Softball

Coach: JR Warren (12th season)

Last year’s record: finished 9-7 in the regular season to earn the No. 7 seed in the Class B West tournament, defeated No. 10 Poland in a prelim game before falling to No. 2 Maranacook in the quarterfinals

Key players: seniors Andi Mitchell (SS) and Lauren D’Ascanio (3B); juniors Chelsea Meyers (OF), Devin Fitzgerald (OF, IF), Meghan Craffey (C) and Morgan McClean (1B)

Season outlook: The Lakers graduated two-time all conference pitcher Jesse Hutchins, but return a veteran team. Warren is encouraged by what he’s seen from his young pitchers, who will have a solid defense behind them.

“We were a strong defensive team (last season) but lacked the experienced hitting,” Warren said. “We are returning nine players – all who have started games – to this year’s team. I expect to improve in the hitting department and become even stronger defensively. We are very athletic and are going to have some new young talent to put in the mix.”

Boys tennis

Coach: Kim Peterson (first season)

Last year’s record: 1-11, missed playoffs

Key players: seniors Kurt Peterson, Jacob Curtis, Tyler Merrifield and Kody Rickett; juniors Cree Mitchell and Justin Peterson

Season outlook: Kurt Peterson has played No. 1 singles the past three seasons. Curtis, Merrifield, Rickett and Mitchell all return with varsity experience. Justin Peterson is back with the team after taking last season off and has shown great improvement. “Goals and expectations for the year are to improve each match as individuals and as a team,” Kim Peterson said. “With many newcomers to the sport, we hope to carry an impressive JV squad.”

Girls tennis

Coaches: Tracy St. Onge May (second season) and George Woodward (first season)

Last year’s record: 2-10, missed playoffs

Key players: seniors Carolynne Skarbinski, Carly Robinson, Rachel Curtis, Casey Chaplin, Nicole Robinson-Martel, Kayla Cossar, Whitney Bartke and Alyssa Maynard; junior Sam Wohlmuth

Season outlook: The Lakers have a senior-laden squad that will be looking to translate experience from the past few seasons into wins and hopefully a shot at the playoffs. “It’s a very tough league, so we’ll be looking to the upperclassmen to rise to the challenge,” Woodward said. “We have a large group of freshmen out this year and we are hoping they will all stick with the program and begin developing their skills. There will be ample opportunity for them to step up next year as we will be graduating eight seniors.”

Boys outdoor track

Coach: Mark Snow (12th season)

Last year’s finish: 10th at Western Maine Conference meet, 17th at Class B state meet

Key athletes: seniors Matt Van Vliet (jumps) and Chris Roy (distance); juniors Nick Quasnitschka (pole vault) and Zach Tomkinson (400, discus, triple jump); sophomore Tristan Lacey (jumps)

Season outlook: “With no scorers back from last year’s championship meets, we have modest goals,” Snow said. Van Vliet, a state meet qualifier a year ago, should be a factor in the big meets this season. As for the rest of the team, “Most others have goals to set personal records and qualify for those big meets,” Snow said.

Girls outdoor track

Coach: Chip Morton (third season)

Last year’s finish: eighth at Western Maine Conference meet, 25th at Class B state meet

Key athletes: seniors Kari Cowperthwaite (hurdles), Lauren D’Ascanio (shot put) and Shelly Burgess (throws); juniors Betsy Balchunas (hurdles, discus) and Corey Lynn Morton (high jump, discus); sophomores Doe Leckie (hurdles and sprints), Hannah Flagg (hurdles) and Leona Kluge-Edwards (pole vault)

Season outlook: The Lakers have a number of athletes back that finished in the top 10 in events at the conference meet a year ago. They’ll all be looking to improve on their finishes. Morton said the goal is to “compete in all events in all meets during the season (you can’t score if you don’t compete) and finish in the top six in the conference championship.”

Lake Region should be able to improve on last season’s finish if the team is healthy. “We have several key athletes coming off injuries or surgery during the winter,” Morton said. “The goal is for them to be ready in time for the conference championship.”

Baseball

Coach: Dan Leland (11th season overall, third consecutive)

Last year’s record: finished 10-6 in the regular season to earn the No. 11 seed in the Class B West tournament, lost to No. 6 Falmouth in a prelim game

Season outlook: The Lakers made a big jump last season, going from 3-13 in 2007 to 10-6 in 2008. They lost a heartbreaker to Falmouth 7-6 in extra innings in a road playoff prelim game in which they fell behind 5-0 in the first inning, then rallied to take a 6-5 lead in the fifth, only to have Falmouth tie it on a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh and win it in the eighth. While several seniors graduated from last year’s team, the returning players got a taste of the postseason and will be looking to return.