WATERVILLE — Last week, Trevor DeLaite helped Bangor High School win its third consecutive Class A baseball championship. On Friday, DeLaite earned the state’s top individual high school baseball honor, winning the Dr. John Winkin Award as the Maine’s top player.
“I wanted to come out and have a good season and give my team a chance to win another state championship. Luckily I’ve had great teammates who have helped me get this far, and great coaches,” DeLaite said after he was presented the award before the Class A/B Senior All-Star Game at Colby College’s Coombs Field. “I’ve played with great players, and they’ve made me better. I’ve played with great defenses who have given me the confidence to go at hitters. I can attack hitters and people will make plays. It’s been a privilege to play on such good teams and get those bigger spotlights.”
Other finalists for the Winkin Award were Ben Lambert of Thornton Academy, Connor Aube of Falmouth, Ryan Sinclair of Hall-Dale, Nick Mazurek of Oceanside, Cody Laweryson of Valley, Nick Guerrette of Hermon, Roderick Maynard of Sacopee Valley, and Thomas Spencer of Penobscot Valley.
The award is named after John Winkin, who won more than 1,000 games coaching at Colby, Maine and Husson, in a coaching career that spanned more than 50 years. Winkin died in 2014.
“I never got the privilege of meeting (Winkin), but I’ve talked to so many people that just say he was a great baseball mind, a great coach. I definitely wish I’d gotten to meet him, but it’s a privilege to be nominated for something with his name,” DeLaite said.
A left-handed pitcher, DeLaite went 9-1 this season, with an earned run average of 0.30. In the state championship game against Falmouth, DeLaite gave up just three hits while striking out 10. DeLaite is the second Winkin Award winner from Bangor, and the first since Matt Kinney won the award in 1995. Kinney, who was drafted by the Red Sox in the eighth round out of high school, went on to a five-year Major League Baseball career, pitching for the Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants, and is now the head baseball coach at Hermon High School.
DeLaite had a dominant pitching career for the Rams, winning more than 20 games while losing just two. DeLaite credited Bangor assistant coach Dave Morris as a pitching influence, along with former University of Maine assistant coach Jason Spaulding.
“Coach Morris has helped me. He gave me the confidence to go at hitters,” DeLaite said. “I know hitters better. I can look at hitters, see their stance, the way they’re holding the bat, and know different ways I can go about attacking them.”
DeLaite will continue his baseball career next year at the University of Maine.
“I’m really excited. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. I’m glad I’m not ending my baseball career,” DeLaite said.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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