Day is counting on Steven Woodman to handle the shortstop duties when he is not on the mound. A.J. McGowen is another pitching prospect that Day believes can have a significant impact. McGowen is a hard-throwing lefty who can be very effective when he has a command of the strike zone. Rick Stewart is expected to be behind the plate, and according to Coach Day, Stewart is just a great all-around athlete that does whatever is necessary to make the team better. Rounding out this foursome of seniors is another well-known and well-rounded athlete in Gavin Cote. His 6’5” frame makes him a great target for infielders at first base.

Brent Day grew up in Dexter and played basketball, football, and baseball for the Tigers before graduating in 1975. He played for such coaching legends as Ed Guiski and Ted Clark. Day was involved in the process that saw Dexter’s baseball field named for Clark, his high school baseball coach.

Upon graduating, Day attended EMVTI and eventually wound up employed at Interface Fabric where he is presently in charge of most of the building projects. Coach Day is quick to give appreciation for his employers allowing him the flexibility in his schedule to coach. This is Day’s 10th year at the helm of Tiger baseball. If he had to choose one favorite season or highlight, it would be coaching his son Eric during his senior year in 2004. The Tigers lost just one regular season game before bowing to Searsport in the Class “C” semi-finals.

Day says his number one life lesson he hopes to impress upon his players is the concept of respect. He wants his team to be fully aware they are representing their community on and off the field - especially in the classroom. He is kind of old-school; when his team stops at a restaurant after a game, he wants the patrons of the establishment to be impressed with the kids rather than regret being there at the same time.

His approach to the game is similar. Attention to details and being mentally astute in defensive situations is heavily emphasized in his system. Tiger baseball under Coach Day is putting the ball in play, and putting pressure on the other team by smart, aggressive base-running.

“I know some people neglect some of these notions, or even scoff at them, but I still have our kids study pitchers and catchers during warm-ups and the game. By paying attention, one can pick up tips on who to run on,” said Day.

He and his assistant, Chad Graffam, are meeting with pitchers and catchers this week. Next week they will get a chance to see the entire roster. They will be participating in the Dome Tournament at the University of Maine during the first weekend of April.

“I’m hoping the snow will get off of the fields so we can get started. This is probably my last season, so I’m eager to get going. I’ve been coaching some of these guys since they were in Little League, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish,” said Day. "This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the SVWeekly.com and is used here with permission."