A year ago, several of the players on the Deering Junior American Legion baseball team were playing in the Portland Babe Ruth League. Last winter, they didn't know if they would be playing baseball this summer.
That's because the only team available to them was Nova Seafood, Deering's talented American Legion team comprising mostly 18- and 19-year-olds. It was either make that team or be without a summer of baseball.
Along came Deering's Junior Legion team, new this summer. It's given a lot of promising Deering underclassmen a chance to keep playing. And keep winning.
Deering captured the state title by sweeping through the playoffs last month. Tonight, Deering opens play in the Mid-Atlantic Regional at Linden, N.J., facing the New Jersey champion Denville Post 390 at 7 p.m. There are eight teams in the single-elimination tournament, and each is guaranteed a consolation game. There is no national tournament.
Junior Legion is for players age 17-and-under. The program began five years ago, primarily in response to the move by American Legion to increase its age eligibility to 19. Maine has had a Junior Legion program for three years.
"It was designed to give players who are 15 to 17 a place to play," said Tim Morgan, Deering's Junior Legion coach.
"It bridges the gap between Babe Ruth baseball and regular Legion baseball. We have five 15-year-olds on our team. If players are serious about baseball, this is where they should be playing."
Deering High Coach Mike Coutts approached Morgan earlier this year about starting a Junior Legion program. Morgan is a longtime Portland Babe Ruth coach whose son, Mason, plays for his father's team.
Coutts serves as an assistant coach, along with John Hardy.
Jake Nichols, who at 17 years, 8 months is the oldest on the team, started the season with Nova Seafood. Because Nova had a veteran player returning at third base, Nichols decided to play Junior Legion. He is the only player on the team that started for the high school team last spring. The others either played for the Deering freshman team or the JV team.
"I could have stayed with Nova but decided to play junior league to get more playing time," said Nichols, one of the team's top pitchers.
"As the season went along, we developed good team chemistry and we have lots of camaraderie. We're a very loose bunch. We have a lot of fun. I think we'll do well in the tournament."
When Deering plays tonight, it will be its first game in 2 1/2 weeks.
"We practiced every other day last week and every day this week," said Morgan. "The kids seem ready to go."
Besides Nichols, the team counts on Nick DiBiase, Anthony Balzano and Johnny Miranda for its pitching. They all also play other positions.
"I knew going into the season that we were going to have a strong team," said Balzano. "We have a good group of kids and everyone gets along. I think we'll do pretty good if we keep our heads."
Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com
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