York has reached two straight Class B finals, and it will be hard to keep the Wildcats from a third.
4. Camden Hills: Pitching is key, and the Windjammers have a luxury in that department. Maya Stone is back after notching a 0.62 ERA and leading Camden Hills to a 10-6 record, but the team gets a boost in junior transfer Charlotte McGreevy, who has experience pitching and also batted .481 for Oxford Hills last season en route to first-team all-KVAC status. A pair of sophomores, shortstop Thea Laukka and third baseman and catcher Adrianna Pedro, batted .286 and .318, respectively, and can hit for power in addition to playing smooth defense on the left side of the infield. The Windjammers should be able to hit and field with anyone in the KVAC, and they’ll be a great pitching team, perhaps good enough to play for the Class A North title.
5. Kennebunk: The Rams have a top-three pitcher in the SMAA, Julia Pike, who struck out 135 batters in 70 1/3 innings with a 2.19 ERA, and who also hit .549 with four home runs. This year, though, she should have more help around her, as a young team with no seniors last season gained a year of experience that should prove helpful. Maggie Canniff, a new catcher last year, is back and more prepared to handle Pike’s velocity and movement behind the plate, and Paige Williams, Talia Kellum, Melody Rousselle, Chloe Rousselle and Skylar Holder are returning top- and middle-of-the-order bats in the lineup. There are some question marks — Williams moves to a new position, going from center field to second base, and left field is open — but with Pike leading the way, this should be a playoff team.
6. Scarborough: The Red Storm don’t return many players, with only pitcher Gabby Pelletier, first baseman Laine Niles and catcher and third baseman Vera DiSotto back from last year’s lineup, but Scarborough has a strong crop of freshmen — shortstop and pitcher Scarlett Floyd, pitcher Asa Howe, catcher Cassie Niles and outfielder Emma Rice — who should be able to step in right away and contribute. Sophia Nelson, Bridget Dunfee and Piper Floyd are back as well and look to succeed in bigger roles. An X-factor could be Natalie Moynihan, who missed last year because of an injury after impressing as a freshman and sophomore and could return late in the season. There are unknowns, but this program tends to figure them out.
7. Gorham: A lot of players graduated from last year’s 13-4 team, but some promising pieces return and look to lead the Rams back to the top four of Class A South. Sawyer VonderHaar, the team’s best power bat, is back at shortstop after being injured during soccer season. First baseman Winnie Dubail hit .400 last year while stealing nine bases and scoring 19 runs, and catcher Lucy Dubail is another tough out. Sophomore Tatum Wing and senior Lily Tukey should step into bigger roles as well. The Rams also have a replacement for ace Amber Bretton, as Bella McBrady transferred in after striking out 100 in 73 innings and batting .441 for Deering last year. She needs to stay healthy; if she does, Gorham could be strong.
8. Massabesic: After going 9-7 last year and reaching the Class A South quarterfinals, the Mustangs could be looking at a better record and higher finish. Felicia Proctor is back in the circle after going 6-3 with 44 strikeouts in 57 innings, and holding eventual champion Cheverus to three runs in the quarterfinals. Candice Daigle, a Utica College commit, is a top hitter who can catch and play shortstop. Third baseman and shortstop Emelia Theriault and outfielder Ella Gerrish return to starting spots, and sophomores Baylee Wright and Ada Tassanari are looking to thrive in new lineup spots. Kendall Pelletier, a junior, should help share the pitching load with Proctor. Expect this to be a strong defensive team that challenges for one of the SMAA’s top four places.
9. Wells: It starts with the battery, and the Warriors have a good one with pitcher Delani Brown and catcher Savannah Tardiff. Brown was second-team all-WMC last year, while Tardiff was a first-team pick for the third straight year after finishing with a .518 average, 23 RBI and 12 extra-base hits among her 29 hits altogether. Wells also returns junior shortstop and leadoff speedster Payton Fazzina, who batted .574 with a .644 on-base percentage and was a first-team all-conference pick, and senior second baseman Kylie Corbett, a second-team choice. First baseman Jada Pullen, center fielder Hailey Adams and third baseman Lila Sprague, after moving from the outfield, are also back in the lineup. York is the Class B South favorite, but expect the Warriors to challenge.
10. Freeport: A team that rose all the way to the Class B South final has some key parts back as it looks to put together another strong season. The Falcons bring back their battery of pitcher Izzy George and catcher Vanessa St. Pierre, both seniors, while left fielder Celia Cobb, center fielder Lilliana Larochelle, first baseman Ciara Daly, right fielder Eydie Kaplan and third baseman Alison Brown are also back. The Falcons will need to fill a leadership void left by graduated shortstop Rosie Panenka, but this is a competitive team that learned how to win last year. With a proven commodity in George leading the way, Freeport should expect to be a contender again.
