SEARSPORT, Maine — John Frye has been familiar with the tradition of Searsport District High School baseball since his playing days in the early and mid-1980s at rival Sumner Memorial High School of East Sullivan.
His appreciation for that tradition grew stronger a few years later while coaching against the Vikings as an assistant at his alma mater, including in 1999 when Searsport edged Sumner in the Eastern Maine Class C final.
Today that understanding is at an all-time high as Frye, now in his fifth year as Searsport’s head coach, readies the Vikings to face Bangor Christian on Saturday in search of their third consecutive Class D state championship.
“It’s all baseball,” said Frye. “People want to talk about how basketball is the big thing there, but if you look at the trophy case and you look around it’s been baseball ever since I played against them at Sumner.”
That baseball legacy includes six state championships, two during the 1970s and four more in the last 11 years — two under Dave Pepin in 2006 and 2008 and now two straight under Frye.
“We have huge crowds for almost all of our games,” he said. “I coach soccer there, too, and we don’t get the support there we get for baseball. I think it’s definitely a baseball town.”
One reflection of that tradition is the success of the local youth baseball program and the ability of those players to step into prominent roles early in their high school careers. That was particularly important this spring after seven players from the 2016 title team graduated.
Take sophomore Charlie Spiegel. He didn’t pitch last year as the Vikings were led on the mound by two seniors, but this year he is 10-0 with only four earned runs allowed.
Spiegel earned the win in Searsport’s 13-1 victory over Richmond in the Class D South final and, after throwing just 85 pitches in that game, he’s eligible to pitch again Saturday.
“He’s just a dominant kid, and he’s our No. 3 hitter,” said Frye. “Charlie’s a great athlete in all three sports and has been a big reason for where we are pitching-wise, and defensively we just don’t make too many mistakes.”
Freshmen Colby Snow and Daegan Moody have taken the starting roles at shortstop and center field, respectively, to help anchor the Vikings’ defense up the middle.
Moody stepped in for junior Connor Kneeland, who was expected to the starting center fielder and Searsport’s No. 2 pitcher, but has been sidelined by a knee injury suffered during basketball season.
“Definitely it starts with the younger kids,” said Frye. “By the time they get here as freshmen they already know the game and we just have to refine their skills and get them to play the way we want, but basically the middle school and Junior League are doing the same thing I’m doing so that helps a lot.”
Leadership from the veterans on the squad, particularly senior catcher Barrett Grant, also helps the younger players to adapt to their varsity roles.
Grant, the Penobscot Valley Conference Class D player of the year, is a finalist for the state’s Mr. Baseball award for his strong arm behind the plate and his speed on the basepaths. He has 53 stolen bases this spring from the leadoff spot in the Searsport batting order.
“He’s our leader,” said Frye. “He does everything for us. He can pitch, he’s our leadoff hitter, and once he’s on base he’s always a threat to score.
“We run the bases, that’s how we play.”
That aggressive style has helped Searsport compile a 16-3 record, 13-0 against Class D opponents. The Vikings’ lone losses were two games against Class C North sixth seed Bucksport — once in 10 innings and the second time a 2-1 battle decided in the bottom of the seventh — and one game against Class C No. 4 seed Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln during April vacation.
Searsport plays a fellow Penobscot Valley Conference member in the state final for the third straight year. The Vikings split a regular-season doubleheader with Stearns of Millinocket before edging the Minutemen 4-3 in the 2015 championship game and split with Penobscot Valley of Howland last year before topping the Howlers 10-2 for the state title.
Now they face a Bangor Christian team they defeated 2-0 and 7-4 on May 8 at Searsport.
The opener featured a pitching duel between Spiegel and BC ace Dean Grass, while Searsport rallied from an early deficit to win the second game.
“It seems like forever since we played them,” said Frye, “but (BC) coach (Tim) Collins and I talked that night about he we hoped we’d see each other again this Saturday and both teams have had great seasons and here we are.
“There’s not much separating us. It should be a great game.”
