BASEBALL

Coach: Don Dutton (first year)

2022 record: 11-8 (Lost, 2-0, to Greely in Class B South semifinals)

Top returning players: Antonio Dell’Aquila (Senior), Curtis Sullivan (Senior), Owen Tighe (Senior), Gabe Harmon (Junior), Charlie Song (Junior)

Pivotal games: April 24 @ York, April 28 FREEPORT, May 5 @ Greely, May 12 GREELY, May 19 @ Freeport, May 24 YORK, May 30 YARMOUTH

Coach’s comment: “I feel like this is a special group of players who are hungry to compete. Overall, we’re very balanced top to bottom in the lineup and our pitching rotation is deep.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth made a spirited run to the semifinals last spring, in Glenn Reeves’ final year. This season, the always-competitive Capers welcome Dutton, a longtime junior varsity coach with the program, who played at Old Orchard Beach High School and Thomas College and previously coached at Old Orchard Beach, as the new head man. He inherits a squad that should be right there with the best squads in Class B South.

Sullivan is among the state’s best pitchers. He was a first-team league all-star in 2022 and will keep the team in every game he throws. Tighe (a second-team all-star last year) and Harmon are other veteran arms. Sophomores Jameson Bryant and Andy Choi will also see time on the hill. Song is the catcher. Harmon (shortstop) and Tighe (first base) will be the infield when they’re not pitching. Choi and sophomores Brady Inman and Jimmy Hollowell will also fill infield positions. Dell’Aquila is an experienced outfielder. He’ll be joined by Bryant.

Cape Elizabeth opened Thursday with a 7-1 home win over Old Orchard Beach, as Dutton got his first victory against his alma mater (Sullivan threw a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts, Harmon had four hits and Tighe had two hits and two RBI) The Capers will do battle with the best teams in the region in the days to come and will get a quick idea where they stand in the pecking order. Cape Elizabeth figures to have steady pitching throughout. If the defense is consistent and if the squad can generate enough offense, it will be there at the very end.

SOFTBALL

Coach: Danica Gleason (first year)

2022 record: 13-6 (Lost, 11-1, to York in Class B South semifinals)

Top returning players: Grace Callahan (Junior), Sophia Chung (Junior), Lauren Steinberg (Junior), Elsie Maxwell (Sophomore)

Pivotal games: April 24 @ York, April 28 FREEPORT, May 4 @ Greely, May 12 GREELY, May 17 @ Brunswick, May 19 @ Freeport, May 24 YORK

Coach’s comment: “I’m in a pretty unique situation this year. Cape has had a lot of success in the past couple years and the senior class last year had a big part in that success. This year, I have no seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and five freshman in the program. As a first year coach in a program that’s rebuilding, this is ideal. We have talked about getting one percent better every day. These 13 girls have shown up with energy, enthusiasm and the drive to get better. They all are so supportive of each other and I can’t ask for much more than that. I honestly don’t know much about the league as a whole, but if we continue to get better every day and continue to have the chemistry that’s starting to build, I think we could have the potential to surprise some people at the end of the season.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth wasn’t able to repeat as state champion last spring, but enjoyed another strong season regardless. Graduation then took its toll, as several key members of the 2021 title squad departed. This spring, the Capers welcome a new coach, one who has long been synonymous with softball success.

Gleason scored the winning run as a freshman for South Portland in the 2010 Class A state final (still the program’s lone championship), graduated in 2013 as the school’s Spring Athlete of the Year (after being named the SMAA Player of the Year, as well as Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year and Miss Maine Softball) and also excelled in basketball in high school. Gleason continued to dazzle in college at St. Joe’s, earning Rookie of the Year in softball and being a member of a conference champion basketball team before transferring to Tennessee State and playing softball there. Gleason remains a standout with the bat in her hand, playing for the women’s New England Majors team, a premier slow-pitch squad. She has previously coached travel ball, at the University of New England and at Bates College.

That introduction is a long-winded way of saying that the Capers are in very good hands this season and going forward.

Chung was a second-team league all-star a year ago and is a top returner. Chung hit .419 last spring and finished with 26 hits and a team-high 25 runs batted in. Chung will be at shortstop and will pace the offense. Maxwell will play first base and sophomores Molly McKibben and Rylie McIntyre and freshman Phoebe Caton will also see time on the infield. Cape Elizabeth will use a pitcher-by-committee system this season, as Caton, McIntyre and McKibben all show potential and have different specialties, so Gleason will be able to plug-and-play and keep the opponent off balance. Steinberg returns behind the plate and will be a calming presence for the new pitchers. Callahan is a veteran in the outfield. She’ll be joined by sophomore Savannah Griffen-Swain.

Cape Elizabeth will be a fascinating team to watch as the season develops. The Capers aren’t on the short list of title favorites, but the raw talent is undeniable. Rest assured that Cape Elizabeth will score runs. If it can find the right pitching combination, it will be in every game. By the time the playoffs roll around, Gleason will get the most out of this group. That might be enough to spell a deep playoff run.

BOYS’ LACROSSE

Coach: Ben Raymond (25th year, 312-50 overall record, 13 state championships)

2022 record: 14-2 (Beat Falmouth, 18-7, to win Class A state title)

Top returning players: Connor Goss (Senior), Nick Laughlin (Senior), Sebastian Moon (Senior), Nate Patterson (Senior), Andrew Trachimowicz (Senior), Sam Cochran (Junior), Keegan Lathrop (Junior)

Pivotal games: April 21 YARMOUTH, April 26 @ Thornton Academy, April 29 FALMOUTH, May 6 @ Scarborough, May 10 @ Yarmouth, May 12 THORNTON ACADEMY, May 20 @ Falmouth, May 23 SCARBOROUGH, May 26 @ South Portland

Coach’s comment: “We graduated more than we have in awhile. It’s a great group of kids. The seniors have had a successful year so far and are motivated to finish it strong. We have some real leaders. We’re bringing back enough to be successful on offense and defense. Our schedule is unbelievable. We just need to realize that we have to take it one game at a time, focus on what we do well and try to improve.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: After producing one of the most dominant teams in state and program history in 2021, Cape Elizabeth appeared mortal at times last spring before saving its best for last and rolling to another championship. Graduation has taken its toll, as prolific scorers like Nic Boudreau, Colin Campbell and Tiernan Lathrop have departed, but the Capers are still the envy of the rest of the state and have to be considered the favorites. Again.

Patterson is a top returner. He plans to join Tiernan Lathrop at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island next year, but first, he’ll be an elite defenseman. He’s joined by Laughlin, who has merely been named a Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist for football and won a hockey state title this school year alone, as well as senior Max Johnson and juniors Colin Blackburn and Jake Liess. Junior Michael Foley, who took last year off, will be in goal. Cape Elizabeth’s offense might not be quite as overwhelming as it’s been the past couple seasons, but it will still be close to impossible to stop. Moon is a faceoff specialist and will be a star in the midfield, along with Goss, Trachimowicz and juniors Tom Hennessey and Alex van Huystee. Up top, Keegan Lathrop, who plans to play at the University of Delaware, Cochran and junior Bobby Offitt will make life miserable for opposing goalies.

The Capers are being hotly chased by the likes of Falmouth, Scarborough, South Portland and Thornton Academy, but they’re used to being the hunted and served notice that this season might more of the same when they beat the Red Riots, 10-6, Friday in the opener, behind three goals from Cochran. It might not come quite as easily this time around, but this group has one goal in mind, winning yet another title. Good luck denying them.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Coach: Alex Spark (eighth year, 53-45 overall record, two state championships)

2022 record: 8-7 (Lost, 15-4, to eventual state champion Kennebunk in Class A South semifinals)

Top returning players: Phoebe Altenburg (Junior), Lucie Boudreau (Junior), Laura Clark (Junior), Kierith Gentilini (Junior), Kaity Woods (Junior), Heather Campbell (Sophomore), Libby Hooper (Sophomore)

Pivotal games: April 26 @ Yarmouth, April 28 MASSABESIC, May 5 KENNEBUNK, May 9 @ Scarborough, May 19 @ Greely, May 26 YARMOUTH, May 30 @ Freeport, June 1 THORNTON ACADEMY

Coach’s comment: “We’re definitely young this year, but our younger kids show a ton of potential. It’ll be great to have this group for a couple of years. We want to play the best teams in Class A. It’s good to play teams like that. We have a lot of learning to do, but we have the potential to make a good run. The girls are excited. You can feel the energy and potential.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth more than held its own in its first season in Class A and this year, the Capers don’t have a single senior on the varsity roster, but they’re ready to accept the challenge of playing a daunting schedule.

Junior Zoe Burgard will replace Elise Branch in goal. She’s made her mark in field hockey and was the backup last spring. Defensively, Boudreau and Gentilini will lead the way. Hooper and Woods are top midfielders, who figure to be involved with the offense too. Altenburg, Campbell, Clark and sophomore Hudson Fisher are other scoring threats.

Cape Elizabeth will have some growing pains, but has the potential to improve greatly as the season moves along. Anyone writing the Capers off might come to regret it. There is a lot of promise here. By season’s end, this will be a team that no one wants to face.

OUTDOOR TRACK

Coach: Doug Worthley (26th year, two state championships)

2022 record:

(Boys) 8th @ Class B state meet
(Girls) 2nd @ Class B state meet

Top returning athletes:

(Boys) Tommy Gray (Senior), James Rickman (Senior), Sebastian Hesser (Junior), Logan Schwartz (Junior)
(Girls) Grace Gray (Senior), Maya Nelson (Senior), Hadley Mahoney (Junior), Emma Young (Junior)

Coach’s comment: “The girls’ distance team looks strong with a lot of younger athletes looking to step up. The girls look to be in the top six in the state. The boys see York and Freeport as strong competitors and hope to finish in the top 10 at the state meet.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth hopes produce more of the same from a year ago, when both teams made it into the top 10 at states.

The girls’ squad was runner-up in Class B and even after losing sprint state champion Tori Hews, returns plenty of firepower. Gray, the field hockey standout who is coming off a terrific indoor track campaign, will be one of the conference’s best sprinters. She came in fifth in the 100 and seventh in the 200 a year ago. Nelson will be in contention as well. In the distance, Mahoney (runner-up in both the mile and two-mile last season) and Young (third in the mile, sixth in the 800) return. The Capers have some tough competition in the league from the likes of Freeport, Greely and York, but they will rise to the occasion and should be one of the best squads state-wide come June.

On the boys’ side, the loss of distance standouts Vaughn Lindenau and Owen Patry will hurt, but Cape Elizabeth has talent in reserve. Rickman (fifth in the 400) is a top returner. He’s joined in the sprints by Winter Athlete of the Year Schwartz and some younger kids looking to make names for themselves. Hesser will be this year’s top distance runner. On the field side, Gray (seventh in the shot put last season) leads the way. Look for a very competitive campaign from this team as well.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Coach: Andy Strout (44th year, 16 state championships)

2022 record: 5-9 (Lost, 4-1, to eventual state champion Yarmouth in Class B South quarterfinals)

Top returning players: Eben Harrison (Senior), Gabe Berman (Junior), Owen Bromage (Junior), Finn Brucker (Junior), Theo Rodrigues (Junior)

Coach’s comment: “We want to compete day-in, day-out, make the playoffs and then make a run.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth expects to be much more competitive this season and will look to end Yarmouth’s reign atop Class B.

Harrison made the All-Conference singles first-team last year and will be one of the state’s top players this spring. Berman (a second-team all-star) and Rodrigues also return at singles. Bromage and Brucker lead the way in doubles.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Coach: Sarah Boeckel (12th year, one state championship)

2022 record: 13-2 (Lost, 5-0, to Lincoln Academy in Class B South Final)

Top returning players: Piper Duryee (Senior), Maddie Hansen (Junior), Aurora Milton (Junior), Elena Rosenberg (Sophomore)

Coach’s comment: “We lost our top three singles players and some of our leadership. We’ve got four returning from the top seven that will most likely be in different roles this year, so, we’re looking to get better every day. We want the new and veteran players to push each other to be better in every practice, so we’re playing our best at the end of the season.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth fell one win shy last year of a repeat trip to the state final, then graduated all-stars Caroline Gentile, Sarah Hagan and Isa Kesselhaut. While there are holes to fill, the program has a lot of depth and the Capers should be able to compete with the region’s top squads again.

Duryee is a senior veteran and leader. Hansen and Milton are upperclassmen as well. Rosenberg shows a lot of promise.

Just who will play where was unclear at press time, but rest assured that Cape Elizabeth will show a lot of improvement in the weeks to come and will be a team no one wants to meet in the postseason.

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

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