BANGOR, Maine — By the time most baseball prospects have committed to college destinations, they have a specific position of strength that attracted coaches to their skill set in the first place.
For Coffee News of Bangor American Legion standout Sam Huston, that skill set is defined not by one spot of the field but by his high level of versatility.
“I’ll play anywhere, anywhere you need me,” said the recent Bangor High School graduate, who will continue his baseball career at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish. “I’m comfortable anywhere on the field.”
Huston’s Brock Holt-like approach has seen him as the starting catcher this summer for a Bangor-based Legion team seeking its second straight state championship. A year ago, he played primarily at second base for the Comrades, and the year before that he played right field.
He also was a two-year starter at third base while helping Bangor High School win back-to-back Class A state championships in 2014 and 2015 after playing left field for the Rams as a sophomore and serving as the starting junior varsity catcher as a freshman.
“He’s a very versatile kid and extremely competitive, really an old-school baseball player,” said Dave Morris, head coach of the Coffee News Legion team and an assistant coach at Bangor High School. “I enjoy coaching him. That competitive edge can sometimes get the best of him, but more times than not it’s a situation where he really leads us.”
What perhaps is most consistent about Huston’s presence on the field beyond his teams’ success — his high school and Legion clubs are a combined 75-16 over the last two years heading into Friday’s play at the American Legion Zone 1 tournament at Husson University — is his stability in the middle of the batting order.
He came on strong late in the regular season this spring for Bangor’s high school team, and had three doubles from the No. 3 spot in the lineup during Coffee News’ 6-1 victory over Brewer during American Legion zone tournament play Thursday.
“I think that’s going to play to my advantage when next year rolls around,” said Huston of his college baseball future. “If I’m hitting the ball, they can stick me in center field or left field or wherever they need me. That’s what I’m focusing on, that if I’m hitting the ball, I’ll probably find myself in the order.”
Huston’s Little League background was as a catcher, particularly as the personal catcher to eventual high school and Legion teammate Andrew Hillier.
But learning and playing other positions has broadened his baseball knowledge and appreciation of his teammates’ various responsibilities.
“It gives me a different look, I can see different points of view,” said Huston. “I can relate when I’m catching because when the ball’s hit to right field I can tell if it’s going to be a tough catch, and the same with second base. I know what’s tough and what’s not so I can have sympathy for them if they make a mistake.”
His defensive responsibilities wherever he’s stationed on the field also has helped Huston in his pitch-calling duties.
“He has a good knowledge of the game and has a lot of experience at just about any position,” said Coffee News and Bangor High School left-hander Trevor DeLaite. “He knows the hitters well, and from watching them when he’s playing the field it helps a lot because he’s able to see things a little differently.”
Huston nearly started at catcher for Bangor High School this spring after the graduation of Hunter Boyce, now at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.
But the emergence of sophomore Derek Fournier behind the plate enabled Rams’ coach Jeff Fahey to return the strong-armed Huston to third base, providing Bangor its best lineup to make a second straight championship run.
“Derek’s a hell of a player, and he stepped into some pretty big shoes this year with Hunter leaving and did a great job,” said Huston. “Honestly, I thought we were a better team with him catching.”
With Fournier playing on Senior League and Junior Legion teams this summer, Huston ably crouched behind the plate for the city’s Senior Legion club.
“He didn’t catch all high school season, and then he came in here and it took him a little while to adjust,” said Morris. “But he’s a big-time player, and he’s been very consistent for us.”
