The Boothbay Region baseball team has a new skipper. Current football coach and Boothbay Region Elementary School educational technician Clarence “Eddie” Crocker was hired last week as head varsity baseball coach.

Crocker is a 1994 Boothbay Region High School graduate. Last fall, Crocker became the head varsity football coach and led the Seahawks to an undefeated record and a Class E championship. Besides football, Crocker has coached different sports at various levels. His other coaching experience includes the local Babe Ruth baseball team’s last two seasons, a BRHS varsity assistant coach under Allen Hersom, AAU boys basketball, and Brunswick High School football’s team line coach. Crocker also began coaching the Lincoln County football program when it originated several years ago.

Crocker has umpired high school baseball for seven years. He is currently the Mid Coast Umpire Board’s president. Crocker will umpire a limited schedule this season. Crocker’s hire comes at a good time for him. Baseball is his favorite sport and he has two sons, Cameron and Hunter, playing this season who were key contributors last season. “If I umpired this spring, I wouldn’t see them play much, and this is a special season, because it’s Cameron’s senior year. So there are a lot of reasons why I’m so excited about this season,” Coach Crocker said.

When former coach Josh Garneau announced earlier this year he wouldn’t return for a fourth season, several returning players encouraged Crocker to apply. Crocker’s popularity with players is a major drawing card with baseball players as 16 signed up. When Boothbay takes the field in April, Crocker will have a larger roster than last season’s team. For several games, Boothbay fielded only 11 players for Mountain Valley Conference games.

“It’s looking good number-wise, and 16 is a real good number,” he said. “If the kids want a specific coach then they should have the person they want, and that also factored in my applying for the position.”

The larger roster also means something Seahawk baseball hasn’t seen in several seasons: a junior varsity schedule. Athletic Director Allan Crocker is working out a limited junior varsity schedule.

In hiring Ed Crocker, Allan Crocker is hoping his older brother brings the same stability to the baseball program that he did in football. “He’s shown that he is a capable coach, and has an ability to get kids out for the sport,” Allan Crocker said. “And based on what he did last year, with football, he will bring excitement to the program, and hopefully, build the numbers back up.”

When the Seahawks take the diamond this spring, Crocker expects the team will be competitive in Mountain Valley Conference play. “We have a lot of good athletes this year. I see a roster with a lot good athletes who have the ability to become good baseball players. I’m really excited for the season to start.”

During his scholastic playing days, he caught and played third base in high school and college. At Southern Maine Community College, Crocker’s team won the Small Maine College Conference championship.

The varsity and junior varsity baseball teams may have company on local diamonds this spring. BRES baseball has 12 players signed up for the team’s second year back in the Bus Line League. Despite low initial numbers, the softball team may field a team, too. Allan Crocker won’t know if Boothbay will have a softball team for a few more days.