Male:

RYAN TWITCHELL, Junior-Baseball

• WMC all-star, Class A/B first team

• Underclass All-Star

• USA Today Maine first team

Twitchell was dominant throughout, close to unhittable at times and thrives pitching on the big stage, something that he’ll likely be doing for several more years.

Twitchell came naturally to excellence on the diamond, as his father, Scott, played baseball at Bowdoin. Twitchell started pitching in fourth grade and quickly became an aficionado of the sport.

“I like being in control on the mound,” Twitchell said. “I like to show the other team what I’m made of. I can throw as fast as I want. I take pride in my hitting too.”

Twitchell, who also plays golf and basketball, joined the Greely baseball varsity team as a freshman and contributed to a championship team. As a sophomore, as the Rangers repeated as Class B champs, Twitchell went 6-2 with a 1.27 earned run average, fanning 53 batters in 44 innings. He was on the mound for the state championship game and not only earned the win, but no-hit Camden Hills in the process.

This spring, Twitchell was even stronger, going 6-0 with an 0.62 ERA. He had 68 strikeouts in 45 innings.

Highlights included seven strikeouts in a season-opening win over Fryeburg Academy, a four-hit, 12-K victory over Lake Region, a save against Wells, a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts against Kennebunk, seven strikeouts in a 2-1 win at Wells and a no-hitter (with eight Ks) against Gray-New Gloucester.

Twitchell also scored 15 runs and led the Rangers with 19 RBI.

In the quarterfinals, Twitchell threw his final gem of the year, a complete game, three-hit, 10-K performance in a 2-0 win over Yarmouth.

“Hard work pays off and I want to impress everyone who was watching me,” Twitchell said.

Greely was then upset by Freeport in the semifinals as its title reign came to a close.

Twitchell is on the verge of throwing 90 miles per hour and is perfecting a change-up, his fourth pitch. He’s playing American Legion ball this summer, as well as with the Maine Lightning travel team. He hopes to enjoy a dominant, championship senior season, then play in college.

Ryan Twitchell, Greely’s Spring Male Athlete of the Year, has what it takes to excel at the next level. Just like he’s done in a Rangers uniform.

Coach Derek Soule’s comment: “Ryan had a big impact on our team. He has the ability to dominate any game. He won a lot of games for us. He has as good stuff as any pitcher I can remember. He pounds the strike zone and lives on the corners with serious stuff. He’s a Division I-caliber player who already has scholarship offers on the table.”

Previous winners:

2015 Will Bryant (baseball)

2014 Connor Russell (baseball)

2013 Bailey Train (baseball)

2012 Jonah Normandeau (baseball)

2011 Mike Leeman (baseball)

2010 Mark McCauley (track)

2009 Sam Stauber (baseball)

2008 Eric Thompson (lacrosse)

2007 Caleb Jordan (baseball)

2006 Sam Green (baseball)

2005 Chris Martin (baseball)

2004 Ben True (track)

2003 Ryan Copp (baseball)

2002 Brent Lemieux (baseball)

Female:

KELSEY CURRIER, Sophomore-Softball

• WMC all-star, Class A/B first team

Currier wanted the ball this spring and certainly knew what to do with it and when you combined her pitching excellence with a penchant for the big hit, it’s hard to believe that one of the region’s best players was a mere sophomore.

Currier started pitching at the age of eight and began playing with the Southern Maine Flame program at age 10.

“Softball has always been my top sport,” Currier said. “I love everything about it. I have great teammates. I just love playing.”

Currier saw some time on the mound as a freshman and made an immediate impact, going 5-1 with a 2.46 earned run average, fanning 60 batters in 59.2 innings.

This spring, Currier, who also plays soccer and basketball, was the team’s ace from day one and did she ever impress, going 15-4 with a 1.20 ERA. She struck out 129 batters, walked just 31 and pitched 125 of the team’s 129 innings.

Highlights included a two-hitter in a season-opening win over perennial power Fryeburg Academy, a four-hitter as Greely avenged last year’s playoff loss with a victory over Yarmouth, a two-hit, eight-strikeout performance in a shutout win over Falmouth, a two-hit shutout against Kennebunk, a two-hitter in a second win over Fryeburg and a two-hit shutout against Lake Region.

Currier also wielded a powerful bat, hitting .397 with nine doubles, three triples, three home runs and 18 RBI.

Currier homered in a win over Wells, had a pair of hits in a victory over Gray-New Gloucester and homered in a victory over Falmouth.

Currier then dazzled with her right arm and her bat in the playoffs.

In a quarterfinal round victory over Fryeburg, Currier allowed just one run on five hits and had three hits of her own in a 4-1 victory. She scored twice and had an RBI.

That was a mere tuneup for the semifinals, where Greely ended Yarmouth’s title reign with a decisive 8-1 victory. Currier worked out of a first inning jam, then crushed a second inning grand slam, one of her three hits in the game. She fanned seven and earned her final win of the year.

In the regional final, the Rangers gave York fits, but dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker.

“I looked forward to being the starter this year,” Currier said. “We had a great season. We worked well together. We wanted to win for the seniors.”

Currier has developed a reputation of being unflappable in tough situations.

“I try not to let anything bother me,” Currier said. “My teammates motivate me to do the best I can.”

“(Kelsey) has two strengths,” said Greely coach Rob Hale. “She doesn’t get rattled and she doesn’t point fingers. Her mantra is, ‘I like jams.’ With runners on base, she bears down and battles and she believes we win and lose as a team.”

Currier hopes to play in college, but she first has a couple of years left to star with the Rangers.

That’s great news for the program, but bad news for everyone else. If Kelsey Currier, Greely’s Spring Female Athlete of the Year, continues to progress, she’ll be close to unhittable.

Coach Rob Hale’s comment: “Kelsey loves to compete. She’s old school. She has such a passion for softball, which is very contagious. Her teammates loved, trusted and respected her to the utmost. That says a lot considering she’s a sophomore and 10 of her teammates were juniors and seniors.  She’s just as tough a batter as she is a pitcher. I could ramble on and on about her as a person. (Co-coach John Eisenhart and I are) so lucky to work with such a great young lady.”

Previous winners:

2015 Alyssa Coyne (track)

2014 Kirstin Sandreuter (track)

2013 Danielle Cimino (softball)

2012 Audrey Parolin (lacrosse)

2011 Katherine Harrington (track)

2010 Marika Stayte (softball)

2009 Liza LePage (track)

2008 Kate Otley (lacrosse)

2007 Becky O’Brien (track)

2006 Lauren Kinney (tennis)

2005 Molly Hamel (lacrosse)

2004 Kate Mason (track)

2003 Sara Dimick (lacrosse)

2002 Sarah Bennis (softball)

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached atmhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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