Trejyn Fletcher, a senior outfielder from Deering High School in Portland who was selected in the second round of the recent Major League Baseball draft, is one of eight finalists for the Dr. John W. Winkin Award symbolic of the state’s Mr. Baseball.
The finalists were announced Wednesday by the Maine Baseball Coaches Association based on their selections this spring as players of the year by high school baseball conferences around the state.
Other Mr. Baseball finalists are Matt Burnett of Ellsworth, Colton Carson of Oxford Hills of South Paris, Charlie Spiegel of Searsport, Lucas Francis of Lisbon, Dylan Miner of Sacopee Valley of South Hiram, Will Neleski of Greely of Cumberland Center and David Barre of Waterville.
Fletcher, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound outfielder, played as a senior at Deering after transferring back to Maine from Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, New York, where he developed into one of the top high school prospects in the country.
Fletcher, who had played at Cheverus High School in Portland as a freshman, batted .456 at Deering this spring with three home runs and 24 runs scored. Armed with a 90 mph fastball, Fletcher appeared in four games on the mound for the Rams and allowed just seven hits while striking out 40 in 20 innings.
The overall 58th pick in this month’s MLB draft, Fletcher is considering whether to join the Cardinals’ organization and accept a signing bonus of more than $1 million or play on scholarship beginning next season at Vanderbilt University.
Burnett, the two-time Penobscot Valley Conference Class B player and pitcher of the year, has led the Eagles to the No. 1 seed in Class B North and a berth in Wednesday’s regional championship game.
Burnett plans to continue his baseball career at the University of Southern Maine.
Colton Carson is the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference player of the year after leading Oxford Hills to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the Class A North championship game. He is set to play at the University of Maine next year.
Spiegel, a pitcher and utility player, was named PVC Class D player and pitcher of the year as he led Searsport to the Class D South championship. The right-hander scattered six hits with five strikeouts and two walks in a complete-game pitching effort Tuesday night as Searsport defeated Richmond 11-1 in five innings to capture its fourth regional title in five years. Spiegel also hit two singles with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Francis, a right-handed pitcher and third baseman, was named Mountain Valley Conference player of the year for leading Lisbon to an undefeated regular season and a berth in Wednesday’s Class C South championship game.
Francis and Lisbon will face a Sacopee Valley team led by Miner, a right-handed pitcher who was named Western Maine Conference Class C player of the year. Miner and the Hawks finished the regular season ranked sixth in Class C South before scoring one-run playoff victories over No. 3 Hall-Dale of Farmingdale and No. 2 Maranacook of Readfield to reach the final.
Neleski, a right-handed pitcher and first baseman, was named the Western Maine Conference Class B pitcher of the year for leading Greely to the No. 2 seed in Class B South and a berth in the regional semifinals.
Barre, a pitcher and shortstop at Waterville, was named KVAC Class B North player of the year.
The Winkin Award will be presented at approximately 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, at Colby College in Waterville between the two annual MBCA Maine Senior All-Star Games. The Classes C-D game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by the A-B game at 6:30 p.m.
