The Boys of Summer

Written by Jackson Walsh
Director of Broadcasting & Media

SANFORD, Maine –  The 2025 Sanford Mainers were a group made up of plenty of talented college baseball players from the state of Maine, and a handful who were so close to getting a championship ring with the 2024 Sanford team. 

Mainers manager Nic Lops held the teams first practice on June 1. The very first day the team was together did not have a high attendance. At that point in time, many incoming Mainers were still competing for their college team that had finished in the recent days. Although he had a skeleton crew that day, Lops did what he does every year and sat the team down in the dugout. Every single player introduces himself, his position, and what school he represents. After that the premise of Lops' talk was not focused on baseball and how many games the Mainers will win. That day one conversion is about how you can be the best human possible, and represent the city of Sanford to the best of your ability. One of Lops' mottos is "game knows". The phrase is basically karma, if you do something good off the field you will be rewarded on the field, or possibly reversed. 

After three practices the 2025 Mainers were ready to roll, but mother nature wasn't. Sanford ended up having their first four games of the season postponed and would be the last NECBL team to begin the summer. Opening day ended up being in Montpelier on the eighth, that game and the four to follow did not go as planned. Sanford started the season at 0-5, sitting in last place in the North division a week into the summer. Even though things didn't look good in the standings, nobody hit the panic button. 

Sanford went on to play better baseball throughout June, but the Mainers weren't where they wanted to be yet. The Mainers walked-off Mystic at home on June 30 and it felt like a massive swing of momentum for the team, but Sanford came out flat the next night in a loss to Valley. 

The Mainers flipped a switch in front of a packed crown at Alumni Field in Keene on July 3, awaiting a postgame fireworks display. Sanford trailed for most of the game but a three-homerun night for Brendan Sencaj (Bentley), including a two-run shot in the top of the tenth inning propelled the Mainers to one of their best victories of the summer and set the tone for a much better July than June. Dom Tozzi (Coastal Carolina), and Charlie Jones (Georgia) also homered in the tenth inning of the game that turned out to be an extra-inning blowout. 

The bullpen willed Sanford in high-leverage situations through the dog days of the summer. Drew Smith (UConn), Nic Melton (UNC Asheville), Ben Griffith (Binghamton), Sam Mitchell (Alabama), and Tyler Longoria (St. Johns), were some of the top relievers in the NECBL. 

The Mainers didn't get the starting pitching they had last year, or had a clear ace, until Josh Kopetski (Rhode Island), toed the rubber at Goodall Park on July 18. Kopetski went six scoreless innings against the North Adams SteepleCats and thanks to a couple of pick-offs, faced the minimum in a 2-0 win. 

The Mainers were feeling good heading into the all-star break. The 2025 All-Star game was hosted by the Upper Valley Nighthawks, and the Mainers sent six players to the game. Longoria, Melton, Sencaj, Jack Toomey (Boston College), Brennan Hudson (Georgia), Trey King (Jacksonville State), and Ryan Kolben (UMass) all represented the organization. 

After the break, Kopetski one-upped his previous start on the mound. This time the Mainer native tossed a complete-game shutout against the Vermont Mountaineers. He solidified himself as the ace heading into the postseason. 

Kopetski wasn't the only Maine native contributing to a successful July. Kyle Douin (Southern Maine), and Pete Keblinsky (Southern Maine) had a fantastic month and both finished the regular season batting over .300. 

Sanford clinched the two seed in the North division with two days to go in the regular season. The "Meese", finished only behind the Keene SwampBats who were the top team in the league since early June. 

The Mainers matched up with the North Adams SteepleCats in round one of the postseason. Sanford grabbed game one, but lost in North Adams, so it came down to a winner-take-all meeting at Goodall Park in game three. Sanford came away with the win and the pitching staff did not allow an earned run in the game. 

The series win set up a date with Keene the next day on the road. The SwampBats took game one comfortably, and won game two 8-0 at Goodall Park to earn the sweep and end the Mainers summer. Keene would go on to represent the division well, sweeping the Martha's Vineyard Sharks to win their first NECBL title since 2019. 

The summer of 2025 was another magical one at Goodall Park. From fans lining up outside the gates hours before first pitch, to thrilling games ending hours after the sun goes down, baseball in the summer in the city of Sanford is truly special.

About the Sanford Mainers:
Sanford Mainers Baseball is Southern Maine's Premier Baseball Experience located in Sanford, Maine and is one of 13 members of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, as well as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001, playing its first season in 2002. The Sanford Mainers are committed to providing an outlet for collegiate baseball players from across the country to assist in skill development, while also acting as a community partner to the Southern Maine region in regard to youth activities, internships, volunteerism, and more. The Mainers are two-time league champions, taking home the title in 2004 and 2008. For more information on the Sanford Mainers, please visit our website at www.sanfordmainers.com or follow on Facebook at facebook.com/sanfordmainers or on Twitter and Instagram at @sanford_mainers.