STANDISH — Four years ago, Sam Butts never imagined his future involving anything but hockey.

At the time, Butts, then a senior at Thornton Academy, was one of the top hockey players in the state. His future on the ice almost seemed as bright as his former rival, Biddeford graduate Brian Dumoulin, who now plays for Division I Boston College.

But a meeting with St. Joseph’s College baseball coach Will Sanborn, and a tour of the campus located on the Standish/Windham town line, changed his mind, and his future.

Four years later, Butts is still taking his hacks at the plate as a junior, and a starting outfielder, on the Monks’ baseball team.

“It’s not the traditional path that most kids take,” Butts said.

Butts only played one year of varsity baseball at Thornton, under former head coach Greg Paradis. He was no pushover on a baseball diamond. In his only varsity season he hit .500, with 14 RBIs and was chosen as a 2nd Team All-State selection.

Between his small sample size in varsity ball, as well as American Legion play, it was enough for Sanborn to recruit Butts to St. Joe’s.

“I was dead set on (playing hockey),” Butts said. “Coach (Shawn) Rousseau did a great job at getting me some exposure. I had a couple of tryouts ”¦ I was trying to prove (Paradis) wrong for having me on (junior varsity) the whole time, just had a great season there. All of a sudden, Coach Sanborn talked to me real late in the season, he said he saw me in Legion ball in the Summer, and that he’d love to see me on campus and give me a tour.”

The tour was almost all it took, Butts said.

“Once he gave me a tour, just seeing (the school), talking to some really good people, it changed my mind real quick,” he said. “Basically, I’m doing the same thing that I wanted to do in hockey.”

Though he struggled with injuries in his freshman season, Butts hit .320 in 19 games. Last season, a sophomore, Butts became a starter, playing in all 47 of the Monks’ games, hitting .267 with two home runs and 17 RBIs. He had 11 multiple hit games during the season, and at one point had an 11-game hit streak. His play was even more impressive in the field, as he made only one error.

The Monks have won seven consecutive conference championships, between the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), and the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Butts has been present for two of those GNAC title teams, who have gone on to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

“We have a team identity that other teams take a while to find,” Butts said. “It’s been nice that we’ve been able to put together a nice group of freshmen that came in, a good group of veterans that have taken over. I think whether it’s either offense, pitching or defense, everything has been clicking at the right time.”

The Monks are well on their way to a fifth-straight title run, which if successful will give Sanborn 15 conference titles in his 19-year career as the head coach at St. Joe’s. He has a 511-289-5 record, making him the winningest coach in program history.

This season, St. Joe’s is 8-1. Butts is hitting .323, and is among the team leaders with 17 RBIs.

But numbers have never been what Butts is all about.

“You can look at numbers all you want, I see them as a little overrated to what a player’s doing,” Butts said. “We actually keep track of something called productive plate appearances, that’s just what we call productive at-bats. Every game I just try to go up there, get a hit, move a runner over. I just want to be someone at the plate who is solid in the lineup, and the numbers will speak for itself after getting some success in productive at-bats.”

Off the field, Butts has set high goals. An exercise science major, he plans to go to graduate school for physical therapy. Butts has produced in the classroom as well, as he was selected as a GNAC All-Academic selection last season.

Since Butts’ graduation at Thornton, the Golden Trojans have gone on to win two state titles in hockey, the first two in school history. Butts came closest to a state title in his senior year of 2009. Thornton had a 13-5 regular season record, making it to the Western Class A quarterfinals, before losing a 2-1 contest against Kennebunk that went into four overtimes.

Butts said he had mixed emotions about the Trojans winning back-to-back hockey titles, but he has no regrets about his past on the ice.

“You’ve got to be a little bittersweet when the second you leave, your buddies win back-to-back (titles),” Butts said. “At the same time, I don’t wish for a second to go back in time. It would be nice to win that four overtime game against Kennebunk and move on, but I know I was someone that helped build that program to where it is now. I’m just really happy Thornton Academy is representing as the champions, and I know I have a lot to do with that.”

Butts still has this season, and one more to go, at the Larry Mahaney Diamond at St. Joe’s. But as he will tell you, he made the right decision.

“I’m just glad (Sanborn) looked past the whole JV thing,” Butts said. “I think he’s really happy with me being here and I’m just really happy he took a chance on me so I can do what I’m doing now.”

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 323 or follow on Twitter @Dave_Dyer.