As freshmen in 2013, Bangor’s Trevor DeLaite and Kyle Stevenson didn’t get to lift a Class A baseball state championship trophy over their young heads. The Rams lost in the Eastern Maine semifinals to eventual state runner-up Messalonskee that year.
It’s been a series of trophies ever since.
DeLaite and Stevenson, and six of their now senior teammates, have a chance to end their careers in style on Saturday — with a third straight state title.
The “three-peat” is a feat that isn’t as rare as one would think in Class A baseball. It was last accomplished by Deering High School, of Portland, from 2007-09. Those Rams did it from 1999-01 as well, followed by two more in 2003 and 2004 after Sanford broke the streak.
Bangor has its own history of consecutive titles, winning four straight from 1994-97. In total since 1970, the Rams have won 11 state titles and lost in eight other state finals.
Yet there’s no luster lost on each successive trophy.
“It gets more and more fun and special every time,” Stevenson said. “We just want to get to that next one and get it done.”
All that stands in Bangor’s way of three-straight is Southern Maine champion Falmouth (19-0), which is looking for its first Class A state title. The Yachtsmen are no stranger to baseball titles, however, winning the Class B title in 2012 and Class C titles in 1985, 1996 and 1998.
While there may not be familiarity with the opponent, the Rams will be familiar with the location of the game. Bangor beat Windham at Larry Mahaney Diamond on the campus of Saint Joseph’s College in Standish for the state title in 2014.
“Definitely the experience helps a lot with huge pressure situations,” Stevenson said. “We’ve been there, so we know how to handle it.”
Bangor’s side haven’t just been the Boys of Spring lately, but also the Boys of Summer. The Bangor American Legion team has won back-to-back state championships as well.
It’s no surprise that Bangor coach Jeff Fahey chalked up his team’s recent success to “great kids.”
“We got some kids that love baseball. Some that have pretty much specialized in baseball. They’re not three-sport athletes, which we encourage, but we just have kids that love baseball and concentrate on baseball,” said Fahey, Bangor’s skipper since 2001. “Just a bunch of good kids with a bunch of good parents that have bought into our program, and our feeder program has produced some good players.”
It’s no accident that the Queen City has produced one recent Ram that has gone on to play at the University of Maine (2014 grad Justin Courtney, who was the winning pitcher against Windham), and another that will next year (DeLaite, this year’s Maine Gatorade Player of the Year). And the rest of the roster isn’t too shabby, either.
“I think you talk about that whole program history, and they have guys that have consistently been with their program and the youth levels all the way up through,” said Edward Little coach Dave Jordan, whose team lost to Bangor in this year’s Northern Maine final. “And Coach Fahey and his staff will take those guys that are well-developed and learning the game of baseball coming all the way up through and he does a fantastic job molding them into a competitive, strong team every year to compete for state titles.”
The feeder program prepares Bangor’s blossoming young baseball players for Fahey has for them once they become high school freshmen.
“I don’t think there’s a magic pill. It’s just they work hard every, single day,” Fahey said. “Our MO is to get better every, single practice, and our kids work hard. People that come to practice (see) our kids work hard.”
DeLaite, who has gone 23-2 in his career thanks to a combination of natural talent, acquired skills and a solid team around him, agrees.
“It’s just our preparation. Our coaches do a great job of just preparing us,” DeLaite said. “We only look one pitch, one inning, one game at a time. We just do a good job of thinking small, not getting too big.”
It helps to have productive practices and precise focus on a team that has eight seniors and six more juniors. DeLaite and Stevenson’s class also includes Ryan Brookings, Jesse Colford, Ben Chrichton, Jacob Ireland, Daniel Neel, James Prescott. Some are starters, while others show their worth in those hard-working practices.
“It just gives us confidence knowing that we probably work as hard, if not harder, than anybody,” Stevenson said.
The Rams will take the field at Mahaney Diamond on Saturday with plenty of confidence. Not only have they been there before (both literally and figuratively), but they’ve beaten every team they’ve played this year after exacting revenge on the Red Eddies for their lone regular-season loss.
Bangor’s run may end on Saturday, or it may continue. For DeLaite and Stevenson and their six classmates, it will be the end. The end (at least for them) of something special.
It’s a run that might not be rare, but is still special nonetheless. Just don’t call it a dynasty near Fahey.
“I’d call it three years of good teams,” Fahey said. “Every year is different I think. You’ve got different kids. I’m sure people want to call it that, but for us it’s just … let’s see if we win one Saturday first, then people can talk and say anything they want.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
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