Maine head coach Nick Derba knew exactly who needed to become the centerpiece of his lineup in order for the Black Bears to have success in 2023.
With veteran starting first baseman Joe Bramanti (North Andover, Mass.) and his 17 home runs and 64 RBI graduated from the middle of the order, there was a gaping hole of offensive production to fill.
Quinn McDaniel (Eliot, Maine) was just the player for the job. Derba knew what his junior second baseman and reigning All-America East first-team performer was capable of, but he didn’t expect anything like what the stat sheet read during the first month of the season.
“I don’t think any coaches across college baseball (across the country) were expecting the numbers they’ve seen from their leading hitters, but I definitely didn’t see this coming from (McDaniel),” Derba said. “I’m just really happy for him that he’s taken this role on. He’s taking his maturity as a hitter and his strike-zone judgment to a whole new level.”
