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Sanborn on top of the Granite State

Thursday, April, 24 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

Right there, standing alone atop the New Hampshire Class M baseball standings ... Sanborn Regional.

Sometimes, even head coach Billy Chapman is forced to do a double-take.

At 6-0, the Indians are the talk among Granite State baseball circles. Chapman, in his second year, has taken a program drenched in mediocrity (8-9 last year, 10 straight losing seasons coming in) and propelled it to the top of the pile.

For a team that has averaged 6.2 wins a season in the last 10, the 6-0 start is astounding.

"I talked to (long-time Sanborn educator and coach) Al Magnusson about it, and he's hard-pressed to remember a 6-0 start for any Sanborn baseball team," said Chapman. "I know they had a great run in the 1960s (1963 Class M state champs), but this might be the best start in school history for baseball."

The Indians are bludgeoning the opposition, with 76 runs scored through the opening six games.

This is a team that lost its offensive cornerstone, 100-hit man Jeff Dennis, to graduation and returned only six starters.

"So many guys have stepped up," said Chapman. "Take a guy like Jeremy Meyer, for example. What he's done has been incredible."

The junior third baseman swung the bat at an extremely light .152 a year ago, going 5 for 33.

Meyer has attacked opposing pitchers like a tiger freed from a cage.

He's already 9 for 15 ... that's .600 by the way ... leading the Indians with 13 RBIs.

"As a team, we're getting a bundle of huge, two-out hits," said Chapman. "It just seems like every time we get runners on, Jeremy comes to the plate."

Meyer is by no means the only Indian off to a sizzling start.

Tim Dennis (Jeff's younger brother) continues to wear the family moniker of "hit machine" proudly. He's off and running at 8 for 19 with a dozen RBIs. Steady John Lenane is right there at 7 for 14, and Steve DiChiara paces the club with 10 hits already.

"The one stat a lot of people don't know is that we've already stolen more than 25 bases," said Chapman. "My three top running threats (leadoff man Joe Pollack, Logan Moore and Logen Johnson) are track stars."

Of course, the Indians did catch a break with a deep snow pack in the north country, leaving many of the Class M schools indoors deep into the season.

"At first, I thought that was a big difference in the three early wins," said Chapman. "But Epping, Belmont and Somersworth have all been out for a while."

Chapman has no delusions of grandeur. He's not thinking perfection. He wants his team to compete every day.

"It's all about winning in the playoffs come June," said Chapman.

Play sound baseball. Compete and grab victories when they present themselves.

The road gets tough today as the Indians travel to always tough Mascenic (4-2) for Game 3 of the week, then come back to host Belmont tomorrow.

"The pitching is getting a little thin," said Chapman. "Hopefully, we can keep the offense going. Putting up over 10 runs a game can be pretty demoralizing to an opponent."