The infield may be soggy, but Boothbay Region  High School first-year coach Ed Crocker sees conditions firming up for his team, a mixture of veterans, new talent, and one female addition to the roster. 

Crocker is making the leap to coaching from calling balls and strikes as an umpire. He is president of the Midcoast Umpires Association.

“I coached football last fall. The kids are so great,” said Crocker.

It is a partially a family affair with last year’s steadiest pitcher, Cameron Crocker, returning with his brother, Hunter; both are the coach’s sons.

Two talented newcomers, Jay Hasch and Eli Gudrue, have come back to baseball after a long hiatus. “I don’t think they have played since Little League,” said Crocker.

Of the 14 players, Crocker said he has 11 possible pitchers, a good thing since rules limit the number of pitches thrown by any one player over consecutive games. “Many of my pitchers can also catch,” he said. Crocker said he is counting on speed and aggression on the base pads to score runs. “We won’t count on a lot of home runs.”

He will be aided by assistant coaches Jesse Peters, Ron Babcock, Robert Hasch and Bill Mansfield.

As for sophomore Josey Smith, Crocker said, “I asked her if she wanted to play.”

A three-sport athlete, Smith was disappointed when the girls’ softball team failed to maintain interest and was unable to fill the roster.

“We went from 14, to seven to four in one week,” said Smith.

Smith said the transition from softball will require some adjustments. A third baseman in softball, she knows she will have to throw harder.

She will also have to change her batting technique. “The angle of the ball and the swing is different,” said Smith.

As far as getting along on the team, Coach Crocker sees no problems. “They treat her like one of the guys.”

The team’s first home game is Monday, April 23 against Lisbon.