Two of the state’s premier softball players have verbally committed to attend the University of Maine.
Bangor High School slugger Emily Gilmore will take her talents to Orono in 2016, and Scarborough High School ace right-hander Lilly Volk will begin her career in the fall of 2017.
Gilmore, a senior who plays center field, hit .465 last spring and led the Rams in doubles (13), home runs (5) and runs scored (30).
Volk was the ace of the Red Storm staff as a sophomore. She was 10-1 with her only loss (1-0) coming on a one-hitter against Messalonskee of Oakland in the state Class A championship game. She struck out nine and walked none.
Gilmore was an All-Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference first-team selection, and Volk was a first-team pick in the Southwestern Maine Activities Association.
“I can’t wait to go up there. The coaches [Mike and Lynn Coutts] seemed really cool. And everything I heard about the team was positive,” said Gilmore.
Volk said she has known the Coutts family her whole life because they used to live and coach in southern Maine while running their Portland-based Frozen Ropes Training Center.
“They’re great coaches, and they stress the values that you look for on and off the field,” said Volk. “When I visited the campus, I felt like I was meant to be there.”
She also likes the fact her parents, Derek and Amy, will be able to continue watching her play.
Mike Coutts is prohibited by NCAA rules from commenting on either commitment.
Bangor High coach Don Stanhope called Gilmore a great athlete who can play a number of positions.
“She has excellent hand-eye coordination and very quick hands. She has gotten better every year,” Stanhope said.
The daughter of Robbie and Alicia Gilmore said she will receive a partial scholarship and feels, “I’ve got to get mentally tougher.
“It’s going to be hard. It’s a big jump. But if I work real hard, I’ll be able to do it,” said Emily Gilmore, who also plays soccer and basketball.
“Softball has always been my favorite sport. It has been something I’ve been able to do with my dad,” said Gilmore, whose father was an outstanding hitter at Brewer High and Husson University in Bangor.
She intends to study wildlife biology and likes the fact her twin sister, Kelsey, also will attend Maine.
Volk, who is playing soccer this fall, has an impressive repertoire of pitches including a rise ball, fastball, change-up, curve, drop and screwball. She considers the change-up her best pitch.
Messalonskee coach Leo Bouchard said Volk, “pitched like a senior against us. She gave up a home run in the first inning but never got rattled. Her screwball gave our hitters problems. She hit the corners.”
Volk, who intends to study nursing, said she will continue to refine her pitches during the next two seasons.
Both girls said they are happy to have their college decisions behind them.
“It’s like 50 pounds has been lifted off my shoulders,” said Volk.
Their participation at Maine is contingent upon their being accepted to the school and meeting NCAA eligibility requirements.