BANGOR, Maine — The career path of Mike Bordick has fueled many a dream among aspiring middle infielders from Maine throughout the last three decades.
The light-hitting shortstop from Winterport and Hampden Academy parlayed a solid baseball career at the University of Maine into a pro contract, leading to a 14-year major league run with the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.
Bangor High School senior shortstop Kyle Stevenson isn’t looking nearly that far ahead yet, but his acceptance this week of an opportunity to join the UMaine baseball program as a recruited walk-on beginning this fall marks a significant personal milestone all its own.
“Ever since I was little I’ve always dreamed about playing Division I baseball, and obviously at the university,” said Stevenson, who has been accepted at UMaine but is undecided on an academic major. “All the way up through high school I wanted to play at Maine, so when I got the call it was like a dream come true.”
Stevenson has been a fixture at shortstop for Bangor since the first game of his freshman season — a fairly rare occurrence in the Class A baseball ranks.
His two-way play has helped the Rams win back-to-back state championships in 2014 and 2015 and get off to a 13-1 start this season entering a Wednesday afternoon home game against Messalonskee of Oakland.
Stevenson led coach Jeff Fahey’s club in batting average as both a freshman (.365) and sophomore (.400) from the No. 9 spot in the batting order. He hit .316 as a junior and this spring is batting .390 as the Rams’ leadoff hitter with 16 hits and 16 walks in 14 games.
He also has eight stolen bases in as many attempts this spring, bringing his career totals to 27 steals in 29 attempts.
Stevenson also has made just three errors defensively this year.
“Kyle certainly knows what hard work is because he’s worked as hard as anybody, he’s very similar to [UMaine-bound Bangor pitching ace] Trevor [DeLaite] in that respect,” said Fahey. “As a freshman he was kind of forced into the starting lineup out of necessity for us. We basically told him he was going to be our shortstop and we were going to live with however he played.
“He got a little better defensively each year, and this past year he’s made huge leaps as far as his arm strength, his range, his accuracy, his hands, everything, and I think that’s a credit to how hard he’s worked in the offseason and the summertime.”
Stevenson has had a similar influence on the city’s Coffee News American Legion team, which also has won state championships each of the last two years.
And he was part of Bangor’s 2014 Senior League team that advanced undefeated through pool play and reached the tournament’s semifinal round.
“Playing for Bangor in high school and Legion and Senior League, it’s always been a high level of baseball, and we’ve seen a lot of success,” said Stevenson. “It’s really taught me how to compete and how to win, and I really think it’s prepared me to play at the next level.”
Stevenson originally was planning to continue his baseball career at Husson University in Bangor before his strong play this spring caught the attention of UMaine coach Steve Trimper.
“Coach Trimper reached out to me about a week ago and told me he likes how I’m playing and thinks I’ve gotten a lot better and asked me if I was still interested in playing for him,” said Stevenson. “It was a pretty instant decision.”
Stevenson will join former Rams DeLaite and UMaine sophomore pitcher Justin Courtney on the Black Bears’ roster next season. Peter Kemble, a junior pitcher at Bangor, also has verbally committed to play at UMaine after in the fall of 2017.
Trimper was not immediately available for comment, as he and his team opened play Wednesday afternoon at the America East baseball tournament in Lowell, Massachusetts.
But Fahey, whose Bangor High teams have compiled a 61-10 record with Stevenson in the lineup, sees a potentially bright future for his shortstop at the next level.
“I think there’s a big upside for Kyle,” he said. “If he continues to improve the way he has in the last year, I think he can play there.”
