Boys’ team

Casey Lawrence, Deering baseball

The feel-good story of the 2024 Class A baseball season was a family affair, led by a coach that lives and breathes the Deering program and wanted to put it back on the map.

It’s safe to say that Casey Lawrence succeeded big-time.

The Rams, who had won just five games the previous three seasons and none in 2023, returned to contention, arriving with a seismic upset victory over the eventual state champion, and the season culminated with a playoff berth.

Deering is back and in light of the Rams’ growth and success this year, Casey Lawrence is our choice for our Portland edition Spring Coach of the Year of a boys’ team.

Lawrence graduated from Deering and played for the Rams’ 1999 Class A championship team. After coaching at the youth level while his sons, senior Avery Lawrence and freshman Miles Lawrence, were growing up.

Deering needed someone who cared deeply about the program to step in this spring and Casey Lawrence rose to the occasion.

The Rams, often featuring Avery Lawrence throwing to Miles Lawrence, snapped a three-year, 24-game losing skid with an early win over Windham, but were sitting at 1-6 heading into a game at undefeated Scarborough May 7.

And there, everything changed.

Deering stunned the host Red Storm by scoring seven first inning runs, but the Rams couldn’t hold the lead. Scarborough crawled all the way back to tie the score heading to the seventh inning, but unlike years past, when it almost certainly would have found a way to lose, Deering didn’t buckle this time, pushing across a run in the top of the seventh, then holding on for a memorable 8-7 triumph.

The Rams also edged rival Portland by a 1-0 score, erased a nine-run deficit to stun Kennebunk and also knocked off Bonny Eagle and Westbrook to finish 6-10 and make the playoffs.

Deering had to face reigning state champion South Portland in the Class A South playoffs and managed to take an early lead, but it didn’t last and the Rams’ final season came to a close with a 6-2 setback.

But what a year it was.

“I consider it a successful season,” Casey Lawrence said, following the playoff loss. “The guys hung in there and put in the work and it really showed on the field. They wanted to learn. It was rough at the start, I’m not going to lie, but after a week or two, they showed faith in me being able to show them what I know about baseball so they could take it on to the field and compete.”

Deering won’t be able to sneak up on anyone next year, but it won’t need to as long as Casey Lawrence, our Portland edition boys’ team Spring Coach of the Year is pulling the strings. He knows exactly what it takes to make his Rams successful.

Previous winners:

Girls’ team

John Eisenhart, Cheverus softball

Eisenhart’s timing was perfect this spring, but don’t think for a minute that he simply inherited a generational pitcher and a talented roster, snapped his fingers and out came a state champion.

In reality, there were many obstacles to overcome, from start to finish, as Cheverus enjoyed the finest season in program history and stole headlines throughout.

The Stags rode the brilliance of freshman phenom Addison DeRoche and timely hitting from an abundance of players and that, combined with Eisenhart’s ability to call pitches, lead a team and stay supportive and even-keeled resulted in history being made.

And for all of those reasons, John Eisenhart is The Forecaster’s choice as our Portland edition Spring Coach of the Year of a girls’ team.

Eisenhart first made his name as a coach at Westbrook, where he led the Blue Blazes baseball team to the Class A state final in 2005. He got into softball coaching his daughters, Miranda and Lindsay, and served as an assistant at Greely and at Cheverus, under Theresa Arsenault in 2023.

Arsenault then left to become the field hockey coach at St. Joseph’s College and Eisenhart, with the assistance of Ralph Hendrix and Amy Ashley, Cheverus’ athletic director, took over for the 2024 campaign.

Which began inauspiciously, as a preseason trip to Florida saw the team stuck overnight in the Baltimore airport.

But better days were ahead.

Much, much better.

The Stags proved early that they could hit anyone and once DeRoche took the mound, it was clear she was an otherworldly talent, almost unhittable. Eisenhart did hit best to ensure everyone on the roster saw time in the field and at the plate and every girl contributed over the course of the year.

What resulted was a 15-0 start to the season and it became clear that Cheverus and defending champion Windham were the teams to beat. They squared off in the regular season finale and the Eagles won, 3-1, giving the Stags their first taste of adversity.

As a result of the loss, Cheverus finished second in Class A South, but after DeRoche no-hit both Massabesic and Scarborough, the Stags got another shot at Windham in the regional final and what resulted, in front of an overflow flow at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, was arguably the greatest celebration of high school softball the state has ever seen.

DeRoche and Eagles ace Brooke Gerry matched zeroes for nine innings before Cheverus pushed two runs across in the top of the 10th, thanks in part to a batting order Eisenhart had reshuffled. DeRoche slammed the door in the bottom half and for the first time, the Stags were heading to a state game by virtue of a 2-0 victory.

The celebration was somewhat muted because DeRoche was going to be out of town playing in a travel tournament in Kansas City the day of the state final versus Oxford Hills. Until she and her family were able to work out a way for her to return and after Eisenhart had to stay up almost all night (again) to get the news that DeRoche had made it back to Maine, the final step was seemingly never in doubt and the Stags beat the Vikings, 3-1, to win the school’s first-ever crown.

“It’s just an incredible feeling,” said Eisenhart. “I can believe it, but I can’t believe it. I’m just proud of the effort. We couldn’t have done it without Addie, but we had a lot of different heroes this year. I really wanted the school to get a softball banner. To win the first one ever is so cool.”

The title was likely the first of many for Cheverus and it’s one that no one will forget, especially John Eisenhart, our Portland edition Spring girls’ team Coach of the Year.

Previous winners:

• 2023 Theresa Arsenault (Cheverus softball)
* 2022 Jason McLeod (Portland softball)
* 2021 Cathie Connors (Waynflete lacrosse)
• 2020 No season
• 2019 Theresa Hendrix (Cheverus softball)
• 2018 Bonnie Moran (Portland tennis)
• 2017 Tim Eisenhart (MGA/Falmouth softball)
• 2016 Robbie Ferrante (Portland softball)
• 2015 Cameron McManus (Portland lacrosse)
• 2014 Maureen Curran (Cheverus softball)
• 2013 Jamie Chamberlain (Cheverus lacrosse)
• 2012 Cathie Connors (Waynflete lacrosse)
• 2011 Linda Cohen (Waynflete tennis)
• 2010 Robbie Ferrante (McAuley softball)
• 2009 Bonnie Moran (Portland tennis)
• 2008 Cathie Connors (Waynflete lacrosse)
• 2007 Jamie Chamberlain (Cheverus lacrosse)
• 2006 Jamie Chamberlain (Cheverus lacrosse)
• 2005 Rick Supinski (Cheverus softball)
• 2004 Cathie Connors (Waynflete lacrosse)

Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.