BANGOR, Maine — Peter Kemble could not have had much better guidance in considering a future as a Division I baseball player.
His dad, Jay Kemble, was a pitcher and a successful assistant coach at the University of Maine under the late John Winkin.
On Wednesday, the Bangor High School sophomore decided to continue the family tradition when he verbally committed to attend UMaine starting in 2017.
“Maine, it’s always been close to home, close to the heart and it’s really an honor to go there and represent my home state,” said Peter Kemble whose mother, Karen, is UMaine’s director of equal opportunity.
Peter Kemble is a 6-foot-1½, 185-pound right-handed pitcher who played the last two seasons for the Bangor American Legion squad, which last summer won the state title. He played on Bangor High’s JV team in 2014.
Kemble is the third Bangor High player to commit to coach Steve Trimper’s program in the last 16 months joining Black Bears freshman pitcher Justin Courtney and Rams junior lefty Trevor DeLaite.
“I accepted a great scholarship offer, which was a nice benefit,” said Kemble, who played in UMaine’s fall league recently and said it was his first direct contact with the program.
“I really like the coaching staff there,” he added. “They were really friendly and good to work with. It’s a good fit, a good, competitive program.”
Trimper is prohibited by NCAA rules from talking about a recruit until he has signed a National Letter of Intent.
Kemble features a fastball in the low-to-mid 80s and also throws an overhand curve and a changeup.
“He throws the ball very hard, has good movement and has a good curveball,” said Bangor Comrades coach Dave Morris. “He pitches to contact and he’s very consistent.”
Kemble, who also plays in the outfield and plays basketball during the winter, is focused on improving and helping Bangor teams further their tradition.
“My goals right now are just to help the high school team get better and win another state championship and then help the Legion team win another championship,” he said.
Morris said the lefthanded-hitting Kemble is a versatile player with good instincts who has tremendous potential and possesses traits that will aid his progress.
“He’s extremely coachable and as a young kid he just loves the game,” Morris said, citing Kemble’s humility and his willingness to fill whatever role the coaches asked of him.
“He’s a kid that has come from a baseball background with his dad, but he’s a kid that has some high expectations of his own,” Morris said.
“I think he’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s got a good work ethic lifting weights and throwing.”
Kemble’s eventual participation at UMaine is contingent upon his acceptance by the university and compliance with NCAA eligibility guidelines.