Messalonskee was the only team from the central Maine area to win a regional title last year and is expected to contend in Class A North again this spring.

The Eagles should have company in central Maine as state title contenders this spring.

With the high school season set to kick off this week, here’s a look at one team from each class that has a good chance to make a deep postseason run.

Denny Martin went 3-1 with a 3.88 ERA to help Messalonskee reach the Class A state championship game last spring. He also batted .419 with 26 hits. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

CLASS A: MESSALONSKEE

Messalonskee, which went 16-4 and won the Class A North title last season, returns the bulk of its roster.

Denny Martin (.419 average, 26 hits) and Michael Achorn (.406, 26 hits, five home runs) lead the way for the Eagles, who averaged 7.4 runs per game. Ty Bernier (.386), Parker Reynolds (.338) and Jordan Lewis (.300) are also back for an offense that will again be feared.

It’s Messalonskee pitching, though, that has coach Eric Palin believing the Eagles can take a another step forward. Martin (3-1, 3.88 ERA), Sean Achorn (4-1, 1.27, 41 strikeouts) and Jamie Wheeler (2-0, 3.00) are all back, and Palin expects big improvements from last year’s underclassmen.

“I think the difference between us and some of the South teams last year was that it was pretty clear they had some stronger pitching,” Palin said. “I think this year, you’re going to see us catching up a little bit, with some of those guys taking that next step for us on the mound.”

Max Tibbetts struck out 35 batters and had a 2.55 ERA for Cony last season. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

CLASS B: CONY

Cony has been consistent over the past three seasons, going 40-12 over that span. With key players back from last year’s 11-6 campaign, the Rams again should be a challenger in Class B North.

Cony’s pitching rotation looks to be a solid four or five players deep. Max Tibbetts (team-high 35 strikeouts, 2.55 ERA) is the Rams’ top returner in innings pitched, but there is plenty talent behind him in Lance Theriault (3-0, 1.00 ERA), Parker Morin (1.12 ERA) and Jordan Benedict (2.14 ERA).

At the plate, Morin (.380, 19 hits, 17 RBI) and Trenton Hayward (.308, 17 hits, 17 RBI) lead a promising lineup. Coach Don Plourde also expects big things from Wyatt McKinney (.342) and Anderson Noyes (.340), as well as up-and-comers Riley Artkop, David Frye, Josh Lajoie, Landen Perry and Jack Spellman.

“I really like our versatility; we have a bunch of kids who played multiple positions for us last year,” Plourde said. “Our numbers are good this year — we have 27 kids — and I think we have a lot of strengths. There’s a lot of juniors and seniors who have a lot of experience, and a lot of young guys with talent.”

CLASS C: WINTHROP

Winthrop pitcher Trent Collin had 94 strikeouts and a 3.02 ERA to help Winthrop go 8-9 last season. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Every season, there seems to be one team that goes from middle-of-the-pack to contender. In Class C South, that team could very well be the Ramblers, who return every starter from a squad that went 8-9 and lost in the prelims to Mountain Valley a year ago.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better pitching duo at this level than brothers Trent Collin (94 strikeouts, 3.02 ERA) and Carter Collin (50 strikeouts). At the plate, Will Grant (.352) and Carter Collin (.312) lead a lineup that also includes Brody Adams, Jaxon August, Braden Branagan and Connor Williams.

That 8-4 prelim loss last June has been eating at Winthrop throughout the offseason. The Ramblers rallied from a four-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning but lost in extras. This senior-heavy group is determined not to be one-and-done this time.

“We’re very hungry,” said Winthrop coach John Novak. “We had a lot of little mistakes last year that we shouldn’t be having, and we’ve been working hard on those in the preseason to fix those. That whole senior class, they’re hungry for the season, and they all want it pretty bad.”

Brady Alexander is one of two aces returning for Richmond this season. He went 4-0 with a .072 ERA in 2024. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

CLASS D: RICHMOND

Richmond has seven of its nine starters returning and two ace pitchers as well from a team that went 15-2 and reached the Class D South final. The Bobcats hit .406 and averaged 12.3 runs a game. It’s hard to see how they won’t be a contender in 2025.

Richmond brings back two players who hit .500 in Kenny Mecham (.580, 29 hits, 26 RBI) and Zander Steele (.500, 16 hits in 12 games). Ben Fournier (.458, 22 hits, 21 RBI), Brady Alexander (.391, 18 hits, 15 RBI) and Jacob Gay (.367) also return.

Alexander and Rhys Terry, each of whom went 4-0 with a 0.72 ERA last year, return to lead the pitching staff. Take that and the Bobcats’ .951 fielding percentage, and you’ve got a well-rounded team — one that has championship mettle after most of its players competed on the state title-winning soccer team in the fall.

“Our kids are going to buy in; I watched them buy in in soccer, and look how far they went,” said coach Ryan Gardner. “We’ve got some kids who can hit the ball, and we’ve got great chemistry. We’re looking to make some noise, and if they can buy in again, I think we’ll go a long way.”