PRESQUE ISLE, ME

Head Baseball Coach Tim Burns has continued to stay busy on the recruiting trail for graduating high school seniors, and he's added a second Maine first-year player to that list.

Seth Espling of New Gloucester, Maine has announced his commitment to play UMPI Baseball. Seth is a graduate of Gray-New Gloucester High School and was the ace of the Patriots' pitching staff this spring. He threw 33.2 innings, going 3-3 and posted a 4.37 Earned Run Average. He struck out 25 batters this year as well.

Espling was a two-time postseason award winner, taking home Western Maine Conference Honorable Mention honors in his junior and senior seasons. His heavy workload will be huge for UMPI in this upcoming season as they look too add more starting pitching arms. He also won the coaches award previously, showing he is an excellent teammate as well.

On top of his pitching, Espling also plays third base, and amassed a .333 average this spring, going 14 for 42.

Espling will be a welcome addition to UMPI's very competitive roster. His former Legion coach Eric Richmond knows he's ready. "I've known Seth for the past six years. His growth as a pitcher and his high-level baseball IQ make him a fearless competitor. He wears his passion for the game on his sleeve and his relentless effort will always propel both him and his team forward," Coach Richmond said.

 As for Seth, he's just anxious to get started. "I'm looking forward to my time at UMPI. I'm excited to continue playing my sport in college and get to know my teammates," Espling said.

His current coach Tim Burns loves the versatility he offers. "I'm stoked to have Seth join the program this fall! He comes from a solid Maine Class B high school program where he put up solid numbers both on the mound and at the plate. He's another player where his two-way versatility will help make an immediate impact for us," Coach Burns said.

Espling intends to study Exercise Science beginning this fall and will compete for a large role in fall ball. UMPI welcomes Seth as the newest member of the UMPI athletics family.