Cony High School graduate Kyle Douin had a breakout year with the University of Southern Maine baseball team this spring, capturing the Little East Conference Player of the Year award. This summer, Douin is back in his hometown, playing for the Augusta Surgin’ Sturgeon of the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League. Mike McDonough photo courtesy of the Augusta Surgin’ Sturgeon

More than two years ago, Kyle Douin didn’t have much of a future in baseball.

A former Cony High School standout, Douin was unable to make the baseball team as a walk-on at the University of Maine.

A phone call to University of Southern Maine coach Ed Flaherty changed his fortunes.

Two years later, Douin became not just a starter but the best player for the Huskies.

Douin, who is primarily a first baseman but can play both the infield and outfield, hit .360 with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs this spring. He also had 16 doubles and three triples. Douin was named the Little East Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore. He also was a first-team d3baseball.com All-Region selection. In two seasons at USM, Douin has a .335 batting average and on-base percentage of .401 in addition to 18 home runs and 98 RBIs.

“All the hard work and dedication inside and outside of practice finally paid off, which is really awesome,” Douin said. “I started off at Maine and wasn’t playing baseball up there. I transferred to USM and that move has paid off. My teammates push me every day at practice to be better than I was the day before. I’m just trying to get better every day.”

Douin was a four-sport athlete during his career at Cony, playing baseball, basketball, golf and football. He originally chose to further his studies at UMaine, hoping to catch on with the baseball team.

“I tried to walk on my freshman year, but didn’t make it,” Douin said. “I tried to walk on again my sophomore year, but they weren’t having a tryout because the roster was full. At that point, I thought my college baseball career wasn’t even going to start. I was playing club ball up there, which was fun, but not quite what I wanted out of the college baseball experience.”

That’s when Douin decided to call Flaherty.

“I had played with a couple of kids who played at USM and they put in a good word for me,” Douin said. “I called Flaherty and asked if there was any possibility of me coming down and transferring. He was like, ‘You know, we’ve got a lot of good players down here, but from what I’ve heard, you may be a good fit for the team.’

“So me just taking that leap of faith, and (him) having that faith in me and what I could become, that really meant a lot to me, at a time where I wasn’t even on a college roster. I had all the respect in the world (for Flaherty) for taking that leap of faith in me.”

Not only did Douin make the team last year, but played his way into the lineup from the start of the season.

Cony High School graduate Kyle Douin hit .360 with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs in the spring for the University of Southern Maine baseball team and captured the Little East Conference Player of the Year award. This summer, he’s playing for the Augusta Surgin’ Sturgeon of the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League. Mike McDonough photo courtesy of the Augusta Surgin’ Sturgeon

“When I transferred in, I didn’t know where I was going to stand with playing time, or if I was going to get any playing time,” Douin said. “I just worked my butt off in the spring, in the preseason. I ended up starting the first game, which was honestly a shock to me. To see yourself in the starting lineup on Day 1 of the season, when you weren’t even sure if you were going to be playing, that was a pretty awesome feeling, but definitely overwhelming, for sure.”

Douin had an impressive rookie campaign for USM, hitting .301 with five home runs and 31 RBIs. With a year of college ball under his belt, Douin knew what to expect coming into his sophomore season. While he was locked in at the plate for most of the season, Douin said he knew he was in a good place offensively after an April series against Eastern Connecticut State University, where he went 4 for 10, with two home runs, including a grand slam.

“The biggest (change this season) was just having more confidence,” Douin said. “I knew I could hit the pitching, I could do this, I could do that. That just gave me the ability to not worry about making mistakes, knowing I’m good enough to do this and letting your game speak for itself.”

The Huskies finished 17-21 this past spring. Next year will be the first since 1986 that Flaherty — who captured NCAA Division III titles 1991 and 1997 among his 1,133 career wins — will not be in the dugout, as he announced his retirement in the spring. Former UMaine standout and assistant Scott Heath was hired in June as Flaherty’s successor.

“I’m very excited,” Douin said. “Obviously, leaving a coach who has been there for that long and who turned that program into everything that it is, is going to be difficult. But I think Coach Heath his going to do a really good job. You can just tell (from talking with him) the passion he has for the game and the love for baseball and the kids that he coaches. I really look forward to play under him, just go out there and have a great season.”

Douin has had the chance to work on his game at home this summer, playing for the Augusta Surgin’ Sturgeon, a new member of the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League.

Cony High School alum Kyle Douin, who plays during the college season for the University of Southern Maine baseball team, has played his summer ball with the Augusta Surgin’ Sturgeon of the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League. Mike McDonough photo courtesy of the Augusta Surgin’ Sturgeon

“It’s been a very awesome experience,” Douin said. “I played in the league the last two years, but all of the games have been based out of southern Maine. To have the opportunity to not have to travel and play in my hometown has been pretty special. I haven’t played here since Legion, which really wasn’t too long ago. But having an opportunity to play with a bunch of kids from the area and rekindle those relationships is a lot of fun.”

Sturgeon coach Steve Palleschi has been pleased with Douin’s effort.

“Kyle is a baseball coach’s dream,” Palleschi said. “Not only is he an outstanding player with an extremely high talent level, he has a work ethic and mindset that is unbelievable. Every time he does something well, he’s humble. He has a quiet confidence about him.”

Douin is one of the older players for the Sturgeon, as most of the team is comprised of players who just graduated from high school, including Monmouth Academy alum Sammy Calder, who will join Douin at USM next season. Douin said he enjoys giving advice to his younger teammates.

“There’s been a lot of people who haven’t gotten the chance to see me play in college yet,” Douin said. “Playing in Augusta and giving them the chance to watch has been pretty awesome. Plus, I’m one of the older guys on the team. So to be able to talk to the kids and give them advice, let them know what college baseball is going to be like and give them tips here and there, that’s been very cool.”

Added Palleschi: “What’s super beneficial for Kyle and his teammates is how he carries himself.

“He shows up to the field, he’s got a smile on his face, he’s excited to have baseball opportunities. … He’s a great teammate and a great friend to these guys.”