ST. AGATHA, Maine — The Wisdom Middle/High School boys varsity baseball team split a doubleheader with Ashland on Wednesday in St. Agatha, but the Pioneers have retained a winning season thus far.
Wisdom came out on top 8-6 during the first game and the Ashland Community High School Hornets took the second game 5-3.
Pioneer dad Todd Roach, father of sophomore player Mike Roach, said he will be attending all but one of the home and away games Wisdom plays this year.
The Maine Principals Association canceled high school baseball last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Win or lose on the diamond, the fact that Maine high school baseball has returned this season is a win for parents and players alike, Todd Roach said.
“It feels pretty good to come out and watch the kids play because they lost that last year,” he said. “It’s good for the boys to be out here playing, all of them, no matter how good or bad the team plays.”
Dominick Gendreau up at bat for the Wisdom Pioneers during the first game of a double header against Ashland on Wednesday, May 11 in St. Agatha. At catcher for the Hornets is Sam Craig, Inyas Janoch is on third, and Brayden Doughty at shortstop. (Jessica Potila | St. John Valley Times)
The Class D Pioneers are very much alive in the standings this year.
The Pioneers completed Wednesday’s doubleheader with a 3-2 record on the season.
“We are a young team with a lot of potential,” head coach Sam Cyr said. “Without playing for two years, this team has started the season better than I expected.”
Wisdom pitcher Aidan Barriere, who said he has loved playing baseball since he was a little boy, said he was “really sad” to miss his opportunity to play as a freshman on the high school team last year.
“It feels amazing to be back,” Barriere said.
Barriere also expressed confidence in his fellow Pioneers.
“We have a good all around team,” Barriere said. “I don’t think there is one strength, I just think we excel at everything.”
Cyr agrees the Pioneer boys are a well-rounded team and said with some work they have postseason potential.
“We have all the pieces to be a great baseball team, but haven’t found a way to bring it all together yet,” Cyr said. “I’m confident that throughout the season we will continue to improve and we’ll be ready to make a run come playoff time.”
