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2022 New England High School Team Previews

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2022 Spring Team Preview: Thornton Academy

SACO, Me. - Last season Thornton Academy advanced to the Class A South Championship game for the first time since the 1950s. With no seniors on the 2021 squad, expectations are extremely high for the Golden Trojans this year.

“We have a strong pitching staff, so as long as we can score runs consistently, we should have a very successful season,” pointed out Thornton Academy head coach Jason Lariviere, who has a 41-14 record since taking over the program in 2018. “Putting up runs will be important to put pressure on teams.”

Shutting teams down is a strong possibility this year for Thornton Academy, which finished 15-4 a year ago.

Cody Bowker, a two-way commit to Georgetown and the seventh-rated senior outfielder in New England, headlines the pitching staff after going 7-1 with 81 strikeouts in 52.2 innings and a 0.40 ERA last season while batting .448 with 11 extra base hits and 22 runs scored.

“Cody is a four-year starter and three-year captain for our team,” Lariviere said. “He is the leader and likely one of the top baseball players in the state. He continues to add size and has touched over 90 miles per hour this winter.  He won the SMAA batting championship in 2021 and will be the ace of our staff.”

Brady Graffam is another senior captain who was 4-0 with 21 Ks in 21 innings with a 2.00 ERA in 2021. A Southern Maine signee, the versatile Graffam, who can play infield, outfield and catcher, hit .339 with 14 RBIs a year ago.

“Brady is a unique player offering size, athleticism and speed with the ability to play any position on the baseball field,” Lariviere explained. “In 2021 he filled a need for our team by catching for us where he did a great job. This season we will use him all over the field but he will spend most of his playing time at third base, first base and pitching for us. He will also be hitting in the top four of our lineup.”

A third senior captain back is Michael McLeer, a .294 hitter a year ago with 13 RBIs and eight stolen bases.

“Mike is a very athletic and fast player who can play any outfield position but will mostly play right field for us as he did last season,” Lariviere noted. “He is a plus defensive outfielder with a good arm.  Offensively, he is a very disciplined hitter who came up with some big hits in 2021 and we expect the same out of him this season.”

Joshua Kopetski, the 10th-ranked junior left-handed pitcher in New England, gives Thornton Academy a standout southpaw on the mound. A year ago, Kopetski was 3-2 with 54 strikeouts in 32.1 innings and a 1.52 ERA.

“Josh has added some size for this season and his fastball has been consistently 84-86 with a plus curveball and change-up,” Lariviere pointed out. “He will be following up Cody Bowker and will provide us with some dominating innings this spring. He has a lot of interest from Division 1 schools and will likely commit by this summer.”

Henry Lausier, the 54th-ranked junior outfielder in New England, and Brayden Williams, the 15th-rated junior third baseman, are penciled in to play outfield for the Golden Trojans. Lausier hit .350 with 19 runs and eight stolen bases last year while Williams batted .302 with a team-high 15 RBIs. 

“Henry continues to get stronger and already is one of the fastest players in the state,” Lariviere said. “He will primarily play outfield and he is a top defender in the state. Henry worked his way to the leadoff position and held it most of the season. He is very dynamic and will be a menace on the basepaths this season.

“Brayden filled our number four spot in the batting lineup in 2021 as a sophomore and did an outstanding job,” Lariviere continued. “He came up with some big hits and exceeded our expectations for the 2021 season. He will once again be relied upon in the top of the order and will play multiple positions defensively.”

Sophomore shortstop Jeremiah Chessie is another returnee for Thornton Academy after hitting .367 with 11 runs scored to earn second-team league honors.

“Jeremiah was a pleasant surprise on the offensive side as he gained more and more confidence throughout the season,” Lariviere noted. “He started as our number nine hitter and worked his way to the middle of the order by season's end.”

Transfer Nic Fink brings added experience after coming over from Scarborough.

“He will be a key addition to the catching position and also offer some big power in the hitting lineup,” Lariviere said of the 40th-rated 2023 catcher in the nation. “He also has a live arm and may serve as a relief pitcher at some point this spring.”

 It adds up to a lot of promise for the coming season.

“We will have a strong pitching staff and our defense should be a strength led by our outfield where we basically have three or four players who could start in center for most teams,” the Thornton Academy coach said. “We will have great speed and be able to track down baseballs very well.”

Seniors Jack Cote and John Rohner are other potential pitchers with Cote back to play middle infield.

“The upperclassmen have created a culture of work ethic and team first,” concluded Lariviere, who pointed to teams like Gorham, Falmouth, Scarborough and South Portland as contenders in the Class A South Division. “They have worked hard in the off-season after getting a taste of success in 2021 and they are hungry. It is a fun group to coach and watch play.”

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