For Hammond Lumber Company’s Post 213 Riverhawks White Junior American Legion baseball team, it was a memorable summer.
The Riverhawks, composed of players from six different schools including four in Greater Bangor and one of two Hampden-based teams, captured the state championship and won their opener at the Northeast Regional in Manchester, New Hampshire, before being eliminated in the second round from the single-elimination tournament.
The Riverhawks concluded the summer with a 19-3 record, including an 18-1 record against in-state competition, 3-0 in the state tourney.
Even though the regional was a single-elimination format, all eight teams were guaranteed to play at least two games and some got to play an extra consolation game.
Unfortunately for the Hampden-based Riverhawks, five of their key players missed the Northeast Regional.
Three of them were taking their annual vacation trip to Florida, one was unable to attend and another was injured.
“We made the best of it,” said head coach Ryan Lincoln. “Guys filled in where they could, and we did the best we could.Not having some of our top-tier guys didn’t help down there. If we had our full team, the outcome could have been a lot different.”
“That’s how it goes in the summer time,” he added. “I’ve always told all my kids, you aren’t mandated to be here every single night. We want you here but you have to be a kid, too.”
The Riverhawks topped Rhode Island champ Newport in the opening round game, 6-1, before losing to Massachusetts runner-up and eventual tournament runner-up Braintree 6-2 in the next round.
New York champ Hilton-Hiscock-Fishbaugh Post 788 bested the River Hawks 11-1 in five innings in a consolation game.
Lincoln said his team had a lot of balance and everyone contributed throughout the season. Someone different would step up and deliver every night.
Every player appeared in at least 13 of their 22 games.
“At the beginning of the season, the lower half of the lineup carried us and was our catalyst. As the season went along, the middle of the lineup was coming through and then, at the end, it was the top of the lineup,” said Lincoln.
He said the team culture and chemistry was exceptional.
“We definitely had some talent, but the bond these kids developed over the two months was good to watch. The memories will stick and the friendships will last a lifetime,” said Lincoln, who took pride in the fact most of his players were from Class B, C and D schools.
Bangor Christian’s Jack Kowalski and Hermon’s Jackson Harris were their superb one-two punch on the mound, with Kowalski posting a .34 earned-run average and Harris checking in with a .59 ERA. Harris picked up the victory in the regional.
Bangor Christian’s Blaze Morris gave them a quality No. 3 pitcher with his 1.40 ERA, and Hermon’s Collin Mehrhoff, a pitcher-third baseman, also gave them some solid innings on the mound.
Mehrhoff was chosen the Most Valuable Player of the state tournament.
Bangor Christian’s Westyn Wyatt gave them depth on the mound but missed the regional due to injury.
Bangor Christian catcher Gaige Farrar was a major catalyst, according to Lincoln.
“We wouldn’t have been where we were without Gaige,” said Ellsworth native Lincoln, who is an assistant baseball coach at Bangor Christian. “He was a difference-maker offensively and defensively. He hit .610 on the season and hit .600 with 12 hits and 10 RBIs in the postseason. And he threw out nine of 11 baserunners in stolen base attempts during the post-season.”
First baseman Joseph Newell from Hampden Academy hit .545 and led the team with 30 runs batted in, and center fielder Noah White from Calais hit .421 and scored 18 runs while also registering an impressive on-base percentage of .623.
Mehrhoff hit .448.
In addition to Newell, the other regulars in the infield were second baseman Michael Carroll from Old Town, Kowalski at shortstop when he wasn’t pitching and Mehrhoff at third.
White was joined in the outfield by left fielder Alton Potter from Hampden Academy and right fielder Drake Nash from Bangor Christian.
Kowalski, Morris and Nash were on their annual vacation and didn’t play in the regional, and White was unable to attend.
Bangor Christian’s Emmett Salley was a first baseman, Carson Stanley from Schenck High School in East Millinocket was a middle infielder-pitcher, Bangor Christian’s Samuel Hood was a utility player and Hampden Academy’s Leyton Shaw was an outfielder.
“It was a great summer,” said Lincoln, who has coached four state American Junior Legion championship teams and one state Senior American Legion titlist team since 2019. And he didn’t coach in 2023 and 2024.
The former Woodland High baseball coach, who led the Dragons to their only regional championship game appearance in 2024, a 6-5 nine-inning loss to Stearns of Millinocket in the D North final, has been assisted by John Frye and R.J. Robertson ever since his first Legion season in 2019. Andy Newell is the Riverhawks’ team manager.