Div. 3: Granite State of mind at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine

Senior catcher Greg Emanuelson (Hudson, N.H.) hoists the GNAC trophy. (Blue Egg Images)

Some things have changed over the course of Will Sanborn’s 27 years as head coach at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

The game is the same and the team’s track record of success in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference has continued throughout the years, but the composition of his rosters looks a bit different these days.

“It used to be 75 or 80 percent Maine kids,” said Sanborn, who has led his alma mater to 748 wins and 21 conference championships since taking over as head coach on the Standish, Maine, campus back in 1993. “Now, there are more kids from New Hampshire, the North Shore of Massachusetts, and even some Connecticut kids.”

While the Monks’ roster is almost exclusively made up of New England natives, perhaps a “Granite State of Mind” is the best description for this year’s team. Fourteen players grew up or at least spent their high school baseball careers in New Hampshire.