MLB Draft prospect Trevor Labonte benefited from prep year at Bridgton

Maryland pitcher Trevor Labonte played a postgraduate year at Bridgton Academy in 2018. (Maryland Athletics)

Heading into his final season at York (Maine) High School back in 2017, Trevor LaBonte had no idea what the future had in store for him.

Oh, sure, he was an accomplished student who also happened to be one of the finest pitchers in his home state. By way of his accomplishments on the rubber, LaBonte thoroughly believed he could become a Division 1 college pitcher.

Yet, his dream of pitching at the Division 1 level appeared to be nothing more than that. In spite of him going 10-0 with an ERA of 0.83 and leading his team to the state finals, there were no takers. Division 1 coaches were not in attendance for any of his games, nor was there any recruiting letters being mailed to his home, with the exception of a few lower division schools.

Fair or not, when you think of York, what comes to mind first is its long, sandy beaches and, of course, Nubble Lighthouse. Baseball, on the other hand, is not considered a hotbed in these parts.