College notebook: Messalonskee grad Joshua Joy makes history with USM baseball

Messalonskee High School graduate Josh Joy recently tossed the first nine inning no-hitter for the University of Southern Maine baseball program in a 7-0 win over Keene State on April 30. Joy struck out 11 batters in the win. Cullen McIntyre/USM Athletics

Joshua Joy says he may have thrown a no-hitter while playing at Messalonskee High School.

“I think I threw a five inning (no-hitter) in high school, nothing really crazy,” Joy said.

He likely won’t soon forget his latest gem.

On April 30, Joy threw the first nine inning no-hitter in the history of the University of Southern Maine baseball program . The no-hitter came in a 7-0 win over Keene State at Ed Flaherty Field in Gorham. It’s quite a feat for the storied program, which has made eight trips to the NCAA Division III College World Series, including two national championships.

“It’s just unbelievable, it’s really special to be a part of something like that, especially here at USM,” said Joy, a senior who is 3-5 with a 5.17 earned run average this season. “They’ve had such a successful baseball program.”

Joy, a senior, said nothing changed in his pre-game routine, nor did he feel any different while warming up for his start against the Owls.

“I was just warming up in the outfield, feeling pretty good,” Joy said. “Didn’t really feel any different, it was just another day on the mound. All the guys in the field were playing really well behind me, hitting well at the plate.”

Joy did in fact get some help from his defense, crediting shortstop Janek Lukska for making a sliding backhand stop on a ground ball that saved his no-hitter in the ninth inning.

“After (that play) happened, I kind of knew something special was going to happen,” Joy said. “When someone makes a play like that in the field and you’ve got two outs left (in the game), you just have to give it your all out there.”

Joy struck out 11 Keene State batters, matching a career high. His success on the mound was no surprise to longtime USM head coach Ed Flaherty.

“If you’ve watched Josh throw, he has as good of stuff as anybody in New England, I think,” said Flaherty, who in his 37th season is four victories shy of reaching No. 1,100. “The way his fastball runs, and his breaking pitch. He has tremendous movement on his pitch. He’s not an easy guy (to hit).”

In a time when pitchers are more closely guarded with pitch counts, Flaherty still wanted Joy to finish what he started.

“Being old school, I think pitchers should go until they’re done,” Flaherty said. “We keep pitch counts, but I go more on what a kid looks like, what his stuff’s like, what he feels like…I’m not taking a kid out when he’s got a no-hitter going. He may have one chance in his lifetime to throw a no-hitter. I wanted him to do it. I could see (the possibility of the no-hitter) in the sixth inning, because they were not getting good swings off of Josh.”

After going 34-11 last season, which included a trip to the NCAA Division III regional tournament, the Huskies ran into some early struggles in 2022, starting 4-12. USM has righted the ship since, owning a 21-16 record, including a nine-game winning streak.

The Huskies, who are currently fourth in the Little East Conference standings, end the regular season Friday with a doubleheader at home against Castleton.

• • •

The Husson softball team is once again having another strong season, with multiple central Mainers at the heart of its success.

The Eagles (23-9) are the No. 1 seed in the upcoming North Atlantic Conference tournament, which will be at O’Keefe Field in Bangor.

“We’re super excited,” said senior outfielder Whitney Bess, a Madison Memorial High School graduate who leads the team with 13 steals this season. “It’s always good being the No. 1 seed going (into the tournament) and being the host. That’s everything in a tournament like this. They have to come to us. They have to be a little intimidated by that. Being the No. 1 seed gives us the confidence to get through that postseason grind.”

Husson is hitting .301 as a team. The Eagles are led by sophomore infielder Kenzie Dore, a Brewer High graduate, who is hitting .433, with three home runs and 23 RBIs. Junior infielder Jill Bisson, a Gardiner Area High School graduate, said the team is also playing well defensively.

Husson infielder and Gardiner High School graduate Jill Bisson makes a play during an April 10 game against Northern Vermont-Johnson in Bangor. Eric Ogden/Courtesy of Husson Athletics

“Our defense has been very steady this year, I’ve noticed,” Bisson said. “Even if we do have a couple errors here and there, we pick each other up. That’s been one of our big mottos these past couple years, just being there for somebody….don’t let an error go into the next play.”

The Eagles were also able to add an arm this season in McKenna Smith, an Old Town High School graduate who transferred to Husson from Division II Saint Anselm College. In 22 appearances this season, Smith is 15-3, with 209 strikeouts in 115 innings.

Husson had a memorable season last year, going 29-3, winning the NAC title and making a trip to the NCAA Division III Regional. The Eagles have won three recent NAC titles, in 2018, 2019 and last season (there was no NAC title in the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic).

• • •

The Colby baseball team is having a historic season.

The Mules went 21-11 (8-4 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference), setting a new school record in victories. Colby, which finished tied with Bowdoin College for the top of the NESCAC East Division standings, hosts Wesleyan (6-6) in a best-of-three quarterfinal series in the conference tournament on Saturday in Waterville.

Sophomore infielder Brady O’Brien (.368 batting average, four home runs, 35 RBIs) has been Colby’s top hitter, followed by infielders Charlie Furlong and Clint Flippo, who are both batting .321.

Junior right-hander Jack Pletter has been the Mules’ top pitcher, striking out 40 batters in 21 innings. He has a 2.14 ERA.

• • •

Thomas College men’s tennis coach Rob Disch was named the North Atlantic Conference Men’s Tennis Co-Coach of the Year on Wednesday.

The honor makes a clean sweep for Disch, who earned the same conference award in women’s tennis in the fall.

Disch led the Terriers to a 6-7 mark, falling to SUNY-Delhi in the NAC championship match on April 30. Thomas’ top player was senior Jose Afonso, who had a 4-2 conference record in singles and a 6-0 NAC record in doubles with partner Gabe McPhail. Afonso was named NAC Co-Player of the Year, while McPhail was named the conference’s rookie of the year.

Before joining Thomas in 2018, Disch spent 17 years as the head coach of the boys tennis team at Gardiner Area High School before moving on to coach the boys tennis team at Waterville.

Dave Dyer — 621-5640

ddyer@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Dave_Dyer